Before the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline, the Dodgers discussed a deal with the Brewers that would have sent outfielder Ryan Braun to Los Angeles, reports FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (video link). While Braun has since cleared waivers, meaning the Dodgers (or another team) could make a trade for him this month, that would require overcoming potential complications. For instance, any team acquiring Braun would likely want the Brewers to eat a significant portion of the $76MM left on his contract, says Rosenthal, who adds that Milwaukee might be hesitant to assist a high-revenue club like the Dodgers in paying the 32-year-old. If the Dodgers and Brewers aren’t able to swing a trade in August, they could revisit talks during the offseason.
Here’s more from Rosenthal:
- As of now, the Dodgers have not placed outfielder Yasiel Puig on revocable waivers this month, making him ineligible for a trade, notes Rosenthal (video link). Even if Puig does end up on waivers in the month’s final days, the Dodgers are likelier to move him during the offseason when they can negotiate with the rest of the league instead of just one team. LA demoted Puig to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Aug. 2 and is not currently planning to recall him when rosters expand Sept. 1. The right-handed hitter has slashed .386/.435/.667 in 62 minor league plate appearances, though, and could still factor into the Dodgers’ plans before the year is out.
- Mets manager Terry Collins’ heavy reliance on closer Jeurys Familia could help lead to his ouster, according to Rosenthal. Familia is tied for the major league lead with the Indians’ Bryan Shaw, who’s not a closer, in relief appearances since the start of the 2014 season. Familia is on track to eclipse the 75-appearance mark for the third straight year – which, in Rosenthal’s opinion, points to overuse – but he has continued as one of the league’s most effective relievers this season.
- If the Diamondbacks fire manager Chip Hale after the season, they could target the Rockies’ Walt Weiss, per Rosenthal, who notes that Weiss has connections to both D-backs chief baseball officer Tony La Russa and general manager Dave Stewart (they’re also on the hot seat). Weiss, whom Rockies GM Jeff Bridich inherited upon taking over after the 2014 season, is in the last year of his contract. In terms of wins and losses, the Weiss-led Rockies have shown progress this year, though they’ve faded lately and have only compiled a a 268-346 record under him since 2013.
- The Dodgers’ clubhouse was “like a cemetery” after the team traded backup catcher A.J. Ellis to Philadelphia for fellow reserve backstop Carlos Ruiz on Thursday, one LA player told Rosenthal. A rival executive added, “You never want to give players an excuse for failure,” implying that the loss of a beloved teammate like Ellis could sap the Dodgers of morale. Rosenthal is skeptical of Ellis’ departure sinking the likely playoff-bound club, though, considering he didn’t contribute much on the field.
Ellis was such a big part of that clubhouse atmosphere though, it’s like losing a part of the family.
Good dude, but tough to carry that bat. Dodgers are not serious WS contenders anyway so that’s a moot point.
Maybe Trade Braun,Garza for Puig and others?
That was my thought when I saw the article.
I don’t think Puig is controllable for enough time to figure into the Brewers’ future window of contention. I also doubt that Garza and his large contract look particularly appealing to a Dodger club that will also hope to get Kershaw back in September. Garza likely wouldn’t figure into a postseason rotation (likely Kershaw, Maeda, Hill, Kazmir) and if LA figures to take on any of Braun’s money, they won’t want to take on Garza’s money as well.
If you’re the Brewers you want absolutely no part of Puig. Would you seriously want a cancer like Puig influencing a young roster like the Brewers will have in the next couple of years. If you bring aboard any veterans you would want someone like Ellis who is a high character guy and can be a mentor to a young club.
Brewers have already said Braun would not be a salary dump trade. They would want significant prospects for him. And though his contract obviously isn’t the best in baseball it’s really not that bad. He would make that easily if he hit the free agent market after this year
And I agree with the poster above Puig would be about the last player you would want around young prospects which the Brewers team will mostly have
How are they not contenders? Probably the hottest team in the league and leading they’re division. Makes no sense to me why they aren’t “serious contenders”
Their starting pitching is not good enough vs. playoff caliber teams and they don’t seem to pitch beyond the 5th inning which wears out a pen. Starting pitchers include an injured Kershaw, a decent Maeda, bad Kazmir, and Ross Stripling, et al. Urias is unpredictable. How does that stack up in a series vs. Cubs, Nats, et al?
