The “Yasiel Puig Should Start & Bat Cleanup Movement” took a major but obvious and expected blow Tuesday, as the young Cuban outfielder was optioned to AA Chattanooga.

“I told him he had a great camp. It’s an organizational decision of what we think is best for him, now and in the long term,” said manager Don Mattingly. “We think this guy has a chance to be a really good player. He’s done nothing wrong in our camp, but he can just keep improving.”

Puig is raw and was never going to start the year in The Show unless other viable outfield candidates got hurt and ownership couldn’t throw money around to acquire someone else.

Besides, there’s no reason the Dodgers should rush a guy who’s got limited pro experience with none of that above high-A ball.

“He didn’t seem that happy about it. You don’t really want guys to be happy that they’re being sent out,” Mattingly said. “When we came into camp, this guy wasn’t even on the radar (for this season). He’s had a great camp…. Obviously he’s put himself on the map as far as probably knocking on the door instead of being a couple of years away.”

Puig wasn’t happy, as you would expect.

I’ve said it before, but I’d be surprised if he saw any action this year in the bigs, barring injury.

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Dee Gordon was optioned to AAA on Tuesday.

He was an option at short with Hanley Ramirez out a couple of months, but the move mainly serves to strengthen Juan Uribe‘s hold on a 25-man roster spot.

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The Dodgers have struck on the international market again, signing 17-year-old righty Bernardo Reyes of Sonora, Mexico.

Additionally, Dylan Hernandez reports the club has signed Jesus Canizales, a 16-year-old righty out of Venezuela.

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Mark Lowe, one of the many non-roster invitees in spring camp, has been released.

“He didn’t do anything wrong in camp. We thought he threw the ball good,” said manager Don Mattingly. “There just wasn’t a spot. This gives him a chance to catch on with another club.”

He was a long-shot to make the crowded pen from the jump.

On the minor-league side of things, the Dodgers released Riley Welch, Kazuki Nishijima, Jordan Roberts, Gregory Pena, and Kyle Russell.

Russell is the most interesting name of the bunch, as he’s always had great power, but struck out a ludicrous amount of the time.

Kyle Russell established University of Texas records for both single-season (28) and career (57) home runs, and the ’07 third-rounder ought to have no trouble latching on with another club if he’s healthy. Despite striking out nearly a third of the time at the Double-A level, Russell hit 40 homers in 270 games, posting an isolated slugging percentage of .229.

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Matt Eddy of Baseball America provided a glimpse at Dashenko Ricardo, whom the Dodgers recently signed.

Dashenko Ricardo caught eight games for the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic, going 5-for-22 (.227) at the plate and helping the pitching staff navigate its way to the semifinal round. He threw out 37 percent of basestealers last season in the short-season Northwest League with an arm so strong that the Giants attempted to convert him to pitcher in ’11 after taking him in the minor league Rule 5 draft.

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Buster Olney and Ken Rosenthal report that the World Baseball Classic will pay just shy of $4 million of Hanley Ramirez‘s 2013 salary while he recovers from the thumb injury he suffered during WBC play.

The Dodgers will be without Hanley Ramirez for roughly eight weeks as he recovers from surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb. But thanks to a new provision this year, the World Baseball Classic – not the Dodgers – could be on the hook for the nearly $4 million Ramirez is set to earn while on the shelf, per reports by Buster Olney of ESPN and Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.

Ramirez is due $15.5 million in 2013, and missing exactly eight weeks after surgery gives him a return date of May 16. Since the 183-day championship season begins on March 31, Ramirez would be on the disabled list in this scenario for 46 days. That means the WBC would be responsible for approximately $3,896,175 of Ramirez’s salary.

The WBC is on the hook because Ramirez will miss more than 30 days.

Gotta love insurance.

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Greg Zakwin is the founder of the site Plaschke Thy Sweater Is Argyle. Follow him on Twitter @ArgyledPlaschke.

The Dodgers are facing an interesting situation heading into the 2013 season — at least, the Albuquerque Isotopes and Chattanooga Lookouts are.

