The Dodgers’ latest update on the shoulder of Hyun-jin Ryu is not a good one. As Zach Helfand of the Los Angeles Times reports, Ryu sat in the 82 to 83 mph range in his last bullpen session. Manager Don Mattingly says that level was below what the team was comfortable with to continue his progression, with the club preferring instead to give Ryu extra rest. Mattingly acknowledged some concern, though he indicated it is too early to tell whether Ryu will get back on his expected timetable. The Dodgers’ summer trade plans could hinge in large part on Ryu’s health.
- The Astros have placed star outfielder George Springer on the 7-day concussion DL and promoted fellow youngster Preston Tucker to take his place, as Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle reports on Twitter. Tucker, 24, entered the year listed by Baseball America as the 14th best prospect in a deep system. The power-hitting outfielder is off to a .320/.378/.650 start with ten long balls in 111 Triple-A plate appearances. Houston will need to make a 40-man move tomorrow.
- Meanwhile, Astros third base prospect Colin Moran will miss four to six weeks after suffering a broken jaw, Drellich tweets. Moran, 22, was scuffling somewhat at Double-A, where he owns a .268/.318/.378 line in 88 turns at bat. He was acquired last summer as part of the deal that also brought Jake Marisnick to the Stros in exchange for Jarred Cosart (among other pieces). The club is still waiting for him to find his expected development arc; whether he is able to do so will have important implications on the club’s long-term planning.
- Josh Reddick has had a breakout month at the plate for the Athletics, Dave Cameron writes for FOX Sports. Beyond his impressive results, Reddick has put up an outstanding mix of good and frequent contact, writes Cameron, who explains that a change in approach may be to credit. Reddick has just one season of arbitration eligibility remaining after this year, and he looks to be on pace to significantly boost his earning power. Another Oakland outfielder, Craig Gentry, has been headed in the opposite direction and will return to Triple-A on an optional assignment to work out his struggles. Gentry, too, is playing out his second-to-last arb-eligible campaign.
The Pitcher the LA needs is Pitching in Philly, and his first name is Hollywood !
I’m sorry the answer we were looking for was Johnny Cueto. We would have also accepted David Price.
Personally I hope he doesn’t get traded…. I like the 1.64 ERA he has at Dodger Stadium and the 1.89 overall ERA he has against the Dodgers
I hope he stays in Philly too. That way the Dodgers won’t have to face him in October.
Not for a few years anyway
After Hamels, Harang, Papelbon and maybe Diekman (hard throwing lefty’s are always in demand at the deadline) get traded the Phils will have one major league player on their roster – Ken Giles. Herrera’s been a pleasant surprise but let’s see if he holds up. We know all about Revere’s limitations. Utley hasn’t produced since last May. Asche’s a 3B on a 2nd division team. Galvis is an excellent utility player. Ruiz would make a nice backup C if he didn’t make so much. And then there’s Dom Brown…the savior. A legend in his own mind. The Phils should have never tendered him. He’s brutal in all phases of the game.
A lot of the things you said are the main reason that I continue to say… If they trade Cole the centerpiece needs to be a MLB player… I’m not talking about someone who appeared in 30 games last year. It needs to be a MLB player with at least a year or two track record of production. Trading for solely a group of unproven prospects (I could care less how high they are ranked) would be foolhardy in my opinion, unless they want to take five or six years to rebuild. There is absolutely nothing wrong with trading a proven staff ace for proven MLB talent. I know that it’s all the rage to trade for nothing but prospects and that is fine if you have a decent team already. The Phillies don’t. If they want a five or six year rebuild… Go ahead and do that. If you want to rebuild within a few years as they have stated then they had better start acquiring MLB level talent through trade and signings.
Would you consider Wil Myers if SD re-engaged? He meets your criteria of being a young, major league player. He’s been maligned by some for being traded twice by age 24, but I think he’s a legitimate major leauger. He’s not going to be a super star and may only make the all star team a couple times in his career. He’s not a player you build a team around, but is a nice complimentary player. OF course SD would need to offer more than Myers, but I think he could anchor a trade…you?
He is kinda like I am talking about. Of course I would prefer better but it’s rare that star gets traded for star anymore but as a starting point …..
