From the Dodgers’ public relations department:
The Dodgers today announced the completion of a three-team trade with the Reds and White Sox, with the Dodgers receiving right-handed pitcher Frankie Montas, outfielder Trayce Thompson and second baseman Micah Johnson; the Reds receiving Jose Peraza, outfielder Scott Schebler and minor league infielder Brandon Dixon; and the White Sox receiving third baseman Todd Frazier.
Thompson, 24, saw his first big league action last season with the White Sox, batting .295 with five home runs and 16 RBI in 44 games. Thompson, who attended Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita, has been selected as an All-Star at nearly every level during his seven-year minor league career, being honored as a 2011 Single-A South Atlantic League All-Star, a 2013 and 2014 Double-A Southern League All-Star and a 2015 Triple-A International League All-Star, while batting a combined .241 with 94 steals, 101 home runs and 395 RBI in 734 games. The son of former NBA player Mychal Thompson and brother of Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson was originally selected by the White Sox in the second round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft.
Montas, 22, appeared in seven games (two starts) with Chicago last year, going 0-2 with a 4.80 ERA, and has posted a 16-25 record with a 3.86 ERA in 92 games (80 starts) in six minor league seasons in the White Sox organization. Montas has limited opponents to a .232 batting average during the course of his minor league career, while averaging more than a strikeout per inning with 390 strikeouts in 382.2 innings. He entered the 2015 season rated as the White Sox’s No. 5 prospect by Baseball America and was honored as a Double-A Southern League All-Star last season, registering a 5-5 record with a 2.97 ERA, a .219 opponents’ batting average and 108 strikeouts in 23 starts with Birmingham. Montas was originally signed by the Red Sox on Dec. 14, 2009 as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic.
Johnson, 24, appeared in 36 big league games with the White Sox last year after making the club’s Opening Day roster and has a .301 career batting average with 153 stolen bases, 24 home runs and 163 RBI in 385 minor league games in four minor league seasons. He entered the 2015 seasons rated as the White Sox’s No. 4 prospect by Baseball America and combined to hit .316 with 28 steals, eight home runs and 36 RBI in 83 minor league games last year with Triple-A Charlotte and the Rookie-level AZL White Sox. During the course of his professional career, Johnson has exclusively appeared at second base following his selection in the ninth round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Indiana.
Schebler, 25, saw his first big league action with the Dodgers last season, batting .250 with three home runs and four RBI in 19 games, and has a .272 career batting average with 87 home runs and 340 RBI in 593 minor league games in six professional seasons after being selected by Los Angeles in the 26th round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft.
Peraza, who was acquired by the Dodgers from Atlanta on July 30, made his Major League debut on Aug. 10 and went 4-for-22 in seven games with Los Angeles last year. The 21-year-old has a .302 career batting average with 210 steals, nine home runs and 183 RBI in 461 minor league games in five professional seasons in the Braves (2011-15) and Dodgers (2015) organizations after signing with Atlanta as an amateur free agent in 2011 out of Venezuela.
Dixon, 23, combined to hit .263 with 19 home runs and 68 RBI in 128 games last season with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga and Double-A Tulsa in his third professional season after being selected by the Dodgers in the third round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Arizona.
Frazier, a two-time All-Star, has a .257 career batting average with 108 home runs and 324 RBI in 633 games over five Major League seasons with the Reds from 2011-15.
Roger Miller
The only worthy piece of this was Montas. Thompson is not major league material and Johnson’s 2b defense is so bad it’s doubtful he can have much of a career. So it comes down to whether it was worth giving up Peraza for Montas. Not sure it was.
Peraza was the centerpiece causing the Reds to give up Frazier, a guy who hit 35 HR’s last year. If Peraza was that valuable a trade piece (and was the other option at 2b which Johnson isn’t) couldn’t that silver bullet have been saved for obtaining another major leaguer or even Frazier himself ? Liking Friedman’s deals less and less as time goes on.
Mark Hagerstrom
What is your information as regards Thompson? I don’t know him from Adam, but last year at the MLB level in 44 games 135 PA he put up WAR 1.5 (oWAR 1.2 and dWAR 0,2).
Al Kenderes (@Coach__K)
Roger,
I admit I have to agree with you. I am not sure where we are heading with these trade and re-trades. It appears the FO doesn’t have a good solid plan, but are adjusting as they go along. Hopefully they do have a solid plan to make the Dodgers better and we just can’t figure it out. I’m seeing a lot of confusion/concern in Dodger fans,
Bill Staff
Huge Fan Since 69 but this is confusing. Hoping that the FO knows exactly what we are getting and it fits great within the Culture and History of the Dodgers. I think most will agree that we need another World Series Title Soon !! It would be great especially since this is Vin’s Last Year as a Broadcaster. Time will tell in the next few months.
jpc40
Yesterday I wrote thta I had “conditioned” myself gor a third place finish next year-to relieve the pain and anxiety. I have been a Dodger fan since the first “wait til next year” slogan following the 1940 season. I do not see a Pete Reiser yet picked up in any trade, rumor or minor league prospect. He was the catalyst for that 1941 pennant. I do see a fourth place finish as getting just as likely as third. Can someone suggest to the FO that hope is not a plan?
Roger Miller
Montas has an electric arm (throws 97-99) ,and has a good slider/cutter combo to go along. Downsides are his inconsistent mechanics and command. Walked nearly 4 per 9 in AA and gave up 9 BB’s in 15 IP in his brief major league debut this year. . He also has a potentially questionable body type and Dodgers need to make sure he doesn’t eat himself out of a major league career. A definite work in progress. Projections show him at a low 4.00-ish ERA so hopes that he might be an effective hammer either as a starter or late inning shutdown guy might be premature and over-optimistic. Most see him as a longterm reliever.
Hard to say what Peraza might do. But he was a .300 hitting 60 SB guy in A+ and AA as a 20 year old and .295, 33 SB guy in AAA as a 21 year old. Plate discipline and defense are question marks, but he’s definitely a candidate for a starting 2b job in the majors within the near future. Offhand, I’d say a speedy, good contact IFer is more valuable than a 7th/8th inning reliever. As noted before the other 2 guys Dodgers got in this trade aren’t going to be major leaguers of any discernible value (unless Thompson can do a complete turnaround in his hitting ability) so it’s very hard for me to get excited about this deal.
throwdeuce
If they keep these 3 I see them as this. Thompson will be Joc platoon partner in CF. The pitcher and 2B will be in AAA. I really don’t get trading Pereza if he was a plan for 2B in the future, but maybe Kike is going to be that now, which I’m OK with. Utley for sure gets lots of playing time as well.
Mark Hagerstrom
If you keep Thompson, as you suggest, that frees up Kike from his OF duties, no?
throwdeuce
Correct, thus saying he’ll be playing 2B