As the Winter Meetings wind down(aren't they technically the Fall Meetings as Winter does not start until 12/21?), the Giants continued to stare into the Hot Stove, and the Dodgers and Andrew Friedman swung into full Moneyball mode. The Dodgers sent 2B/SS Dee Gordon and RHP Dan Haren to the Miami Marlins for LHP Andrew Heaney and 3 other players. Wow! My initial reaction to this one was I'm sure glad I'm not going to be seeing Dee Gordon running the bases for the Dodgers 18 times per season, but let's break it down:
Dee Gordon, 2B/SS, B-L, T-R. .289/.326/.378, 12 3B, 64 SB, .346 BABIP, 3.1 fWAR.
So, I think it's pretty safe to say that Andrew Friedman hates players who don't walk much, no matter what else they do. He also probably took one look at that BABIP and went psheww!!! THAT ain't happenin' again! I'm guessing Friedman would rather have Justin Turner in the lineup as the 2B and doesn't think Gordon can play SS, oh, and he doesn't walk much. The Marlins add a very nice piece to their team. A guy who can play 2B or SS, bat leadoff and steal bases ahead of Yellich/Ozuna/Stanton. They had surplus young pitching and used it to grab Gordon.
Dan Haren, RHP. 13-11, 4.02, 186 IP, 36 BB(1.74 BB/9), 145 K(7.02 K/9).
Haren exercised his option for $10 M. The Dodgers are reportedly going to pay all of his salary, so they really wanted to be rid of him even though he seems like a good value for 1 year at $10 M. The Marlins get a veteran RHP who will eat innings, pitch an occasional great game and possibly mentor some of their younger pitchers. The one catch in the whole thing is that Haren indicated that he might just decide to retire if he could not pitching in Southern California. Would he walk away from $10 M?
Andrew Heaney, LHP. AAA: 5-4, 3.87, 83.2 IP, 23 BB, 91 K. MLB: 0-3, 5.83, 29.1 IP, 7 BB, 20K.
Heaney is a highly touted pitching prospect who made his MLB debut last year and was not as successful as some hoped or predicted. He's a polished LHP drafted out of college who can reach the low-mid 90's with the FB. I see him as having a high floor with a high probability of being at least a #4 or #5 MLB starter, but with a limited ceiling of a #3 starter. In other words, the Dodgers got a young pitcher who in the future might be what Dan Haren is now!
Austin Barnes, C, 5'9", 185 lbs, B-R, T-R. AA: .296/.406/.507, 12 HR, 8 SB, 14.4 BB%, 10.3 K%.
Barnes is a smallish catcher who put up very Moneyball numbers in AA last year. I have to say I like those numbers but have to wonder if he can take the pounding behind the plate at the MLB level, although size for catchers is not as important as it used to be with the new plate blocking rules.
Enrique Hernandez, 2B. Houston: .284/.348/.420, 8 BB, 11 K. Miami: .175/.267/.425, 4 BB, 10 K.
Seems like a decent bench player.
Chris Hatcher, RHP, 29 yo. 0-3, 3.38, 56 IP, 12 BB, 60 K. Nice bullpen numbers.
The Dodgers are trying to swing a second trade with the Phillies for Jimmy Rollins and there is some belief that some of these players may be moving on to Philly in that trade.
Man, I have to say that I like this trade as a Giants fan! To me, Gordon seams like the best player in the trade and the one with the highest ceiling. Heaney could provide good cheap pitching for several years, but do the Dodgers really want to go cheap? If this is Friedman's idea of how to make the Dodgers more cost effective, then keep right on doing it, Mr. Friedman!
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I think he probably did sell high on Gordon though so I think this trade makes sense from that standpoint. Haren is done though. I know his overall numbers looked good but he pitched awful last year at times. I think this may be the Dodgers daring him to retire as payback for him executing his option. The guy is done and if the Marlins (and Dodgers) are lucky, he will retire.
ReplyDeleteOne of the commenters on Fangraphs researched players at the same stage who put up a .340+ BABIP, 50+ SB's and 10+ triples. The list includes Ty Cobb, Tim Raines, Willie Wilson, Vince Coleman, Michael Bourn and Wilie McGee. That is pretty good company, I would say and suggests that Gordon's 2014 may not have been a fluke or career year.
DeleteThere are very few pitchers in baseball who did not pitch awful at times last year.
DeleteIf you loved it when they traded Dee, you'll really love it when they trade Kemp.
ReplyDeleteHeaney has been touted as one of the best left handed pitching prospects in the game. Julio Urias is another one of those.
