Blog Kiosk: 4/28/2015 - Dodger Links - Joc Pederson, Needle Nose Wright and Mike Bolsinger

Joc Pederson has just been outstanding.  He's slashing .296/.458/.556 with three home runs and five doubles at the plate.  That's not shabby for a young kid.  Best yet, he has shown that he can more than handle the center field position. 

Case in point, last night he turned a potential run scoring double off the outfield wall into a spectacular over-the-head running catch and double play.  (Watch it here)  Via Earl Bloom and Chris Haft at MLB.com:

"He hit it well," Pederson said. "Earlier in the day, we worked on angles, with [coach] Lorenzo Bundy. I kept my eye on the ball, and it worked out pretty well."

Something tells me that his numbers in Albuquerque were not some altitude-aided fluke.  That's not to say he'll be that same home run slugger, but he will certainly impress.  Via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider:

“We just think Joc’s gonna keep improving,” manager Don Mattingly said. “He’s got a really good eye, and he’s going to strike out less as time goes on as he sees pitchers and knows how they’re attacking him and how to set himself up. I think he’s gonna get better.” 

The photo above of Joc was taken by Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015.  Go here to check out more pics by him from yesterday.  Below are some links to check out:

• Via WM Akers at Vice Sports, "The Forgotten Men Who Broke Baseball's Color Line With Jackie Robinson."  Here's a fantastic bio on former Dodger prospect, Negro League ace pitcher and Robinson roommate John "Needle Nose" Wright.
• Thanks for the memories, Xavier!  Via Steve Adams at MLB Trade Rumors, "Rays Acquire Xavier Cedeno From Dodgers."
• Via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider, "Brandon McCarthy speaks about torn UCL."

“For the next couple of hours, I’ll keep talking it through and I’ll talk to the doc when he gets here,” McCarthy said this afternoon, “but it certainly (points) in one direction, and I don’t want to be one of those guys who plays out the string for a few months, only to waste everybody’s time.”

• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Carl Crawford leaves game in 3rd with tightness in right side."

"He has some tightness in his right side. We'll just have to see overnight," Mattingly said. "Tightness in the right side usually sounds like [an oblique], but I don't want to be the doctor.

• Via Craig Edwards at Fan Graphs, "Mike Bolsinger to the Rescue."

Bolsinger is not going to provide the production the Dodgers thought they were going to get from Brandon McCarthy, but he could provide above replacement level pitching until reinforcements arrive or perhaps even hold down the fifth spot all season. 

• Kudos to Orioles COO John P. Angelos for stepping up.  Via Cindy Boren at the Washington Post, "Son of Orioles owner Peter Angelos tweets perspective on Freddie Gray protests."  Unfortunately, this all got lost in the ensuing disturbances around Baltimore.

“The innocent working families of all backgrounds whose lives and dreams have been cut short by excessive violence, surveillance, and other abuses of the Bill of Rights by government pay the true price, and ultimate price, and one that far exceeds the importances of any kids’ game played tonight, or ever, at Camden Yards. We need to keep in mind people are suffering and dying around the U.S., and while we are thankful no one was injured at Camden Yards, there is a far bigger picture for poor Americans in Baltimore and everywhere who don’t have jobs and are losing economic civil and legal rights, and this makes inconvenience at a ballgame irrelevant in light of the needless suffering government is inflicting upon ordinary Americans.”

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Welcome to the Blue, Sergio Santos!

The Dodgers threw a bit of a curveball. 

With the recent trade for Xavier Cedeno the other day and word that he would meet the team in San Diego, I naturally assumed that he would be placed into the Dodgers bullpen today.  Considering the flurry of roster moves the club has made to shuffle players in-and-out of the team roster it seemed obvious.  Well... I shoulda realized that assuming anything only makes an ass out of me.

This afternoon the Dodger instead announced that Cedeno would be DFA'd and 31-year old veteran reliever Sergio Santos, only acquired by the Dodgers in early January, would join the team.

Via a Dodger press release:

The Los Angeles Dodgers today selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Sergio Santos, optioned right-handed pitcher Mike Bolsinger to Triple-A Oklahoma City and designated left-handed pitcher Xavier Cedeño for assignment.

