Dodgers trade one backup catcher for another, piss off Clayton Kershaw for no good reason

[Dan Druff]

I don't understand this front office sometimes.

The Dodgers have needs right now -- namely starting pitching. So what do they go and do?

They trade backup catcher AJ Ellis for another backup Catcher, Carlos Ruiz.

Keep in mind that Yasmani Grandal is finally hitting, so he's playing every day, typically only taking one day off per week (as is common for starting catchers).

So we're talking about 4 AB per week for the backup catcher, which is meaningless.

AJ Ellis has been on the Dodgers his entire career. More importantly, he is Clayton Kershaw's best friend. In fact, it was Kershaw's influence which kept Ellis on the team after a horrendously bad 2014 where Ellis hit .191 in 283 AB.

Ellis has been Kershaw's personal catcher. They are both religious Christians and have bonded over that. The Christian thing is so important to Kershaw that the Dodgers crafted a Christian faith day around him, a promotion they only did to keep Kershaw happy. (They added a Jewish one, too, just to seem all-inclusive.)

So why do this? What are they gaining from this? Unless Kershaw and Ellis had a fight I don't know about, I can't imagine him being okay with this, especially since it's a useless move which isn't improving the team any.

Really weird.

I wonder if the conversation in the front office went something like this:

Friedman: Hey, you know what sounds like a really good idea? Let's get a different backup catcher.

Zaidi: I agree. Those 4 at-bats we give to the backup catcher per week are huge. We need an upgrade.

Friedman: So let's ship out AJ Ellis and get Carlos Ruiz, plus give up some cash and a minor league player for no apparent reason.

Zaidi: Great idea! But wait... isn't Kershaw going to be pissed?

Friedman: Yeah, he will be, lol, but he's on the DL, so it's not like he can come in here and kick our asses for it! LOL!

Zaidi: LOL true! Okay let's do it!

[Dan Druff]

Also not sure why the Dodgers would want to create a disruption when they are playing winning baseball, and currently lead the Giants by a season-high 3 games.

[Sanlmar]

You just made these posts to make me happy.

It's not working.

[ToasterOven]

I wonder if it's because Ruiz has a .719 OPS and Ellis has a .537 OPS. Does that matter in baseball?

They are both free agents after this year, so it's not like Ellis was lined up to be around for as long as Kershaw.

[Dan Druff]

I wonder if it's because Ruiz has a .719 OPS and Ellis has a .537 OPS. Does that matter in baseball?

They are both free agents after this year, so it's not like Ellis was lined up to be around for as long as Kershaw.

Neither is going to start for the Dodgers, so unless they're planning to sit Grandal (which doesn't make sense now that he's hitting well), it doesn't matter what their OPS difference is.

Do you think this is worth angering Kershaw over?

[ToasterOven]

I wonder if it's because Ruiz has a .719 OPS and Ellis has a .537 OPS. Does that matter in baseball?

They are both free agents after this year, so it's not like Ellis was lined up to be around for as long as Kershaw.

Neither is going to start for the Dodgers, so unless they're planning to sit Grandal (which doesn't make sense now that he's hitting well), it doesn't matter what their OPS difference is.

Do you think this is worth angering Kershaw over?

All catchers play. Ellis was playing about 25% of the time, right? Ruiz is historically a lefty killer and Grandal historically hits righties better. It's a good match. There's no need to play Grandal against lefties as Ruiz is over .800 against them.

The object is to be the best you can be, regardless of who likes to hang out. It's 8/25 and both are free agents, I'd be more worried if management actually didn't make the deal because of Kershaw.

[Dan Druff]

Neither is going to start for the Dodgers, so unless they're planning to sit Grandal (which doesn't make sense now that he's hitting well), it doesn't matter what their OPS difference is.

Do you think this is worth angering Kershaw over?

All catchers play. Ellis was playing about 25% of the time, right? Ruiz is historically a lefty killer and Grandal historically hits righties better. It's a good match. There's no need to play Grandal against lefties as Ruiz is over .800 against them.