There are so many teams with “untouchable” prospects and 70% of prospects fizzle never make an impact in MLB. My point is…if they are so certain that their near or MLB ready “untouchables are that great…trade me your established player.
Exactly…Myers would be the starting point. SD would definitely need to add some prospects to get a deal done. Like you said it’s rare that you see a star get traded for a star anymore. Remember how the Phils got Carlton? He wanted a $10,000 raise and the Cards said no. Instead they traded him to the Phils for Rick Wise.
LOL…I was thinking that same thing but I go to the “olden days” well too often for some people’s taste. I myself tend to believe George Santayana….”Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it”. I this case the history is multitudes of trades for prospects who fizzle.
I believe we’re seeing teams move away from the untouchable label like we have in the past. Too many proven burnouts. It was quite the fad. You’ll see more moves for mlb ready players. It’s already happening. The stars need to come from an organizations own scouting department. Scour the Latin countries… Do well rounds 1-5 in the draft.
I hope you are right.
Unfortunately, almost any trade would be a bonus for the Phillies system right now. On the positive… They aren’t a small market team. They can and should build from within, but they can move quickly to augment that in a hurry and compete on a more accelerated timetable than say Milwaukee.
I agree. They have an awful lot of money coming off the books. They will soon be flush with cash (guaranteed money next year is $61m and $34m in 2017) and hopefully without Monty as Pres. they will be willing to spend it in intelligent ways. I know I pretty much stand alone but I honestly do not see the in keeping Cole, signing another elite arm to give them a great 1-2 but also to help transition as Cole ages. If they work it intelligently it can be done.
The only reason to deal Hamels is for less risky mlb or nearly mlb ready talent. I don’t think he’ll bring a windfall. Think Drew Smyly going to Tampa for David Price.
I do think they need a strong organizational base though. They can’t just go write checks now to compete for a pennant.
I think you’re bringing Colorado into that scenario if you want big league talent. I know I continue to bring the Rockies into it…but honestly, there’s a theory for about every team to be in on Hamel’s.
I have no problem with that but Cole does have a limited NT and has said he would wave it to go to a contender sooooooooo
So what’s the chance he waves it for a pre-memorial day trade to Houston? If he’s waving that no trade clause around…he’ll be trying to get shipped out west.
I just bring Colorado in as speculation. Simply because this is the type of situation they will need to act on to get a top level starter to Denver. It might not be Hamels, but a similar situation.
If the Phils are going to take back some salary that definitely opens up the bidding to a lot more teams. By taking some salary back they’ll get a nicer haul which they need more than the $$.
Doesn’t look, at this point, they’ll be using that money to eat Ryan Howard’s contract. Phillies are a team that can turn around in hurry….taking for granted they are handled deftly. Players have typically liked to sign there. I’m definitely thinking by August-September, the fans, have some hope. They’ll have some new picks from the draft in the system, and probably young acquired players.
I think you are referring to what TB did with David Price. They got prospects, but they also got Drew Smyly, a proven player.
Exactly
I don’t think so. The ask for Cueto won’t be much less than for Hamels even though he’s just a rental. Hamels is locked up through his age 35 season, assuming his option vests as part of the deal. Cueto will have some dead years at the end of his contract and will make more money AAV – and that’s if the Dodgers retain him.
One more thing Big Game…it seems everyone thinks their team is getting Cueto. It’s actually pretty funny.
It’s a little early to call George Springer a ‘star outfielder’. His play hasn’t come close to warranting that title.
They meant he was seeing stars.
Womp womp.
I don’t use the term to describe play, I use it to describe fan perceptions and team marketing.
I suppose it’s always best to go completely minimalist in writing articles on here. But it’s probably not a bad thing that so many take personal ownership of the site.
Totally agree Grant
The Dodgers are all in this year and I’ve been saying since Spring Training they’ll end up with Hamels. Now with Ryu progressing worse than anticipated and McCarthy done it makes even more sense. Getting Hamels also provides insurance against Greinke opting out.
With that payroll I certainly hope they are all in every season.
Does anyone know how Moran broke his jaw? I guess it’s assumed to be common knowledge. I must have missed the memo. Car accident? Bar fight? Hit by pitch?