Santos last pitched on Tuesday, with a scoreless inning of relief against Nashville (Athletics), and tossed scoreless relief in five of six appearances with Oklahoma City, posting a 3.86 ERA (2 ER/4.2 IP). The 31-year-old was a non-roster invitee at Spring Training and allowed seven runs (six earned) in 10.2 innings in 11 games (one start) with the Dodgers. The Los Angeles native was signed by the club as a free agent on Dec. 29, 2014 and has a 7-12 record with 39 saves and a 3.89 ERA in 180 games in five Major League seasons with the White Sox (2010-11) and Blue Jays (2012-14).

Bolsinger, the reigning Triple-A Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week, allowed just one run on five hits in 5.2 innings in a no-decision as the Dodgers' spot starter yesterday at San Francisco.

Cedeño was acquired on Wednesday from Washington in exchange for cash considerations.

Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA:

"Growing up in LA, I was a huge Dodgers fan. Ever since I got in baseball, I always hoped for an opportunity to be traded to them, or to become a free agent to be able to sign with them," Santos said during spring training. "It's a little surreal putting on the Dodgers hat and Dodgers uniform, especially because I've put it on for so long but never been a part of the team, so it's nice to be a part of that now."

In celebration of Santos' arrival to the Dodgers I made the above fantasy card for him.  I used a photograph grabbed from a photo taken by Dodger photoagrapher Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015 and the 1962 Topps Baseball card design.

Below are his career stats, via Baseball-Reference:

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Welcome to the Blue, Xavier Cedeno!

The Dodgers added a left handed reliever this afternoon via a trade with the Washington Nationals for cash money.  They received 28-year old Xavier Cedeno.  He is not currently with the club, but is expected to join the Dodgers in San Diego on Friday, via a tweet from JP Hoornstra:

Xavier Cedeno will join the #Dodgers in San Diego, per Don Mattingly.
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) April 23, 2015

I had initially figured he would be heading to the minor leagues to provide more bullpen depth, but then I discovered that Cedeno is without options.  So, he can't be sent down unless he clears waivers.  That means keeping him with the big club or testing the waiver waters.  Since JP Hoornstra mentions that he'll be coming to San Diego then it's only logical to assume that he will replace someone on the 25-man roster at that time.  Based on the game of musical chairs the club is playing, I suspect Mike Bolsinger will be optioned back to the Minors.  Mike is expected to replace Chris Heisey for a spot start on Thursday.

So, overall it looks like we will have:

• Chris Heisey recalled; and Adam Liberatore optioned to Minors today
• Mike Bolsinger recalled; Chris Heisey optioned to Minors tomorrow
• Xavier Cedeno addded to 25-man roster; Mike Bolsinger options to Minors on Friday

Whew!  That's a lot of shuffling there.

Via a Dodger press release:

The Los Angeles Dodgers today acquired left-handed pitcher Xavier Cedeno from Washington in exchange for cash considerations. To make room on the 40-man roster, Los Angeles designated right-handed pitcher Daniel Corcino for assignment.

Cedeno, 28, has made two relief appearances for Washington this year, allowing two runs in 3.0 innings, and has gone 0-1 with one save and a 5.24 ERA in 77 career big league appearances for the Astros (2011-13) and Nationals (2013-15). The native of Puerto Rico was originally selected by the Rockies in the 31^st round of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft and has a 42-41 record with nine saves and a 4.15 ERA in 256 games (103 starts) in nine minor league seasons.

I don't know too much about Cedeno, but Eric Stephen at True Blue LA does provide a little glimpse:

Left-handed batters have hit .252/.331/.351 against Cedeno in his career, with 39 strikeouts and nine walks in 126 plate appearances. Right-handers, by comparison, have hit .339/.409/.532 with 15 walks and 15 strikeouts.

In celebration of Cedeno's arrival to the club I made the above fantasy card for him.  I grabbed a photo by Tony Firriolo/MLB Photos via Getty Image sand the 1968 Topps Baseball card design.

Below are the career stats for Xavier Cedeno, via Baseball-Reference:

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