Roger Arrieta
In case you missed it, preparing for next Wednesday’s Trade Deadline, there was a slight shuffling of minor league catchers this weekend. Prized Dodger catching prospect, Keibert Ruiz, was promoted to AAA Oklahoma City on Sunday. As these types of transactions tend to roll downhill, Stevie Berman will replace Ruiz at AA Tulsa.
What does this mean? Are the Dodgers showcasing Ruiz at AAA in advance of a potential trade? Is it recently on fire Will Smith that could be filling out a change of address card in the next week or so? Or is the wrist that Smith injured last week worse than expected?
As far as trades go, there is virtually no way Austin Barnes or Russel Martin have any trade value at all. Barnes is just about organizational depth at this point and Martin provides veteran leadership and little more. If the Dodgers do get over the hump this season and finally bring a championship back to Los Angeles, it would be nice for both Martin and Barnes to be a part of it, (Martin a veteran who has accomplished just about everything career-wise except a World Championship and Barnes a (somewhat important) piece of the last two pennant-winning clubs.) but neither of these backstops will likely net the big club the impact arm they are most certainly seeking this week.
The July 31st trade deadline should be a little spicier than previous years with the abandonment of the waiver trading period that had previously existed from August 1st through 31st. More teams than ever are poised to be buyers rather than sellers. If this proves to be true, acquiring a good to great backend arm like Brad Hand, Kirby Yates, Felipe Vazquez, or (the other) Will Smith, is going to require more than AAAA guys or players on their last legs.
I am looking at either Ruiz or Smith to be traded along with DJ Peters, whose road to regular big league playing time almost certainly will not wind through L.A., and at least one, possibly two pitchers. Perhaps the Dodgers will part with reliable swingman Ross Stripling, or more likely, two minor league arms with some potential upside.
Dodgers President of Baseball Operations, Andrew Friedman, indicated this weekend that while the Front Office’s desire is to add to the bullpen as well as target an additional right-handed bat (hello there Nick Castellanos and/or Whit Merrifield), the big BUT being: “We always feel pressure to make a deal and improve our team. We have to balance that with not being stupid.” Not being stupid means that the Dodgers will stick to the M.O. that has netted three straight visits to the NLCS as well as the last two World Series: retain prized prospects, maintain depth, and promote from within.
Without a catching prospect in their top 30, the “big trade deadline move” that Dodger fans across SoCal and the world are waiting for will amount to Smith/Ruiz, Peters and an arm or two for Vasquez. Friedman will not get into a bidding war with the Cubs for Castellanos but might make a run at Merrifield if the price is right and the Royals, who aren’t going anywhere, see value in the Dodger discards that they will inevitably be offered. James McCann could be a possibility, as the White Sox won’t be asking much for the veteran catcher. The rest of the trade deadline moves will the Dodgers doing what they do best… scouring for arms or bats that other teams have given up on (think pitchers Floro, Chargois, or Sadler or hitters Turner or Muncy).
