Pitching was the story for the Dodgers farm system this week, but one positional prospect stood out and was recognized for his great offensive performance.

It’s nice to see youngsters take advantage of their given opportunities.

—–

Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes (2-4)

Player Of The Week

Alex Castellanos – OF

.417/.417/.667/1.084, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R, 2 SB, 0 BB, 4 K

Castellanos and Scott Van Slyke have quite the nice 3-4 combination going in Albuquerque. The outfielder, who should be a part-time player in Los Angeles, is hitting well again in Triple-A. He’s been great down there since being acquired by the Dodgers.

Pitcher Of The Week

Matt Magill – RHP

6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K

Magill made the best start of his young Triple-A career by allowing just six baserunners in as many innings. He has the ability to succeed in the rarefied air, but does he have the ability to survive in LA? His most recent start (April 22) was limited because the Dodgers wanted to keep the option of recalling him after Chad Billingsley‘s season ended on April 23.

—–

Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts (4-3)

Player Of The Week

Joc Pederson – OF

.387/.457/.774/1.231, 2 HR, 2 2B, 2 3B, 4 RBI, 5 SB, 4 BB, 5 K

Also the Southern League Player Of The Week, Pederson is off to a great start in AA. He’s atop or near the top of a lot of offensive categories in the league, and he’s doing it as the third-youngest player. Impressive, to say the least.

Pitcher Of The Week

Zach Lee – RHP

12 IP, 11 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K

This makes me extremely happy. Lee is still my No. 1 prospect, and he’s making me look good so far (and that’s a hard thing to do). He has a sparkling 1.17 ERA and a 2.85 FIP, so it’s not like he’s getting particularly lucky.

—–

High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-4)

Player Of The Week

Scott Schebler – OF

.462/.500/.885/1.385, 1 HR, 2 2B, 3 3B, 8 RBI, 3 R, 1 SB, 2 BB, 7 K

The Quakes have some interesting, if unspectacular, offensive prospects, including Schebler. He’s definitely holding his own in left field so far and should probably move up in the lineup before too long. I’d still like to see him walk some more, though.

Pitcher Of The Week

Michael Thomas – LHP

4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 2 SV

The Quakes’ closer is having a pretty good season so far, even if he is a bit old for the California League. If he were a couple years younger, he’d be a legitimate prospect. At this point, he could make some noise by pitching well, and, since he’s left-handed, could have some sort of future in the majors.

—–

Low-A Great Lakes Loons (3-3)

Player Of The Week

Corey Seager – SS

.350/.350/.550/.900, 2 3B, 1 RBI, 3 R, 0 BB, 5 K

Seager did most of his damage in a Loons doubleheader sweep on April 21, but he did collect seven hits this week. He’s off to a slow start (.236/.323/.364/.697), but he’s a few days shy of his 19th birthday. This is a tough, aggressive assignment for a teenager, and he’ll be just fine going forward.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jharel Cotton – RHP

7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K

There were three candidates this week, including Ralston Cash and Lindsey Caughel. However, Cotton was the best of the trio. Cotton threw a seven-inning shutout in one of the Loons doubleheader games this week, and he rebounded well after a poor first start (with a relief appearance mixed in).

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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.

Kind of a quiet week on the farm for the Dodgers affiliates. The Loons went 4-1, but the other three affiliates didn’t play .500 ball.

The pitching seemed to lack this week more than the offense, but there have been some impressive early-season performances thus far.

—–

Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes (2-5)

Player Of The Week

Scott Van Slyke – 1B

.435/.517/.957/1.474, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 3 2B, 7 R, 5 BB, 4 K

Van Slyke is on fire to start the season. Not only is he hitting the cover off the ball, he’s walking, too. He’s slimmed down and it appears to be helping him. He’s a late-bloomer for sure, but this is ridiculous — in a good way.

Pitcher Of The Week

Matt Magill – RHP

5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K

Magill’s first start wasn’t great, but his second start was much better. He has the skill set to pitch in the Pacific Coast League, especially with his ability to get the strikeout. It’ll be interesting to see how Magill fares in the extreme hitter’s league this season.

—–

Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts (2-4)

Player Of The Week

Yasiel Puig – OF

.304/.333/.609/.942, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 BB, 5 K

Puig wasn’t as good as last week, but he still was able to smack four extra-base hits while trying to help the mediocre-thus-far Lookouts’ offense. Joc Pederson was a close second.

Pitcher Of The Week

Zach Lee – RHP

7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB (Intentional), 7 K

Lee pitched like the Dodgers’ best pitching prospect this week, as he spun a gem against the Tennessee Smokies. He’s off to a fast start this season, and could re-establish his prospect status (even though he didn’t do a whole lot to hurt it in 2012) with a strong performance in Double-A.

—–

High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-4)

Player Of The Week

Scott Wingo – 2B

.400/.571/.467/1.038, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 5 R, 4 BB, 3 K, 2 HBP

Wingo is an on-base machine, or at least he was this week. He gets pushed to the bottom of the lineup thanks to Darnell Sweeney and Noel Cuevas, but it’s nice to have that on-base ability to turn the lineup over.

Pitcher Of The Week

Pedro Baez – RHP

2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

Kind of a rough week for Quakes’ pitching. Ross Stripling pitched relatively well, but still gave up three runs in five innings. Baez is not the Quakes’ closer right now, but he could be by mid-season, due to either promotions or performance.

—–

Low-A Great Lakes Loons (4-1)

Player Of The Week

Paul Hoenecke – 3B

.476/.500/1.262/1.762, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 2B, 7 R, 1 BB, 3 K

Hoenecke has been the Loons’ best hitter by far. He’s providing the middle-of-the-order presence Great Lakes’ terrible offense needs. Corey Seager has struggled (statistically), and the team isn’t getting much offense from anyone else.

Pitcher Of The Week

Ralston Cash – RHP

6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K

Despite giving up six runs in his first start, none of them were earned. That explains the 0.93 ERA and 4.09 FIP this season, but still, he’s striking batters out (15 in 9 2/3 innings). This is a big year for the former second-rounder.

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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.

The 2013 projection for the Dodgers from Dan Szymborski‘s ZiPS system was released last week, and given that it’s probably my favorite forecasting tool, it’s worth a look to see how the team fared.

Forecasting is not a complete science, obviously, and I’ll address some of the potential pitfalls as we go along, but it’s better to use objective tools like these than the hopes/dreams of fans or the bitterness/wishes of haters.

To start us off, how does the team fare, generally speaking? A solid playoff contender, for sure, but a super team? Doesn’t seem likely.

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The Field Players

Despite all the hype over the recent acquisitions, the key cogs in this machine are still Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp. It’s a promising sign then, that Kemp projects at a 144 OPS+ and the system has confidence in him continuing to put up offensive numbers in the ~.900 OPS range. His defense in center still lags below average, but his bat more than makes up for it. His playing time projection has dropped due to his injury woes last season, and quite frankly, it’s hard to fault it for that. Regardless, he still figures to be the most valuable field player on the team.

Adrian Gonzalez is slated to be another bright spot, as ZiPS pegs him to bounceback a bit, though not as much as some want, clocking in at an ~.830 OPS/128 OPS+. That would still be his lowest OPS+ since 2008 (besides 2012, of course), but it’s a marked improvement considering his age and negatively trending skills. A-Gon compensates for that lagging bat a bit by putting up plus defense almost worth a win by itself. Hanley Ramirez factors in as yet another bounceback candidate, projecting at a 115 OPS+, which is an upgrade over last year’s 106 and is closer to his pre-2011 production. Defensively, even his horribad -8 run defensive rating is optimistic to me, as he was truly terrible with the glove last year. Given that I already wanted to barf seeing him trying to turn a double play in 2012, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see him put up horrid defensive numbers after basically not playing the position all of spring.

Unfortunately, that’s where a lot of the offensive optimism ends. Luis Cruz checks in at 84 OPS+ (106 last year), which will anger many fans, but is completely reasonable given the track record. He remains valuable through plus defense, though given the sample size, there’s reason to be skeptical there as well. A.J. Ellis at 96 OPS+ (118) is another depressing but completely logical projection, as evidenced by everybody’s surprise in 2012 at his potent bat. Andre Ethier at 112 OPS+ (123) is hard to figure for me, because he has been consistently putting up ~120 OPS+ seasons even if it has come down from the ~130 OPS+ range two years ago. I suppose the projection system thinks he’ll get old in a hurry … or maybe it just thinks he’ll face an inordinately high amount of lefties. Mark Ellis at 81 OPS+ (93) shouldn’t be much of a surprise considering he’s 36 and put up an 80 OPS+ at Coors Field in 2011.

The last guy of the starters is Carl Crawford, who is the enigma of the 2013 season. He checks in at 104, which is notable because it’s basically his career OPS+ and it’s about what he did in limited time in 2012 over in Boston. That’s of particular note for me, because what he did in Boston in 2012 can be attributed to a mechanical fix that I pointed out in an article for Baseball Prospectus. Understandably, his playing time checks in low, but if he can produce like he did in 2012 but over a whole season, the Dodgers will be much better for it.

Overall, after fixing the playing time of A.J., adjusting Ethier’s offense up a bit, and adjusting Hanley’s defense down a bit, the starting lineup totaled about 22 WAR.

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The Bench & The Prospects

Assuming a bench of Tim Federowicz, Scott Van Slyke or Alex Castellanos, Jerry Hairston Jr., Nick Punto, and Skip Schumaker, we’re looking at around 3 WAR here after playing time is adjusted back to realistic bench levels. I’m guessing Alfredo Amezaga or Tony Gwynn Jr. work their way in somehow, but a five-man bench seems likely initially if the Dodgers can’t deal multiple pitchers before the season starts. Neither player would affect the WAR projection much though.

Honestly? I have to hope the Dodgers do something to improve the bench, because the current configuration looks rather mediocre, and the other options are keeping Juan Uribe and/or Elian Herrera. Yuck.

The good news is that Joc Pederson, T-Fed, SVS, and Castle are projected to be solid at the MLB level, though it sees Dee Gordon basically languishing behind.

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The Rotation

Clayton Kershaw is simply a beast, and he figures to check in with a 75 FIP-. This might seem high considering his 2011 and 2012 ERA- figures of 63 and 67, respectively, but when you consider that Felix Hernandez clocks in at 78 FIP- for 2013, you get the picture.

What might surprise is how close new acquisition Zack Greinke comes in behind him, as he figures to put up an FIP- of 81. Granted, he has always projected favorably, as his career FIP- is 80, while his career ERA- is 88, but even adjusting slightly for that, there’s a definite case there for the best 1-2 punch in the majors.

Unfortunately, this is where it gets murky, as Chad Billingsley has the stuff to be the #3, but if I were a betting man, I would bet his elbow implodes before July. He projects at 92 FIP-, which would put him around last year’s performance, which was his arguably his best season since 2008. However, given the nature of his injury and its history in the league, you can basically never rely on him to stay healthy again until he has Tommy John surgery.

Next in the pecking order are Josh Beckett, who comes in below-average at 103, and foreign import Hyun Jin Ryu, who comes in well below-average at 116. As mentioned before, the scouting reports for Beckett match this projection, as he’s no longer a front-line starter due to his decrease in velocity. However, if he can manage to learn to pitch a bit more, he still has the curve to perhaps slot in as a #3 more than a #4. Ryu is a case where I would take any projection with a mound of salt, because there’s hardly anything to base objective projections on. Personally, I don’t think Ryu has the stuff to be a #2, nor do I think he’ll be a #3 on a team with a $250 million payroll, but he should slot in comfortably in the back-end of the rotation for years. I would project something slightly below-average for 2013 and then hope for better.

The rotation is a strong point because it has both arguably the best 1-2 punch in the majors and depth, with Chris Capuano (108 FIP-) and Aaron Harang (114 FIP) presumably traded for upgrades (or maybe kept somehow?), and it checks in at about 17 WAR.

—–

The Bullpen & The Prospects

As of right now, I’m assuming a bullpen of Brandon League, Kenley Jansen, Ronald Belisario, Javy Guerra, Matt Guerrier, J.P. Howell, and Ted Lilly.

Jansen is the best of the bunch (63 FIP-) and League projects a distant second (92 FIP-), but Belisario has the most upside in these projections (101 FIP-). After that, Guerra, Guerrier, and Howell are all around replacement level. Lilly projects as a league-average pitcher, assuming he’s healthy, which would be a boon to a team that has a ticking time bomb in the rotation.

As far as prospects go, ZiPS thinks Chris Reed could be a replacement-level fill-in right now, but Zach Lee, Matt Magill, and Garrett Gould need more seasoning. And for all of you who have Stephen Fife wet dreams (yes, you’re out there), he projects at a 4.91 FIP, so keep it in your pants.

