As I wrote yesterday, the Dodgers acquired outfielder Shane Victorino from the Phillies in return for reliever Josh Lindblom, AA starter Ethan Martin, and either a player to be named later or cash.

Shane Victorino is returning to the organization that drafted him in 1999. The Dodgers acquired Victorino from the Phillies today for starting pitching prospect Ethan Martin and reliever Josh Lindblom, according to Yahoo’s Tim Brown (Twitter link). The deal has been officially announced by both teams, and the Phillies also received a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Josh Lindblom

From 2011 to 2012, in what amounts to about a full season’s worth of work (75 G/77.1 IP), Lindblom has posted a 2.91 ERA/4.02 FIP/4.19 xFIP/3.53 SIERA. He’s been worth around 0.7 WAR in that time period and figures to be around 0.5 to 1.0 WAR annually, depending on whether you believe his defense independent profile or batted ball profile.

After this season, he has five years of team control left, so taking the middle ground of things, he figures to be worth around 4 WAR during that time.

Ethan Martin

I ranked Martin as the 21st best prospect in the system coming into 2012, based primarily on his upside. In 2011, he seemed destined for a bullpen role, as he could never get it together as a starter, but the lack of ceiling in the Dodgers system led me to rank him anyway.

The Dodgers decided to give him another shot in 2012 as a starter and it has paid dividends. In 118 innings at AA, he has a 3.58 ERA and a 3.48 FIP due to continuing to miss bats (22.9 K%) but dropping his walk rate four percent (12.5%).

He’s not that old for the level at 23 and would have ranked somewhere in the top 10 in the system going into 2013. I probably would have put his upside as a #3 starter or late inning reliever with a high risk grade, an improvement from #3/#4 starter and late inning reliever with a very high risk grade.

Player To Be Named Later Or Cash

PTBNL rarely amount to much so I wouldn’t be concerned about it. Cash obviously doesn’t affect the Dodgers much either. Both figure to be moot unless there’s a shocking twist.

Shane Victorino

2012 marks Victorino’s worst offensive season of his career, posting a .261/.324/.401/.724 line. He’s a good baserunner and an average defender in center (Last Four Years: 0 DRS, -7 FRAA), but a lot of his offensive value comes from the fact that he’s a center fielder, which may not be the case with the Dodgers. Still, there’s no doubt that he marks an upgrade over the previous occupants, who have posted a pathetic line of .238/.294/.329/.623.

Victorino projects at .271/.338/.439/.777 the rest of the way, while the three headed monster of Bobby Abreu (.253/.343/.373/.716), Juan Rivera (.261/.312/.394/.706), and Tony Gwynn Jr. (.252/.306/.341/.647) all clock in well below that.

Comparing Victorino with the three-headed monster that was sharing time in left shows a ~4.5 run upgrade offensively, ~0.5 run upgrade on the bases, and a ~3 run upgrade defensively. That’s assuming the regressed offensive performance and that Victorino adjusts from average/fringe center fielder to above average/good left fielder defensively. So he’s about a 0.8 marginal win upgrade or so.

For the record, PECOTA has him at only a half win upgrade.

—–

While I liked both Lindblom and Martin, they weren’t elite assets, so I’m not going to throw a fit like I was on Twitter when I thought they dealt Allen Webster. However, they were assets that obviously had value, and as a rule of thumb, I don’t like trading valuable assets for rentals except under certain circumstances (history generally shows why), such as an elite team looking to shore up roles.

My cause for concern with trades like these has less to do with Victorino specifically though, as he does indeed represent a significant upgrade in left. Over a full season, he would be about a 2.0 to 2.5 win upgrade over what the Dodgers were trotting out there. However, all they get is two months, and while I assumed he will regress to norms, he may not, and even if he does, his marginal value is minimal because of the time frame involved.

Overall, I understand why people are thrilled with this move, and I hope for the best along with everybody else, but I don’t think there’s much to get excited about either way.

Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports says the Dodgers have traded Josh Lindblom and Ethan Martin to the Phillies for Shane Victorino.

Phillies have traded Victorino to Dodgers for Lindblom and Ethan martin

— Tim Brown (@TBrownYahoo) July 31, 2012

I’ll have analysis up later, but in the mean time, here’s Shane Victorino’s best contributions to baseball!

According to George Ofman of WBBM in Chicago, the Dodgers have an offer on the table for the Cubs‘ Ryan Dempster that involves two pitching prospects.

Cubs have at least 2 deals on table for Dempster. One from Tigers including young lefty and from Dodgers for two pitching prospects.

— George ofman (@georgeofman) July 14, 2012

I’ve already explored the potential deal for Dempster and explained why I don’t mind the idea, but the price is a separate issue altogether.

By itself, two pitching prospects doesn’t mean much, as it all depends on the names. So who might the involved prospects be?

—–

Despite Ned Colletti being Ned Colletti, I would believe that Zach Lee (Age 20|Level A+/AA|3.45 SIERA) and Nate Eovaldi (22|MLB|5.01) would be off the table for a #2/#3 starter rental. Also, Allen Webster (22|AA|3.81) would be an odd inclusion to me, as would Chris Reed (22|A+/AA|3.42) because I feel the organization thinks highly of him.

All of that leaves Garrett Gould (20|A+|3.77) as a potential centerpiece prospect that sticks out once again, as the team was willing to part with him in a Carlos Lee trade. I would think the surging Ethan Martin (23|AA|4.19) could also be a potential centerpiece of a trade, as a friend of mine says he’s touching high-90s again. As for the secondary prospect, Chris Withrow (23|AA|3.96), Aaron Miller (24|AA|4.39), Angel Sanchez (22|A+|4.11), Matt Magill (22|AA|3.66), and Ryan O’Sullivan (21|A/A+|4.50) would be the possibilities. So mix-and-match one from each pool and there you have the potential deal in place.

—–

Would the deal be worth it? Probably.

While both Gould and Martin are likely top ten prospects in the system at this point, and all the secondary prospects have potential value, the Dodgers have a ton of arms in the system. None of the mentioned names strike me as sure thing MLB contributors, and given the bust rate of prospects, I think a deal of this nature is an acceptable risk to take for a rental.

It would be difficult to complain if the team made a deal like the one I proposed above for what represents a clear upgrade in the rotation and a pitcher that slots in nicely behind Clayton Kershaw. However, if the deal includes Lee, Eovaldi, Webster, or Reed, it could come back to haunt the team sooner than later.

With the Dodgers signing all of the players they drafted in the first 10 rounds, the minor league rosters have received ample reinforcements. The latest to sign: Paco Rodriguez. He was assigned to the Great Lakes Loons.