IMO, Heaney has a high floor but a limited ceiling.
DeleteI have heard Heaney is supposed to be great. But until that time comes I would love to see the Giants rough him up. Gordon scared me quite a bit. Seeing him on base with 0 or 1 out I almost assumed he was going to score. Even if Heaney becomes decent I would rather have that than someone who can wreak havoc on the bases 6 days a week.
ReplyDeleteI am not scared of Rollins one bit. He is definitely not the player he used to be.
Apparently the Dodgers are close to a 4 year deal with Brandon McCarthy. Terrific pitcher with a significant injury history.
ReplyDeleteI can see the knight from the last Indiana Jones movie say to Andrew Friedman on this contract. "He chose poorly".
DeleteYep. That was my thought exactly when Lester spurned the Giants.
DeleteNicely done.
NWGiantsFan
DtF!!!
DrB, what do the Giants do next? Trade for the likes of Justin Upton or Cole Hamels? Scary on what they might cost us. Sign Chase Headley? Go after Scherzer, Shields or Santana?
ReplyDeleteWe may need to revise the Armchair GM a tad. Lol.
I really hope the Giants do not sign either Shields or Santana and lost the draft pick. If they think they have the do-re-mi to pay Scherzer, fine, lose the draft pick if you are going that large, but please no to Shields and Santana.
DeleteThey should forget LF and let Justin Maxwell platoon with Blanco in LF and challenge to be the full-time starter. Maybe add a dumpster dive to compete in spring training.
They should "overpay" to get Chase Headley. Whatever it takes up to Sandoval money.
Sign Masterson and hope one of the kids like Blackburn or Beede is ready by midseason.
There is doubt that the 4 years / $65M offer even existed for Headley. I think the Giants should offer 4 years / $56M.
DeleteI think they just need to get him signed and pronto.
DeleteI'm with you here Dr. B. Sign Headly, DON'T sign Shields and call it a day. We'd be down an LF, but have the same pitching staff as last year, having now realized Petit might be a bridge. I think Shields would be a knee jerk on losing Lester. NO way should we give us a draft choice that high. With Headley, we have maybe better IF than with Panda and slightly less offense, but we have Panik and Belt. That's fine. As for LF, maybe Parker steps up too. I think we get there.
Delete….And Friedman just flipped Andrew Heaney to the Angels for Howie Kendrick….. Wow!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good deal for both teams.. Kendrick is a solid all around 2nd baseman and the Angels seem to like young lefthanded pitching trading for Tyler Skaggs and Hector Santiago last year and now Andrew Heaney which gives them more young starting pitching depth..
DeleteLG
I don't think that was a very good move. Trading a top pitching prospect for 1 year of Kendrick. Some of these moves just don't make sense to me. We will see how they all work out.
DeleteYeah, the Dodgers essentially just traded 4 years of control of Dee Gordon for 1 year of Howie Kendrick plus 3 iffy prospects. Not a good deal for the Dodgers at all.
DeleteWow the Angels also gain payroll flexability for future moves since Kendrick will make $9.5 mil in 2015. Nice move by Dipoto.
DeleteLG
You can also look at it as the Dodgers traded Gordon for one year of Kendrick. Kendrick is one of the most consistent hitters in baseball and is an upgrade over Gordon, even if it is only for one year. The Dodgers are a better team with Kendricks than with Gordon
Deletegordon was improving in all facets of the game and kendrick is 31. the rollins deal makes sense as they need someone for one year before they call up seagar, but i dont see how dumping gordon makes much sense
Deleteand i dont care
let freidman play with his toys
bacco
You have to be a very smart guy to trade and then flip a guy.
DeleteIt also satisfies the urge to do something in an instance, so that success is due to your doings, rather than letting something grow organically over time...with some guidance when needed.
I love this Heaney kid already. Hours after being traded to Dodgers he was traded to Angels. He tweeted this:
ReplyDelete"Well, @Dodgers we had a good run! Great to be a part of such a storied
franchise. #thanksforthememories"
Thats pretty funny.
I really wish we had been in on Hammels... At this point I feel like the off season has run away from us a bit.
ReplyDeleteWe've struck out three times now on a big name, and a lot of the second tier fall backs are starting to get gobbled up. I pray these Shields and Santana rumors are just shit being thrown against the wall. For the money they want, neither is worth it.
Agreed on Hammel. $3 years/$10 M with a 4'th option year would probably have gotten it done and it would be a very solid deal. Not too long, not too expensive. It would have shored up the rotation just long enough to give the kids a chance to develop and would leave plenty of $$$ to add another FA next year if needed.
Delete