Speaking of replacement level, that especially applies to the Dodgers bullpen because of Shawn Tolleson, Scott Elbert, Steven Ames, and Paco Rodriguez, so the 4 WAR projection for this pen figures to be solid.

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Team Projection

A replacement-level team figures to win 43 games, and the team with the lowest amount of wins to get into the playoffs last year was the Cardinals at 88 wins, so 42 WAR puts you in the contender range and 45 WAR makes you viable, while 50 WAR will generally make a team a safe bet to be in the postseason. The Dodgers total 46 WAR, which puts them well within the playoff hunt: good but not great.

The Dodgers basically project neck-and-neck with the rival Giants, while the D-Backs lag behind a bit by maybe a half dozen wins or so, but they’re well within striking distance as well.

So make no mistake, the Dodgers recent spending habits did not make them an elite team, as the money simply duct-taped over both a flawed team and farm system depleted by Frank McCourt‘s ownership and Ned Colletti‘s questionable decisions. But that’s not to denigrate the job the new owners have done, as they turned the franchise into a legitimate playoff contender seemingly overnight, which is still saying a lot about what money can do.

Granted, “we gave you a team that has the chance to make the playoffs” is not what fans want to hear, but it’s an acceptable scenario as they lay the foundation to rebuild the franchise the correct way in their own minds. The 2013 projections might not reflect world-beaters like most seem to expect, but it’s a projection based on historical trends rather than hopes and dreams.

The 2013 Dodgers are indeed a team with a lot of upside, and if everything breaks correctly, they could very well end up being one of the best teams in the league, but they also carry a ton of inherent age and injury risk, which is why the projections come in understandably conservative. Either way, if nothing else, this team figures to be never boring.

The Dodgers have invited 12 players to their Winter Development Camp, which, after operating for its first five years of existence at Dodger Stadium, will move to Camelback Ranch due to construction at Chavez Ravine.

Zach Lee, Joc Pederson, Chris Reed, Onelki Garcia, Paco Rodriguez, Chris Withrow, Steven Ames, Matt Magill, Tim Federowicz, Matt Wallach, and newcomers Jeremy Moore and Rob Rasmussen makeup the 12 players selected by the organization.

Though Yasiel Puig was originally scheduled to participate in the camp, the Dodgers have opted to leave him with his Puerto Rican Winter League team, which is in the midst of a playoff run.

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The Dodgers signed former Rays lefty J.P. Howell to a one-year, $2.75 million deal with incentives. Chad has details and analysis here.

I’m just glad the deal is for one year, especially given Ned Colletti‘s proclivity to give veteran bullpen guys long-term deals.

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Jeremy Moore is one of five players to recently sign a minor-league deal with the club. Fabio Castro, Wilmin Rodriguez, Omar Luna, and Rusty Ryal round out the signings. Also, Scott Van Slyke was re-signed after being outrighted.

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Alfredo Amezaga has signed his second minor-league deal with the Dodgers and has been invited to Spring Training. He was an NRI to Spring Training in 2010 as well.

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

The Dodgers made an offer to Hyun Jin Ryu, but it was rejected by Scott Boras, according to Ned Colletti.

The Dodgers made a long-term offer to Korean pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin on Tuesday, but it was rejected by agent Scott Boras.

“Predictably, it fell a tad short,” said general manager Ned Colletti.

The Dodgers have until Sunday to sign Ryu or they lose exclusive negotiating rights and their $25.7 million posting fee is refunded.

“We’re debating our next step,” said Colletti. “I don’t believe we’re close right now.”

As I said yesterday, I still think this is all posturing by both sides to get the best deal possible.

For his part, Boras later clarified the situation to Dylan Hernandez.

[Updated at 5:35 p.m.: Ryu's agent, Scott Boras, said he presented the Dodgers with a counteroffer. "We exchanged offers, and negotiations continue," Boras said.]

Boras, said his client should be compensated like a major league No. 3 starter. So, presumably, he’s looking for something in the $50-million range. [Updated at 9:45 p.m.: This estimate was high, according to a person familiar with the discussions.]

The reasons for the Dodgers wanting to wait should be obvious, because if they sign Zack Greinke and trade for James Shields or something of the sort, then their leverage in negotiations with Ryu becomes extremely one-sided.

For now? Just have to wait it out.

—–

Speaking of Greinke, the Dodgers and Rangers are apparently in a bidding war of sorts, according to Jon Heyman.

The Dodgers have been viewed as a fairly clear favorite for Greinke, but Texas is showing signs of determination, according to major-league sources.

The Dodgers are seen as having an almost unlimited payroll, but people familiar with the happenings now suggest the derby could go either way. Not many teams could hope to go dollar-for-dollar against the Dodgers, but the Rangers are trying to do just that.

The bidding is said by major-league officials to be “quite high” now, with two people pegging the dollar amount at about $160 million. And that’s with the deal not done yet. There seems an extreme likelhood now that Greinke will not only set a record for righthanded pitcher but for any pitcher, which is currently held by CC Sabathia, who signed for $161 million and seven years with the Yankees.

Some have suggested they could even see the Greinke deal reaching toward the $175-million mark.

This situation, however, could be severely impacted by the Rangers negotiations with Josh Hamilton, according to Danny Knobler, as they probably won’t sign both.

But one scenario they don’t see happening, according to sources, is a double free-agent signing of both Greinke and Hamilton.

And they certainly seem on pace to sign one or the other, according to Ken Rosenthal.

For his part, Jon Paul Morosi is of the belief that the Dodgers are the clear favorite, while Bill Shaikin adds that this drama may not be over by the time the Winter Meetings conclude.

—–

Connected to Greinke in a way, the Dodgers are apparently shopping Chris Capuano and Aaron Harang to whoever.

One exec says “Dodgers shopping Capuano and Harang around lobby. Greinke and Rhu, or Greinke and Sanchez or Dempster?”

#Dodgers becoming aggressive in shopping Harang and Capuano, source says. Could be a sign of confidence in landing Zack Greinke. @MLBONFOX

I doubt either of them would be hard to deal at any point in the off-season. Both are on short-term deals, the Dodgers could eat money if necessary, and the return demands probably won’t be significant.

—–

COMEDY BREAK

The Dodgers are running around shopping Juan Uribe!

One of the agendas the Dodgers are pushing aggressively in the lobby is to find a trade partner to take utility infielder Juan Uribe. Needless to say, the Dodgers are garnering little interest unless they’re willing to pay his entire contract. Uribe, who has batted .199 the past two seasons combined, is entering the final year of a three-year, $21 million contract.

What a disaster.

Asked an MLB official if #Dodgers might be able to interest #Yankees in Juan Uribe with A-Rod injured. The guy chuckled.

— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) December 4, 2012

It’s become a punchline, as it should, really.

—–

Dee Gordon appears to be a popular target for teams, including the Mariners.

The Dodgers are fielding tons of inquiries on shortstop Dee Gordon, tweets Scott Miller of CBS Sports, though they’re not looking to deal him. The Mariners are among the teams hitting the Dodgers hard on Gordon, tweets Miller.

I’ve given my thoughts on Dee previously, though I’m not sure what the Mariners have that the Dodgers want.

No, it’s not Felix Hernandez. Stop.

I’m thinking more along the lines of Kyle Seager, Corey Seager‘s older brother. The Mariners have Alex Liddi and Vinnie Catricala.

—–

Perhaps the R.A. Dickey rumors have some legs after all?

Hearing Dodgers thinking big, have strong interest in Dickey even if they sign Grienke. But they don’t have good young OF to trade.

— John Harper (@NYDNHarper) December 4, 2012

Source says Mets could get speedy SS Dee Gordon and top pitching prospect Zach Lee from Dodgers for Dickey. But that doesn’t help OF.

— John Harper (@NYDNHarper) December 4, 2012

That would be … a lot for a rental.

Still not sure I buy the interest as legit either. Not yet, at least.

—–

In interest of filling out their bench, the Dodgers are apparently interested in trading for Skip Schumaker, according to Danny Knobler.

He plays second, left field, center field, and right field, so there’s versatility there, but he’s a terrible defender at second, a bad one in center, and just solid-average in the corners. Over the last three seasons, since he turned 30, he’s had an OPS+ of 88.

Not so thrilled, really.

—–

Oh, and Colletti shot down those rumors from yesterday about them seeking starters at SS/3B. But there’s no reason to think he’s being truthful either.

The Isotopes, Lookouts, and Raptors all made the playoffs in 2012.

The Isotopes went up against a team with the best hitter in minor league baseball in Wil Myers. It was, as expected, a slugfest, but the Omaha Stormchasers got the best of the ‘Topes, 3-2.

The Lookouts went up against one of the more stacked teams in the minors in the Jackson Generals. They, like the ‘Topes, were dispatched, 3-1. A couple of bright spots include Onelki Garcia‘s performance and the fact that Joc Pederson got his first taste of Double-A (3-for-11 with a triple).

Fortunately for the minor league system, the Raptors were able to win its first-round series 2-1 and move on to the Pioneer League championship behind some strong pitching and some timely hitting.

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Albuquerque Isotopes (3-5)

Runs Scored: 38
Runs Allowed: 51

Player Of The Week

Elian Herrera – OF/IF

Herrera, who had his share of success in the majors this season, closed out the final week of the minor league regular season with one of his best weeks: 12-for-25 (.480) with two doubles, two triples, five RBI, and three runs scored. He finishes the season with a .341/.381/.520 line in 64 games. Herrera should be on the Dodgers’ bench soon.

Pitcher Of The Week

Stephen Fife – RHP

Fife earned his fourth award of the season by having a nice outing for the Isotopes on Friday: 7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. He finishes the season at 11-7 with a 4.66 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 10.4 H/9, 0.9 HR/9, 2.9 BB/9, and a 2.11 K/BB. He might get recalled if the Dodgers need a starter or a long man.

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Chattanooga Lookouts (5-2)

Runs Scored: 29
Runs Allowed: 17

Player Of The Week

Luis Nunez – 1B/OF

Once again, the Lookouts struggled to score runs this week. Nunez was the best hitter of the bunch, going 6-for-18 (.333) with a home run, two doubles, three RBI, and four runs scored. This was Nunez’s fourth award of the season. He finishes the year at .257/.319/.420.

Pitcher Of The Week

Zach Lee – RHP

Lee didn’t fare too well in the Lookouts’ second playoff game, but he had a great week prior to the postseason: 12 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 12 K. He finishes his 2012 campaign with some solid numbers: 6-6, 4.14 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 3.76 FIP, 3.63 SIERA, 2.1 BB/9, and a 7.7 K/9. Not bad for a 20-year-old who spent the majority of his time in Double-A (62 IP vs. 55 1/3 IP).

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Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-5)

Runs Scored: 33
Runs Allowed: 60

Player Of The Week

Pedro Baez – 3B

Baez, who was demoted after making the Double-A All-Star team earlier in the season, had his best week of the season. He went 13-for-24 (.542) with two doubles and two runs scored. His arm is great and it might be about time the team gave this light-hitting third baseman a shot on the mound. Baez finishes the season with a .221/.307/.375 triple slash with 11 home runs, 27 doubles, five triples, and 58 RBI.

Pitcher Of The Week

Onelki Garcia – LHP

Garcia made his professional debut and fared quite well: 2 IP, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K. It’s a modest outing, but a nice one for a debut. How did he follow that up? With a great showing in the Double-A playoffs (3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K). Not sure where he’s going to begin next season, but I’m hoping it’s Double-A. He could be the Dodgers’ second-best pitching prospect by this time next season.

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Great Lakes Loons (5-3)

Runs Scored: 35
Runs Allowed: 38

Player Of The Week

Jesus Alberto Arredondo – 2B

An early season favorite of mine, Arredondo hasn’t made an appearance on this list since I started this feature. Well, he was able to close out his 2012 campaign with a nice showing: 9-for-20 (.450), two doubles, a triple, three RBI, and three runs scored. Arredondo finishes the season with a .253/.305/.339 triple slash. After the way he began the season, I expected more from him.

Pitcher Of The Week

Joel Lima – RHP

Lima made two of his three starts for the Loons in the season’s final week, and he pitched quite well: 12 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K. He threw 28 games for the Loons, but only three in the rotation. He finishes the season with a 4.52 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and a .277 batting average against.