As for on-field performance, the Arizona League Dodgers are on fire. The team is 13-2 on the season and ahead of the second-place AZL Indians by 6 1/2 games. Aside from the Albuquerque Isotopes, the rest of the teams had mediocre weeks.

The ‘Topes led the system in scoring this week with 56 runs. The Dominican Summer League Dodgers gave up the fewest runs (12) in the fewest games played (five).

—–

Notes: Angelo Songco was promoted to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. He’s one step closer to being where he needs to be after having offseason surgery. This year’s 13th-round pick Darnell Sweeney joined Rodriguez and Duke Von Schamann as the only 2012 draftees to play at a level higher than rookie ball so far. Matt Kemp finished his rehab stint with the Quakes and Isotopes.

—–

Albuquerque Isotopes (5-2)

Runs Scored: 56
Runs Allowed: 40

Player Of The Week

Josh Fields – 3B

Fields had a great week, even by Pacific Coast League standards. He went 17-for-31 (.548) with three doubles, 10 RBI, and seven runs scored. He had at least two hits in every game this week. He isn’t hitting for much power, despite a .515 slugging percentage, but at least he’s putting the bat on the ball. He’s fifth in the PCL in hits (112).

Pitcher Of The Week

John Ely – RHP

Yeah, you’re not surprised. This is the sixth time Ely has won this award and he did so by having another fantastic week: 13 IP, 11 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 14 K. There’s not really much more to say about Ely’s performance this season, so I won’t.

—–

Chattanooga Lookouts (3-4)

Runs Scored: 35
Runs Allowed: 32

Player Of The Week

Nick Buss – CF

The 2008 eighth-rounder out of USC had a great week for the Lookouts: 14-for-30 (.467) with two doubles, a triple, six RBI, and four runs scored. Buss, 25, isn’t much of a prospect, but it’s nice to see him have a solid week. He’s struggling against Southern League pitching (.740 OPS) compared to the California League pitching he faced last season (.880 OPS).

Pitcher Of The Week

Matt Magill – RHP

Magill just edged out Ethan Martin to his second award of the season. He had a great outing this week: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K. Magill struggled mightily in June (7.46 ERA, .377 batting average against), but has started July off on the right track. Hopefully he’s a little more consistent for the rest of the season.

—–

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (4-3)

Runs Scored: 44
Runs Allowed: 35

Player Of The Week

Bobby Coyle – OF/DH

Coyle, despite getting limited playing, is making it count. This week was no different: 8-for-19 with two home runs, four doubles, six RBI, and four runs scored. The 2010 10th-round pick has a .413/.455/.641 triple slash in 29 games with the Quakes. Joc Pederson (12-for-32) earns another honorable mention.

Pitcher Of The Week

Andres Santiago – RHP

Santiago, 22, has been inconsistent this season, but he’s also had two of the better performances by a Dodger minor league pitcher this season. He had a couple good outings this week: 14 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 19 K. That 19:2 K:BB ratio looks awfully nice. On the season, Santiago has a 5.01 ERA (bad), but his peripherals are pretty solid otherwise: 3.39 FIP, 1.28 WHIP, 8.5 H/9, 0.8 HR/9, 3.0 BB/9, 10.2 K/9, and a 3.35 K/BB.

—–

Great Lakes Loons (2-5)

Runs Scored: 23
Runs Allowed: 44

Player Of The Week

Jesse Bosnik – 3B/1B

It was a down week for the Loons on both sides of the ball. Bosnik just edged out Pedro Guerrero for this week’s award. He went 8-for-20 (.400) with a home runs, double, four RBI, and four runs scored. He’s hitting just .256/.294/.390 on the season. Bosnik, 24 in two weeks, isn’t a prospect at this point.

Pitcher Of The Week

Raydel Sanchez – RHP

On the strength of seven no-hit innings on July 2nd, Sanchez wins this week’s award. Last year’s biggest Dodger international signing, Sanchez had the following line: 13 1/3 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 10 K. The 22-year-old is having some success in Midland and is finally in the starting rotation after beginning the season in the bullpen.

—–

Ogden Raptors (3-4)

Runs Scored: 42
Runs Allowed: 50

Player Of The Week

Justin Boudreaux – IF

Boudreaux is having a much easier time with Ogden than he did with Great Lakes. This week, he went 9-for-21 (.429) with two doubles, two RBI, and four runs scored. The 2011 14th-rounder was somewhat of a sleeper in my eyes coming into the season, but he’s fallen and is a fringe prospect at best right now.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jake Hermsen – LHP

Hermsen earns his second straight award by having a couple solid outings: 11 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K. The lefty is having a relatively easy go of it for the Raptors thus far, posting a 2.50 ERA, .236 BAA, and a great 2.36 groundout rate.

—–

Arizona League Dodgers (5-1)

Runs Scored: 42
Runs Allowed: 32

Player Of The Week

Tyler Ogle – C

Ogle picks up the award for the second straight week by, once again, mashing: 10-for-23 (.435) with two home runs, 10 RBI, three doubles, and three walks. The soon-to-be 22-year-old has no issues handling Arizona League pitching and should be promoted sooner rather than later.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jonathan Martinez – RHP

Martinez had another stellar week to earn his second award in three weeks: 10 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 K. The 18-year-old is having an impressive showing in the AZL and could be a guy to watch in the coming years.

—–

Dominican Summer League Dodgers (3-2)

Runs Scored: 24
Runs Allowed: 12

Player Of The Week

Melvin Santana – 2B

It was an abbreviated week for the DSL Dodgers, but Santana managed to have the best week of the bunch. He went 6-for-17 (.352) with two triples, two RBI, four runs scored, and four stolen bases. The 20-year-old played in the Dominican Summer League last year and hit .249/.344/.344 with 10 stolen bases. He’s already matched his triple total from last season (four) and has seven doubles (had 11 last year). He’s made some improvements and it will be interesting to see if he can keep it up.

Pitcher Of The Week

Wander Beras – LHP

Beras had one of the best outings — if not the best — of any Dodger minor leaguer this week: 8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K. He’s been a little inconsistent in the DSL so far, but the 23-year-old is on his fourth stint in the league and isn’t much to get excited about. He did not play in 2011.

The Chattanooga Lookouts were the system’s best team this week, going a perfect 7-0 by allowing just nine runs — the entire week. That’s by far the fewest number of runs allowed by a Dodger minor league team this season, and part of the reason for their success were the reinforcements from Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in the form of Chris Reed and Zach Lee (who had a great Double-A debut).

The Quakes scored the most runs this week at 50, including 17 on Sunday night.

—–

Notes: Corey Seager signed his contract with the Dodgers and will report to the Ogden Raptors this week. Yasiel Puig also signed and will get acclimated to professional ball in Arizona to start.

