04/23/24
July 30, 2004
worldcup2002 to the white courtesy phone please...: Our Dodgers have shipped off Mota, Lo Duca, and Encarnacion to Florida for Penny, Choi, and Murphy. Charles Johnson has been brought on to replace Lo Duca. Steve Finley, and maybe, dare I say maybe Randy Johnson could be on their way as well. And I ask, Where in the hell did all this come from?! Who? Whuh?
This just in: Rob Reiner not happy with the trade. He's on with the Padres broadcasters right now.
posted by yerfatma at 10:32 PM on July 30, 2004
Penny could help right away. I am not sure about Choi. The move would put Green back in RF. If LA acquires Finley, hopefully he will agree to play left. Milton is superior in CF. Murph is a AA pitcher. Sad to see LoDuca go. If Randy joins the club, I am not sure how I will feel. Is he really that hated? Is he like another Kevin Brown?
posted by jasonspaceman at 10:37 PM on July 30, 2004
Manny Mota? I know I'm no GM, but I'm pretty sure they can't just trade a guy that doesn't play baseball anymore. Someone should call somebody. Seriously - Florida makes this deal, why?
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 11:33 PM on July 30, 2004
Hey, I just realized ... Maybe this is Podesta's actuarial system at work. Hmmmm. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
posted by worldcup2002 at 11:37 PM on July 30, 2004
This is an excellent trade for both teams, although I give the nod to the Marlins here: * LoDuca is a pretty good catcher who means more to the team as a clubhouse cornerstone than anything else. He has reasserted himself somewhat offensively, but he's not THAT far above the average. * Encarnacion was a stiff for LA, but he'll be better trying to push for a repeat in FLA. * Mota's a damned good set-up man, but they are a dime a dozen, and he was never going to move up with Lights Out in front of him. * Penny is only 26 and is the kind of guy the Dodgers need to help fill out their playoff rotation. He's capable of shutting down any line-up on any given night. He's also excellent trade bait if LA does make a run at Johnson. * Choi is way, way WAYYY underrated. A .950 OPS with decent power at a position the Dodgers haven't been able to fill for a decade? This guy is just coming into his own and will be a solid first baseman for the next 5-7 years. * Murphy is highly regarded as a left-handed strikeout artist. He has a 2:1 K to BB ratio, which isn't too bad. He's also possible trade bait. Here's what I don't really get -- if you're the Dodgers, you've just gone 20-6 in July. Do you really need to be burning up the phone lines? They definitely needed more punch offensively, and Choi and the addition-by-subtraction of getting surging Jayson Werth more ABs down the stretch satisfies that. But damn it, you were 20-6! You added a frontline starter, but have some faith, man! Something Gammons pointed out that bears repeating, also -- dealing Mota makes you wonder if Gagne will get as many opportunities, aor if he'll have to have slightly longer outings to compensate. For Florida, here's a huge upside to this -- Jeff Conine is now in the line-up everyday at 1B. He's a damned bulldog in the late going. LoDuca gives them a good catcher at a reasonable age. Mota is going to do the same thing for Benitez he did for Gagne. Now ... who wants to pick apart the Mets' deals?
posted by wfrazerjr at 12:49 AM on July 31, 2004
What? The Marlins won that deal? I have to disagree - LoDuca is a legitimate player - but Mota is not a closer, and Encarnacion is a stiff. The Dodgers get a first baseman for the next 5 years and a pair of pitchers that could be flipped for Randy Friggin' Johnson. They'll miss LoDuca but they got the better package.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 01:52 AM on July 31, 2004
Why is a team 18 games above 500 conducting a chemistry experiment at the end of July? Getting rid of a clubhouse leader like Lo Duca and making a bunch of other big name trades to get Johnson and Finley, when the team is on the verge of its best season in years, is a pretty big risk.
posted by rcade at 08:10 AM on July 31, 2004
Yes, the more I think about it, the more I am inclined to agree that this could severely backfire and hurt the Dodgers. Choi and Encarnacion are actually somewhat similar (maddening combination of talent and boobery) and I understated Mota's importance on that team. I just want the Dodgers to do well, ya understand? My heart was in the right place, damn it!
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 10:36 AM on July 31, 2004
I'm in a similar position as a Rangers fan. I'd rather the team hold pat and narrowly miss the postseason this year than dump some youth for a few career tail-enders like Larry Walker. The Sammy Sosa for Harold Baines trade still kills me.
posted by rcade at 03:16 PM on July 31, 2004
Podesta is going to prove you wrong. Dodgers rule and will continue to rule. Go, Parking Attendant!
posted by worldcup2002 at 04:03 PM on July 31, 2004
Question: Do the Dodgers look stupid for nearly blowing up the team and not getting Randy Johnson?
posted by jerseygirl at 04:56 PM on July 31, 2004
As a general rule, any time that anyone asks "do the Dodgers look stupid?", the smart money would be on yes.
posted by rcade at 05:01 PM on July 31, 2004
Here's my first blush: Lo Duca: No, he's not the greatest catcher. But he's a damn fine one. Not a big stick, but an anamoly who hits for a decent average. Great locker room guy, could replace Pudge's plate leadership. He will be severely missed. Dude even cried when addressing the L.A. media. He's all heart. Mota- the only knock on Mota here in L.A. was that he would never get to become a dominant closer with Gagne behind him. Excellent set-up man. Sad that the last game he plays for the dodgers is a loss. Encarnacion- as inconsistent as he was, for the first half of the season he was one of the few batters who could get a hit with RISP when others (Green, Beltre) could not. Penny- I like that we kept him. Call me crazy but flipping 5 players to get Randy & Finley seemed a bit much. Penny should be able to hang around, and on this staff, could end up being the ace if he plays his cards right. Choi- if he puts up numbers similar to the last everyday 1st baseman (Karros) we'll call him a plus. Roberts- great lead-off hitter, speed demon who can steal bases. We'll miss "The Rabbit". Charles Johnson- stay where you are. Once was enough.
posted by lilnemo at 07:12 PM on August 01, 2004
I can't believe I'm in the title of a front page post. Unfortunately, I haven't been keeping up on the Dodgers. I tried to at the start of season, when Dodgers were ahead in the West, and then the Giants caught up. I'm just not a baseball fan. So sorry. And with my job, now, well, I can only think about soccer. It's really terrible.