The Dodgers have acquired lefty Adam Kolarek, as first reported by ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan (Twitter link). Niko Hulsizer is heading to the Tampa Bay organization, as Robert Murray of The Athletic first tweeted.
Kolarek, 30, has seen action in each of the past three seasons. He’s through 43 1/3 innings of 3.95 ERA ball this year, with 7.5 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 along with a big 64.3% groundball rate. Kolarek ought to represent a lefty-on-lefty option for the Dodgers. He has held eighty opposing southpaw hitters to a meager .187/.238/.293 batting line this year.
Hulsizer is a 22-year-old outfielder and 2018 18th-round draft pick. He’s showing well to open his professional career. After a strong start to the season at Class A, Hulsizer has slashed .259/.327/.506 in 98 plate appearances at the High-A level, though he has already compiled 33 strikeout as well.
CrewBrew
*Astros in 5*
bkemp27
Sadly
CrewBrew
The GSW of baseball rn
PapiElf
Ah ha ha
notyourfriend
^
amk3510
Dodgers lineup could give them trouble. Astros are thin on LHP and LA has good history vs Greinke as well
notyourfriend
ASTROS IN 5
CrewBrew
good point.
*Astros in 6*
amk3510
People said the same thing about the Warriros and Lightning. Good thing you actually play the games
murphydog
Astros in 4
Raysbear96
YES!! After that 2 run bomb I was done with Kolarek. Despite this the rays have less pen pieces then what they started with a week ago.
musha203
They got nick anderson from Miami he should fit into the pen nicely and they have a few guy in the farm ready for promotion if need be
tiredolddude
That’s right. Felipe Who?
LADreamin
Who’s this guy?
notyourfriend
Exactly
acarneglia
And the Yankees have still not had anything notable happen wtf
Basebal101
And that has what to do with this article???
DarkSide830
what is this deadline?
corey
Past 45 minutes ago.
DarkSide830
*slow clap*
ladodgers27
SMH wow this is really sad!!! Wow Dodgers wow!!
Thronson5
Guess we like just making playoffs or making the World Series because this won’t cut it.
notyourfriend
Last time you tried Houston in 7
sugoi51
Well, at least it’s something…what, I don’t know.
great_gumbino
*Astros are trash*
Chris Thomas
The dodgers should have overpaid for Felipe. When a team is as close as the dodgers are you go for it. If they don’t win the title it’s all on the gm.
BlueSkyLA
The Dodgers don’t have a GM but point taken.
BleedingBlue162232
Well, I would have liked the Dodgers to get Vazquez, but I understand why they didn’t. The majority of major contributors to the Dodgers’ success are under the age of 30. Yes, Kershaw, Ryu, Turner and Jansen are not. However, LA has a ton of room to sign players this off-season and I’m banking that they will sign Cole and Rendon. Then you can move Turner to 1B, have Lux at 2B, use Muncy all over the place, etc. You let Ryu go, and have May and Gonsolin and Julio. Trade for Vazquez in the off-season (without giving up Ruiz) or convert one of those previous 3 to closer, use Jansen, Baez, and Kelly as setup. If Smith gets hurt, you still have Ruiz. You get where I’m going? Yes, the Astros likely win the World Series this year, and then it will be Dodgers-Yankees in the next five. Just my thoughts.
mcdusty49
I like this except Muncy belongs at 1B, and unless there are some fancy metrics that prove otherwise, Turner is still playing solid defense at 3B
BleedingBlue162232
I agree, but Turner is less likely to get hurt playing 1B and adding Rendon would be huge against LHP.
dodgerblue35
Do you get what the Astros are doing? They won world series in 2017 in game 7 at Dodgers Stadium. They trade for Greinke today and 2017 they trade for Justin Verlander. The Dodgers haven’t world series since 1998. So do you get where I’m going with this?
BlueSkyLA
I see where we are going with this. The plan to be runners up again. Just thinking of all the crap I’ve taken on these boards for saying so in the past. Anyone dare to disagree now?
BleedingBlue162232
Well, we would have given up Verdugo and Buehler to get Verlander, I’d rather have both of them than 1 World Series win. Also, we still should have won that WS in 2017 anyway, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out. I mean, I still don’t understand how in the world Marwin Gonzalez hit that homerun in Game 2…nor that we blew two 4-run leads in Game 5, but again, sometimes it just doesn’t work out.
All I know is I’ve enjoyed watching all our young prospects come up and play well. Like Smith hitting the go-ahead 3-run dinger today. WHEN we do win the World Series, it will be so much more enjoyable if it’s done with mostly homegrown talent.
Also, the last time the Dodgers did win, we weren’t supposed to win, so maybe we pull it off this year anyway 🙂
BlueSkyLA
Having reached deep into my own pocket to attend Game 5 last year and Game 7 the year before, only to watch fans from two other cities celebrate in our house, I have a very different definition of what is enjoyable.
BleedingBlue162232
I was at Game 7 in ‘17 as well and though it was painful to watch the Astros celebrate, what percentage of fans in the history of baseball have even had the privilege of watching their team compete live in Game 7 of the WS, let alone in their home stadium? I was bummed for awhile after, but realized how awesome it was to see such a spectacle in person and feeling the buzz of the crowd that night will never be forgotten. I didn’t attend any of the games last year because I knew Boston was a steamroller.