—–

Albuquerque Isotopes (3-4)

Runs Scored: 42
Runs Allowed: 46

Player Of The Week

Josh Fields – 3B

Fields takes home his second award of the season by going 8-for-27 (.296) with a home run, four RBI, two doubles, and four runs scored. Fields has been hitting the ball well, as he posted a 1.010 OPS in June. On the season, he has a .329/.397/.503 line with eight home runs, 38 RBI, and 56 runs scored.

Pitcher Of The Week

John Ely – RHP

I’m really thinking about renaming this the “John Ely Award” because he seemingly wins it every week. This is the fifth time he’s won it (most by any Dodgers minor leaguer), and he did it by posting the following line: 7 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 9 K. Not his best work, but still good enough. An interesting note: all three runs he gave up were via solo home run.

—–

Chattanooga Lookouts (7-0)

Runs Scored: 24
Runs Allowed: 9

Player Of The Week

Blake Smith – OF

Smith takes home his fourth award of the season by going 8-for-27 (.296) with one home run, four RBI one double, one triple, and four walks. There wasn’t much going on offensively in Chattanooga this week. Rafael Ynoa went 10-for-28, but all 10 hits were singles. Smith is up to .294/.386/.498 on the season and is establishing himself as one of the Dodgers best positional prospects.

Pitcher Of The Week

Ethan Martin – RHP

Martin had a fantastic outing this week for the Lookouts to earn his third POTW award of the season. He’s been the most consistently good pitcher for the Lookouts this season and I’m more than happy to say I was wrong about him. There is still plenty of hope for the power right-hander.

—–

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-4)

Runs Scored: 50
Runs Allowed: 45

Player Of The Week

C.J. Retherford – 3B

I’m tired of giving this award to a 26-year-old in High-A, but he’s absolutely mashing, and this week was no exception: 17-for-29 (.586) with two home runs, four doubles, two triples, and 10 RBI. He’s at .368/.425/.676 with 18 home runs on the season.

Honorable mentions go to Joc Pederson and Bobby Coyle. Pederson had one of the best games of any Dodgers minor leaguer this season, going 3-for-6 with three home runs, four RBI, and four runs scored on Sunday. Coyle, on the strength of a 5-for-5 game, also Sunday, received consideration this week.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jon Michael Redding – RHP

Redding had another solid week for the suddenly pitching-thin Quakes: 12 IP, 12 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 7 BB, 9 K. Redding had a better season with Rancho last season and was demoted from Chattanooga earlier in the year. He isn’t much of a prospect these days, but he’s a decent pitcher for a team looking to make a playoff push in the second half.

—–

Great Lakes Loons (3-4)

Runs Scored: 31
Runs Allowed: 35

Player Of The Week

Pratt Maynard – C

Maynard has been disappointing this season, but the man with the 80 name had a solid week, including some surprising speed: 5-for-13 with a home run, three walks, four runs scored, and three stolen bases. I’m not sure where the speed burst came from, but I wouldn’t expect it to last.

Pitcher Of The Week

Duke Von Schamann – RHP

Schamann, the Dodgers 15th-round pick out of Texas Tech, made his debut with the Loons this week: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. Not bad for a guy who was a college student a month ago.

—–

Ogden Raptors (4-3)

Runs Scored: 42
Runs Allowed: 39

Player Of The Week

Alex Santana – 3B

The Dodgers 2011 second-round pick makes his first appearance of this season after going 10-for-20 (.500) with one home run, one double, seven RBI, and two runs scored. Santana has gotten off to a good start in the Pioneer League at .370/.354/.565. You’ll notice his on-base percentage is lower than his batting average — well, that’s because he’s yet to draw a walk this season. Now, he’s just 18 years old, but it’d be nice to see him show a little patience at the plate. He has 13 strikeouts to accompany those zero walks.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jake Hermsen – LHP

Hermsen, the Dodgers 28th-round pick this year, had a good outing to earn this week’s award: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K. He’s thrown a solid 12 innings for Ogden so far, posting a 2.25 ERA and allowing just one walk.

—–

Arizona League Dodgers (4-1)

Runs Scored: 40
Runs Allowed: 34

Player Of The Week

Tyler Ogle – C

Ogle, the Dodgers ninth-round pick in 2011, went 10-for-18 (.556) this week with four doubles, four RBI, and, you guessed it, four walks. He played just six games for the AZL Dodgers last year and is up to nine so far this season. He’s listed as a catcher, but he’s caught just two games this season.

Pitcher Of The Week

Miguel Sulbaran – LHP

Sulbaran had a great week as an 18-year-old in the Arizona League: 11 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 12 K. He’s one of the better pitchers there and pitched with the DSL Dodgers last year (6-1, 2.81 ERA, .179 BAA).

—–

Dominican Summer League Dodgers (5-1)

Runs Scored: 39
Runs Allowed: 23

Player Of The Week

Josmar Cordero – 1B/C

Again, Gerson Nunez fell short this week (8-for-12). If he had more at-bats, I probably would have gone with him. Instead, Cordero wins his third consecutive award by going 10-for-25 (.400) with two doubles, a triple, five RBI, two walks (against zero strikeouts), and seven runs scored. He really can’t do much more in this league (.453/.491/.679) and should be promoted.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jose Agusto Diaz – RHP

Diaz made one relief appearance and one start this week: 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. The 21-year-old is in his second stint with the DSL Dodgers. Last season, he had a 0.67 ERA in 27 innings.

The Dodgers will be well represented in three different minor league All-Star games to be played later this month.

The only All-Stars yet to be announced are the AAA All-Stars because that game, like the MLB All-Star Game and Futures Game, will be played in July.

Here’s a breakdown by minor league level.

—–

Double-A (Southern League) – 7

RHP Steven Ames
3B Pedro Baez – Starter
RHP Matt Magill
RHP Ethan Martin
RHP Red Patterson
OF Blake Smith – Starter
C/1B J.T. Wise

Snubs: None

For a team with a losing record (32-36), the Chattanooga Lookouts boast more All-Stars than Rancho Cucamonga and Great Lakes combined. Baez and Smith will be starting (hitting seventh and eighth, respectively) for the North Division. Ames and Patterson were injury replacements, but they’ve been the two best relievers for the Lookouts this season (save Shawn Tolleson).

—–

High-A (California League) – 2

OF Leon Landry
3B C.J. Retherford

Snubs: Zach Lee, Scott McGough, Michael Pericht

The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes are riding a hot streak and are one game away from clinching the first-half division title and a playoff spot thanks in large part to Retherford and some good pitching. Landry was an injury replacement.

Despite his injury, Lee is having a fantastic season. His ERA (4.30) might not look great, but it’s better than league average and doesn’t tell the entire story. His peripherals alone should have gotten him into the game, and maybe he’ll make an appearance in Kansas City at the Futures Game. Pericht is limited by his lack of playing time, but he has better overall numbers than the backup catcher Raywilly Gomez (no BS, that’s his name). McGough has been good, but there are a lot of solid pitchers on the squad.

