The Dodgers made several additions at the trade deadline yet didn’t move any of their top prospects to do so, a tactic that team president Stan Kasten generally prefers. “I think I am well known, both by reputation and by my own comments, as having a deep, deep need to develop the farm system as a way of sustaining excellence over the long haul,” Kasten tells Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. “It takes discipline to avoid the short term for the long term. And I think we have done that. That doesn’t mean we won’t trade anyone. We will. But we are going to keep our focus on retaining the majority of our high-end prospects so that we can be good and don’t have these pressing needs at the deadlines.”
Here’s some more from around the league as the baseball world still settles down from a busy pre-deadline week…
- It seems like the Mariners are looking ahead to 2016, though GM Jack Zduriencik described his team’s deadline moves as helpful for both the present and future. “It’s more about the future, yeah, but also the production you are getting at the big-league level and if you can replace that and still be competitive while adding talent to your organization,” Zduriencik told reporters, including The Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish. “I think that’s what we accomplished.”
- A whopping 44 of the 57 prospects dealt over the last two weeks were pitchers, as several team officials told Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper that there weren’t many quality minor league position players available on the trade market. Cooper breaks down the 57 traded prospects, which included six members of BA’s list of the top 50 prospects in the sport.
- Looking ahead to the August waiver period, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick lists several players who could still be on the move this month. One of the names listed, Martin Prado, probably won’t be dealt as Marlins officials say Prado is in the team’s plans for 2016. It was reported prior to the July 31st deadline that Miami could move Prado but only for a major return.
- James Shields, Jeff Samardzija and Starlin Castro are three more players who could be August trade candidates, FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi says (Twitter link).
- All 30 general managers receive grades for their trade deadline performance from ESPN’s Jim Bowden (Insider subscription required). The Blue Jays’ Alex Anthopoulos was the only GM to receive an A+, while the Diamondbacks’ Dave Stewart was the only GM to get an F since Arizona didn’t make any deadline trades.
Agree 100% with Kasten’s approach. Just because you have the prospects that can net you a player via trade doesn’t mean that you automatically do so in every situation.
In this case, the Dodgers need depth for the rotation and some bullpen help. They got both without gutting their farm system or dealing from the top of it, unlike the teams that overpaid for rentals, or the Rangers who gave reasonable value to the Phillies for Hamels.
Would it have been nice to get Price or Cueto to slot after Kershaw and Greinke? Sure, but not at cost in prospects that it would have required. They got what they needed and it will be good enough.
In my opinion, the Dodgers will finish with a better record than Toronto, San Francisco and even Kansas and Houston who went out to trade for #NAMEZ.
Dodgers paid $43M for the incremental ugrades. How is that not an overpay for Latos, Wood, and Tabata?
Wood is a really good pitcher.
And isn’t a FA until 2020
A cost-benefit analysis misses the point entirely.
The Dodgers have money, and they spent it on improving the team without raiding the farm. That’s all you need to know, really.
If Zduriencik isn’t fired by season’s end then Howard Lincoln and Kevin Mather need to step down or ownership needs to finally step in and fire all three. It’s well beyond disgraceful.
For who? Who in Nintendo is even running the Mariners and would step in to make such a decision? Though I agree Z has been very disappointing. He has no business being a MLB GM, haven’t been the same since Gillick left.
MLB could certainly do something about lackadaisical ownership, but likely won’t.
Through the list I think with a few exceptions the buyers obtained absurdly low prices.
Kasten’s problem is any competent organization agrees with him and we may have hit an era where prospect value is too exaggerated.
I see how cheap the Kazmir and general reliever transactions are and think the Dodgers screwed up through not minimally obtaining another reliever.
That big name Mike Leake…
Re: Bowden, I thought Arizona standing pat was a rare situation where Stewart and TLR passed on the opportunity to do something harmful to the organization. Michael Hill earned that F, how dare you deny him.
Preller is another who earned it
Preller put himself at almost a certain fail ratio.
At this point I also think it was wise to not trade prospects for AZ. If they wish to spend some money they can do so over the winter
I feel as if Dave Stewart has a job cause he is good frends with TLR. Dont really see him as qualified and I believe he is just the fall guy in AZ. We all know who is running the show there.
You’d think they’d appreciate a fall guy that knows when to speak and when not to. I suppose Stewart is candid…some could consider that a breath of fresh air…but it just comes off as unprofessional.. At least until he wins