The object is to be the best you can be, regardless of who likes to hang out. It's 8/25 and both are free agents, I'd be more worried if management actually didn't make the deal because of Kershaw.

Ellis has had 12 AB in the past 21 days.

This just isn't going to make much of an impact, besides getting Kershaw angry.

It is possible that the Dodgers made a quiet agreement with Kershaw behind the scenes to reacquire Ellis for 2017, as a free agent. Unfortunately, this will also probably mean that Kershaw isn't expecting to come back in 2016, thus perhaps making it easier for them to convince him that Ellis is expendable for the rest of this year.

[BiffCo99]

When you have one of the best pitchers in baseball history in his prime, and you're making a playoff push, you keep him happy within reason. Keeping Ellis as a backup catcher is certainly well within reason.

Stupid move by the Dodgers especially if this ends up hurting their chances to lock him up for the rest of his career.

[snake_in_the_ass]

[ToasterOven]

All catchers play. Ellis was playing about 25% of the time, right? Ruiz is historically a lefty killer and Grandal historically hits righties better. It's a good match. There's no need to play Grandal against lefties as Ruiz is over .800 against them.

The object is to be the best you can be, regardless of who likes to hang out. It's 8/25 and both are free agents, I'd be more worried if management actually didn't make the deal because of Kershaw.

Ellis has had 12 AB in the past 21 days.

This just isn't going to make much of an impact, besides getting Kershaw angry.

It is possible that the Dodgers made a quiet agreement with Kershaw behind the scenes to reacquire Ellis for 2017, as a free agent. Unfortunately, this will also probably mean that Kershaw isn't expecting to come back in 2016, thus perhaps making it easier for them to convince him that Ellis is expendable for the rest of this year.

This explains why they traded for another catcher, not a reason to not get another catcher. .150 OPs makes a difference, even if it's 2 games out of 7. Ellis was anemic on offense and limits the options, including pinch running for Grandal when needed.

[ToasterOven]

When you have one of the best pitchers in baseball history in his prime, and you're making a playoff push, you keep him happy within reason. Keeping Ellis as a backup catcher is certainly well within reason.

Stupid move by the Dodgers especially if this ends up hurting their chances to lock him up for the rest of his career.

Kershaw is signed through 2020. If he leave in 5 years because he didn't have his buddy on the team for a little more than a month, he's too precious to live, let alone play baseball.

[BiffCo99]

When you have one of the best pitchers in baseball history in his prime, and you're making a playoff push, you keep him happy within reason. Keeping Ellis as a backup catcher is certainly well within reason.

Stupid move by the Dodgers especially if this ends up hurting their chances to lock him up for the rest of his career.

Kershaw is signed through 2020. If he leave in 5 years because he didn't have his buddy on the team for a little more than a month, he's too precious to live, let alone play baseball.

Wrong. He has an opt out after 2018.

[Charham]

weird. they disrupt locker room hanging on to Puig for so long but get rid of Ellis.

[Dan Druff]

Ellis has had 12 AB in the past 21 days.

This just isn't going to make much of an impact, besides getting Kershaw angry.

It is possible that the Dodgers made a quiet agreement with Kershaw behind the scenes to reacquire Ellis for 2017, as a free agent. Unfortunately, this will also probably mean that Kershaw isn't expecting to come back in 2016, thus perhaps making it easier for them to convince him that Ellis is expendable for the rest of this year.

This explains why they traded for another catcher, not a reason to not get another catcher. .150 OPs makes a difference, even if it's 2 games out of 7. Ellis was anemic on offense and limits the options, including pinch running for Grandal when needed.

12 AB in 21 days is approximately 1 game out of 7, not 2.

Ruiz is 37 years old and had an OPS under .600 last year. So it's not like they're acquiring an offensive monster to back up Grandal.

Again, this would be fine if Kershaw were indifferent about it, but you don't make such a minor move at the expense of pissing off your ace.