Following a Twitter exchange with Chris Jackson (@TopesWriter) and Evan Chavez (@newmexicofan), it occurred to me: The Isotopes and Lookouts are going to have some awfully crowded outfields — especially the ‘Topes.

The following outfielders are, at this point, slated to begin the 2013 season in Albuquerque:

Alex Castellanos: Could play second or third base.
Brian Cavazos-Galvez: Left fielder with some experience at first base.
Scott Van Slyke: Corner outfielder who the Dodgers don’t view as a 1B anymore (h/t to Jackson).
Kyle Russell: Corner outfielder who could fill in at center field in a pinch.
Blake Smith: Same as Russell, but better defensively.

Those guys are all but certain to be ‘Topes in 2013. Castellanos and Van Slyke have a chance to be on the Dodgers bench, but I’ll believe that when I see it. Nick Buss, who spent the entire 2012 season in Chattanooga, is another guy, and if things fall his way he could actually be the Isotopes starting center fielder. Of the guys listed above, Buss is the only true center fielder.

Then there are the players who aren’t even members of the Dodgers yet. Perennially, those are the likes of Trent Oeltjen and Matt Angle. Hell, Tony Gywnn Jr. is still under contract and could find himself back in New Mexico as well.

Bottom line is, the Isotopes are going to be jam-packed in the outfield.

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Including all of the guys above doesn’t even take into account players who could be promoted during the season based on performance — mainly, Bobby Coyle, Joc Pederson, and Yasiel Puig.

Coyle was a late-season call-up to Chattanooga and I think he’d have the best chance of playing in Albuquerque in 2013. Pederson is only 20 and should be with the Lookouts for the entire season (save perhaps a playoff call-up, as he was this past season for Chattanooga).

The wild card though is Puig. There’s no telling where he’ll begin, but it won’t be any lower than High-A Rancho Cucamonga. If he makes it to Double-A and flourishes, I could see him don an Isotopes uniform before the conclusion of the 2013 season.

Any of the trio being promoted quickly would make for even more of a mess than it already appears to be.

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Heading into last season, the Dodgers minor-league depth came in the form of right-handed pitchers and outfielders. They’ve already traded away a lot of the RHP depth and now it looks like the OF surplus could be next.

Too much of one position isn’t usually a bad thing, but the concern is that it could stunt the development of a few players, so it’ll be interesting to monitor the situation and see how it plays out.

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Dustin Nosler is the founder of the site Feelin’ Kinda Blue. He also co-hosts the weekly podcast Dugout Blues. Follow him on Twitter @FeelinKindaBlue or like his site on Facebook.

When Brian Cavazos-Galvez put up a .971 OPS with Ogden in 2009, there was some hope for the 12th-round selection. As a 22-year-old, he was a lot older than his competition, but as far as debut seasons go, it was satisfactory.

He then moved up to Great Lakes the next season and posted an .863 OPS, which got some folks to take notice. In fact, I ranked him as the Dodgers 17th-best prospect heading into 2011.

Unfortunately, Cavazos-Galvez jumped to Chattanooga last year and was exposed, posting a .781 OPS and not walking at all.

So when he started this season 4-for-27 (.148), no one was especially surprised. Then he busted out, smashing two home runs while going 4-for-5 on April 14th, and his OPS proceeded to more than double (from .405 to .833). Matching the pattern of consistent inconsistency, he was then mired in a 1-for-27 slump before busting out again with a 3-for-6, two home run performance. If the pattern keeps up, he’ll probably hit another two home runs in a couple of weeks.

Still, despite flashes of hope, his inability to draw walks is alarming.

• 2009: 3.0% (301 AB)
• 2010: 2.4% (490 AB)
• 2011: 2.9% (411 AB)
• 2012: 7.7% (65 AB)

In all honesty, he probably shouldn’t be getting as much playing time as he is with the Lookouts, but Kyle Russell is on the disabled list and the squad doesn’t have a legitimate full-time first baseman, though J.T. Wise is slowly taking hold of that role.