—–

Low-A (Midwest League) – 3

1B/DH O’Koyea Dickson
LHP Jarret Martin
OF/1B Joe Winker

Snubs: Ryan O’Sullivan

Despite missing 30 games, Dickson earns a spot on the team (as an injury replacement). He’s absolutely mashing for the Great Lakes Loons and should get a promotion soon after the midway point. Martin started off great but has scuffled a bit since the middle of May. Winker has also struggled of late, but O’Sullivan, on the other hand, has been pitching great and probably deserves a spot on the team.

On Wednesday, five members of the Chattanooga Lookouts were named to the Southern League All-Star team, according to a press release from the league.

—–

Southern League North Division All-Stars

Position Players: 1B/C J.T. Wise, 3B Pedro Baez, OF Blake Smith

Pitchers: RHP Matt Magill, RHP Ethan Martin

—–

I’ve written about Magill’s and Martin’s success this season, so their selections come as no surprise. Magill hasn’t pitched as well in his last couple outings, but he’s been solid this season overall. Martin got roughed up a little on Wednesday, but he’s still the ace of the staff.

Wise is leading the team in batting average, on-base percentage (16th in league), hits, doubles (2nd in league), walks, and OPS. Smith leads the team in home runs (10th in league), RBI (10th in league), runs scored (2nd in league), and slugging percentage. Both are tied for the team lead in total bases, good for 13th in the league.

Baez is the only surprise to me. He’s having an okay season (.245/.357/.380), but those numbers don’t scream “All-Star” to me. Third base in the Southern League must be as barren as it is in the Dodgers system.

Either way, it’s nice to see the guys get well-deserved recognition.

The All-Star Game will be held on June 19th at the Tennessee Smokies park in Kodak, Tennessee.

While the Dodgers minor league teams didn’t do well in the win-loss column, there were some solid performances this week. The Isotopes tied with the Lookouts for fewest runs allowed at 28. The ‘Topes also had trouble scoring though, averaging just three runs per game this week.

The Quakes, after scoring just 16 runs last week, exploded for 51 runs this week. They also had the most wins for the week (four). Then again, they also allowed 44 runs — most in the system.

—–

Ethan Martin is on the list for the second consecutive week, while Josh Fields, Michael Pericht, Zach Lee, and Scott Schebler are all making their first appearance on the POTW list.

—–

I’ll be seeing the Quakes live on Tuesday and Wednesday as they come up my way to face the Stockton Ports (Oakland Athletics affiliate). Unfortunately, with Chris Reed‘s promotion, I won’t get to see him (wasn’t scheduled to pitch anyway). The projected starters, if things stay the way they are right now, are Jon Michael Redding (whom I saw last year) on Tuesday and Lee on Wednesday. Garrett Gould also relieved Lee in his last appearance, so maybe I’ll get to see him pitch, too.

Follow me on Twitter (@FeelinKindaBlue) for updates and photos from the games.

—–

Albuquerque Isotopes (2-5)

Runs Scored: 21
Runs Allowed: 28

Player Of The Week

Josh Fields – 3B

I’d have thought Fields would have made this list sooner, but this is his first honor of the season. He went 8-for-25 (.32o) with a home run, two doubles, three RBI, and five runs scored. Take the next sentence with a grain of salt: Fields has a nice on-base percentage, but his .454 slugging percentage leaves a little to be desired.

Pitcher Of The Week

Stephen Fife – RHP

Fife takes home the POTW award for the second time in three weeks by having his best outing of the season: 6 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K. After a horrendous start to the season (a one-time owner of a 9.92 ERA), Fife has a 5.43 ERA in 11 starts — roughly 0.80 points more than league-average. So, that’s progress … I suppose.

—–

Chattanooga Lookouts (3-4)

Runs Scored: 28
Runs Allowed: 28

Player Of The Week

Luis Nunez – INF

This is Nunez’s second award, and he picked it up in a week where no one really impressed at the plate for the Lookouts. Nunez went 9-for-30 (.300) with four doubles, a triple, four RBI, and three runs scored. The 25-year-old is getting a lot of the playing time over a guy like Jake Lemmerman (for some reason) and is not exactly tearing the cover off the ball: .274/.316/.411.

Pitcher Of The Week

Ethan Martin – RHP

Martin takes home this honor for the second consecutive week by having a really good performance against Birmingham: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K. He’s allowed four runs in his last three outings and has given up just three home runs this season (all in the same game). He’s easily the most surprising prospect in the Dodgers system and has definitely restored my faith in him.

I’m looking forward to doing midseason prospect rankings on my blog. I had him slotted in at No. 37 to start the season. Let’s just say he could easily be 20 spots higher than that come later in the month.

—–

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (4-3)

Runs Scored: 51
Runs Allowed: 44

Player Of The Week

Michael Pericht – C

It’s hard to overlook a 10-for-20 week for Bobby Coyle or a 12-for-27 week by Chris Retheford, but Pericht’s hits had more substance than Coyle and his week was slightly better than Retheford’s.

Pericht, the subject of my most recent post, went 12-for-23 (.522) with three home runs, two doubles, 10 RBI, and six runs scored. The big catcher is hitting .337/.409/.704 this season in 98 at-bats. His playing time should increase in the coming weeks.

Pitcher Of The Week

Zach Lee – RHP

This could have gone to Jordan Roberts, but Lee’s outing — short as it was — was masterful: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K. That’s the Zach Lee we all know and love.

He appears to be 100 percent after spending some time in Arizona for Extended Spring Training. Now that he’s back (hopefully for the rest of the season), and with Chris Reed getting promoted to Double-A, he’s the unquestioned ace of the staff. But most importantly, he needs to stay healthy. I assume he’s on target for about 130 innings this season after throwing 109 in his debut campaign.

—–

Great Lakes Loons (2-4)

Runs Scored: 25
Runs Allowed: 33

Player Of The Week

Scott Schebler – OF

Schebler had a great week for the Loons, going 10-for-28 (.357) with a home run, four doubles, seven RBI, and four runs scored. Schebler has been hot and cold this season, so this is just a typical hot streak for him. He’s hitting .261/.298/.441 on the season.

As you can probably tell by the OBP, he doesn’t draw any walks — eight in 222 at-bats. That rate isn’t going to get it done. However, 26 of his 58 hits have gone for extra bases, so the ability is there. He’s just 21, but it’s hard to teach plate discipline.

