Kuzul

Coming into the 2012 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers are looking to pitch their way back into relevance. Behind the dominance of Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw, the consistency of Ted Lilly and the hopeful reemergence of Chad Billingsley, the Dodgers added two quality free agent starting pitchers this offseason.

GM Ned Colletti diverged from the expected route of re-signing fan favorite Hiroki Kuroda, while letting a young pitcher fill the role of fifth starter. Instead, Colletti signed Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano to two-year deals. Although both Harang and Capuano have had numerous successful seasons in the major leagues, Colletti essentially blocked the arrival of Nathan Eovaldi, one of the few bright spots from 2011.

Eovaldi was unknown to most Dodger fans coming into 2011, ranking behind highly touted pitchers such as John Ely, Chris Withrow and Allan Webster. However, Eovaldi came into 2011 Spring Training and impressed with his stuff and his grittiness, fighting his way through innings while showing great command. By the end of March, the right-handed power pitcher was one of the few prospects getting considerable looks in Major League games.

Nathan, a 22 year old from Texas, went to Double-A Chattanooga after 2011 Spring Training camp broke. Showing great consistency in the minors, Eovaldi earned a call up in August after fellow prospect Rubby De La Rosa went down with a year-ending elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery.

Colletti was cautious with Eovaldi, communicating with the Double-A pitching coach dozens of times to make sure Eovaldi’s emotional makeup was strong enough to deal with potential failure. Many others were worried because Eovaldi had failed to truly dominate any level of the minor leagues, finding some success but never blowing away hitters.

Eovaldi’s Dodger debut went smoothly, he won his first start and proceeded to have five solid starts in his first six chances.  Eovaldi did not dominate hitters, striking out just 23 batters in 34 innings. But he was able to limit the damage when faced with trouble, appearing unfazed in any situation.

As the 2011 season closed, most expected Nathan to have a spot in the 2012 rotation since he had done nothing but impress.

However, with the addition of Capuano and Harang, Eovaldi seems to be the odd man out. Although everyone from Don Mattingly to Ned Colletti continue to praise Eovaldi, even comparing him to the likes of Kershaw, they have not allotted him a slot in the opening day rotation.

With the Dodgers’ history of pitching injuries, Eovaldi’s depth is a necessity and he will likely get quality innings on the Major League roster this year. My question, however, is why did Colletti go out and sign Capuano and Harang, which will only limit Eovaldi’s 2012 impact?

Is it better for Eovaldi to be on the Major League roster, assuming the role of spot starter and bullpen swingman? Eovaldi’s durability is not in question because of his athleticism and age.  His velocity (92-95 mph) and repertoire of a power fastball, solid curveball and changeup also make him a candidate to be a valuable bullpen arm.

On the other hand, Eovaldi could continue to pitch every fifth day and provide leadership in Triple- A Albuquerque.  He could stay on track to replace any starter that goes down with an injury, or the Dodgers could even go to a six-man rotation during the dog days of the summer. The six-man rotation is a hopeless dream that I have had for years, but it could really provide a little extra relief for the fragile arms of Harang and Capuano.

The Dodgers might not be convinced just yet to hand Nathan a true impact role, as his numbers reflect a more mediocre starting pitcher. His 1.38 WHIP, 20 walks and high pitch counts are all reasons to suggest Eovaldi could benefit from more time in the minors or in the bullpen. His inability to go deep into games (six innings was his longest outing) could tax the bullpen and over time, the Dodgers might want to put a cap on his pitches in hopes of protecting his arm.

At the end of the day, Eovaldi’s versatility, youthfulness and willingness to accept any role are huge assets that will serve him well as the season moves forward. I believe he deserves a shot to win a spot in the starting rotation, as his talent and excellence have only begun to be tapped into.

If Nathan fails to make the starting rotation out of Spring Training, as expected, I personally think he should stay with the big league team due to the fact that he has nothing left to prove in the minors. Learning from the best while seeing time out of the bullpen has helped many young pitchers hone their skills.  No matter what transpires in Spring Training, Eovaldi will see quality Major League innings due to injury.

With the Dodgers being in the tenuous state they are in, Eovaldi could be another season rescuer along the lines fellow Texan Clayton Kershaw was in his breakout 2009 campaign. Dodger fans can only hope for a miracle season that would foster another trip to the NLCS, but with the solid foundation of the Dodgers’ pitching rotation, anything is possible if the team can find ways to score some runs.

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The big news in the baseball world today comes out of two of the quieter baseball markets in the country. The San Diego Padres, coming off a last place finish and mired in a rebuilding process, sent top pitcher Mat Latos to the Cincinnati Reds for two impact players and two highly touted prospects.

The Reds paid dearly for the young, well-refined Latos who, at 24 years old, was already the ace of the Padres rotation. 

Cincinnati sent right handed pitcher Edinson Volquez, first baseman Yonder Alonzo, catcher Yasmani Grandal and right-hander Brad Boxberger. Volquez won 17 games in 2008, but has faced endless challenges ever since emerging as a power arm.

Alonzo, a highly touted first baseman with good power numbers in the minors never quite found his groove after being blocked by Joey Votto and plopped in left field by manager Dusty Baker. The two prospects, Boxberger and Grandal, are both 23 years old and the Reds 2009 and 2010 1^st round draft picks respectively.