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Ogden Raptors (5-1)

Runs Scored: 53
Runs Allowed: 34

Player Of The Week

Justin Boudreaux – IF

Boudreaux, who struggled mightily in Great Lakes this season, had himself a week for the Raptors. He went 5-for-16 (.313) with a home run, four doubles, seven RBI, and four runs scored. For the season, he hit .195/.292/.305 between Ogden and Great Lakes. I rated him as a top 30 prospect prior to the season. Obviously, I missed badly on this one.

Pitcher Of The Week

Lindsey Caughel – RHP

The Dodgers’ 23rd-round pick, despite being nearly 22 in the Pioneer League, is showing he might have some ability down the road. He had a nice outing in the season’s last week: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K. He followed that up with a great outing in the Pioneer League playoffs. Caughel had a nice debut season between Ogden and Arizona: 5-4, 3.32 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 3.33 FIP, 3.72 SIERA, 1.7 BB/9, and a 6.5 K/9.

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Arizona League Dodgers (1-3)

Runs Scored: 14
Runs Allowed: 24

Player Of The Week

Stefan Jarrin – 2B

It was hard to find an offensive star for the AZL Dodgers this week, so I went with the guy who hit a home run. He went 2-for-7 (.286) with the aforementioned home run, two RBI, and two runs scored. He finishes his second professional season much like he did his first: .209/.305/.363.

Pitcher Of The Week

Ronny Lugo – RHP

Lugo had the best appearance of the week for the pitching staff: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. It was his first and only start of the season. He finishes with an ugly 6.27 ERA, 1.93 WHIP, and a .333 BAA.

—–

Dominican Summer League Dodgers (0-0)

Season ended Aug. 25.

It was a decidedly mediocre week for the Dodgers minor-league system with some standout performances. The Isotopes, Lookouts, and Arizona League Dodgers are on the verge of making the playoffs, while the Quakes are trying to nail down the wild card spot in the California League.

The Raptors scored the most runs this week with 69, and the Lookouts pitching, despite losing many arms via trades by the big club, allowed just 24 runs this week.

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Albuquerque Isotopes (3-4)

Runs Scored: 36
Runs Allowed: 47

Player Of The Week

Scott Van Slyke – OF/1B

Van Slyke earned his second consecutive award (fourth overall) by going 8-for-21 (.381) with a home run, four doubles, three RBI, three runs scored, and six walks. He’s hitting .325/.408/.575 in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Pitcher Of The Week

Will Savage – RHP

Savage, who was once 6-0 on the season, had a really good outing this past week: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K. He’s not faring well in the league on the season, but he throws an occasional good game.

—–

Chattanooga Lookouts (3-4)

Runs Scored: 32
Runs Allowed: 24

Player Of The Week

Jake Lemmerman – SS

This one was close between Lemmerman and Bobby Coyle, but I gave the nod to Late Night. He went 10-for-22 (.456) with a home run, three doubles, a triple, seven RBI and three runs scored. It’s just his second honor of the season. His 2012 has been rather disappointing, especially since I was higher on him than a prospect than most.

Pitcher Of The Week

Zach Lee – RHP

Lee is definitely getting the hang of the Southern League now. He had a fantastic outing this past week: 7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. His overall ERA is lower now than it was when he was promoted from Rancho Cucamonga, as he has a 4.18 ERA with the Lookouts. This is his fourth honor of the season (third since being promoted) for the Dodgers best prospect.

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Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-4)

Runs Scored: 50
Runs Allowed: 68

Player Of The Week

Austin Gallagher – LF

Gallagher, who started this season as a first baseman, has been playing a lot of left field and he had his best week of the season to date: 13-for-26 (.500) with two home runs, three doubles, 11 RBI, nine runs scored, and six walks. Gallagher missed some time with an injury this season but still owns a career-high slugging percentage (.474). It’d be more impressive if he wasn’t repeating the level.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jordan Roberts – LHP

It’s hard to find a good pitcher when a team gives up 68 runs in seven games, but Roberts did admirable work out of the Quakes bullpen this week: 10 2/3 IP, 13 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 8 K. Roberts is, somehow, 8-0 on the season with a 3.57 ERA. His peripherals, however, aren’t as nice as his undefeated record (for whatever that’s worth) and his decent ERA.

—–

Great Lakes Loons (4-3)

Runs Scored: 32
Runs Allowed: 31

Player Of The Week

Tyler Ogle – C

After destroying the Arizona League, Ogle was promoted to Great Lakes and then demoted to Ogden before being repromoted to Great Lakes. This week, he went 7-for-15 (.467) with two home runs, three RBI, and four runs scored.

Pitcher Of The Week

James Campbell – RHP

Campbell, the Dodgers 12th-round pick this year, made three appearances this week, including his first start: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K. Those were his totals from the week, not his start, unfortunately. Still, Campbell does have some ability and, like many relievers, should move rather quickly through the system.

—–

Ogden Raptors (6-1)

Runs Scored: 69
Runs Allowed: 47

Player Of The Week

Jesus Valdez – 1B/RF

This one could have gone to Corey Seager, Malcolm Holland, or Bladimir Franco, but Valdez’s performance was the best. He went 13-for-31 (.419) with two home runs, five doubles, 14 RBI, and nine runs scored. Valdez is enjoying lots of success with Ogden, posting a .325/.399/.516 triple slash with nine home runs and 16 doubles.

Pitcher Of The Week

Ross Stripling – RHP

Stripling, the Dodgers fifth-round pick, profiles as a starting pitcher, but he hasn’t thrown many innings per start because the club wants to limit his innings. But he threw well this week: 6 IP, 5 H, 1R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. He owns a 0.85 ERA and a 35:4 K:BB ratio.

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Arizona League Dodgers (3-2)

Runs Scored: 27
Runs Allowed: 23

Player Of The Week

Cory Embree – OF

Embree, the Dodgers 38th-round pick, has hit well for the Arizona League Dodgers this season as a 20-year-old. In limited action this week, he was the team’s best: 6-for-11 (.545) with a double, two triples, six RBI, and two runs scored. He’s hitting .320/.409/.493 on the season.

Pitcher Of The Week

Zachary Bird – RHP

Bird, widely considered a sleeper from the Dodgers 2012 draft class, had a nice outing this week: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. He averages more than a strikeout per inning and is someone to keep tabs on going forward.

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Dominican Summer League Dodgers (1-4)

Runs Scored: 13
Runs Allowed: 25

Player Of The Week

Josmar Cordero – C/1B

The team only played five games and scored 13 runs this week, so this award had to go to someone. Cordero was the best of the bunch: he went 5-for-13 (.385) with two doubles and two RBI. He finished his third stint in the league with six home runs, 19 doubles, 47 RBI, and 50 runs scored.

This shouldn’t come as any surprise to followers of the Dominican Summer League Dodgers or readers of this feature. On the year, Cordero’s line is a scintillating .362/.419/.533/.952, easily making him the best hitter on the squad. Therefore, if one were into sports betting, then Cordero has been the one to wager on in 2012 when it comes to Player Of The Week nods due to his consistent production week-to-week and the lack of other relevant bats on the team.

Pitcher Of The Week

Luis Silverio – LHP

Silverio had the best outing of any DSL Dodger this week, as the team ended its season: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 K. He had a nice showing in the league. I wanted to give this to Bryan Munoz (the 16-year-old the Dodgers signed), but he only threw one inning this week.

The Arizona League Dodgers were the big winners this week by going 6-1. They also scored the most runs this week at 50. The Lookouts continued to struggle offensively. Their pitching has been good (24 runs allowed in seven games), but the hitting has nearly disappeared. The Dominican Summer League Dodgers actually allowed the fewest runs at 23.

Joc Pederson and Yasiel Puig continue to impress, as does John Ely. Zach Lee might be coming into his own in Double-A as well.

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Albuquerque Isotopes (4-2)

Runs Scored: 44
Runs Allowed: 48

Player Of The Week

Tim Federowicz – C

Federowicz’s hot week was just enough to unseat Jerry Sands and to take his third honor of the season. He went 8-for-18 (.444) with a home run, three doubles, seven RBI, five runs scored, and five walks. He’s quietly posting a .297/.369/.482 line, but it is Albuquerque, so it must be taken with a grain of salt.

Pitcher Of The Week

John Ely – RHP

Ho hum: 7 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K. It’s his eighth honor of the season.

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Chattanooga Lookouts (3-4)

Runs Scored: 19
Runs Allowed: 24

Player Of The Week

Brahiam Maldonado – OF

Maldonado earns his second award of the season by going 10-for-20 (.500) with two home runs, two doubles, three RBI, and four runs scored. The Lookouts didn’t hit well this week (scoring just 19 runs), so it’s a little surprising to see a guy hit .500 for the week.

Pitcher Of The Week

Zach Lee – RHP

Lee might finally be getting comfortable in the Southern League after a few up-and-down outings. He was pretty solid this week: 12 IP, 12 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 6 K. His K/9 is down from his California League performance, but it’s all about him making quality pitches against advanced competition right now.

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Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-3)

Runs Scored: 34
Runs Allowed: 37

Player Of The Week

Joc Pederson – OF

Pederson is having a great second half and a fantastic July and August. This week was no exception: 10-for-23 (.435) with two home runs, four doubles, six RBI, eight runs scored, and five walks. Pederson is hitting .333/.500/.744 in August with eight of his 13 hits going for extra bases. His on-base percentage on the season is flirting with .400 (.393). He’s a flat-out stud.

Pitcher Of The Week

Yimi Garcia – RHP

This was a tough one. Sanchez had one of his best starts in awhile (6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K), but I went with Garcia here. Why? Well, his first week in the Cal League was pretty awesome: 3 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. Eight of the 11 outs he recorded were via the strikeout. That’s not a bad debut for a 21-year-old (soon-to-be 22).

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Great Lakes Loons (4-3)

Runs Scored: 32
Runs Allowed: 32

Player Of The Week

Nick Akins – OF

Akins hasn’t made much noise this season (not surprising because he’s not a prospect at this point in his career), but he had a solid week for the Loons: 7-for-22 (.318) with two home runs, two doubles, three RBI, six runs scored, and eight walks.

Pitcher Of The Week

Juan Rodriguez – RHP

Rodriguez, who was suspended for more than a month by the Quakes earlier this season before being demoted, amazingly got into four games for the Loons this week: 6 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K. The 23-year-old has an undeniably electric fastball, but his off-speed offerings aren’t great, just like his control. He had potential heading into the season, but his suspension and demotion raised some eyebrows.

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Ogden Raptors (2-4)

Runs Scored: 34
Runs Allowed: 46

Player Of The Week

Corey Seager – SS

Seager earns his second honor of the season by going 10-for-25 (.400) with a home run, a double, a triple, five RBI, seven runs scored, and two stolen bases. Seager isn’t fairing well defensively (15 errors in 30 games), but he’s definitely coming into his own with the bat. It’d be nice to see him begin next season at Low-A, but the Dodgers don’t have a reason to rush him.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jharel Cotton – RHP

Cotton, the Dodgers 20th-round draft pick out of East Carolina, had a really nice outing this week in relief: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K. He’s off to a nice start in his first 10 professional innings (1.80 ERA, 1.00 FIP, 12.6 K/9).

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Arizona League Dodgers (6-1)

Runs Scored: 50
Runs Allowed: 29

Player Of The Week

Yasiel Puig – OF

Puig had another impressive week in the Arizona League: 7-for-14 (.500) with two home runs, a triple, six RBI, six runs scored, and six walks. His performance was good enough to earn him a promotion to Rancho Cucamonga. It’ll be nice to see him play against more advanced competition.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jhouse Bermudez – LHP

Bermudez made the jump from the Dominican Summer League to the Arizona League and fared quite well: 5 2/3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K. The 19-year-old lefty has a little potential.

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Dominican Summer League Dodgers (4-2)

Runs Scored: 24
Runs Allowed: 23

Player Of The Week

Melvin Santana – 2B

It’s basically Santana vs. Josmar Cordero for this award. Santana had the better week of the two: 6-for-15 (.400) with a double, four runs scored, three walks, and two stolen bases. Santana boasts a nice .396 on-base percentage in the DSL.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jose Agusto Diaz – RHP

Diaz earns his second award of the season by throwing the ball well on August 9: 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K. The 21-year-old is a sleeper in the organization.

Man, I’m never going two weeks between these posts again. Anyway, most of the Dodger minor-league affiliates were mediocre the last two weeks. The Ogden Raptors scored the most runs this week with 83, thanks to Jeremy Rathjen, Corey Seager and Eric Smith. They also gave up the most runs this week at 94.