Pitcher Of The Week

Joel Lima – RHP

This is Lima’s second award, and he picked it up by pitching two games in long relief: 6 1/3 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K. It wasn’t a great week for the Loons on the mound, so that’s why a reliever gets the award for the third consecutive week. On the season, Lima has a 1.33 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, .203 BAA in 20 1/3 innings. The 22-year-old is one of the Loons’ go-to guys out of the bullpen when a starting pitcher falters in an appearance.

This was an interesting week in the minors. The Isotopes actually looked like they were playing in the Pacific Coast League, scoring 45 runs in seven games (6.4 runs per game) while giving up 57 runs (8.1). Despite that, they were still be better than .500 this week. Of course, they got a little help from Matt Kemp and Juan Rivera in Sunday’s game.

The Quakes only scored 16 runs on the week, and that’s not a typo. The Lookouts gave up the fewest runs with 27. That pitching staff, despite the promotions, is really stepping up.

The Loons should get a boost this week from new additions Angelo Songco and Ralston Cash, both of whom made their season debuts Monday.

—–

Albuquerque Isotopes (4-3)

Runs Scored: 45
Runs Allowed: 57

Player Of The Week

Brian Cavazos-Galvez – OF

Despite struggling mightily in Double-A, Cavazos-Galvez, local to New Mexico, is flourishing with the Isotopes. He went 11-for-24 (.458) with a home run, seven RBI, three doubles, a triple, and six runs scored. I wouldn’t get too terribly excited; Cavazos-Galvez has done well in the hitter’s league and has struggled in the pitcher’s league this season.

Pitcher Of The Week

John Ely – RHP

Can there really be a Pitcher Of The Week when the staff allowed 57 runs in seven games? Sure. This week, it’s Ely. Elymania posted a great line this week: 14 IP, 11 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 13 K. This is his second POTW honor, and it’s really surprising to see such a good performance from him in a week the team allowed so many runs. In fact, if you take away Ely’s three runs allowed, the rest of the Isotopes staff allowed 54 runs. That’s … ugly.

After a rough start to the season, Ely has put up some great numbers in an extreme hitter’s league: 3.58 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 0.7 HR/9, 2.2 BB/9, 9.7 K/9, 4.33 BB/K and a 1.85 groundout to flyout rate. He wouldn’t be nearly this good in the majors, but it’s nice to see him pitching well in case the Dodgers need an emergency starter later this season.

—–

Chattanooga Lookouts (4-2)

Runs Scored: 31
Runs Allowed: 27

Player Of The Week

Pedro Baez – 3B

Nick Buss pushed hard for this award, but Baez gets the nod this week. He went 8-for-20 (.400) with two home runs, six RBI, a double, and, most encouraging, five walks (against three strikeouts). I have long since given up on Baez being any kind of contributor for the Dodgers, but the talent is there, as his defensive ability at third base has never been questioned. His bat, however, hasn’t lived up to the potential. While he’s hitting just .259, he does have a .360 on-base percentage and is improving his pop a little bit.

Pitcher Of The Week

Ethan Martin – RHP

Martin’s resurgence continues, as he had a good start and a mediocre start this week: 11 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 12 K. The walk total was a bit high this week, but it’s still pretty good by Martin’s standards. He’s holding opposing hitters to a .190 batting average and has given up just three home runs this season.

With Nate Eovaldi‘s promotion to Los Angeles (for now), Martin is vying with Matt Magill for the role of Chattanooga‘s ace — something I bet no one was expecting coming into the season (on both accounts).

The Southern League, however, doesn’t agree with my pick as Magill was named league’s Pitcher of the Week (for the second time this season) on Tuesday. He had a fantastic outing on Thursday: 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K.  Seems I should have gone with him instead of Martin, but I’m standing by my choice.

—–

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (2-4)

Runs Scored: 16
Runs Allowed: 31

Player Of The Week

Austin Gallagher – 1B/DH

This was slim pickins, as the Quakes scored an unimpressive 16 runs in six games this week. Gallagher was the best of the bunch, going 7-for-22 (.318) with two doubles, two RBI, three walks, and a run scored. Like I said, slim. Gallagher, who earns his second POTW award, is still hitting with some pop, posting a .483 slugging percentage on the season. However, I’d like to see his .264 average come up substantially.

Pitcher Of The Week

Angel Sanchez – RHP

Wasn’t much to get excited about this week on the hill for the Quakes. Chris Reed made his return and Scott McGough was solid out of the bullpen, but Angel Sanchez had one of his best starts of the season, earning him this week’s honor: 6 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K. Sanchez has been a bit up and down this season, but hopefully this outing gets him going. He’s issued just two walks in his last 27 2/3 innings. Like Gallagher, this is Sanchez’s second POTW award.

—–

Great Lakes Loons (3-3)

Runs Scored: 33
Runs Allowed: 39

Player Of The Week

James Baldwin – CF

Baldwin just edges out O’Koyea Dickson for the honor this week. It would have been Dickson’s third consecutive award, but instead, this is Baldwin’s second award this season. He went 9-for-24 (.375) with two doubles, two RBI, two walks, and seven stolen bases. Baldwin did most of his damage on May 21st, going 5-for-5 on the day.

Despite the solid week, he’s struggled mightily this season. His power has completely disappeared (six doubles, no triples or home runs) and he’s still striking out far too much (35.2 percent). His potential and talent is unquestioned; the ability to harness said potential is what’s in question.

Pitcher Of The Week

Yimi Garcia – RHP

As you can probably tell from the 39 runs allowed in six games, it wasn’t a great week on the hill for the Loons. So, this award is going to the Loons’ closer this week. Garcia was decent but not great this week: 3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 2 saves. Garcia is more than holding his own as a 21-year-old in Low-A (1.93 ERA, 12.5 K/9) and should get the call to Rancho Cucamonga soon.

It was a mediocre week for three of the four Dodgers minor-league affiliates, but the Albuquerque Isotopes had smooth sailing. Elsewhere, O’Koyea Dickson has been on fire since making his season debut more than a week ago.

Albuquerque tied with Rancho Cucamonga in giving up the fewest runs, but the ‘Topes did it in seven games while the Quakes did it in six. However, the Quakes scored the most runs (44) while the Isotopes were second at 39.

—–

Albuquerque Isotopes (6-1)

Runs Scored: 39
Runs Allowed: 27

Player Of The Week

Luis Cruz – SS

Cruz, who isn’t a prospect, had a solid week for the ‘Topes, going 8-for-24 (.333) with a home run, four doubles, seven RBI, and three runs scored. Cruz, who’s been the every day shortstop for the ‘Topes, has a .318/.341/.504 line on the season.

Cruz was one of the final players in camp this spring for the Dodgers and isn’t likely to see time in Los Angeles. However, injuries do happen, so I wouldn’t count out a Dodger debut just yet.