Boxberger is a hard throwing starting pitcher with good upside, projecting to be a middle of the rotation guy with smooth mechanics. Grandal, a switch-hitting and athletic University of Miami graduate, has impressed thus far in the minors, averaging just about .300 at all levels he has played at.

However, with Ryan Hanigan and Devin Mesoraco blocking his path to the majors, there was little he could do to even get playing time at Triple-A.

So who got the better deal in this major trade? Do the Reds make out like a bandit, stealing a Cy Young pitcher for unproven prospects and failed projects? Could Reds GM Walt Jocketty be writing his own script to how to overcome both the NL Central winning Milwaukee Brewers and defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals?

Latos will provide the Reds with a one-two punch alongside homegrown ace Johnny Cueto. The fact that Latos is so young also helps in his contract status, as he is under the Reds control for the next four seasons at a fraction of the rate he would command on the free agent market.

Latos has the power arm that can silence bats in the hitter friendly Great American Ballpark, but how significantly his numbers will rise switching from the ultimate pitchers paradise in Petco Park to the banks of the Ohio River are yet to be seen.

With Latos walking into a respectable rotation that also includes Homer Bailey, Mike Leake and Bronson Arroyo, the Reds will have a deep and talented rotation coming into 2012. They have needed all the depth they can get in years past, as Arroyo has fought numerous ailments and last season Cueto began the season on the disabled list. 

Latos is coming off of a down year, going 9-14. He had no run support but failed to have the same dominance on the mound as in 2010; his ERA rose by a half run to 3.47. Latos has just not been around long enough for Jocketty to be making this big of an investment in him.

There is no evidence that Latos will not regress even further this upcoming year, as even more hitters figure him out.

Coupled with a transition to perhaps the most hitter-friendly confines in the National League, this could backfire on the Reds in a serious way. Although the Reds have plenty of offensive depth to trade away Alonzo and Grandal, those are two potential All-Stars at their respective positions and will help the Padres become contenders again in the usually weak NL Western division.

The sheer amount that the Reds are giving up for Latos makes the Padres instant winners in this deal. Looking into the future, the Padres should be able to mold their team for the next decade around these four new acquisitions.

Perhaps Walt Jocketty might be seen as a genius for making this jaw-dropping move, but this could be the beginning of his demise and the beginning of the rise of the Padres. I believe the Padres will be looking back next season and laughing about how they stole numerous All-Stars, Silver Sluggers and quality pitchers away from the Reds squad who still could not get over the hump. 

Yonder Alonzo will be a force in the middle of the lineup for many years. The Padres had a very weak lineup last season, and Alonzo will come into batting cleanup immediately. Jesus Guzman, the Padres 2010 first basemen, was mediocre at best and might have to either reposition himself or find himself on the bench.

With Cameron Maybin providing a spark at the top of the lineup, hopefully Alonzo and Grandal will have runners to knock in. Grandal is an extremely athletic catcher that has speed, agility and good power to all fields. Although not the highest projectable catcher in the minors, his impressive offensive numbers speak for themselves.

He had 80 RBIs and 15 home runs in his first professional season.

Boxberger will probably begin the year at Triple-A Portland for a little more seasoning before debuting at the end of 2012 or perhaps even 2013. Volquez will be thrust into the rotation in a last ditch effort to save his once bright future.

If Volquez fails to produce at a high quality, the Padres rotation will be severely damaged as they have already lost starter Aaron Harang to the division rival Los Angeles Dodgers.

With the departure of Latos, Tim Stauffer and Cory Luebke will battle for top spot in the rotation. Up and coming Anthony Bass and Dustin Moseley will round out the Padres rotation, which was fairly strong in comparison to how disappointing the rest of the squad was in 2011.

This huge pickup for the Padres makes them instantly better and more exciting to follow as we move into 2012 and begin to start to see a clearer picture of what teams will look like next season.

One thing is certain: if the new Padres can perform well quickly after adjusting to life in spacious Petco Park, it will not matter how well Mat Latos does because the Padres will have an entire foundation of producers. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

As the calendar turns to June, the first third of the baseball season has now slipped away and the dog days of summer are fast approaching. This season, only a very few unfortunate teams have fallen flat on their faces out of the gate and find themselves out of contention.

So far, it’s shaping up to be a heated race in all six divisions this year and a year where some sleepers might be able to actually take some division crowns.

Even two months ago, no one would have guessed that the Cleveland Indians would have the best record in baseball and are on pace to run away with the AL Central division. 

Injuries have been the main storyline for baseball this season, if you don’t count the complete and utter demise of the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise. It is going to be vital for teams to replace their injured stars, such as catcher Buster Posey in San Francisco and both Howie Kendrick and Kendrys Morales for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. 

Offensive production has been seemingly down this year across the board, which means midseason acquisitions will have even more of a vital impact on clubs that want to prove their worth as contenders. 

Here are five moves that will truly bring hope to some teams in need and bring some financial relief to teams dreading sweltering through summer. 

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Now two weeks into the 2011 season, it is time for Dodger fans to look down on the farm and analyze the development of Dodger prospects.

After a disappointing 2010 season and a 2011 offseason in which the Dodgers did not spend as much money on free agents as some fans would have liked, it is up to the growth and production of homegrown talent to bring another World Championship to Los Angeles.

With general manager Ned Colletti at the helm, the Dodgers minor league system has faltered, but thanks to scouting director Logan White the system has been propped up for now.

Let’s take a quick look at the top 10 prospects in the Dodgers organization and their hopes for cracking the big league club in the near future. 

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