So the bottom line is that Cavazos-Galvez, who is now 24 (25 in May), isn’t much of a prospect. Despite flashes of brilliance that have some hoping he can be a contributor, he doesn’t have any defensive value, doesn’t steal bases anymore (43 in 2010, 18 total since), and hasn’t ever shown the ability to take a walk. It’s not a combination that usually leads to a productive baseball player.

We’re now two weeks into the minor league season and there are some Dodgers down on the farm who have gotten off on the right foot.

I’ll be focusing on offense here because there isn’t a lot to analyze in regards to pitchers since most of them have either only made a couple starts or have pitched less than five innings in relief.

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Triple-A

This one was tough. It could either be Alex Castellanos or Scott Van Slyke. Both are off to equally fast starts, so I’m just going to chose both.

Castellanos (.333/.444/.556) is playing mostly second base for the Isotopes, and despite the rarefied air in the Pacific Coast League, one thing that has jumped out regarding Castellanos’ quick start: he’s walking.

Coming into the season, Castellanos had a career 7.2 percent walk rate and a 25.9 percent strikeout rate — and that includes his improved walk rate after being acquired by the Dodgers in July. This season, he’s walking at a 17.8 percent clip. He’s probably not going to be able to keep it that high, but it’s an encouraging step in the right direction.

Van Slyke hit home runs in three of his first four games this season and is primed for a big season in Triple-A — that is, until he gets the call to the majors.

Van Slyke (.381/.469/.690) is leading the team in all three triple-slash categories (batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage). But the most impressive stat might be the fact he’s only struck out two times this season (in 42 at-bats).

Van Slyke struck out 100 times in 457 at-bats (21.9 percent) with the Lookouts last season. That’s not a terrible rate, but it could stand to be better. Now, he’s not going to strike out just 4.8 percent of the time this season, but like Castellanos’ improved walk rate, Van Slyke’s decreased strikeout rate is encouraging. Oh, and so are the home runs.

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Double-A

While Kyle Russell‘s 1.025 OPS is impressive, he’s repeating Double-A as a 25-year-old. So, I’m going with J.T. Wise, who is the same age (25 days older) and is in Double-A for the first time.

Wise (.344/.432/.563), playing predominantly first base for the Lookouts, just continues to mash everywhere he goes. His career minor league OPS is .900, and despite always being a little too old for his competition, the first baseman-catcher can put the bat on the ball. His walk rate has increased three consecutive seasons, but so has his strikeout rate, so that’s something to keep an eye on.

The Dodgers are wafer-thin with quality bats in the minors, and if Wise proves he can handle Double-A pitching, a midseason promotion to Triple-A isn’t out of the question. Then again, let’s see where he is in a month or so.

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High-A

Leon Landry was one of the guys who I said had the most to gain this season, despite a down year in Great Lakes. So far, he’s taking full advantage of California League pitching.

Landry (.318/.362/.545) leads the Quakes in most offensive categories — total bases (23), home runs (two), runs (eight), doubles (four), and stolen bases (six). His numbers could be a product of the environment, but he’s the best offensive prospect on the Quakes’ roster anyway.

He’s split time between left and center field, but he’s one of the best defensive outfielders in the Dodgers system and should see a majority of the time in center, despite his poor throwing arm.

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Low-A

Jesus Alberto Arredondo — get used to that name, especially if the guy is going to continue to get on base 47 percent of the time.

Arredondo (.400/.471/.567) was signed out of Mexico, is in his first professional season, and he’s already making a great pitchers league look easy. He’s listed as a shortstop, but he’s been playing second base and just turned 21 in February. Maybe he’s the offensive version of Angel Sanchez, who burst onto the scene as a 21-year-old in the Midwest League last year.

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
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes: Pitchers
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes: Hitters
Chattanooga Lookouts: Pitchers

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Today I continue my off-season recap of the Los Angeles Dodgers minor league affiliates, moving on to the hitters of the Chattanooga Lookouts.