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Albuquerque Isotopes (7-8)

Runs Scored: 81
Runs Allowed: 69

Players Of The Week

July 23: Jerry Sands – OF/1B
July 30: Jerry Sands – OF/1B

Sands has been one of the hottest hitters in the minor leagues for the past couple weeks. For the week of July 23, he went 12-for-34 (.353) with three home runs, 11 RBI, a double, and five runs scored. He earned the Pacific Coast League Player Of The Week, as Sands hit two grand slams in the second game of the July 29 doubleheader. For the week of July 30, he went 11-for-25 (.440) with three home runs, 10 RBI, and three runs scored. His hot hitting earned him a call-up to Los Angeles.

Pitchers Of The Week

July 23: John Ely – RHP
July 30:  Josh Wall – RHP

Ely had a couple solid outings for the Isotopes: 13 1/3 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 11 K. He has a 3.42 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and a 9.2 K/9 on the season. Wall made three appearances last week and saved two games for the Isotopes: 2 2/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.

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Chattanooga Lookouts (7-6)

Runs Scored: 65
Runs Allowed: 54

Players Of The Week

July 23: Rafael Ynoa – 2B
July 30: J.T. Wise – 1B

Ynoa won his fourth award of the season, but his numbers were less than impressive: 5-for-20 (.250) with two doubles, two RBI, and seven walks. The Lookouts were one-hit twice and no-hit once in the week of July 23, so that accounts for the poor offensive week. Wise had a much better week: 10-for-23 (.435) with a home run, 10 RBI, three doubles, six runs scored, and seven walks.

Pitchers Of The Week

July 23: Zach Lee – RHP
July 30: Matt Magill – RHP

Lee had a nice outing on July 27 to earn just his second award of the season: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K. He hasn’t fared well in Double-A thus far, but he is just 20 years old. Next season will be the true test of his prospect status. Magill had one of his best outings of the season despite giving up three runs: 7 1/3 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 12 K. This is Magill’s fourth honor of the year.

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Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (6-6)

Runs Scored: 81
Runs Allowed: 75

Players Of The Week

July 23: Leon Landry – OF
July 30: Bobby Coyle – OF & Joc Pederson – OF

Landry had a fantastic week before being traded to Seattle with Logan Bawcom for Brandon League: 14-for-30 (.467) with two home runs, five (!) triples, a double, six RBI, and nine runs scored. That performance earned him California League Player Of The Week honors. He finishes his Quake career with a .328/.358/.559 triple slash with eight home runs, 51 RBI, 26 doubles, 15 triples, 63 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases. The next week, Coyle and Pederson carried the Quakes offense. Coyle went 10-for-25 (.400), with a home run, double, triple, and four RBI. Pederson didn’t get many hits, but he walked a bunch: 5-for-20 (.250) with a home run, double, triple, five RBI, eight runs scored, nine walks, and three stolen bases.

Pitchers Of The Week

July 23: Rubby De La Rosa – RHP
July 30: Andres Santiago – RHP

Well, well, well, Mr. De La Rosa, so nice to see you. De La Rosa made his season debut with the Quakes and showed no ill effects from his Tommy John surgery: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K. He also had a fine performance in his second appearance, but it was cut short because of discomfort in his groin (thankfully it wasn’t his elbow). Santiago had a great outing for the Quakes — and it’d be his last at the level because he was promoted to Double-A Chattanooga: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K. Santiago has taken the award four of the last five weeks and has won it five times overall this season.

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Great Lakes Loons (3-10)

Runs Scored: 58
Runs Allowed: 78

Players Of The Week

July 23: Pratt Maynard – C
July 30: O’Koyea Dickson – 1B/DH

Maynard, who started the season in a terrible slump, has picked it up of late. For the week of July 23, he went 6-for-20 (.300) with three doubles, two RBI, and three walks. Dickson has been mired in a slump for most of the second half, but he had a nice week: 8-for-26 (.308) with three home runs, five RBI, and three runs scored.

Pitchers Of The Week

July 23: Duke Von Schamann – RHP
July 30: Greg Wilborn – LHP

The Dodgers might have found themselves a gem in Von Schamann, who earns his third award of the season — all since being promoted to Great Lakes. He had his best outing of the season so far during the week of July 23: 8 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. He doesn’t strike guys out, but he gets them out. He’ll have to miss more bats as he moves up the ladder, but it’s hard to argue with what he’s doing at the moment. Wilborn had a nice week for the Loons in the following period: 11 2/3 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 12 K. Wilborn has been all around the minors this season, and he’s not a prospect at this point.

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Ogden Raptors (7-6)

Runs Scored: 83
Runs Allowed: 94

Players Of The Week

July 23: Jeremy Rathjen – OF
July 30: Corey Seager – SS

Rathjen, who fell in the draft because of injury concerns, continues to mash for the Raptors. For the week of July 23, he went 10-for-21 (.476) with three RBI, seven runs scored, and eight walks. Seager hit his first professional home runs last week, as he went 8-for-24 (.333) with three home runs, nine RBI, five runs scored, and seven walks. Jesus Valdez (.346, four home runs) and Eric Smith (.455, 10 walks) were the runners-up.

Pitchers Of The Week

July 23: Ross Stripling – RHP
July 30: Owen Jones – RHP

Stripling is having no problems with the Pioneer League, but the Dodgers are limiting his innings. He had a short but effective outing: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K. Jones, the Dodgers 19th-round draft pick in 2012, had a solid week coming out of the bullpen for the Raptors: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K.

—–

Arizona League Dodgers (3-6)

Runs Scored: 47
Runs Allowed: 54

Players Of The Week

July 23: Cory Embree – OF
July 30: Yasiel Puig – OF

Embree had a modest week for the AZL Dodgers: 5-for-12 (.417) with a double, four RBI, and three walks. Puig, making his professional debut, went 5-for-16 (.313) with two home runs, five RBI, two triples, and four runs scored.

Pitchers Of The Week

July 23: Jonathan Martinez – RHP
July 30: Zachary Bird – RHP

Martinez had a fantastic outing on July 24: 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 9 K. The 18-year-old is having a lot of success in the Arizona League and is someone to keep an eye on going forward. Bird, the Dodgers ninth-round pick this year, had the best outing of his young career: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K.

—–

Dominican Summer League Dodgers (3-7)

Runs Scored: 48
Runs Allowed: 61

Players Of The Week

July 23: Jeffry Rojas – SS
July 30: Melvin Santana – 2B

Rojas only played three games, but he made them count by going 6-for-10 (.600) with a double and an RBI. Santana, making his fourth appearance on this list, went 6-for-17 (.353) with a home run, a double, four RBI, three runs scored, and two stolen bases.

Pitchers Of The Week

July 23: Jose Agusto Diaz – RHP
July 30: Wascar Teodo – RHP

Diaz, 21, earned his first award of the season by throwing six quality innings on July 27: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. Teodo did just a little better than Diaz this past week: 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K. The 18-year-old is throwing well for the DSL Dodgers.

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?

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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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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).

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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.

It’s no secret that the Dodgers are desperate for help. Offense has been the primary problem of late, as the team is now feeling the effects of missing cogs like Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and Mark Ellis. However, Ned Colletti has been looking to shore up pitching as well.

As of the last couple of days though, seemingly as a result of the recent losing streak, talks have intensified everywhere, and the Dodgers are apparently trying to find upgrades wherever they can get them.

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A prime example of their current mindset is Buster Olney listing basically everybody as potential trade targets for the Dodgers. He mentions Jeff Francouer, Alfonso Soriano, Chase Headley, Edwin Encarnacion, Vernon Wells, Carlos Lee, Justin Morneau, Bryan LaHair, Hanley Ramirez, Daniel Murphy, and “Boston Red Sox leftovers“. I wouldn’t waste too much time thinking about scenarios for most of those names, as it’s just speculation, but it gives you a general idea of what the team is looking at.

Dodgers have scouted Bryan LaHair, and like other teams, they have concerns about defense. Maybe that won’t matter, because they need help.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) June 28, 2012

Ken Rosenthal‘s recent reports provide another example, as he reveals the Dodgers have been in touch with at least eight teams about a variety of positions.

According to major league sources, they have talked multiple times to the Cubs, Astros, and Brewers. They’ve also touched base with a number of other teams, including the Mariners, Royals, Twins, Blue Jays and Padres, sources said. The Dodgers would like to add a hitter, a starting pitcher, and a left-handed reliever.

So the Dodgers are contacting everybody in an effort to improve the squad, not just the offense, but also the rotation and bullpen.

Specifically, the team is looking hard at Ryan Dempster, who I wrote about before, and are even apparently considering Derrek Lee.

Speaking of the Cubs, the Dodgers are viewed as a favorite to land Ryan Dempster once he returns from the disabled list, sources suggest to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The two sides haven’t talked since the week before Dempster went down but a person familiar with the situation says Los Angeles has a very good chance to land the right-hander.

The Dodgers are lukewarm to the idea of signing Derrek Lee, and would prefer to explore other options first, a major league source told Rosenthal. Lee would require time at Triple-A and the Dodgers seem to prefer more certainty and perhaps a more immediate solution at first base.

Would take the Lee interest with a grain of salt, but the Dodgers are clearly looking for just about anybody who is alive and can play first base at this point.

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So with that established, the hot button issue at the moment are the rumors involving Zach Lee, Garrett Gould, Jed Lowrie, and Carlos Lee.

9:02pm: The Dodgers are talking to the Astros about a trade that would send Jed Lowrie to the Dodgers with minor-leaguers Zach Lee and Garrett Gould headed to Houston, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter). One source place the odds of the deal taking place at about 50-50 right now, Olney tweets.

I understood the interest in Lowrie, as Dee Gordon has been a black hole, both offensively and defensively, but Carlos is a marginal upgrade at best, if he even is one.

10:11pm: The Dodgers asked about Lowrie, but he’s now not in the current talks, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com. A source says that there’s a 50-50 shot that Carlos Lee accepts a deal to Los Angeles for pitching prospects.

This is where I got negative. With Lowrie out of the picture, it’s Carlos for “pitching prospects”, plural.

9:57pm: Dodgers‬’ talks with ‪Astros‬ involve Carlos Lee, not Jed Lowrie, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Lee would need to a approve deal and has the right to block a deal to the Dodgers.

As I was expressing on Twitter, I’m not thrilled with the idea of trading prospects for Carlos Lee. A solid segment of fans disagreed though, as they were generally enamored with acquiring an upgrade over James Loney. I’m just not sure Carlos Lee is the guy they’re looking for.

Carlos Lee’s current slash line is .290/.342/.412/.754, which is in line with his recent production, and he projects to hit .276/.328/.434/.762 the rest of the way. Additionally, consider that he’s a terrible defender in the outfield and a fringe to poor defender at first base.

James Loney’s current line is .236/.303/.323/.626, which is partially the result of lower than normal BABIP. He projects to hit .266/.327/.387/.714 the rest of the way. Plus, he plays above-average to plus defense at first.

Now 50 points difference in OPS is nothing to scoff at, but factor in the defense and then consider that Loney has a .802 OPS career against righties (.669 against lefties) and Juan Rivera has a .821 career OPS against lefties (.747 against righties). Now the gap is basically non-existent.

You know how to tell that this trade is an iffy upgrade? When it’s even arguable as to whether a potential acquisition is an improvement over James Loney and Juan Rivera.

Then there’s the matter of the prospects involved, but I already gave my thoughts on that through Twitter.

My problem isn’t the prospects involved as much as it is getting players who are decent in return, which Ned has trouble doing.

— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) June 30, 2012

Garrett Gould most likely busts anyway, as do most prospects, but surrendering them randomly for crap is pointless.

— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) June 30, 2012

The discussion is about the logic behind giving up assets at random because “it’s an upgrade now”.

— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) June 30, 2012

It’s not so much about the prospects, it’s about giving away legitimate assets for questionable upgrades.

Some people are happy to give away prospects for immediate upgrades, no matter how small, but why give away prospects for basically no reason? Throwing shit against the wall may work in small sample sizes, but do it enough and you’ll get burned more often than not.

The Dodgers under Colletti have made a habit of surrendering solid assets for marginal upgrades, so it’s a legitimate concern for fans, and history indicates we have every right to be.

All of the Dodgers minor league affiliates were in action this week, even if Chattanooga, Rancho Cucamonga, and Great Lakes played a short week because of its respective All-Star games.

Get used to hearing this: Ogden scored the most runs this week at 66, as the Raptors averaged 11 runs per game. They also gave up the most runs at 46.

The Arizona League began and the Dodger squad, filled with a plethora of 2012 draft picks (Zachary Bird, Justin Chigbogu, Joey Curletta, Jesmuel Valentin), went 4-0 in its first week.

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Notes: Zach Lee was promoted to Double-A Chattanooga from High-A Rancho Cucamonga on Monday. Ryan O’Sullivan was promoted from Low-A Great Lakes to Rancho.