Pitcher Of The Week

Will Savage – RHP

Savage has been one of the best stories for the Isotopes on the mound. He’s 7-0 this season with a 3.40 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 42 1/3 innings. This week, he went 2-0 with a 3.55 ERA in 12 2/3 innings: 13 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, and 4 K. As you can see, the lack of strikeouts is bound to catch up to him — especially in Albuquerque. But, he’s been one of the Isotopes’ best starting pitchers thus far.

—–

Chattanooga Lookouts (3-4)

Runs Scored: 29
Runs Allowed: 33

Player Of The Week

Luis Nunez – SS

This one was close between Nunez and J.T. Wise, but I gave the nod to Nunez because he had more significant hits. He went 7-for-24 (.292) with two home runs, seven RBI, a double, and three runs scored. The 25-year-old has a team-leading 23 RBI on the season, but he’s hitting just .255/.312/.408 on the season. He’s not much of a prospect at this point.

Pitcher Of The Week

Javier Solano – RHP

I could have gone with Ethan Martin here (7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 K), but I wanted to spread the love around a bit. So, I’m going with a guy who doesn’t get nearly enough credit in the Dodgers system in Solano. His line for the week is as follows: 5 2/3 IP, 5 H, 1 R (earned), 1 BB, 8 K. While he gives up too many hits for my liking, he still has a solid line on the season: 23 2/3 IP, 3.42 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and an impressive 24:4 K:BB ratio. The 22-year-old is not exactly atop the right-handed reliever depth chart, but efforts like he put in this week certainly help his case.

—–

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-3)

Runs Scored: 44
Runs Allowed: 40

Player Of The Week

Leon Landry – CF

Now this is the Leon Landry I expected to see last season. Fresh off his disabled list stint on May 6th, Landry had himself quite a week: 12-for-27 (.444) with three triples, a double, three runs scored, and two stolen bases. Landry was playing well before he suffered a concussion on April 15th, and he has picked up right where he left off, as he leads the Quakes with a 1.013 OPS. He’s obviously enjoying the friendly confines of the California League, but he does possess some really good skills (speed, defense, on-base ability).

Pitcher Of The Week

Garrett Gould – RHP

This one was a struggle, as no one for the Quakes had a particularly good week, a fact backed by the 40 runs the staff allowed in six games. Gould only threw once, but he was the best of the bunch: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R (earned), 4 BB, 2 K. It was a solid outing runs-wise, but he had two more walks than strikeouts, and for a guy averaging 13.7 K/9 coming into the game, getting just two was a tad disappointing. He has a 4.91 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, and a 3.23 FIP in 33 innings this season.

—–

Great Lakes Loons (3-4)

Runs Scored: 24
Runs Allowed: 27

Player Of The Week

O’Koyea Dickson – 1B/DH

Dickson joined the Loons on May 4th and has hit the ground running. This week, he posted some solid numbers: 8-for-22 (.364) with a home run, four doubles, two RBI, three runs scored, and three walks. On the season though, Dickson is at an even better .400/.486/.767, thanks in large part to seven of his 12 hits going for extra bases.

He could see some time in Rancho Cucamonga if he keeps up his torrid pace.

Pitcher Of The Week

Ryan O’Sullivan – RHP

Last year’s fourth-round pick, O’Sullivan made one start this week and fared quite well: 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R (unearned), 1 BB, 1 K. The lack of strikeouts isn’t great, but if the 21-year-old is getting the job done, who am I to complain?

It was O’Sullivan’s second start of the season. Overall, he has a 2.52 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 3.24 FIP, and a 6.5 H/9. So far, so good.

There has been no harsher critic of Ethan Martin than myself.

While I once rated him as the Dodgers second-best prospect, he has since fallen flat on his face and my rankings have reflected that. This season, however, he’s showing signs of putting it all together for the first time as a professional baseball player.

—–

Martin was extremely raw coming out of high school as a 2008 first-round draft pick, and it showed in his first couple seasons. Last season, Martin began at Rancho Cucamonga and struggled … a lot: 7.36 ERA, 5.16 FIP, 1.85 WHIP, 10. 6 H/9, and 6.1 BB/9. This came one season after struggling with Inland Empire, the Dodgers former California League affiliate.

Curiously, the Dodgers promoted him to Chattanooga to pitch for the Lookouts midway through 2011. He appeared in 21 games, but just three as a starter. It looked as if the team had finally given up on any thoughts of using him as a starter and accepted that Martin was destined for bullpen duty. However, in an about-face, the Dodgers continued with him as a starter in 2012, and so far it’s paying dividends: 3.58 ERA, 3.60 FIP, 1.30 WHIP, 5.5 H/9, and 6.2 BB/9.

The walks are still a concern, but I’m assuming that’s always going to be a “thing” with Martin. One really encouraging statistic is that, in 27 2/3 innings, he’s yet to allow a home run (knock on wood). Coming into the season, his HR/9 for his career was 0.7, so it’s not like he was giving up a bunch of long-balls, but against advanced competition, that’s pretty impressive. Another thing to keep an eye on is the decrease in strikeouts. He had a 9.6 K/9 coming into the season, but this season he’s sitting at 7.5 K/9. At this point though, I’ll gladly take a decrease in strikeouts in exchange for a better overall pitcher.

—–

Stuff has never been a question for Martin. He boasts a legitimate mid-90s fastball, a power curveball that has a chance to be a plus pitch, a low-to-mid-80s slider, and a mid-80s changeup. Yet, he’s always been inconsistent and lacking refinement, so that’s what needed to change.

This quote, via Tyler Brown of Nooga.com, from Lookouts manager Carlos Subero gives a glimpse into what has powered Martin’s turnaround so far.

“When he gives up a walk and three runs in the first inning, knowing the Ethan from the past, he did not let that snowball. In the second inning he was still a little shaken with a couple of walks, but he was able to put up five zeros in a row. For me, that’s the highlight of development tonight.”

That’s really telling. It seems Martin is learning to pitch, which is the best thing for him right now, because the criticism from scouts has always been that he’s just a thrower.

—–

As a guy who’s been really difficult on him in the past (from #2 to #14 to #37), it’s nice to see him having some early-season success. Now, if he can put up solid numbers over the course of a season, the Dodgers either have another studly right-handed pitching prospect or a valuable trade chip (bet on the former, if either). So perhaps all hope is not lost for Martin, though we’ll have to monitor him for a few months to truly get a read on his progress.

Now if he could just get Ralston Cash (seriously, check his feed — it’s nuts), his cousin and Dodgers 2010 second-round pick, to stop tweeting weird stuff and get him back on the mound, we’d be in business.

Prospect Rankings Thoughts

Zach Lee has the projection to eventually be a #1/#2, but his stuff right now definitely resembles more of a #2/#3. Hence his production in low-A.

