Prospects and trade discussion

[Ranma]

[Quake Griffin]

I really like that kid man. He's made of good stuff. I love his approach to AAA. He acknowledged he got knocked around some but still has that confidence he can do it. Oddly enough, I'm not an old white conservative with a "you need to learn the language" type attitude. But for some reason, him saying that he wants to get over the language barrier makes me believe he's in on being an awesome teammate.

I thought the surgery completely fixed his eye. Still doesnt seem like it can open as well as the right eye.
nevertheless...

I'm already in on seeing him wearing a Dodger uniform. I'm sure a lot of the fan base is as well. Even a casual Dodger fan knows we have a Mexican phenom down under. I dunno if that's enough to keep him but I think it should be weighed in somewhat when dealing him. The city would be ON FIRE if he came in behind Kershaw K'ing a bunch of people and helping us in a deep playoff run. It'll be like when Manny got here except better imo.

[Neddy]

LA's biggest ethinic demographics, Whites, Latinos, Koreans, then Japaese.

Kersjaw-- white, checked
Urias --- Mexican, checked
Ryu--- KOrean, checked
Maeda --- Japanese, checked.

Kershaw, Urias, Ryu, Maeda, or any other dodger player for your hard core dodger fans, check mate...

the dodgers marketing marchine is alive and well.

[Ranma]

Jim Callis, MLB.com (1/19/16)

5. Jose De Leon, Dodgers
De Leon has skyrocketed from his lowly Draft status and a 6.96 ERA in his pro debut to leading the Minors with 12.8 strikeouts per nine innings and reaching Double-A in 2015, just two years later. De Leon's stuff and command have gotten a lot better since he improved his conditioning and mechanics, giving him a riding 92-96 mph fastball, a plus changeup and an effective if inconsistent slider.

2016 Prospect Watch: Top 10 Right-Handed Pitchers


[tweet]https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/689647466183016448[/tweet]

[Ranma]

Jonathan Mayo, MLB.com (1/20/16)

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1. Julio Urias, Dodgers
He doesn't turn 20 until August, and he's already knocking on the door. Urias has an outstanding combination of stuff and pitchability well beyond his years. He has three plus pitches with outstanding command. The only thing he doesn't have is innings. Urias has yet to top even 90 innings in a season, but that shouldn't hold him back for too long.

2016 Prospect Watch: Top 10 Left-Handed Pitchers


[tweet]https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/690013065224519681[/tweet]

Ken Gurnick & David Venn, MLB.com (1/21/16)

The Dodgers know what they have in Urias, which is why they rejected the kind of Deadline trade last summer that might have brought Cole Hamels to Los Angeles for a better shot at the World Series. They also recently sent Urias to MLB's Rookie Career Development camp in New York, where clubs send their can't-miss prospects for a mini-camp on how to deal with high expectations.
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"The truth is, I'm proud that they've given me that high praise," Urias said in New York. "It gives me strength to keep working, work harder and achieve the goal I have in my mind."

If Urias is frustrated by the collection of veterans blocking his path to the Dodgers' starting rotation, he won't say so.

"As I've always said, you just have to do your job," Urias said. "A lot of times you might know that you could have what it takes to be on the big league team, but they're the ones who know what's best. I've always said that the team wants what's best for you and as I said before, I hope this is the year they can give me an opportunity. But if not, I'll have to keep working and above all, have patience."

High Expectations Only Make Urias Work Harder

[Ranma]

Jim Callis, MLB.com (1/24/16)

6. Cody Bellinger, Dodgers
The son of former big leaguer Clay Bellinger switched from a line-drive approach and emphasized power last year, resulting in 30 homers and California League-leading totals of 97 runs and 103 RBIs. Bellinger's lanky frame still has room to add a lot of strength, and he's the best athlete and defender on this list.

2016 Prospect Watch: Top 10 First Basemen


[tweet]https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/690703980951924738[/tweet]

[Ranma]

Jonathan Mayo, MLB.com (1/25/16)

7. Micah Johnson, Dodgers
Don't use Johnson's brief trial as the White Sox's regular second baseman as a measure of who he can be in the big leagues. He may never be more than an adequate defender, but he can hit, he can get on base and he can run, as evidenced by his .301 average, .368 OBP and 153 stolen bases in 385 Minor League games. Perhaps the change of scenery in Los Angeles, courtesy of the three-team trade that brought Todd Frazier from the Reds to Chicago, will help.