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Albuquerque Isotopes (4-2)

Runs Scored: 38
Runs Allowed: 32

Player Of The Week

Brian Cavazos Galvez – OF

Cavazos-Galvez isn’t getting four at-bats every game, but he’s making the most of his trips to the plate. He went 9-for-19 (.474) this week with a home run, two RBI, a double, and seven runs scored. Cavazos-Galvez is hitting exceptionally well for the Isotopes. If he could handle center field, he’d probably be playing every day. This is his third award of the season.

Pitcher Of The Week

Josh Wall – RHP

Wall earns his first POTW honor by saving three of the Isotopes’ four victories this week: 3 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K, 3 SV. Wall hit a bit of a rough stretch about a month ago, but has been solid in his last 10 games (1.80 ERA, 10.8 K/9) and could be the next player recalled if the Dodgers need yet another bullpen option.

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Chattanooga Lookouts (1-3)

Runs Scored: 16
Runs Allowed: 20

Player Of The Week

Rafael Ynoa – 2B

Ynoa wins his second award by going 7-for-11 (.636) with two doubles, four RBI, two runs, two stolen bases, and four walks. It was a great four games for him, but it wasn’t so great for the rest of the team. On the season, Ynoa has the following line: .260/.345/.329 with 13 stolen bases.

Pitcher Of The Week

Allen Webster – RHP

Webster finally seems to be rounding into form. He earned his second consecutive honor by having a really strong outing: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 K. He’s made four starts since returning to the starting rotation and fared well: 21 IP, 13 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 7 BB, 26 K, 1.71 ERA, 0.95 WHIP. That’s the Allen Webster we’ve been expecting all season.

Here’s to a strong finish.

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Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (1-3)

Runs Scored: 29
Runs Allowed: 43

Player Of The Week

Jonathan Garcia – RF

I certainly thought we’d see Garcia on this list earlier than this, but he’s here now after going 9-for-19 (.474) with two home runs, seven RBI, a double, and four runs scored. His line on the season isn’t horrible (.266/.283/.447) considering he’s 20 years old and is playing against competition roughly a couple years older than him. However, while the pop is there, the walk rate is not. He’s drawn five walks against 63 strikeouts, and that isn’t going to cut it.

Pitcher Of The Week

Brandon Martinez – RHP

It’s hard to find a guy who threw well when the team gave up 43 runs in four games, but Martinez wins the award this week. He relieved the rehabbing Blake Hawksworth on Friday and pitched fairly well: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 4 K. Obviously, the walks are the only blemish. Martinez, who started with Great Lakes this season, has thrown surprisingly well for the Quakes this season. He could end up being one of their top pitchers going forward.

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Great Lakes Loons (1-2)

Runs Scored: 11
Runs Allowed: 15

Player Of The Week

Scott Schebler – OF

Schebler takes home his third award in the last four weeks (second straight) by going 4-for-10 with a double, two RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base. On the season, Schebler is hitting .279/.308/.444 in a pitcher’s league.

Pitcher Of The Week

Ralston Cash – RHP

Cash had the best outing of his season on Saturday for the Loons: 6 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. It’s nice to see him getting work in and averaging five innings per start. Not bad for a guy who hadn’t pitched since 2010.

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Ogden Raptors (6-1)

Runs Scored: 66
Runs Allowed: 46

Player Of The Week

Jesus Valdez – OF/1B

Like the team, Valdez absolutely destroyed Pioneer League pitching this week: 14-for-25 (.560), a double, two triples, seven RBI, 12 runs scored, and three walks. Valdez, 20, is a big kid (6’3″, 180) and is handling Pioneer pitching better than he handled Arizona League pitching last year.

Pitcher Of The Week

Carlos Frias – RHP

It’s going to be difficult finding a Pitcher Of The Week in the Pioneer League, but I’ll make it happen. Frias, who pitched 5 2/3 unsuccessful innings with the Quakes earlier this season, had a decent outing in his first start for the Raptors: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K. He was throwing in the mid-90s with his fastball, so that’s encouraging. However, he is 22 years old, so he should dominate this level.

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Arizona League Dodgers (4-0)

Runs Scored: 36
Runs Allowed: 16

Player Of The Week

Paul Hoenecke – OF/1B

Hoenecke, the Dodgers 24th round pick just a few weeks ago, had himself quite the debut week: 9-for-18 (.500), one home run, six RBI, two doubles, one triple, and four runs scored. Hoenecke is almost 22 years old and could easily be promoted to Ogden if he proves he can handle Arizona League pitching. Drafted as a first baseman, he played one game at first and three in the outfield this week.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jonathan Martinez – RHP

Martinez, who turns 18 on Wednesday, threw the best game for the AZL Dodgers this week: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K. He pitched in the Dominican Summer League last year and handled himself pretty well. He might be a pitcher to keep an eye on in Arizona.

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Dominican Summer League Dodgers (5-1)

Runs Scored: 55
Runs Allowed: 34

Player Of The Week

Josmar Cordero – 1B/C

Cordero wins this award for the second consecutive week by going 13-for-28 (.464) with two home runs, nine RBI, three doubles, and 10 runs cored. Cordero has a ridiculous .469/.506/.716 line and needs to be moved up as he has absolutely nothing left to prove in the Dominican Summer League. Gerson Nunez gave Cordero a run for his money this week (.519/.552/.630), but fell just short.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jhouse Bermudez – LHP

I promise I’m not being lazy. Bermudez, like Cordero, wins this honor for the second straight week by posting the following line: 11 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 7 BB, 10 K. He’s won all four games he’s started for the DSL Dodgers and owns a 0.86 ERA. He’s walked 11 batters in 21 innings, and that’s the only blemish on his record thus far.

Garrett Gould throws during the June 5th game against the Stockton Ports. Photo by Dustin Nosler.

The three players I was most interested in seeing when I visited the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes a couple weeks ago in Stockton, California, were Garrett Gould, Zach Lee, and Joc Pederson. I got to see both Gould and Pederson, but missed out on Lee.

I did a scouting report on Pederson on Tuesday, and now it’s time for my thoughts about Gould.

How He Got Here

Gould, 20, was the Dodgers second-round draft pick in the 2009 MLB Draft out of Maize High School in Kansas. Before the Dodgers popped him in the second, he was committed to play ball at Wichita State, Darren Dreifort’s alma mater. He was a guy I had my eye on for the team’s first-round supplemental pick (No. 36). Instead, the team took Aaron Miller and ended up with Gould at No. 65. I was thrilled. The Dodgers signed him on August 14th to a $900,000 bonus, which was $337,500 more than the slot amount for the position.

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He began his professional career with the Ogden Raptors as virtually all high school draftees do for the Dodgers. He appeared in three games and got knocked around a little: 2 2/3 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 3 ER, HR, 2 BB, 4 K. Gould also started the 2010 season with the Raptors and fared much better this time around: 4.06 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 3.1 BB/9, 8.1 K/9, and a 2.60 K/BB. Not great numbers on the surface, but not bad for an 18-year-old in a hitter’s league.

Last season, Gould got his first taste of full-season ball, pitching for the Great Lakes Loons. He actually out-pitched the Dodgers top prospect Lee in a number of categories, as he finished with a 2.40 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 7.4 H/9, 0.6 HR/9, 2.7 BB/9, 7.6 K/9, 2.81 K/BB, and a 3.23 FIP.

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So far in 2012, he’s pitched the entire season with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and has been up and down. He owns a 4.90 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 9.7 H/9, 0.9 HR/9, 2.9 BB/9, 9.3 K/9, 3.18 K/BB, and a 3.45 FIP. His FIP is close to his 2011 mark, and his K/9 is up to an impressive rate.

Why the struggles then? Well, he seems to be lacking a little this season in BABIP, which is .349 — 26 points higher than league average. So to this point, he hasn’t been that bad; just a little unlucky.

Vitals

Gould is listed at 6’4″, 190 pounds, but as you can tell by the photo, he’s a little bit more than 190 pounds. That’s not to say he has a bad baseball body, but he’s probably closer to 220 or 230 pounds, and he’s a legit 6’4″. Gould has a big frame and his bottom half reminds me a little of Chad Billingsley.

He’s just 20 years old, so there might be a little bit of projection left, but I wouldn’t count on it.

Repertoire

Gould has a classic four-pitch arsenal:

• Four-Seam Fastball
• Curveball
• Slider
• Changeup

He also incorporates a two-seam fastball.

For Gould, his success depends on his fastball velocity. During the 2010 season, his velocity sat more in the upper-80s than the low-90s, but in 2011, he was closer to the low-90s on a consistent basis. When I saw him live, he was sitting between 87-91 MPH with his fastball, and he threw his two-seamer in the 86-88 MPH range. He touched 91 MPH with his four-seamer and generally sat around 88-90 during his five innings of work. To be honest, I wasn’t overly impressed with his fastball. He located it well at times, but it also got him into a little trouble during the game. His control was adequate, but he walked three batters in his five innings.

Gould’s curveball is his bread and butter pitch, as it’s the best in the system and ranks among the best in the minors. He throws his curve 12-6 and it sat in the 77-78 MPH range, which is on par with scouting reports. It had really good, late breaking action and is definitely advanced for the competition.

He also threw a few sliders, but it’s only his fourth-best pitch. He threw it in the 82-84 MPH range and it had a little depth and bite to it. It’s a fringe-average pitch right now.

Gould’s changeup surprised me most. He threw it a lot more than I expected and got a couple swings-and-misses. The pitch was clocked at 80-82 MPH and had good diving action away from left-handed hitters. He threw it with the same arm speed as his fastball most of the time, and he didn’t throw many to the right-handed hitters.

Delivery

Gould’s delivery, despite not being picturesque, is repeatable. It has a little “funk” to it, which is the word a scout used to describe Gould’s delivery. He said it wasn’t particularly a bad thing, though, as the deception is a good thing. The funk he’s referring to is the slightest of turns after Gould goes into his wind-up.

Gould’s arm slot is true overhand, and he throws the ball “the way you’re supposed to”. You know, from the time you’re in Little League, you’re taught to throw the ball over-the-top. Gould does exactly that.

When he pitched out of the stretch, he didn’t show much of a slide-step. And he still had the “funk” when delivering from the stretch. That’s something he’ll have to work on as he moves up, but base-stealers have only been successful on nine of 17 attempts this season, so he must be doing something right.

Gould is in a good fielding position after delivering the ball. He doesn’t fall off too much to the first-base side, which is a good thing. His front leg is somewhat stiff, and his back leg doesn’t break down when he pushes off as much as some pitchers.

Grades

Here’s how I would grade his pitching tools:

For June 2012.

Conclusion

At best, Gould could be a No. 3 starter in the majors. His curveball is definitely his best pitch, but his changeup is about on par with his fastball (from what I saw). More likely, Gould could be a nice No. 4 option, but either way, he should be a contributing member of the rotation.

The primary thing that will determine his rotation slot is his fastball velocity. If he pitches in the 90-93 MPH range with good command and control, he’s a No. 3 starter. If he’s in the 87-90 MPH range, he’s probably another Aaron Harang (as he is now, not as he was in his good seasons in Cincinnati). There’s nothing wrong with a No. 4 starter, but it’d obviously be better to see his stuff take a tick up.

With the surplus of right-handed starting pitching prospects in the Dodgers system, Gould’s future with the organization could end with him becoming trade bait.

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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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Matt Magill, one of Chad’s “boys”, is off to a hot start with the Chattanooga Lookouts, and it’s looking more and more like he might not be just a fringe prospect after all.

The 2008 31st-round draft pick from Simi Valley caught my attention during his 2010 campaign with the Great Lakes Loons. He ended up at 7-4 with a 3.28 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 3.75 FIP. But his more impressive numbers lay with his peripherals — a 6.2 H/9, 3.7 BB/9, 9.6 K/9, and 2.60 K/BB were all outstanding. Even more impressive — Magill did all of this as a 20-year-old.

By comparison, he outperformed Dodgers top prospect Zach Lee at the same level. Magill bested Lee in ERA, WHIP, H/9, and K/9. Granted, Lee was 19-years-old, but it’s only a one year difference.

Yet, Magill isn’t talked about among the Dodgers best prospects, and I’m just as guilty as the rest. I ranked him No. 11 heading into the 2011 season, but just No. 46 heading into this season. Chad named Magill his 25th-best prospect in the system after a rocky 2011 season with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in the notorious California League.

While there, Magill’s hits per nine rate skyrocketed to 10.1, where his previous career high was 9.1 in his debut season in the Gulf Coast League (as an 18-year-old). This season, it’s at 6.4. His home runs per nine rate is at an all-time low — 0.2 — as he’s allowed just one home run in 48 innings so far in 2012.