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

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Scott Van Slyke – LF/1B – 24

Scott Van Slyke Statistics

Van Slyke absolutely lit up AA, posting a .348/.427/.595/1.022 line while somehow striking out at the league average rate (18.7%). Granted, the batting average was primarily powered by a .405 BABIP, which is utterly unsustainable, but his secondary skills were enough to make his season a successful one regardless, including a 12.3% walk rate.

Unfortunately, there’s a reason skepticism exists, and I don’t think any of it will evaporate unless he starts hitting major league pitching. He’s not a good defender and he’s limited to first base, so he’ll have to mash, and there are legitimate questions as to whether his contact rate and plate discipline can hold up against major league pitching because of concerns about his long swing.

There’s no reason not to expect him to put up monster numbers at AAA, and he’s not getting any younger, so whether he actually even gets a shot in the majors on a full-time basis is dubious.

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Alfredo Silverio – OF – 24

Alfredo Silverio Statistics

Silverio continued his coming out tour by posting a .304/.339/.534/.873 line in AA. His strikeout rate was actually below average, but his walk rate was almost half of the league average, which basically spells out my concerns with him.

Even before last year, I recognized that he did have tools, but he never had put it together into a productive season. However, when he did, I was admittedly still skeptical because he didn’t do a lot of things that I believe are required to be a productive regular. He’ll likely be limited to a corner outfield role, so he’ll have to be productive with the bat, and I haven’t seen a ton to indicate that he’ll be able to learn the plate discipline necessary to be a solid contributor there. Keep in mind that despite his breakout, he’s not young, so while he’s certainly on the upswing, I don’t understand the current hype about him besides the fact that he’s the rare hitting prospect in the Dodgers system.

Like with most at AAA, he should have a monster season there because of the altitude, but like with Van Slyke, the real indicator will be how he hits at the major league level, if he ever gets the chance to prove it.

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Kyle Russell – RF – 25

Kyle Russell Statistics

Most impressive part about his season at AA? He didn’t strike out 200 times. Far from it in fact, as he actually managed to keep the swings and misses about the same as 2010. The problem? It was still 32.4% of the time, which is atrocious. Furthermore, he no longer put up the monster lines that could possibly excuse it, posting a solid but not spectacular .258/.340/.497/.837.

If only he could make contact, he would be a hell of a right field prospect, as he has all the tools for the position. Unfortunately, I cringe to think what his strikeout rate might be in the majors, and he’s already 25.

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Brian Cavazos Galvez – 1B/LF – 24

Brian Cavazos Galvez Statistics

24, limited to left field or first base, and putting up a .277/.311/.470/.781 in AA does not a prospect make. While his 14.3 K% shows the ability to make contact, his 2.7 BB% shows a complete disregard for walks.

Despite some that may like him or still find him relevant, he’s made me go from skeptical to ignore worthy with his 2011.

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Alex Castellanos – RF/2B – 24

Alex Castellanos Statistics

Coming over in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals for Rafael Furcal, Castellanos put up monster numbers at AA between both systems, clocking in at .322/.388/.576/.964. He struck out at an above average rate of 22.0%, but his power justifies it.

My primary concern is with his walk rate, which checks in at a below average 7.3%, and that just backs up what you see in his aggressive approach and swing-happy tendencies. It’s hard to blame him since he does have a nice fluid stroke, but you’d like to see better out of an older prospect. I don’t think that quality plays if he’s stuck in a corner outfield position, but with his power, I think he can get by if he can play a competent second base.

Castellanos is not young, so he should be pressed into big league action when a position opens up in 2012.

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Jaime Pedroza – 2B – 24

Jaime Pedroza Statistics

Between high-A and AA, he posted a .260/.366/.424/.790 line, boasting good plate discipline, good pop, and contact woes. Given that he’s a solid defender at second base, he would seem like an ideal prospect for the position. However, his hit tool lags and it’ll likely end up costing him any major league ambitions in the end.

The bottom line is that swing path is still more suited for a power hitter, and it leads to his bat not staying in the zone for long. Maybe there’s a utility infield spot for him in the future, but that’s it.