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The Dodgers' Willie Calhoun had a ridiculous 2015 season at Yavapai Junior College, hitting 31 homers. It was his bat that landed him in the fourth round of the Draft, and he kept raking during his pro debut. Whether Calhoun can settle in defensively at second remains to be seen, but his offensive ability should not be overlooked.

2016 Prospect Watch: Top 10 Second Basemen


[tweet]https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/691814978219806721[/tweet]

[Ranma]

John Schlegel, MLB.com (1/25/16)

Corey Seager, Dodgers
He was a September callup, but it sure seemed like Seager had more of an impact on his team's season than that. Considering he played a key starting role down the stretch for a division-winning club, he and the Dodgers got about as much out of his debut month as could be expected.

Seager, who could be MLB Pipeline's No. 1 prospect when its new rankings are revealed on Friday at 9 p.m. ET on MLB Network, had four homers among his 28 hits -- registering a slash line of .337/.425/.561 and reaching base safely in 24 of his 25 starts. It was all there on display quickly for Seager, and now he takes over for Jimmy Rollins at shortstop, having already gotten his career off to a strong start heading into his full rookie campaign.
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Trayce Thompson, Dodgers
A switch in uniforms makes this a different kind of second rookie season for Thompson, brother of shooting star Klay of the NBA's Warriors. Thompson was another player who pushed the rookie limits, with 122 at-bats for the White Sox -- posting a .295/.363/.533 slash line while playing all three outfield positions. He and fellow re-rookie Micah Johnson made the switch to Dodger Blue in December, and Thompson finds himself part of a crowded Dodgers outfield. Where he fits is still a bit of a mystery.

These Rooks are Best Sellers Already

[Ranma]

Jim Callis, MLB.com (1/27/16)

1. Corey Seager, Dodgers
His brother Kyle is an All-Star, and Corey should be even better. He led the Minors in hitting (.349) and doubles (50) in 2014, then batted .337/.425/.561 during a September callup last year -- at age 21. Seager may eventually move to third base, but his combination of a sweet left-handed stroke, bat speed, strength, uncanny feel for hitting and mature approach give him a higher offensive ceiling than any Major League shortstop except for Carlos Correa.

2016 Prospect Watch: Top 10 Shortstops


[tweet]https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/692510316480090113[/tweet]

[Quake Griffin]

Still don't understand why this kid hasnt been kicked to third.

It's not like by keeping him at SS, we're getting a few elite years of SS out of him.
Frankly, I dunno how much truth/ broscience it is….but I think it's going to be more taxing on him throughout the year to try and cover that position than it would be 3rd Base and I hope it doesnt take away from him at the dish.

Him and **** are question marks this year (I believe in ****) and it's just not the best place to have question marks.

Up the middle?
Maybe you can explain it to me again….but I'm not thrilled at all about how this team is looking defensively.

[Ranma]

I think it mostly has to do with Corey's comfort level and, to be honest, we don't really have better options at this point. I still see him at 3B long-term, but unless Erisbel Arruebarrena got a brain transplant, we don't really have a defensive wizard to play at shortstop. Even when we had Jose Peraza on the roster, I still preferred Seager at SS with Peraza at 2B despite Peraza being a natural shortstop. My case against Peraza was because he didn't possess a cannon arm. Seager doesn't have a howitzer either but it's still better than Peraza's.

Justin Turner basically can only effectively play at 3B now. Chase Utley and **** Hernandez are best served at 2B, so it's natural that we have Corey Seager at SS. Our best lineup would have to have him playing shortstop and he's fine there. If we were content with Jimmy Rollins at that position last year, we should be better off with Seager now manning the position and he happens to be our best option there, not to mention he's also the best SS prospect in baseball right now to boot.

We just have to make acquiring a top young shortstop a priority whether it's through the draft, international signings, or trade. This is why I was particularly disappointed in losing out on Lucius Fox and focused on targeting Lourdes Gourriel, Jr. The Dodgers have signed Ronny Brito during this international signing period but he's a ways away, particularly with regard to his bat. Baseball America writer Ben Badler has been advocating for the Dodgers to target Randy Arozarena as soon as he comes available. Arozarena sounds like a versatile fielder and solid batter, but it remains to be seen how capable he'll be at SS at the major-league level.

