BenMaller.com - Ben's Takes

Village Idiot Again?

Dan Evans, the Dodgers GM, has gone from being a genius to a village idiot back to a genius again in the last six months. His true nature will come out in the next few weeks as baseball's trade deadline comes and goes. Evans has gotten lucky with Odalis Perez becoming an all-star, and Dave Roberts turing into at least an average major league centerfielder. The jury is still out on Cesar Izturis. One baseball insider told me that the reason the Dodgers got Izturis so cheaply from Toronto was that he was only the 3rd best SS in the Jays system, and he can't hit. Izturis' .212 average has made that insider look like a genius.

There is no good reason that Jesse Orosco at age 45 and Terry Mulholland are on this club.

Remember that last season the Dodgers were in the NL West race at this time only to see Evans pick up James Baldwin, Mike Trombley and Mulholland at the deadline. Those pitchers did the unthinkable: they lost a combined 11 games in the last 2 months of the season, and the Dodgers watched the D'Backs win the west and the series.

Fred Claire was famous in the mid 90's for not making the big deal at the deadline. He picked up Chad Curtis from the Tigers as his big missing piece in 1995 to get the Dodgers in the playoffs. In 1997 he picked up Otis Nixon from Toronto. Neither played did much of anything in a Dodger uniform.

The trade market for hitters looks like this: Scott Rolen, Luis Castillo, Edgardo Alfonso, Roberto Alomar, Jim Thome, Kevin Millar, Bobby Higgenson, Jose Hernandez and Brian Giles are all on the trade market. Will any of these guys end up in LA?

One of them better or the Dodgers have as much chance to make the playoffs as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. permalink

Tuesday, July 16, 2002

Angels Curse Lives

By Ben Maller

Troy Percival says he wants to win and help the Anaheim Angels get into the playoffs, yet he doesn't act like it. With the Angels playing a very critical stretch of games after the all-star break, the Angels closer finds himself on the disabled list. The problem is that Percival was not injured on the field... he was injured off it.

Percival was placed on the disabled list, retroactive to Friday, with an infection near his left Achilles tendon in a cut suffered during the all-star break while boating with his family. Percival, 3-1 with a 2.15 ERA and 22 saves, did not take care of himself during the break, and now the Angels are at a huge disadvantage to the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics.

The last time that Percival was in a real pennant race was 1995 when the Angels made history by losing a 13 game lead to the Mariners. So now, with the Angels having a real chance at the playoffs, their star closer can't keep himself from getting hurt and the Angels curse lives another year.
permalink

Monday, July 15, 2002

Dodgers Need Castillo

As I watched the Dodgers lose three of four over the weekend and saw Cliff Floyd play in an Expos uniform and Ryan Dempster pitch for the Reds, it struck me that the Dodgers need to get in on this latest Marlins fire sale. On May 15th, 1998, a day that will live in infamy for baseball fans in Los Angeles, the Dodgers sent Mike Piazza to the Florida Marlins, jump starting the fire sale of the then world champs. Now it's again time for the boys in blue to deal with team teal.

The Dodger offense needs a spark. The biggest needs are at 3B where Adrian Beltre has been a bust and 2B where Mark Grudzielanek is doing nothing. While Mike Lowell would be great, the odds are the Marlins won't trade him. Second baseman Luis Castillo is another story. The man who hit in 35 straight games earlier this season is said to be available.

Castillo, a switch-hitter, has had an all-star season in south Florida, batting .341 with a .398 OBP, to go along with 31 steals. Castillo is on pace to score 103 runs, and while he is not a gold glove second baseman, he's better than Grudzielanek.

Imagine a lineup that would have Luis Castillo (.398 OBP) leadoff and Dave Roberts (.369 OBP) batting second, with Paul LoDuca (.370 OBP) 3rd and Shawn Green (27 HR's 69 RBI's) 4th. How many more RBI chances would Green get? Shawn could drive in 180 runs with those three guys batting in front of him.

I guarantee that if the Dodgers acquire Luis Castillo from the Marlins, they will make the playoffs and will be set at second base and leadoff for the next few seasons. Castillo is just 26 years old.

The Dodgers should start a package with Joe Thurston, an infielder and the top hitter in the coast league, and add Guillermo Mota along with a third prospect and see what the Marlins say. Also, while getting Castillo, ask about Graeme Lloyd who is available as a lefty in the bullpen. permalink