The Dodgers left utilityman Enrique Hernandez off their roster for the NLDS, but they’ve added him for their upcoming series against the Cubs and will start him today against lefty Jon Lester, ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets. The idea, perhaps, is that the Dodgers’ group of position players is lefty-heavy, and the Cubs have plenty of lefty pitching (including Lester, Aroldis Chapman, Travis Wood, Mike Montgomery, and rookie reliever Rob Zastryzny, who the Cubs have announced has replaced infielder Tommy La Stella on their NLCS roster). Hernandez gives the Dodgers an extra right-handed bat. While he struggled overall this season, batting .190/.283/.324 in 244 plate appearances, Hernandez has a career .270/.362/.478 line against left-handed pitchers. Here’s more from the West divisions.
- It’s time for the Rockies to start spending heavily in hopes of making a playoff push, writes Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. Saunders cites Olney, who notes the recent correlation between spending and winning, with the Indians being the only team with a below-median payroll to make the playoffs. Whether some of Saunders’ proposed moves would actually propel the Rockies to the postseason is debatable — he suggests, for example, that the Rockies ought to consider sending Charlie Blackmon to St. Louis for Matt Adams and Trevor Rosenthal, should such a deal be offered. Adams’ power would likely play well at Coors Field, but the Rockies would sorely miss Blackmon, who joined Nolan Arenado and DJ LeMahieu as one of the team’s best players in 2016.
- The Athletics are talking to former Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale about their third base coach position, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. The job opened when Ron Washington departed for the Braves. All the Athletics’ other coaches are expected to return next season. Hale was the Athletics’ bench coach for three seasons before heading to Arizona, and Slusser writes that he was popular with Athletics players.
Wow, if La Stella wasn’t mad about his playing time enough already, leaving him off for a reliever with 16 career innings under his belt has to be his final straw – free TLS! Would love to see what 500 ABs as an everyday 2B looks like from him.
Take some time to actually read about his situation.
You won’t. He’s never been healthy enough over the entire season to get 500 at bats. That’s what the Cubs had in mind when they got him
He wasn’t mad about playing time, he was mad about not being in Chicago. I’m sure he’ll be just fine if Chicago wins, or even if they lose for that matter
Charlie Blackmon for Julio Teheran who says no?
the rockies would want more in return for him
Not really. Teheran is really good and has one more year of control than Blackmon (albeit more expensive). I like this as a Rockies fan. I’d do it.
His peripherals + Coors = disaster
I like that trade!
How about Blackmon for Adams , Rosenthal plus another prospect
I think the Rockies would be nuts to do something like that. Rosenthal just had a terrible season and is expensive. Adams is a decent platoon first baseman.
That package offers an expensive chance at a bounceback from a reliever along with a role player. Far shy of what it would take to get two years of a player who just put up a 129 OPS+ while hitting 29 bombs, running the bases quite well (not just SBs – check his BsR), and playing a passable center field.
A lot of things would need to happen for that trade to be possible. Braves would have to get 2 top end starters either by trade or FA. They also need a catcher before they worry about changing the OF and another bullpen arm. As for the trade, though I think Teheran is a #2 starter, not sure Coors field is the best place for a fly ball pitcher. And I do think the Rockies would want more, but I don’t agree. The concern with Blackmon is that outside of Coors his power numbers will decrease. The Braves are moving to a new ball park and won’t know if it is a pitchers park or hitters park.
Blackmon slugged higher away than home this year. So, no.
Awful trade for Braves. One year of an aging coors field outfielder for their young ace. Not even close Braves arent trading Julio, teams had their chance last year
“Their young ace.” Keyword, their. That’s exactly it. He is not an ace on most teams, but a solid number 2 or an excellent number 3.
Julio would also be the Rockies ace though, right?
Bad deal for Colorado, solid everyday plyr for a mid rotation guy at best?
Teheran has more team control, and center field isn’t exactly a pressing need for the Braves (but rotation stability is). I’d guess the Braves say no, unless they trade Inciarte for a TOR SP, but I don’t see him pulling in a true #2 SP, and even then, that seems like a lateral move more than anything else
The key for the Rockies is always the starting pitching, they need three quality pitchers before they can be a contender. They will have to get them through trades since free agents don’t go there unless it’s for the school system.
They have three quality SP’s, and quite a bit more. Gray-Anderson-Chatwood is no Lester-Arrieta-Hendricks, but it’s the best the Rockies have had in a long while and can compete with most teams. And they’ve got tons of depth.
True, that’s why they are looking more competitive, you need six starters at least to compete with the big boys like the Dodgers.
More competitive, give me a break. They need a new front office, to make the right deals and build from within, the current staff has proven to be incompetent
Ive been preaching for months now on that exact trade. Rosenthal and Adams for Blackmon. They need a hard thrower (who wants to be a starter) and Adams would crush in that park. Get it done!
I think the only way the cardinals do that is if Alex Reyes is the closer , I wanted the angels to make a trade for him last year or Dickerson and did nothing.
Oh would be the closer. Reyes is not going to the bullpen.
The Cards will be in the market for a free agent closer along with all the other contending teams. Whoever gets Chapman, Melancon, Jansen, and Davis will be in the drivers seat but it will cost money to get them. The Cubs, Dodgers, Nats, and Giants will be spending the money to get one.
??? Oh is literally one of the best closers in the game.
It’s the right combo of positions for the Rockies — 1B and high leverage reliever — but no way that’s enough to get Blackmon, who’s a cheap four win player (probably closer to five actually, since defensive metrics historically underrate Rockies’ outfielders because of the park). If you can guarantee Rosenthal is 2015 Rosenthal, then sure, but as it stands you’re talking about a reliever coming off an awful year in which he was demoted, and a barely above replacement 1B, similar to the guy the Rockies are letting go, Mark Reynolds. Cards would have to add a significant prospect.
Luke Weaver.
The Braves do not need an outfielder. They have 4 already. Maybe you should think about the other teams needs before offering dumb trade proposals.
The Rockies should wait until mid year next year and at the deadline make a trade with the Mets. They have the excess pitching ( if healthy ) and they need position players. Blackmon for Matz and Gessleman might work.
No way Blackmon gets Matz
Matz plus**
Blackmon is worth more than Matz
I don’t think cards do that deal. We need bullpen now and it would be selling low on Rosie. Unless we sign melancon or Jansen or trade for wade Davis for something like that. Weaver and Adams? Garcia, Adams, bader?
What about weaver, Adams, Gyorko, Rosie, bader, plus flaherty for arenado? Gives them three arms under 30, gyorko and Adams would rake at coots.
I don’t think adding Reyes to that package even gets you Arenado.
This.
This isn’t MLB the show, you can’t just compile a bunch of mediocre talents and trade them for a really good one.
That trade proposal from Saunders is terrible. Rosenthal’s a borderline non-tender candidate, and Adams is a barely above-average hitter. He’d be an upgrade over what they had this year, but he’s an average at best player
Yep I no longer value Saunders’s opinion after this.
Hahaha
Haven’t the Rockies learned from the disasters of the DBacks and Padres that massive spending doesn’t always equal playoffs?
Coors Field is a pitcher’s nightmare. They can throw $100 million at Ivan Nova by all means, but if you think he’s gonna give them 21 or more quality starts, you’re crazy.