[Ranma]

Jonathan Mayo, MLB.com (1/28/16)

Pretty much wherever Kyle's kid brother has been since he was taken with the 18th pick in the 2012 Draft, he's hit. Right out of the gate, he showed an innate ability to barrel up the ball and hit with power, all with an advanced approach that far belied his years. Seager hit .309/.383/.520 in the Pioneer League during his pro debut in the summer of 2012 and he hasn't looked back since.
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For those of you who like 162-game averages, his debut extrapolates to 24 homers and 102 RBIs, 102 runs scored and 198 hits. But perhaps most impressive: his 84 walks. This is a hitter so confident in his gameplan that being a 21-year-old in the thick of a pennant race did nothing to pull him away from his approach. He is going to hit for average and power for a very long time.

That's only the offensive side of his game, which, to be fair, is what most people talk about. But Seager is far from one-dimensional. From his first day as a pro, Seager has made it his mission to prove to all those who felt he couldn't stick at shortstop wrong. And he's done just that. With his outstanding arm and instincts, he's shown he can play the premium position at the highest level. The Dodgers trusted him enough to have him play there in four of their five National League Division Series games. If he does eventually have to move to third, he'll be a Gold Glove caliber defender there.

Don't want to take my word for it? That's fine. In a recent poll taken of MLB executives, 27 of the 31 respondents picked Seager as their choice for No. 1 prospect. As one executive put it so succinctly: "Rarely do you find a player with both a high floor and high ceiling."

MLB's No. 1 Prospect? The Case for Seager

[Neddy]

I have Coery pegged as our #2 hitter in the lineup and I can'tr really picture anyone else in that spot. unlike the 'traditionalist' who likes so called 'bat control' to move runners in the 2 hole, the second in the lineup is, for at least us SABRheads, the most important spot of all. Seager is going to have his ups and downs this season Im sure, but he will establish himself as a household name for the dodgers this year. from 2017, he will become one of the household names nationwide. I see Seager the sameway I saw Kershaw coming up as a teenager and there are very few who commands that much respect and attention imo.

also, this is Joc's second season and the first without Mattingly. I expect him to not only bounce back but start to get his baserunnung to flourish, and finally be that OBP + SB guy while jacking up 20 to 30 HRs. with Turner hit, it kinda throws us off in terms of that Ideal balanced lineup I was hoping for, but with the 3rd spot being not as crucial in SABR midset (as opposed to being the most important in traditionalists) Puig can hit behind Seager, getting all the conventional glory and get his chance to prove his stardom, while making the least negative impact if he fails to step up. Joc-Seager-Puig-Gonzo to start the season and replace Puig with Turner at 3rd when he returns and put Puig in the 5th hole is the ideal lineup for me as of now.

[Ranma]

Jesse Sanchez, MLB.com (1/29/16)

The secret to Urias' success is really not a secret at all. The teen has three plus pitches -= a fastball, curve and changeup -- and he can hit the corners. His fastball hovers in the 91-96 mph range, and it has been clocked at 97 mph. Urias has a true feel for pitching, and he has the wherewithal to change his arm angles and the speed of his pitches when necessary. He has good command, and it's expected to improve as he develops. There's no denying that Urias needs more innings -- his career high was 87 2/3 in 2014 -- and the biggest obstacle that will prevent him from making an impact this year is the fact that the Dodgers will want to monitor his workload.

Another factor in Urias' favor is that his makeup is through the roof. The teenager is charismatic, has a positive outlook and teammates look up to him. It goes without saying that he's competitive and driven to be the best pitcher in the game. What's more, his physical skills are beyond his years, but he's also mature for his age. Ask somebody with the Dodgers about Urias, and the first thing mentioned is his arm. The second? His intelligence. Then they talk about his arm and bright future again.

The sky is the limit for Urias. He's on the rise as an elite prospect, and there's nowhere to go but all the way up to the top.

MLB's No. 1 Prospect? The Case for Urias

[Quake Griffin]

I just saw what Gabe Kapler said about him the other day too about his presence and how he commands attention when he walks in the room.

I knew I liked that kid because i've been looking for any interview from him over the last year or 2….he scores high character marks from everybody I've ever heard talk about him.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qkv14W_5S2s[/youtube]
peep this….



Everybody talks about his innings
I just glanced at Kershaw.
2007 he threw 122
2008 (year he turned 20…like Urias)…threw 61 in the minors and 107 in the majors.

DeLeon threw 114 last year.
I don't think he'll break. He would have hit those numbers if he didn't have the surgery this summer.
Meh….I just wanna see him in the show at the end of the year.