Of course I wish the Dodgers would have won both years, but again, sometimes it just doesn’t work out and overpaying for a trade that MIGHT bring home a WS victory, isn’t a guarantee that it will happen.
I love that Friedman is building something that gives the Dodgers a legitimate shot of winning the WS every year because it takes a magical post season to win, so why not create 10-15 chances, rather than 3 or 4?
That’s how I look at it anyway, but we all have our own opinions and I respect yours.
baseballpun
*raises envelope to Carnac hat*
Death.
Taxes.
The Dodgers losing the World Series.
nymetsking
Right back atcha, Astros!
notyourfriend
RiGHt bAcK aTcHA, aStROs!
mannyl101
This is not getting it done! We needed another starter & 2-3 bullpen guys! Shocked & speechless! Was there a plan B? Plan C? D? Friedman outmatched again!! I don’t fault him for holding onto some of our top guys but you gotta have a backup plans! He did nothin! Unbelievable! Resign!!!!!!!!!!!!
notyourfriend
Better than you could do
BleedingBlue162232
See my comment above for plan B
66TheNumberOfTheBest
Dodger fans must be happy. They still have Ruiz and May and have now added Kolarek.
Best of luck.
mcdusty49
Holding on to our prospects has worked out the last few years but at some point it’s frustrating to just be the also ran every year…I’ve been waiting since I was 5 years old for another World Series ring and being as close as we have the last few years has been frustrating
kenleyfornia2
Disappointment they didnt get a bigger mid level pen arm. Im ecstatic they didnt trade 2 top 30 prospects for a RP
mcdusty49
Definitely a bittersweet situation…wanted to get that lights out late inning guy but Lux looks like the real deal…he along with others would’ve been a lot to give up for a RP
22Leo
I have been saying since the off-season that the Dodgers bullpen will be the death of them once again and Friedman, once again, won’t do anything significant about it. This is what I expected.
notyourfriend
Class A insult Leo
Smelly_Cobb
Choke City
22Leo
Better than Loser City…aka SD.
mcdusty49
Powerful insight
drysdale53
Going to become the Buffalo Bills of Baseball. Never win the World Series
notyourfriend
4 years in a row
BleedingBlue162232
Except for the fact that those are the only 4 Super Bowls the Bills ever went to, while the Dodgers have won 6 WS and been to many. Other than that, a great point, lol.
Texas Rangers would be a better comparison.
FindaHitter19
Once again…the Dodgers are setting up to compete next year. At some point guys…you have to prepare and compete THIS year.
cornnut
I am sick to my stomach
drysdale53
I guess Jim Johnson and Matt Lagos we’re unavailable
drysdale53
Latos
mcdusty49
We should look into moving Joc and perhaps one of Ruiz/Smith this off-season for a lights out late inning guy…if the bullpen and Dave Roberts whirlwind lineup changes cost us another World Series I am going to be very disheartened
kenleyfornia2
A team selling a high end pen arm won’t want Joc in return and trading Keibert or Smith for a pen arm is very dumb.
mcdusty49
They both can’t catch at the same time lol
1drefordays6
So glad we’re focusing on capitalizing our breakout year and fixing our bullpen issues so we can win a World Series since 88’… oh wait… we’ve thrown in the towel to focus on the future…bro we’re not the Marlins. We actually have a 3rd shot and we’re waisting it on farm building? We already have an awesome farm. Is Friedman even watching MLB ball or just AA/AAA ball? I mean might as well sign Ethier back. At least we know he can still hit and has been traveling with the team.
BleedingBlue162232
Again, see my comment above
1drefordays6
It literally sounds like you tried this in MLB the Show. You’re literally saying that we should throw away Ryu’s Cy Young run, a solid 3 starter rotation, an MVP Bellinger, a breakout rookie season for Smith and finally a solid & young outfield? Just so we can hold on to Ruiz? Dude look up our beloved prospect “must have” pitcher Zach Lee. Young farm stars are literally a roll of the dice. If you can trade a top prospect and win a World Series your telling me you’d hold off and postpone for what? Another winning season with good talent to blow it in the end because of a gap in the defense you want to remain blind to? This will be 3 years in a row where we have a solid team minus middle relief. Garcia, Ferguson, Kelley and Baez are literally inning eaters at best! And this infielder that everyone is so pumped for, obviously isn’t ready for pro ball or else we wouldn’t have got temp IF scraps.
BleedingBlue162232
First of all, your comment about MLB The Show made me LOL, so thank you, I like good humor!
Really, I just understand that the Dodgers are building something that will be competitive for years and possibly decades to come. Rather than doing what the Cubs and now Astros are doing…yes, the Cubs won a WS and needed to because it had been 100+ years since they had, but now they are on their way to mediocrity. Yes, the Astros won in 2017 and might again this year, but starting next year, will be on their way to mediocrity as well.
While the Dodgers and Yankees both have figured out a way to have a legitimate shot at winning the WS every year, while continuing to replenish for the future.