I liked both Webster and Eovaldi as sleepers a while ago, but I gave the edge to Allen Webster over Nate Eovaldi because although there’s more risk to Webster, I think there’s more upside as well. Eovaldi can improve his breaking pitches, but not enough to be more than a #3 starter, and I think ending up as a reliever is a definite possibility.

I have Joc Pederson higher than most, and I acknowledge the risk, but I liked his swing, his plate discipline, and he’s probably going to be good defensively. If the power projection comes through, he’ll end up as a solid regular.

Angel Sanchez is currently what everybody assumes Chris Reed will be. Both can pitch in the mid-90s, have good secondary pitches, and possess a solid tertiary offering. They are basically the same to me, but Sanchez actually accomplished something as a professional, so he gets the edge. It’s odd that people bag on Sanchez because he might be a reliever down the road but don’t pay any attention to the fact that while Reed has the pitches, he hasn’t even made the transition from reliever to starter yet.

Garrett Gould is a solid prospect that does everything well but has concerns about how his stuff will play against advanced bats.

Even though he’s a reliever, Josh Lindblom clocks in so high because it’s rare to have a guy on a prospect list that has posted a 2.73 ERA and 2.35 FIP in 29.2 innings over 27 appearances at the MLB level.

Chris Withrow has a ton of potential, but he’s going to be 23 and I have a hard time believing his control with improve drastically. However, it just needs to get a bit better for him to be MLB useful.

Gorman Erickson might be a surprise this high, but there’s a lot to like from big switch hitting catchers with pop, plate discipline, consistent contact, and decent defensive skills. A worry of mine is that the Dodgers don’t seem to like him, as they favor defensive catchers who can’t hit, but hopefully he hits enough in 2012 to change their minds.

Alfredo Silverio and Alex Castellanos both have the tools to succeed, but you’ll have to excuse me for not being excited about their plate discipline, and the strikeout rate of Castellanos is scary. Silverio has made me believe he can be a major leaguer, but I don’t know if he’ll ever be regular. Similarly, I think Castellanos’ bat only plays at second, so it’s important to me that he can stay at the position.

Shawn Tolleson could be better than Lindblom, but there are more question marks there with him, including experience and his almost dangerous throwing motion.

James Baldwin and Scott Barlow are the upside guys. Both could be out of the top 25 by November or be in the top 10, depending on how their 2012 goes. Following them are Tim Federowicz and Steven Ames, both of whom aren’t impact players but look to be a solid bet to be contributors.

Blake Smith and Angelo Songco are one to two years behind where most regulars are at this stage in their careers (well Songco isn’t that bad, but he lacks the raw tools), so they will always have questions about competition level until they hit at the MLB level. Speaking of that, it’ll be interesting to see if Scott Van Slyke ever gets a chance. I think he can hit, but he’s gonna have to hit a ton to be relevant.

Aaron Miller and Ethan Martin both need breakout 2012 seasons in a bad way. Miller simply needs to regain his old stuff and stay healthy. Martin needs to find his mechanics and the strike zone. Upside will only take them so far as they age.

Jonathan Garcia has always been an underdog favorite of mine. He wrecked the Midwest League early on but got exposed later by breaking balls. Realistically, he’ll have to hit a lot because he has little else of value, but he has surprising pop and a solid swing. O’Koyea Dickson is another prospect that will have to be rushed because of his age, but if he hits like he’s capable, he could reach high-A in 2012. I really like his swing and I think he has good pop, but he’s not tall and is stuck at first base, so there’s a ton of pressure on his bat.

Much like Webster and Eovaldi, Matt Magill was a favorite of mine from before, but unlike them, his stuff hasn’t exploded quite the same. Still, he has above average velocity and can miss bats with his off-speed stuff, but he’ll have to perform at AA to gain any respect. I’m interested to see if he progresses at that stage or becomes Tim Sexton.

=====

Honestly, I thought it would be a lot worse than this. Fortunately though, the Dodgers have a ton of potential contributors, even if most of them are clocking in on the pitching side of the ledger.

The top 10 is quite solid from my view, even if it does lack huge upside. However, after that the Dodgers are stuck with a bunch of guys who are more likely to end up as part-timers or utility players than regulars. My hope is that one out of the seven or eight bats that are too old for their level but still produce in the minor leagues eventually becomes a regular.

No, there’s not a ton of star potential, but given the budget restraints, the complete lack of care in the international market, and the mass graduation of talent in 2011, it could have been a ton worse.

Dominican Summer League Dodgers: Pitchers
Dominican Summer League Dodgers: Hitters
Arizona League Dodgers: Pitchers
Arizona League Dodgers: Hitters
Ogden Raptors: Pitchers
Ogden Raptors: Hitters
Great Lakes Loons: Pitchers
Great Lakes Loons: Hitters

=====

Today I continue my off-season recap of the Los Angeles Dodgers minor league affiliates, moving on to the pitchers of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.

—

I’ll be picking the prospects for the 2012 Prospective Prospect Profiles list from these reviews, so it might be worth reading. Or not.

=====

Jon Michael Redding – 23 – RHP

Jon Michael Redding Statistics

Way older than his competition in the California League, Redding turned in a solid season, posting a 3.66 ERA and a 3.53 FIP. Seemingly average numbers, but made all the better when considering league average was a 4.90 ERA and a 4.13 FIP.

He missed bats and prevented walks at league average rates, so it’s not like he set the world on fire, but he could be solid AAA rotation depth, much like Jesus Castillo was for the Dodgers a couple years ago. A solid frame, a low-90s fastball, and a sharp slider also make him a candidate for relief, but the Dodgers are stock full of those types with superior stuff.

He’ll need to prove himself at AA in 2012 to have a shot.

—–

Allen Webster – 21 – RHP

Allen Webster Statistics

Posting a 2.33 ERA and 2.77 FIP in high-A, Webster struck out 27.2% of batters (League Average=20.0%) and issued free passes to 9.2% (League Average=8.9%). Based on his stuff and his performance there alone, I would have felt comfortable putting him in the same league as Zach Lee. Unfortunately, that’s not the whole story for Webster, as he struggled in AA, posting a 5.04 ERA. However, he was nowhere near that bad, with an FIP clocking in at 3.98.

Normally that’s enough of a disparity for me to dismiss, and his control was about the same as ever, but the area of concern is that his strikeout rate dipped to 17.9%, almost 10% lower than in high-A. I hate that number because it gives me pause as to whether or not his stuff is good enough to dominate advanced hitters.

It’s an odd question to ask considering Webster’s fastball sits 92-93, touches 96, and has both sink and tail. A rarity in the Dodgers system, Webster’s changeup is probably his best off-speed offering, whereas his slurve/slider struggles to find two-plane depth.