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So Magill’s “fringe” stuff is obviously holding up well in the Southern League — either that or it isn’t as “fringe” as previously described. Chad wrote that Magill’s fastball sits at 89-91 mph (touching 93) with movement. While the velocity is considered fringe, to throw that hard with movement definitely helps. Magill’s low-80s slider is his best offering, and he’s getting some big strikeout numbers with the Lookouts thus far, as he boasts a 11.2 K/9 rate. He also uses a solid changeup.

While it’s a pitcher’s league, he’s facing the likes of Matt Davidson (Diamondbacks), Junior Lake (Cubs), and Nick Franklin (Mariners) — all of whom are legitimate prospects for their respective organizations, so it’s not as if it lacks depth (just ask Allen Webster).

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When I mention career lows in hit and home run rate, I know what you’re thinking, but it isn’t like he’s getting particularly lucky, either. His groundball rate is 2.5 percent lower than last season (not a GB pitcher anyway), his line drive rate is virtually the same (14.4 to 14.5), and his batting average on balls in play is .292, which is just a touch better than league average. While he’s walking too many left-handed hitters (7.65 BB/9 against LHH), he’s holding them to just a .211 batting average (.186 vs. RHH).

So despite not getting the acclaim of guys like Lee, Allen Webster, and Nathan Eovaldi, he’s performing the way one would expect those guys to perform at this level, which can only be looked at as a positive sign considering advanced bats were considered his litmus test of sorts.

The only area in which Magill has struggled is walks per nine. His rate now sits at 5.4 and Thursday night’s start (7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 10 K) was the first this season in which he didn’t walk a batter. That’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward, as it shows there’s still work to be done.

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Double-A is about the final stop for Dodgers pitching prospects, as the organization (rightly) likes to keep the kids from reaching Albuquerque because of the extreme hitter’s environment. But Magill doesn’t have to be placed on the 40-man roster after the season, so it’s entirely possible he could pitch all of 2013 in Double-A as well, unless the Dodgers want him to test the Triple-A waters because he’s not considered an elite arm. Regardless, the Dodgers could put him on the 40-man if they view him as a legitimate option (either for the rotation or bullpen) in 2013.

Magill has gone from potential roster fodder to intriguing prospect, which if nothing else improves his value. Scouts and analysts were always concerned with his velocity and stuff holding up against advanced competition, and while he struggled in 2011, he’s proving he can more than hold his own as a 22-year-old in Double-A.

Much to my surprise, Joc Pederson made his season debut with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Monday night. It was surprising because by all accounts, the 2010 11th-round pick was slated to begin the season in Midland, Mich., with the Great Lakes Loons.

A groin injury in spring training caused him to miss the first two weeks of the minor league season. I asked him about it via Twitter on April 2nd, but he wasn’t sure where he’d end up.

@feelinkindablue still in AZ rehabbing my groin…so gotta get it better before I can break camp and they haven’t told me where I am going

So when I saw Pederson was skipping Low-A in favor of High-A, it was surprising.

Pederson played briefly in the Midwest League last season, going 8-for-50 with seven walks and nine strikeouts. He went to Ogden when the Rookie-ball season opened and promptly mashed there (.353/.429/.568) to take home team MVP honors.

Pederson, who doesn’t have one standout tool but is average across the board, went 0-for-4 in his California League debut. He hit third in the lineup and played center field. Leon Landry and Casio Grider have split time in center field this season, so if Pederson is with Rancho for an extended period of time, I could see Landry playing a lot of left field despite being a better defensive center fielder than Pederson.

Suddenly, the Quakes’ roster looks a little crowded. With Grider, Landry, and Pederson, the Dodgers also have outfield prospect Jonathan Garcia playing right field (and struggling) every day. Christopher O’Brien, a catcher by trade, is playing some first base while Austin Gallagher is splitting time between first base and designated hitter. Chris Jacobs, recently back from injury, is taking up DH duties as well.

In the end, there might not be enough at-bats to go around for these guys every day. Of the players mentioned, Grider is the least impressive prospect of the bunch. Grider was an infielder last year with the Loons, so I suppose there’s a chance the Quakes could move him back there, but Tyler Henson and Charlie Mirabal seem to be entrenched up the middle.

Manager Juan Bustabad (yes, it’s his real name) has a tough job ahead of him. It’ll be interesting to see how he juggles the playing time in Rancho.

—–

I’m actually attending Friday night’s game in Rancho with Jared Massey of LA Dugout. If I get a chance to talk to the skipper or any players, I’ll be sure to pass along the information. I know I’ll be snapping plenty of photos and probably taking some video. Zach Lee is tentatively scheduled to start.

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.

Way to go, ESPN.

Minor League Ball: Three Los Angeles Dodgers prospects make Minor League Ball‘s 2012 Top 120 Prospects. Unsurprisingly, they are Zach Lee (75), Allen Webster (106), and Nate Eovaldi (87).

ESPN The Magazine: Molly Knight on Dodgers trainer Stan Conte, who wants to banish injuries forever.

Grantland: Jonah Keri on Jose Abreu, the best hitter you’ve never heard of.

Baseball America released their ranking of the Top 100 prospects yesterday and three players from the Los Angeles Dodgers made the cut.

Shouldn’t be a surprise that those three were right-handed pitchers Zach Lee, Allen Webster, and Nate Eovaldi.

62 Zach Lee rhp, Dodgers Age: 20. ETA: 2014.
Would he have made the difference as Les Miles’ quarterback against Alabama? Unfortunately for Louisiana State, he really knows how to pitch.

95 Allen Webster rhp, Dodgers Age: 22. ETA: 2013.
Despite low budgets, the Dodgers have scored in the draft with under-the-radar finds like Webster.

96 Nate Eovaldi rhp, Dodgers Age: 22. ETA: 2012.
Dodgers have intriguing arms to build around, if new ownership gives them the money to do so.

I am excite.

MSTI: I don’t know where he found this, but this is definitely the best thing Javy Guerra and James Loney do all year even if they finish 1/2 in the MVP race.

Dodger Thoughts: None of the potential Dodgers ownership groups liked the Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw contracts? Uh…yikes.

Feelin’ Kinda Blue: Jon Weisman blogger profile.

—–

Baseball Prospectus: Kevin Goldstein names his top 101 prospects. The only Dodger on the list is Zach Lee at 70.

—–

MLB Trade Rumors: Los Angeles Dodgers have four players who are out of options for 2012: A.J. Ellis, Ramon Troncosco, Blake Hawksworth, and Scott Elbert.

Could mean trouble for Troncoso and Hawksworth, but the other two shouldn’t have an issue.

—–

Baseball Nation: The ten worst swings of 2011. It’s amazing.

Dominican Summer League Dodgers: Pitchers
Dominican Summer League Dodgers: Hitters
Arizona League Dodgers: Pitchers
Arizona League Dodgers: Hitters
Ogden Raptors: Pitchers
Ogden Raptors: Hitters

=====

Today I continue my off-season recap of the Los Angeles Dodgers minor league affiliates, moving on to the pitchers of the Great Lakes Loons.

—

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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Garrett Gould – RHP – 19

Garrett Gould Statistics

His 2.40 ERA is being a bit kind, but he certainly had the breakout season people like me were waiting for. He posted a 3.23 FIP with a K% of 20.4 (Average=20.7%) and a BB% of 7.3 (Average=8.6%). His peripherals still need work, but he was among the youngest to play in the Midwest League, so it was certainly a noteworthy performance.

Watching him pitch since he was drafted, he always appeared to be victim of horrid umpiring and defense, so I was always higher on him than his statistics indicated, but this was a surprise nevertheless. His fastball now sits in the low-90s, but his sharp curve will always be his out-pitch. Despite reports, this was the first year I have seen him try to use a third pitch (change) and it wasn’t that bad. His control didn’t improve much, but his command in the zone did, inducing more ground balls than before.

He’ll probably see high-A in 2012 and could be pushed to AA if he thrives.

—–

Zach Lee – RHP – 19

Zach Lee Statistics

While this wasn’t a bad professional debut by any means, he’s the same age as Gould and had a worse season statistically, so he didn’t exactly set the world on fire like some predicted.

He carried a 3.47 ERA and a 3.68 FIP over 109 innings with a 19.4 K% and a 6.8 BB%. The most disappointing part about his year was the lack of missed bats, but his command and polish were immediately apparent.

Lee shows command, confidence, a fastball with solid movement, and two good off-speed pitches. However, his fastball velocity leaves me short of anointing him. He still generally sits in the low-90s and unless that takes an uptick, I’m just not seeing this #1 starter potential people keep talking about. I know that sounds negative, but I get e-mails penciling Lee in as the #2 starter behind Kershaw in 2014 like it’s his god given right and I just don’t have that level of confidence in him.

I like Lee plenty, I’m just not willing to crown him because he might be the best prospect the Dodgers have.

—–

Scott McGough – RHP – 21

Scott McGough Statistics

Serving as the primary closer for the Loons, McGough struck out 25 in 20.1 innings while walking only 6 batters en route to a 2.21 ERA (2.27 FIP).

I haven’t seen him get much attention but I liked him at the University Of Oregon and I think he has a chance at a bullpen role down the road. Sitting 91-93 and touching 95, there’s plenty of velocity to make it to the show. However, his low-80s slurve will need to improve, not so much the command like most young pitchers, but the break itself needs to be sharper or it’ll get hammered as he moves levels.

He should move to high-A in 2012 with an eye on AA.

—–

Red Patterson – RHP – 24

Red Patterson Statistics

He split time between A and A+, but was basically the same at both levels. Overall, he posted a 3.69 ERA with an impressive 3.19 FIP due to his 24.7 K% and 6.5 BB%.

While that’s all well and good, the problem is that he’s 24 and in A-ball. He doesn’t just need to do well next year in AA, he needs to destroy it. Maybe he’s a late bloomer, but I don’t know many impact pitchers who were in A-ball at 24. Just saying.

—–

Juan Rodriguez – RHP – 22

Juan Rodriguez Statistics

Acquired in what I still maintain was a pointless trade that sent Trayvon Robinson away, Rodriguez shows raw promise on the mound. He posted a 5.19 ERA with the Red Sox before coming over and putting up a 1.59 ERA for the Dodgers, but nothing truly changed. He had a 2.91 FIP with the Red Sox and a 2.96 FIP with the Dodgers on the strength of an unreal 31.9 K% and a wild 12.4 BB%.

He throws the ball hard, regularly in the mid-90s, but his frisbee slider could use depth, consistency, and command. Rodriguez obviously has the stuff to succeed, but he’s extremely raw for his age and will need time. I’m not sure he will ever develop better command unless he makes changes to his motion, which is violent and wild. Additionally, he has an easy tell on what type of pitch is coming.

Rodriguez should move to high-A in 2012, with the possibility of AA.

—–

Angel Sanchez – RHP – 21

Angel Sanchez Statistics

Making his professional debut at age 21, Sanchez proved worth the wait, posting a 2.82 ERA and 3.43 FIP in 99 innings primarily as a starter. He struck out 20.3% of batters and walked 9.4%, both of which were below league average.

Statistically, there were hiccups, but his stuff is legit. His fastball sits in the mid-90s and he can touch high-90s, while he has two potential plus off-speed pitches in his curve and change. He still has a ways to go refining everything, but it was an impressive debut. However, I would advise against letting the surprise aspect of his debut lead to overrating him.

He should be in high-A in 2012, though I would probably keep him there for the year as he develops and adapts.

—–

Shawn Tolleson – RHP – 23

Shawn Tolleson Statistics

I think he had an okay year in 2011.

He started with the Loons, posting a 0.00 ERA and -0.40 (yes, really) FIP, which consisted of a 58.9 K% and 7.1 BB%. That’s just stupid. He then moved on to the Quakes in A+, where he posted a 0.93 ERA with a 1.96 FIP. His K% was 47.2 and his BB% was 8.3, so you can see how he was already on his way to mediocrity. Then he moved on to the Lookouts in AA, where he posted a 1.62 ERA and a 2.16 FIP. His 29.8 K% and 6.1 BB% were both way better than league average.

His fastball is average, clocking in the low-90s, but his high-80s cutter is all he has needed. It has late, sharp break and he commands it well, making the offering devastating to just about everybody. Moreover, he throws it against his body, hiding the location well. When it’s on, it doesn’t matter if the batters know it’s coming. Of course, the bad part about having awkward mechanics is injury risk, and he has a history of it, having undergone elbow surgery in high school.

Wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Tolleson making an impact on the 2012 Dodgers, but he probably won’t start there since the roster is crowded.