Kershaw is a once-in-a-generation talent and a good citizen off the field, but he's also temperamental and demanding. He has a lot of little "rules" the Dodgers have to follow regarding how he is treated (and even talked to), and the Dodgers tolerate it because... well, he's Kershaw.

So if keeping his light-hitting best friend as backup/personal catcher is the price the Dodgers have to pay to keep Kershaw happy, they need to do it.

[ToasterOven]

This explains why they traded for another catcher, not a reason to not get another catcher. .150 OPs makes a difference, even if it's 2 games out of 7. Ellis was anemic on offense and limits the options, including pinch running for Grandal when needed.

12 AB in 21 days is approximately 1 game out of 7, not 2.

Ruiz is 37 years old and had an OPS under .600 last year. So it's not like they're acquiring an offensive monster to back up Grandal.

Again, this would be fine if Kershaw were indifferent about it, but you don't make such a minor move at the expense of pissing off your ace.

Kershaw is a once-in-a-generation talent and a good citizen off the field, but he's also temperamental and demanding. He has a lot of little "rules" the Dodgers have to follow regarding how he is treated (and even talked to), and the Dodgers tolerate it because... well, he's Kershaw.

So if keeping his light-hitting best friend as backup/personal catcher is the price the Dodgers have to pay to keep Kershaw happy, they need to do it.

This is about the last month, not last year.

Is there a switch where you can turn your Asbergers off for 5 minutes.

Ruiz will play more, because he's better. The fact that Ellis did not play is because he was terrible. Are you not getting this on purpose? Grandal is not going to play more than 5 days a week, if they can help it now that they have a decent option.

[ToasterOven]

Kershaw is signed through 2020. If he leave in 5 years because he didn't have his buddy on the team for a little more than a month, he's too precious to live, let alone play baseball.

Wrong. He has an opt out after 2018.

The comment stands. If having a friend around is more important than getting a better player, Kershaw is too precious to live.

[BiffCo99]

Wrong. He has an opt out after 2018.

The comment stands. If having a friend around is more important than getting a better player, Kershaw is too precious to live.

KERSHAW IS GOD

[GambleBotsSatire]

christians are the worst

[Dan Druff]

12 AB in 21 days is approximately 1 game out of 7, not 2.

Ruiz is 37 years old and had an OPS under .600 last year. So it's not like they're acquiring an offensive monster to back up Grandal.

Again, this would be fine if Kershaw were indifferent about it, but you don't make such a minor move at the expense of pissing off your ace.

Kershaw is a once-in-a-generation talent and a good citizen off the field, but he's also temperamental and demanding. He has a lot of little "rules" the Dodgers have to follow regarding how he is treated (and even talked to), and the Dodgers tolerate it because... well, he's Kershaw.

So if keeping his light-hitting best friend as backup/personal catcher is the price the Dodgers have to pay to keep Kershaw happy, they need to do it.

This is about the last month, not last year.

Is there a switch where you can turn your Asbergers off for 5 minutes.

Ruiz will play more, because he's better. The fact that Ellis did not play is because he was terrible. Are you not getting this on purpose? Grandal is not going to play more than 5 days a week, if they can help it now that they have a decent option.

So you're repeating tired and untrue Skatz insults at me because I disagree with you about sports? LOL

What a tiltmonkey.

So what if Ruiz plays 2 days instead of 1? How much of an impact is that going to make on the Dodgers? Do you think it's likely to translate to even one game in the standings?

Do you not understand that pissing off Kershaw (especially when he has an opt-out for 2018) is really, really dumb, unless it's a major move that would significantly positively impact the team?

You don't piss off one of the best pitchers of all time because you want a backup catcher who is a little bit better than the one you have at the moment. Not even close to worth it.

If Kershaw was 100% on board with this move, I'm fine with it. But I'm imagining he's not, and in fact is probably resentful, given all of the effort he expended over the past few years to keep Ellis on the team.

[Dan Druff]

Andrew Friedman:

"I can go on and on about A.J. and his attributes, and what he brings to a team, and if Carlos didn't possess similar things, we wouldn't have made the move."