And relievers get more rest in the playoffs.
If you are in the playoffs in baseball, you are a serious contender, which the Dodgers are. This isn’t the NBA where only 2-4 teams have a real shot
Kershaw, Hill, Maeda, Urias is formidable.
It is, though I’d be surprised if the Dodgers started Urias in the postseason. Even as good as he’s looked in his last few starts, he is still very young, and he’s already worked a lot more than they could have wanted. The biggest issue is the middle relief and the lineup getting hammered by LHP.
It’s one of those question I.e chicken or egg. Is the middle relief that bad or is it bad because you’re expecting to turn the pen over four innings consistently. Now lhp totally agree that’s a problem Ethier doesn’t help in that department but they do need to make a move or hope Thompson returns healthy. People are going to gasp but offensively Ruiz provided more than Ellis ever could in one start. I love Ellis but it was the right move.
Add Norris (if he can be retained)
Sure, the lack of innings from the starters is a huge problem, but so is the over-reliance on a couple of relief arms and the parade of pretty much useless middle relievers we’ve seen this year. It took ages for the FO to finally understand that Hatcher was worse than dead weight, and now the same scenario being repeated with Baez. So a FO that sees so clearly that a few additional base hits is worth shipping away Ellis doesn’t understand that a pen that relies on total grunts such as Baez, Chavez, Fields, etc., probably isn’t playoff ready?
Assuming Kersh, Hill, Meada are healthy is about break even. Just as position by position is about break even or close. Just as this series has proved which is more inductive that the series earlier was. What makes or breaks the series is the health of the Dodgers and whether the health allows for Thompson to resume to form before his back injuries. Say what you want but you can like them up if their healthy and they are right up there with everyone else.
Perhaps what David meant was that the Dodgers odds are longer. Maybe that’s a more accurate comment. But, I agree, if you make it in your serious if you get to that point.
Their*
Anybody that makes the playoffs is a serious WS contender. This is baseball, not the NBA.
Exactly. Baseball has shown throughout history that anything can happen. Phillip Humber pitching a perfect game is a perfect example. I firmly believe that if everything goes right, even the Marlins(providing they make playoffs) could beat the Cubs in the divisional playoffs. Thats why baseball is beautiful. Anything can happen on any given day, and enough things go right anybody can beat anybody.
Oh PLEASE, let them go after Walt Weiss. It would be such an Arizona thing to do to go after the worst on-field manager in the game. Besides, there are a lot of high school coaches in Denver that haven’t had the chance to manage the Rockies yet.
Funny, LA ejected Puig for ‘clubhouse’ reasons, but then turns around and trades one of their ‘glue’ guys.
Puig wasn’t demoted for “clubhouse” reasons. It was because he never seemed to be able focus on the game and continued to make fundamental errors.
Those are clubhouse issues especially when you can’t show up to hitters meetings and team meetings on time. They may not be defined as “clubhouse” issues but they carry over as individuals expect you to be a professional. Kendricks comments are quite damning.
As you say, strictly speaking these are personal discipline, not “clubhouse” issues (as far as we know). Roberts commented on the Puig situation yesterday and while he praised the progress he’s made in the minors he was ambivalent about bringing him back up after September 1. Having to guess a little based on what we’ve heard, I’d say this is a reflection of the see-saw the Dodgers have gone through with him pretty much from Day One. They want him to “get it” once and for all and not backslide again.
It seems as though there is a revolt among the LAD players caused by the actions of management and perhaps more directly towards the manager and his staff. Never ending injuries, possibly forced shortened rehab, and perhaps diatribes against by whomever against specific players. Perhaps Ellis, at his age and experience, was done with the BS when Kershaw was suddenly a target. More or less, management lies. It seems clear that management was sending a big message. Anyone who denies that is so childish and probably, like the LAD GM, impotent.