—–

Logan Bawcom – RHP – 22

Logan Bawcom Statistics

Serving as a reliever, Bawcom posted a 2.78 ERA and 2.30 FIP with the Loons and a 3.74 ERA and 3.62 FIP with the Quakes. His 30.7 K% highlights his performance, but his BB% sits at 10.2, so his command will need to improve down the road.

He sits in the low-90s and has two off-speed offerings (slider/change) that could grade out as above average. I doubt he’ll ever have elite stuff, so his command has to take strides if he’s to be an impact arm out of the pen.

He’ll probably spend 2012 in high-A, looking to move to AA.

Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com has named three members of the Los Angeles Dodgers farm system to his annual Top 100 Prospects list, all of whom are right-handed pitchers.

Zach Lee clocked in at #45, Nathan Eovaldi showed up at #70, and Allen Webster rounded out the trio at #74.

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Zach Lee

Statistically speaking: After missing a few weeks with a minor elbow issue, Lee got rolling. His second-half numbers — 3.20 ERA, .224 batting average against, 7.66 hits per nine innings and 2.37 walks per nine — were all improvements over his first half (3.60 ERA, .266 BAA, 9.33 hits per nine and 3.04 walks per nine).

Scouting report: As a football standout who was signed away from quarterbacking at Louisiana State University, Lee showed a more advanced feel for pitching than many anticipated during his first season of pro ball. He has a plus fastball that can touch the upper 90s when he needs it. His curve also shows glimpses of being a plus pitch, and he’s worked on a slider, giving him another outstanding breaking ball. He’s shown a good feel for a changeup and has shown the ability to command all four pitches. He gets high marks for his makeup and football-like competitiveness on the mound.

Upside potential: A frontline starter who might get there faster than initially thought.

Nathan Eovaldi

Statistically speaking: The young right-hander improved in a number of areas in his third full season of pro ball. He saw a spike in his strikeout rate (8.7 per nine innings, up from 6.6 in 2010) and a huge drop in his hit rate (6.6, down from 9.9). That led to an overall drop in his WHIP, from 1.475 in 2010 to 1.184 last year.

Scouting report: Eovaldi had Tommy John surgery as a junior in high school, so the Dodgers brought him along slowly. But the gloves came off a bit in 2011, and he not only dominated in Double-A, but also pitched well when he was called up to Los Angeles in August. Eovaldi has a plus fastball that reaches the upper 90s. It has good sink and he throws it downhill to generate a good amount of ground balls. His breaking ball can also be a plus pitch at times. He throws a changeup as well, though it’s not as good as the other two. His walk rate did go up in the Minors in 2011 as well as in the big leagues, so command will be a key for him going forward.

Upside potential: Just 22 for all of 2012, he has the chance to be a very good starter very soon. If the command doesn’t improve, he has the pure stuff to excel in the bullpen.

Allen Webster

Statistically speaking: While Webster struggled with his first taste of Double-A ball, he did improve in one category: His groundout/flyout rate jumped to 2.10, up from an already respectable 1.26 in the California League. That should come as no surprise, given his 1.86 rate in the GCL in 2008, 1.83 in rookie ball in 2009 and 1.28 during his 2010 full-season debut.

Scouting report: Webster elicits all those ground balls with a heavy, sinking fastball that runs into the mid-90s. Both his breaking ball and his changeup have the chance to be above-average. He has decent command of all three pitches, especially considering his age and his pitchability will only improve as he matures. The Dodgers have other righties in the system with more pure arm strength, but Webster could be the safest bet, after Zach Lee, to be a big league starter.

Upside potential: He’s not that far off from contributing, and his combination of stuff and command could allow him to be a No. 2 or 3 starter.

MLB and the MLBPA recently agreed on a new collective bargaining agreement that will ensure labor peace through 2016. In light of the recent troubles of the NBA and NFL, this seems like a welcome change of pace. However, with this CBA comes a lot of changes to the MLB, and I don’t think all of them are positive.

So while both the MLB and the MLBPA tout to everybody how proud they are of themselves for avoiding a labor dispute, everybody from the mainstream media to the basement bloggers seem to be in agreement that there is significant reason to worry about what has just transpired.

=====

Draft

2. The current system of draft pick compensation will be replaced with the following
system:

A. Only Players who have been with their Clubs for the entire season will be subject
to compensation.

No more trading for Type A and Type B players with the intent of offering them arbitration and getting compensation picks when they hit free agency.

I always thought these types of moves awarded the intelligent and creative GMs, so this is a definite loss in my mind.

B. A free agent will be subject to compensation if his former Club offers him a
guaranteed one-year contract with a salary equal to the average salary of the
125-highest paid Players from the prior season. The offer must be made at the
end of the five-day free agent “quiet period,” and the Player will have seven days
to accept the offer.

Draft pick compensation is no longer associated with performance at all, which is a welcome switch given the stupidity of how players attained their Type A and Type B designations.

Basically, draft pick compensation is now determined by how much his current/former team wants him back. I like it.

C. A Club that signs a player subject to compensation will forfeit its first round
selection, unless it selects in the top 10, in which case it will forfeit its second highest
selection in the draft.

D. The Player’s former Club will receive a selection at the end of the first round
beginning after the last regularly scheduled selection in the round. The former
Clubs will select based on reverse order of winning percentage from the prior
championship season.

If I’m understanding this correctly, the team that signs a compensation player pays a higher price than the team losing the compensation player receives. Quite frankly, I don’t agree with the subtle message this is sending to teams. Basically that the MLB prefers that you let marquee free agents go over signing them to improve your club.

e. Rule 4 Draft

1. The draft will continue to be conducted in June, but the signing deadline will be moved
to a date between July 12 and July 18 depending on the date of the All-Star Game.

Love the deadline switch, because now drafted players can get into their team’s system earlier and actually play ball.

2. Drafted players may only sign Minor League contracts.

There has been a lot of complaining about only being able to sign minor league contracts, but I have personally never understood the incentive to sign these contracts from both the team and player’s perspectives. For the team, it occupies a 40-man roster spot for a relatively unknown talent. For the player, the team rushing them to the major leagues because they are taking up a 40-man roster spot is a detriment to their overall development.

3. Signing Bonus Pools

A. Each Club will be assigned an aggregate Signing Bonus Pool prior to each draft.
For the purpose of calculating the Signing Bonus Pools, each pick in the first 10
rounds of the draft has been assigned a value. (These values will grow each year
with the rate of growth of industry revenue.) A Club’s Signing Bonus Pool equals
the sum of the values of that Club’s selections in the first 10 rounds of the draft.
Players selected after the 10th round do not count against a Club’s Signing
Bonus Pool if they receive bonuses up to $100,000. Any amounts paid in excess
of $100,000 will count against the Pool.

B. Clubs that exceed their Signing Bonus Pools will be subject to penalties as
follows:
Excess of Pool Penalty (Tax on Overage/Draft Picks)
• 0-5% 75% tax on overage
• 5-10% 75% tax on overage and loss of 1st round pick
• 10-15% 100% tax on overage and loss of 1st and 2nd round picks
• 15%+ 100% tax on overage and loss of 1st round picks in next two drafts

Up until now, nothing has been too bad, but this is one of the major changes that makes me dislike the new CBA.

Capping draft spending ends the financial incentive for many two sport talents and high school talents to take baseball up as a profession. I just find it depressing for the sport as a whole because the financial advantage was the biggest advantage that baseball had to lure talented athletes with multiple options into the sport.

The current excuse for this going around the internet is that there aren’t an exorbitant amount of two or three sport athletes in every draft class, so this will affect a clear minority. Even assuming that’s true, which it seems to be, the thought of losing even one Matt Kemp or one Zach Lee (for purely Dodgers related connections) is too much for me.

Of course, that doesn’t even address the high school talents who are now increasingly likely to opt for college baseball over starting their professional career early. Now there’s little doubt that this CBA is wonderful for college baseball and the NCAA, but I honestly have absolutely no interest in providing more talented indentured servants to the NCAA overlords so that they can make increasingly more money off the backs of those players. As you might expect, that aspect is a huge negative for me as well.

—

On the bright side, there are rumors that the draft cap will be set anywhere from $4 million to $11 million depending on team market size and team performance, so there’s potential for this to not be disastrous. However, I believe the concept behind capping draft spending is a significant loss for the MLB, not to mention the amateur athletes who are the ones that truly get the shaft.

5. Competitive Balance Lottery

A. For the first time, Clubs with the lowest revenues and in the smallest markets will
have an opportunity to obtain additional draft picks through a lottery.

B. The ten Clubs with the lowest revenues, and the ten Clubs in the smallest
markets, will be entered into a lottery for the six draft selections immediately
following the completion of the first round of the draft. A Club’s odds of winning
the lottery will be based on its prior season’s winning percentage.

C. The eligible Clubs that did not receive one of the six selections after the first
round, and all other payee Clubs under the Revenue Sharing Plan, will be
entered into a second lottery for the six picks immediately following the
completion of the second round of the draft. A Club’s odds of winning the
lottery will be based on its prior season’s winning percentage.

In theory, this is supposed to be a good thing because it gives extra picks to poorer teams. Like baseball welfare. However, with the new draft spending rules, I have to question how much of an impact these extra picks will actually have, if anything significant at all.

Instead of making smaller market teams jump through hoops to improve their squads via the draft, the MLB should have just left everything as it was, because many smaller market clubs had already been realizing that draft spending was one of the best methods to begin with. Now that angle is stripped from those smaller market clubs and the rules trying to force competitive balance ironically only limit the poorer clubs.

D. Picks awarded in the Competitive Balance Lottery may be assigned by a Club,
subject to certain restrictions.

If that means draft pick trading, I’m excited.

E. Top 200 prospects will be subject to a pre-draft drug test and will participate in a
pre-draft medical program.

Basically, the MLB is saying that they care about preventing drug use, but only to the extent that it’s financially viable for them to do so.

So if you suck, feel free to roid up all you want. Not that I expect these tests to catch any of the players with intelligent advisers.

International

f. International Talent Acquisition

1. By December 15, 2011, the parties will form an International Talent Committee to
discuss the development and acquisition of international players, including the potential
inclusion of international amateur players in a draft or in multiple drafts.

2. For the 2012-13 signing season, each Club will be allocated an equal Signing Bonus
Pool.

3. For each signing period after 2012-13, Clubs will be allocated different Signing Bonus
Pools, based on reverse order of winning percentage the prior championship season
(i.e., the Club with the lowest winning percentage the prior season shall receive the
largest Pool).

4. Bonus Regulation of International Amateur Players

A. Beginning in the 2013-2014 signing period (July 2, 2013 – June 15, 2014), Clubs
may trade a portion of their Signing Bonus Pool, subject to certain restrictions.

B. Clubs that exceed their Signing Bonus Pools will be subject to the following
penalties in the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 signing periods:

Excess of Pool Penalty (Tax on Overage/Draft Picks)

• 0-5% 75% tax
• 5-10% 75% tax and loss of right to provide more than one player in the next signing period with a bonus in
excess of $500,000.
• 10-15% 100% tax and loss of right to provide any player in the next signing period with a bonus in excess of
$500,0000.
• 15%+ 100% tax and loss of right to provide any player in the next signing period with a bonus in excess of
$250,000.

I have the same problems here that I have with the draft spending cap, except it’s worse in this case because it could stunt baseball’s growth internationally, thus limiting the potential talent pool.

It’s not that I’m particularly worried about countries like the Dominican Republic and Cuba losing their love for baseball, but I do think it crushes the incentive to play baseball for many developing baseball nations, especially in Europe. Just seems dumb to limit the potential talent pool by taking away financial incentives.

5. All international amateur players must register with the Scouting Bureau to be eligible to
sign, and the top 100 prospects will be subject to a drug test.

Since players must now register centrally to be eligible, it reduces the need for teams to identify players because they must identify themselves. This will probably be a disadvantage for smart teams who want to gain competitive advantages from finding and signing players that lazier teams may not know about.

I suppose the registration itself makes everything about international signings less shady, but I don’t think throwing out the competitive advantage aspect of identifying the player first is worth it.

As far as the drug test goes, the same opinion from the draft drug testing applies.

6. The Office of the Commissioner and the Union will form a joint committee to assist
international players with their transition to educational/vocational programs after their
baseball careers are over.

Good.

Free Agency

III-a-3. Article XX(B) free agents signing minor league contracts who are not added to the Opening Day roster or unconditionally released 5 days prior to Opening Day shall receive an additional $100,000 retention bonus and the right to opt out on June 1.

This could be a double edged sword.