Webster has come a long way since I first saw him in 2009. I loved him then and I still do. Webster doesn’t have the projection and potential that Lee does, but in their respective current states, I don’t think they’re that far apart despite Lee being infinitely more touted. Webster will have to prove he can handle advanced bats in 2012 to ease concerns, but if he does so, he could be fighting for a September call.

—–

Matt Magill – 21 – RHP

Matt Magill Statistics

Solid but not spectacular, Magill posted league average strikeout and walk rates while scoring a 4.33 ERA and 3.93 FIP.

I observed that his stuff took an uptick last year, following through on his projectability, moving from 87-89 up to 89-91 or so. I was hoping that the progress continued, but his stuff stalled a bit, and if he doesn’t continue to develop, he could be in the same boat as Jon Michael Redding. Neither his slider nor change are knockout pitches against advanced bats, and with only an average fastball, I’m curious to see how he performs in 2012 if the Dodgers move him up to AA.

—–

Aaron Miller – 23 – LHP

Aaron Miller Statistics

Unfortunately, there’s not much to say here because he only threw 36 innings on the year (3.97 ERA/3.88 FIP) due to a groin injury.

That’s not the worst part though, as his stuff took yet another step backwards, going from 91-94 in college to 89-92 in 2010 to 87-90 in 2011. Due to injury? Perhaps, but it’s certainly not a positive.

He’s going to be 24 next year and he still doesn’t have a ton of experience on the mound, so he might be one of those late bloomers. However, he’ll have to actually stay healthy, regain his stuff of old, and show well in high-A at the minimum, if not moving up to AA.

—–

Ethan Martin – 22 – RHP

Ethan Martin Statistics

It’s never a good thing when a former first rounder has to move to the bullpen just to find the plate, but Martin found himself shifting roles in 2011, a sign the Dodgers don’t quite know what to do with him anymore.

In 95.3 innings between high-A and AA, Martin put up a 5.95 ERA and 4.75 FIP. The stuff is still there, the 23.5% strikeout rate shows that, but the problem remains his terrible 14.9% walk rate, which the Dodgers coaches can’t seem to solve.

Will he try starting again in 2012 or will the Dodgers convert him to relief? I’m not sure which they choose, but finding a role won’t matter if he can’t find his release point.

—–

Steven Ames – 23 – RHP

Steven Ames Statistics

Put up a 1.17 ERA and 0.59 FIP in high-A before moving up to AA and still doing work with a 2.48 ERA and 2.53 FIP. Given those numbers, it shouldn’t surprise that he had a 34.8% strikeout rate and a 6.6% walk rate between levels.

His velocity took a tick upwards from what I had last year when he sat around 89-91, as he was generally around 91-93 this year. His secondary pitches are a slider and a change, but both suffer due to his tendency to fly out with his lead shoulder. The slider is his strikeout pitch but it has inconsistent sharpness. He doesn’t use his change in the game often, but it flashes solid fading movement.

I expected him to have more dominating stuff after looking at the numbers, but he has solid command and isn’t afraid of mixing sequences. Should be interesting to see where the Dodgers put him to begin 2012, as he could be at AAA to start the year and a candidate for the Dodgers squad if he gets off the mark quickly.

—–

Chris Reed – 21 – LHP

Chris Reed Statistics

Reed only threw seven innings as a professional, so his performance isn’t worth noting. However, his stuff is enough to make him a good prospect alone, as he has a low-90s fastball, a slider, and a change for three legitimate pitches.

The Dodgers seem confident that his stuff will translate to his new role as a starter after being a closer in college, but it’s no sure thing. Needless to say, he’ll be one to monitor closely as 2012 progresses, and his immediate results probably won’t be as important as how his stuff grades out.

—–

Javier Solano – 21 – RHP

Javier Solano Statistics

Solano’s ERA in high-A was a mediocre 4.09, but his FIP was 2.59 on the strength of a 23.8 K% and 4.8 BB%. He also proved his mettle in AA, putting up a 3.03 ERA and 3.23 FIP. However, his peripherals sunk to 19.7 K% and 11.7 BB%, not doing much to allay fears that his prospect potential was built on good statistics but a shaky foundation of tools.

From my view though, it’s hard to complain too much, and he at least deserves to be in the conversation with the rest of the relief prospects considering he held his own at AA at 21. Solano sits 89-92 with a solid breaking ball and controls the strike zone well, so it’s not as if he doesn’t have potential major league grade stuff either.

2012 will be a big year for him as far as proving his prospect status, as he’ll likely tackle AA.

—–

Carlos Frias – 21 – RHP

Carlos Frias Statistics

Once dubbed a sleeper prospect with the potential to breakthrough into the top 25 or even top 10, Frias posted a 6.19 ERA with a 7.45 FIP thanks to an unbelievably terrible 14.5 K% and 22.4 BB% ratio.

That’s two years of cringe worthy performances in a row with serious peripheral regression in 2011, so it’s going to take a good 2012 just to keep him relevant. Throwing in the mid-90s can only take one so far.

Los Angeles Times: And then there were eleven.

The lineup of Dodgers bidders, as of Wednesday:

Magic Johnson/Stan Kasten: Could soon be joined by richest man in L.A., Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong.

Rick Caruso/Joe Torre: Not out of the running in the Soon-Shiong sweepstakes.

Steven Cohen/Arn Tellem: Cohen about to invest $20 million in Mets, able to spend 75-100 times as much on Dodgers.

Stan Kroenke: Owner of NFL’s St. Louis Rams could move L.A.’s football team back home.

Peter O’Malley: Former Dodgers owner backed by South Korean conglomerate E-Land.

Tony Ressler: Minority owner of Brewers has discussed partnership with O’Malley.

Leo Hindery/Tom Barrack: New York media executive has teamed with L.A. real estate investor and sportsman.

Stanley Gold/Disney family: That’s the family of the late Roy Disney, Walt’s nephew.

Jared Kushner: Publisher of New York Observer, son-in-law of Donald Trump.

Michael Heisley: Owner of NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies hired Jerry West to run his team.

Alan Casden: USC Board of Trustees includes Dodgers bidders Casden, Caruso, Gold.

Gonna get interesting now.

Los Angeles Times: If you noticed Michael Heisley as a name that had previously gone unmentioned, you’re correct. It was just revealed today that he was involved in the ownership bidding.

—–

Feelin’ Kinda Blue: Profile/interview with Jon Weisman.

FanGraphs: An interview with Logan White.

He talks about analyzing pitchers biomechanically, drafting Clayton Kershaw, missing on Ethan Martin (he disagrees), and finding gems in Allen Webster and Nate Eovaldi.

—–

The Hardball Times: PITCHf/x player cards. Amazing.

FanGraphs: An interview with Brian Peterson, the sports psychologist for the Detroit Tigers.