[Ranma]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/MLB/status/693265779433680896[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/693265722533924864[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/693264118254587904[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/JonathanMayo/status/693263293323055105[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/FANspire/status/693271871324721153[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/FANspire/status/693272373370363904[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/FANspire/status/693272443515977728[/tweet]

[Ranma]

Chad Moriyama, DodgersDigest.com (1/29/16)

Baseball Prospectus released their annual list of the top 101 prospects in baseball this morning, and the Dodgers managed to land an impressive six players on the list. Perhaps more impressive is that four of them fell within the top 50 names, with the other two falling closer to the bottom but still showing the progress being made on the international signings front.

Here are all six of the prospects in order:

1. Corey Seager, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers
6. Julio Urias, LHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
28. Jose De Leon, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
40. Grant Holmes, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
78. Yadier Alvarez, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
91. Yusniel Diaz, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

6 Dodgers Land on Baseball Prospectus Top 101 Prospects for 2016


Cary Osborne, DodgerInsider.com (1/29/16)

Corey Seager has unseated Byron Buxton as baseball’s top prospect.

MLB Pipeline ranks the Dodger shortstop at No. 1. The announcement was made on MLB Network on its Top 50 Prospects show Friday night.
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Left-hander Julio Urias jumped from last year’s No. 8 to 4.
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Right-hander Jose De Leon, who wasn’t on the list in 2015, ranked 24th. Dodgers 2014 first-rounder and 19-year-old righty Grant Holmes jumped 33 spots to 62. Hard-throwing Frankie Montas, who was the 91st-ranked prospect last year in the Chicago White Sox organization, slotted in at 95 this year.

MLB Chooses Seager as Baseball’s Top Prospect

[Ranma]

I just saw what Gabe Kapler said about him the other day too about his presence and how he commands attention when he walks in the room.

I knew I liked that kid because i've been looking for any interview from him over the last year or 2….he scores high character marks from everybody I've ever heard talk about him.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qkv14W_5S2s[/youtube]
peep this….

Thanks for that video, Quake. Stuff like this is why I'm thankful that we're being cautious with his development. He is close to being ready for the bigs, but I want to put as much assurance as reasonably possible for him to succeed. He is just too valuable to mis-handle. I'm chomping at the bit for him to make the big-league club, but I have to reconcile that with my desire of not wanting to rush him either.

He's the last of our pristine jewels in the farm system until more can be developed, which looks to be at least a few years away from happening. Although, Cody Bellinger is making remarkable progress early on his development. I'm happy that Julio Urias is part of the Dodgers organization and look forward to having him be a part of our Big 3 in the starting rotation of the future along with Clayton Kershaw and, fates willing, Shohei Otani.

[Neddy]

yeah quake, great video. good to see Matt Herges still with this team too. I remember him from the late 90s and early 2000 in our dodger blue. lol I will forgive him for wearing the giant orange and padre camo. did not know he was our coach for the Quakes.

[Ranma]

Jon Weisman, DodgerInsider.com (12/17/15)

“Our scouts feel like his fastball-slider combo is one of the best in the minor leagues, and we feel like he’s got a great chance to develop as a really good Major League starting pitcher,” Dodger president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Wednesday.

“As we go through it and get a chance to be around him on a daily basis, it’ll be interesting to get a better feel for where he is with the changeup and his ability to manipulate the slider. But (we) feel like he’s got a really good chance to be a really good Major League starting pitcher, and if not, we feel like he can be an impact bullpen arm.”
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“He was a guy that was very high on our list of young minor-league pitchers, and we’re excited to add him to the stable of really good young arms that we have,” Friedman said.

Frankie Montas: Future Starter or Fireman?


Jon Weisman, DodgerInsider.com (1/31/16)

“Everybody’s talking about my fastball command and my changeup (as concerns),” Montas said. “I’ve been working on it – I’ve been working really hard. It’s started getting better. I’ve started having more feel for the changeup. My fastball command has been better too.”

One thing in Montas’ favor is that he isn’t inventing a changeup from thin air.

“I used to throw a really good changeup, but I was like, ‘I don’t really need it,’ because I have a good fastball and a good slider. I was just kind of forgetting about it.”
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“I love being a starter,” said Montas, who turns 23 in March and is ranked No. 95 among MLB.com’s top 100 prospects. “I love starting games. I love winning games. I love going long in the game, throwing a lot of innings, but like I said, I’m just gonna do what they want me to do. If they want me to play in the bullpen, I’m just gonna try to get that job in the bullpen.”

Frankie Montas, Starter or Reliever (Part 2)