While it’s often difficult to gage what is going on in a clubhouse, the reaction of the players to the Ellis trade was as clear as it gets. To a man they were utterly dumbfounded. All of this seems to be a function of a kind of power struggle going on between the franchise players (Kershaw for sure, and who knows who else) and management. The message being sent by management is clear: we run the team, the players work for us. That may true in fact, but it also true is that good management is about trust. Friedman has been so consistently graceless in his public comments, particularly when it comes to the fans, it’s difficult to imagine that his relationship with his players is any better. One inescapable explanation of this trade is that the intelligent, vocal and popular Ellis was shipped out because management saw him as a challenge to their authority. If even a small part of this is true, it is a very bad indicator for the future of this franchise.
Huh scratching my head. Sure you can probably argue that the FO doesn’t like dictated to and if they ended up in a WC game do they want Ellis catching? No that’s a black hole and his defense has trended downward. Granted the staff he has to work with hasn’t helped. But devils advocate if Grandal were to get hurt which sadly isn’t out of the realm of possibility your battery depth chart is Ellis and a banged up inexperienced Barnes. Im all for indulging in conspiracy theories but really.
I don’t know if you’ve ever coached guys at the college level or beyond but TJ guys want to get on the game mound round right out of surgery. Most of the time you have to save them from themselves.
On the Friedman aspect I’d probably agree with you but he was beloved by his tb players so that kind of contradicts the main point. You see it with almost every FO they find a way to rid players of the former regime to assemble a farm system that fits their vision.
So when it comes down to it Ellis, he is beloved in LA and has every right to be and I cannot express how grateful I was to witness his time, was not producing and his intangibles are in the same mold as Ruiz. You’re not talking about trading him to bring in a malcontent.
Take the FO’s comments for what you want. But they play it close to the vest. Did you expect anything else?
Sure if Grandal gets hurt it’s important to have a credible backup, but first and foremost a catcher is a defensive specialist. Pitchers trust Ellis and the knowledge he brings to calling a game, and that is such a big part of their game. Put it his way: the Phillies wanted him for something; if they were just looking for someone to stuff into a uniform for a few weeks they didn’t need Ellis. He’s hit around the Mendoza Line during the regular season before and come through in the postseason (just look at his postseason batting line). Barnes may not have much experience in the majors but he isn’t exactly a kid anymore. As a depth plan he isn’t bad, even for the postseason.
On Friedman, based on his comments, his people skills seem rock bottom. Basically he comes across like a middle manager at a corporation who believes that if the products aren’t selling it’s because the customers aren’t smart enough to buy them. I can’t say what his players thought of him in Tampa Bay but I sure get the feeling the players in LA don’t love him. Not especially now.
One other thing to consider: I believe Ellis was the players union rep on the Dodgers. The most intelligent member of the team, and probably the most vocal, active and influential player, and close friends of the other player who shares these qualities. If one of them gets sent away it isn’t necessarily for good baseball reasons. It could very well be as much if not more about stifling dissent.
If the trade of a non-productive backup catcher, no matter how likeable he is – breaks this team, then this team isn’t ready to win.
Players are allowed to be disappointed, but they are professionals. Journalists need to stop creating their own narrative.
Glad someone gets it
There are a lot of people that get it lol
Would the Dodgers DFA Reddick if they got Braun? I know it’s only been a month but he looks awful. They can say they at least they got Rich Hill out of the deal too.
Apples and oranges really they play different positions.
Dislike the Ellis move; but I understand why it happened.
This move compares to the A’s trading Cespedes.
Oakland was flat going forward.
Not to say we will be
why the hell would the brewers have to eat any of Braun’s contract?? especially to the dodgers?? with his production he is the best bargain in baseball. just look at Jason heywards deal…
As I was watching Cubs Dodgers today I was thinking that Braun makes perfect Sense for Dodgers and that was before I seen this …….. He would be perfect fit in 3hole between all those lefties