On one hand, it may benefit minor league free agent type players because it’s now cheaper to add them to the 40-man roster instead of just keeping them in AAA. On the other hand, it may hurt those types of players because it reduces the incentive to hand out those contracts, as there are limited spots on the 40-man roster and now it costs quite a bit to have them in the system.

b. Draft Pick Compensation

1. Starting in 2012, “Type A” and “Type B” free agents and the use of the Elias ranking system will be eliminated.

Outstanding. The hilarity of random relief pitchers and utility infielders gifting teams supplemental round draft picks and costing teams first round draft picks was one of the worst parts of the previous CBA. Worse yet, the Type A designations actually cratered interest for those players in certain cases.

Good riddance.

Postseason

a. Beginning no later than the 2013 Postseason, Postseason play will be expanded for the first
time since 1995. A second Wild Card will be awarded to the Club in each league with the
second-best overall record among Clubs that do not win a division. The two Wild Card Clubs
will play a single Postseason game, the winner of which will advance to the Division Series. A
decision on adding two Wild Cards for 2012 will be made no later than March 1, 2012.

I’m not going to get extremely worked up about it, but I do think it cheapens the result of the World Series a little. As it is, baseball is not meant to be played in short series because of the volatile nature of the results, so five game divisional matchups were already pushing the limit for me. Now though, putting in a one game wild card playoff just makes it all the more likely that a less deserving team wins the World Series with an inferior resume.

Arbitration

1. The percentage of players with two years of service who will be arbitration eligible will
be increased from the top 17% to the top 22% in terms of service.

2. All players tied at the 22% cutoff will be eligible for arbitration.

There’s now going to be more Super Two players hitting arbitration, which marginally reduces the value of team controlled players, but nothing significant.

Rosters

d. Active Roster limits will be expanded to 26 for certain regular or split doubleheaders.

Just curious to see what the specific circumstances are that will allow this move. In theory, it appears to be a solid idea though.

Ownership

VI.. DEBT SERVICE RULE

a. The Debt Service Rule will be maintained, but the default EBITDA multiplier has been lowered
from ten to eight, and from fifteen to twelve for Clubs incurring stadium-related debt in the first
ten years of a new or renovated stadium.

b. Debt of a Club’s owner or related party will be covered by the Debt Service Rule if the debt is
serviced, in whole or in part, using Club funds or assets.

c. Debt Service Rule certification process for new ownership has been modified.

The “We Hate You Frank McCourt” rule.

Performance Enhancing Drugs

X.. DRUG PROGRAM
Commencing in Spring Training 2012, all players will be subject to hGH blood testing for reasonable cause at
all times during the year. In addition, during each year, all players will be tested during Spring Training.
Starting with the 2012-2013 off-season, players will be subject to random unannounced testing for hGH. The
parties have also agreed on a process to jointly study the possibility of expanding blood testing to include inseason
collections.

In my opinion, this is nothing more than a move that makes the MLB and the MLBPA look good on paper but basically changes nothing in the realm of performance enhancing drugs except serve as an invasion of privacy of the players.

I’m not going to go over all the studies put out by doctors that say HGH doesn’t do much of anything for performance, but the fact that HGH is basically worthless without AAS makes it all the more apparent that this is purely a cosmetic change.

General

c. Waiting periods for life insurance and disability insurance for active players have been
eliminated.

d. Pension benefits and life insurance benefits for certain classes of retired players and widows
have been improved.

f. Access to health coverage has been improved for international players and their families.

g. Health care benefits have been improved while managed care initiatives have been introduced
to help with costs.

Personally, I’m surprised these weren’t already done.

VIII.. HEALTH AND SAFETY

a. Players, managers, and coaches will be prohibited from using smokeless tobacco during
televised interviews and Club appearances. In addition, at any time when fans are permitted in
the ballpark, players, managers and coaches must conceal tobacco products (including
packages and tins), and may not carry tobacco products in their uniforms or on their bodies.
Individuals who violate the policy will be subject to discipline. The parties also agreed upon an
extensive program of education and public outreach regarding the dangers of smokeless
tobacco.

Basically a “WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS?!” move. Meh.

b. The parties agreed on a program of mandatory evaluation by a trained professional for Players
who are suspected of an alcohol use problem (including Players who are arrested for DWI or
other crimes involving alcohol), and for players who are arrested for crimes involving the use of
force or violence.

Sounds good.

c. The parties agreed that no new players will be permitted to use a low density maple bat during
the term of the agreement.

Based on the research I have read, it sounds smart.

d. By 2013, all Major League players will wear a new batting helmet developed by Rawlings that
protects against pitches thrown at 100 miles per hour. The new version of the helmet is
significantly less “bulky” than prior versions of the more protective helmet.

Let’s hope it’s normal looking by then.

a. Participation in the All-Star Game will be required unless the Player is unable to play due to
injury or is otherwise excused by the Office of the Commissioner. Players Trust will receive an
increased contribution and players will receive additional benefits.

“YOU WILL DO MY BIDDING!” – Bud Selig

b. All Players will be subject to a policy governing the use of Social Media.

R.I.P. Logan Morrison

d. The parties will agree upon a comprehensive international play plan in which Clubs and Player
will visit countries in which games have not been staged in the past.

Welcome to the Ivory Coast!

f. Instant Replay will be expanded to include fair/foul and “trapped” ball plays, subject to the
Office of the Commissioner’s discussions with the World Umpires Association.

Can they just expand replay to everything except strikes and balls already? God, if they can do it at the Little League World Series in a few minutes or less, I’m sure a system could be figured out for the MLB.

Everybody is happy with this concession, but it’s still less than it should be given the available technology.

h. The parties agreed to an improved process for challenging official scorer decisions.

Kevin Brown and Brad Penny don’t have to burst into the room screaming anymore.

=====

Phew, that’s all folks.

Clayton Kershaw

Was there anyone else to begin this review with? Just 23-years-old and consistently underrated and overlooked by the mainstream media entering 2011, Clayton Kershaw silenced all of his remaining critics with one of the best seasons for a pitcher in recent memory, Dodger or otherwise.

Consistent from start to finish, Clayton improved in every respect from his fantastic 2010. First and foremost, he cut a walk and a half off of his 2010 mark, and has seen a three-year improvement in that area of his game (4.79/3.57/2.08 BB per nine). He set career highs in tERA (2.52), FIP (2.47), and SIERA (2.81); induced more ground balls than last season (40.1%/43.2%), while giving up less fly balls (42.1%/38.6%); and continued to master the craft of creating weak contact. With his already amazing ability to get hitters to swing and miss, Kershaw also generated more infield popups, in 13.3% of his opponents’ plate appearances to be exact. An infield popup serves the same purpose as a strikeout, as no runner who may be on-base will advance, and it does in fact speak to his skill at creating weak contact, a point that can’t be emphasized enough.

Kershaw, who has seen a four-year incline in his WAR (1.4/4.1/4.7/6.8), struck out 9.57 per nine innings pitched, and combined with his limiting of free passes, saw his K/BB ratio leap up to over four and a half and his WHIP reach a new low of 0.977. Keeping hitters off-balance with a four pitch repertoire that features a fastball, slider, change, and Public Enemy Number One, Clayton is in line to finish first or second in the Cy Young voting.

—

Considering that he’s young, has had tremendous success already, and captured the pitching Triple Crown in 2011 (two of which are meaningless categories, though that of course does not diminish his dominance this season), he’ll be in line for a lengthy raise as he hits arbitration for the first time.

With the season he just had, proving conclusively that he could control his walks and be a workhorse at the same time, as he made 33 starts and surpassed the 200 IP mark for the second consecutive season, the Dodgers would be wise to sign him long-term. They would have been wise to do that prior to this campaign, of course, but better late than never.

Chad Billingsley

Chad Billingsley entered 2011 on the heels of his best season as a pro, one in which he posted a career best 3.18 tERA and a FIP of 3.08, another professional low for the righty. He had washed away the complaints of many that he lacked the intestinal fortitude and mental stability to pitch successfully, deep into games, and in high-pressure situations (though, of course, we know that those claims never carried any water to begin with). His performance earned him a new multi-year, big money contract, and the Dodgers entered the season with one of the premier one-two punches on the mound in either league.

Unfortunately for Chad and the Dodgers, 2011 proved to not be another step forward for Chad. His numbers fell across the board, as he missed fewer bats, allowed more free passes, and saw his home run rate nearly double as his BABIP remained steady with his 2010 mark. While there were undoubtedly games where he was singled to death, as it was put by one Dodger blogger, Bills simply did not perform as well as he is clearly capable of. His tERA, FIP, and SIERA all increased from their 2010 resting places (4.18, 3.83, and 4.26 in 2011, respectively), but most troubling of all were his strikeout and walk ratios. He whiffed a full season low 7.28 opposing batters per nine while walking a full season high of over four per nine.

Bills struggles resulted in a WAR cut in half from the previous year (2.1, down from 4.5) and questions about his mechanics and health. Still shy of his 28th birthday, Billingsley has every chance to rebound, and much like his poor second half of 2009 led to his best professional season, said rebound in 2012 would not be the least surprising to me. In fact, I’ll call it right now, as I fully expect Chad to be productive as Kershaw’s running mate next season, provided he is in fact healthy.

Hiroki Kuroda

Hiroki Kuroda, in perhaps his final season as a Dodger, was once again solid, though he followed Billingsley in having a down year from 2010. His WAR fell from 4.1 to 2.4, his K/9 IP dipped down to 7.17, and he allowed a whopping 24 long balls in over 200 IP.

Again though, at the progressing age of 36 and as a third starter, Hiroki was not the issue. His 4.22 tERA left much to be desired, but his FIP was 3.78 and his SIERA checked in at 3.66, and as always, his control was impeccable (2.18 BB per nine, and a K/BB ratio of over three and a quarter). 13.1% of plate appearances ended in an infield popup, though he induced far fewer ground balls than in 2010 (51.1%/43.2%).

Should this in fact be his last season in Los Angeles, Kuroda departs with a career FIP of 3.55, over three strikeouts for every walk issued, and 12.2 WAR over four seasons. All in all, a very good big league career for the Japanese import, and Kuroda’s consistency will be missed.

Ted Lilly

After coming over from Chicago at the deadline in 2010, Ted Lilly was signed to a ridiculous three year, $33 million dollar deal by Ned Colletti to be a fourth starter. And quite predictably, he flopped in a major way for most of the season. Competing with Matt Kemp to be the second Dodger to go 30/30 in 2011, Lilly couldn’t help himself in allowing home runs and stolen bases at a seemingly record pace. The lefty threw just under 200 innings and allowed 28 home runs and 35 stolen bases, with 4.24 tERA and a FIP of 4.21.

The 35-year-old did end strong, holding opponents to a .169/.250/.293/.543 line over the final two months of the season (though it should be noted he benefited immensely from a .208 BABIP).

Dodger fans have to hope and pray he can be half the man he was from August on, as he still has two years and $22.5 million remaining on his contract, will most likely be the third starter in 2012, and has a full no-trade clause for this upcoming campaign.

Rubby De La Rosa/Nathan Eovaldi

Rubby De La Rosa made his major league debut on May 24th, and would throw 60 and two-thirds innings over 10 starts and three relief appearances before succumbing to Tommy John surgery. The young righty was impressive in his limited exposure, whiffing 60 against 31 walks and displaying a nice collection of four pitches. Out for anywhere from 10 months to over a year, the Dodgers will be without his electric arm as he works his way back to the starting rotation.

With some major league experience and success, excellent swing and miss ability, and a strong minor league track record, if he rebounds from the arm injury, the Dodgers have a potential gem and fixture in the rotation for years to come, as he held opponents to a .225/.306/.364/.670 line with 33 Ks in 35 IP over his final six trips to the hill.

—–

Nathan Eovaldi replaced De La Rosa in the rotation before being moved to the pen as the season wound down and he reached his innings cap. Eovaldi posted a 4.35 FIP, but struck out just under six per nine while walking just over five per nine. Whether he settles into the rotation or the pen, Nate will need to refine his control and bump his strikeout numbers back up to what they were at a handful of minor league stops, including an 8.65 mark in AA prior to his call-up.

Minor League Strength

The starting rotation is a definite organizational strength for the Blue Crew. Along with young arms we’ve seen, like De La Rosa and Eovaldi, the Dodgers also boast minor league stud Zach Lee, as well as Garrett Gould, Allen Webster, Ralston Cash, 2011 draftee Chris Reed, and even the consistently frustrating Chris Withrow.

The Dodgers have shown the ability to draft and develop starters in abundance, an excellent quality and a testament to the work of Logan White, De Jon Watson, and their respective staffs.