Results tagged “josevalentin”

Cruz does add some pop, which the Dodgers could use. He's a gold glover defensively. And this isn't meant to be an earth-shattering signing. This is simply meant to be a slight tweaking to a roster that could use some help, ala Billy Beane's regular tweaks in Oakland. It's also hard to be critical of a trade where the Dodgers only give up a player-to-be-named later, and spend just $1.1 million of money that's not ours.

As the trade deadline rapidly approaches, the Dodgers find themselves 8.5 games behind the Padres in the NL West with a pathetic 41-52 record. Paul DePodesta now has to decide if the Dodgers will become buyers or sellers over the course of the next 10 days. LAist recommends the latter.

LAist never ever wants a player to get hurt. But is it possible this is a blessing in disguise for the Dodgers? This was the Paul DePodesta offseason move that we actually questioned the most. Valentin is a low-average, high-power player, and historically those players have been awful at Dodger Stadium. Additionally, his third base defense is lousy. Hitting .194, Valentin had been a liability for the Dodgers.

Now, LAist knows not to make too much of a great early season start. But consider that the Dodgers have managed to play fantastic baseball without Eric Gagne, Brad Penny, or Wilson Alvarez yet. To all of those Dodger doubters, who think using new innovations and technologies to build a baseball team is foolish, you can admit that Paul DePodesta probably knew what he was doing. Even ESPN Analyst and Moneyball doubter Harold Reynolds publicly apologized on Baseball Tonight.

Coming through with the game-winning hit was Milton Bradley, who claims anger management classes have put him in gear. It was also great to see new Giants closer Armando Benitez get lit up in the ninth, perhaps a sign that he'll become the Dodgers new best friend.

While LAist doesn't doubt the Angels are a great team, we'd like people to evaluate the Dodgers on more than one game against Jason Schmidt. Perhaps halo fans should be concerned that only Vlad Guerrero could muster any damage off of Texas' Ryan Drese. But then again, the Angels do have Vlad Guerrero to alleviate most of their concerns.

LAist confesses that its always been a Derek Lowe fan. The guy has great stuff, and rose to the occasion in the postseason this year for the Red Sox. But $36 million for Lowe seems excessive for a guy who has basically had one good year as a starter. So why are the Dodgers guaranteeing him four years?