To win a WS, everything has to happen just right, hence why the Dodgers won in ‘88, despite being so overmatched talent wise. What the Dodgers and Yankees are doing is giving themselves constant, sustainable opportunities for that to happen, while ignoring the idiotic, instant-gratification culture of our society today. I understand that…do you? I don’t mean you have to agree with what they’re doing, but do you at least understand the method?
vivalosdoyers
I get not trading Lux for Vasquez. However, Greene or anyone for that matter would have been an upgrade while not giving up our top prospects.
Also, what makes you think Houston won’t be competing next year?
mcdusty49
Agreed we could’ve put up a comparable if not better package for Greene without damaging our farm
BleedingBlue162232
The Astros might compete again next year, but there is a reason they are going for it this year. Verlander is old, Cole will be gone, Miley isn’t that great, Greinke is old, Correa can’t stay healthy, Altuve’s decline might have already started, they just gave up 2 of their top 3 farm arms, their best farm masher, and they won’t be able to afford all of their current core soon. It almost exactly what has happened to the Cubs since they traded their future for 1 WS. Props to Houston if they can at least get 2 out of it though. Again, just my opinion, only time will tell.
BleedingBlue162232
Also, I wouldn’t have wanted them to get Greene anyway. Closing games for a hapless Detroit team is much different than pitching in super pressure situations in a media Mecca like Los Angeles. He might do alright in Atlanta, but would have struggled in LA, in my opinion. Plus, Vazquez has been great for about 3 years, while this is the first year Greene has been. Totally different quality and I would rather see our young guys get a shot at helping the bullpen.
kenleyfornia2
Whos throwing in the towel? You think the guys in that locker room are thinking thats it see ya in 2020
66TheNumberOfTheBest
Can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs but…some people would rather have a clean floor even it means an empty plate.
amk3510
You can make all the clichés you want. Trading a top 10 prospect and your next young star for a relief pitcher was never going to happen
66TheNumberOfTheBest
Lux was a bluff. The price was Ruiz and May.
Short of that, I’m glad he’s staying.
LADreamin
I’d give up Ruiz, who by the way is an amazing catching prospect. Solid tools, rated higher than this years first pick in the draft. So Ruiz yes, but not with May or Lux. That’s asking way too much. Imagine they both pan out. You’d get an ace and a starting catcher for their full rookie contracts and arbitration. That’s insane! I don’t care how good a setup man is, it’s not worth it. It’d be funny if Dustin May came in and did the 8th inning in the playoffs.
mcdusty49
Called up today, one can only hope!
RIPprosports
I’m not surprised by went on today. You always want to see the big trade but Friedman wasn’t and will never over pay. The Pirates were not in a vulnerable position where they had to trade Vazquez, so they didn’t have to come down to Friedmans offer. Any fan that thinks we need to over pay to “potentially” win a World Series should start rooting for a different team or wait until Friedman is replaced. It’s tough but I think everything will be coming together shortly. I have enjoyed watching this team develop under Friedman. I think this is definitely the best team compared to the previous 2 that has the chance to win the World Series. GO BLUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
CrewBrew
I know I dont have much room to talk since my teams never won a WS, but this is the LA Dodgers, and you have lost 2 straight world series. One could argue that they choked away the one against the Astros and I would be one to do so. Then they got completely destroyed against the Red Sox–not hating on that one because they were a force last year and either the Brewers/Dodgers were going to lose that series.
With that being said, you still lost 2 straight. A huge huge move had to be made at the deadline. Getting Bauer/Vasquez/Shane Greene/Will Smith (unlikely cuz hes a giant) needed to happen. Dodgers are really really good, but they will lose to the Stros again in the WS WHEN they make it. Yeah, calling it. They will run the NL.
Think the fans and city of LA deserved a mega move to show that getting there is not the goal, but winning is the ultimate goal.
BlueSkyLA
He won’t pay, period. We don’t have to be fans of Friedman to be fans of the Dodgers. In fact these days the two are close to mutually exclusive.
“Potentially” my left nipple. Your screen name says it all.
Psychguy
LA starters will battle Astros tooth and nail, then pen will roll over and die.
BleedingBlue162232
Let’s assume Rich Hill is out of the equation, which he likely will not be. Even if he is, we can roll out Ryu, Buehler, and Kershaw as our top 3 starters for the post season. That would leave some combination of Jansen, Baez, Kelly, Urias, Maeda, Garcia, Kolarek, Gonsolin, May, and possibly Stripling to be used in the pen. Pretty dang strong if you ask me. If Hill comes back, we have another lefty we can use in the pen as well. Again, only time will tell and I could be wrong, but the Dodgers will once again have a great chance to reach and win the WS…they just need to find the magic at the right time.
BleedingBlue162232
Almost forgot about Floro and Chargois, lol. Plenty of options
TB RoHo
Adam Kolarek ,good luck Dodgers fans. This guy really blows hold after hold. The Rays couldn’t even trade this bum for a hot dog vendor or parking attendant . We received nothing in return. Some jobber. Next I hope the Rays DFA Chaz Roe. Or trade him for a case of big league chew.