Josh Reddick (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Rich Hill (Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images)
By Jon Weisman
With less than three hours remaining in the 2016 non-waiver trade deadline, the Dodgers have made their first move. It might not be their only one.
The Dodgers have acquired left-handed hitting outfielder Josh Reddick and left-handed pitcher Rich Hill, in exchange for minor-league right-handers Jharel Cotton, Grant Holmes and Frankie Montas.
The 29-year-old Reddick has a career-high .368 on-base percentage and 124 OPS+ this year in 272 plate appearances for Oakland. (He missed five weeks after fracturing his left thumb on a slide May 19.) His 121 weighted runs created is 12th among MLB right fielders.
Against right-handed pitching, Reddick has a .955 OPS this season.
Hey @RealJoshReddick you should ask to still be #22.
— Brett Anderson (@BAnderson3737) August 1, 2016
Hill has had an unusual career. At age 36, in his 12th Major League season, he has only 576 big-league innings to his name. He actually is on the disabled list right now, dating back to July 20, because of a blister issue. He also missed pitching in June because of a left groin strain.
However, when healthy in 2016, he has dominated, throwing 76 innings in 14 starts with a 2.25 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings.
R.Hill has top-5 curve spin (https://t.co/vqge2tpRWI) & top-15 FB spin (https://t.co/k3aC6goIEb) He's real good when he ever, ever pitches
— Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) August 1, 2016
In Holmes, Montas and Cotton, the Dodgers are parting with their fifth-, eighth- and 13th-ranked prospects, according to MLB.com.
- Holmes, a 20-year-old who was a first-round pick in 2014, has a 4.02 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 8.5 K/9 in 105 1/3 innings for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga.
- Montas, 23, was acquired from the White Sox along with Trayce Thompson and Micah Johnson in the past offseason. Battling rib injuries this season, he has a 2.25 ERA in 16 innings with a 1.24 WHIP and 12.4 K/9.
- Cotton, 24, was drafted in the 20th round in 2012. He has a 4.90 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 11.0 K/9 in 97 1/3 innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Just want to thank the @Dodgers for making my dream come true! An amazing organization.. Time to move on to the @Athletics! #LetsDoIt
— Grant Holmes (@GHolmes_14) August 1, 2016
https://twitter.com/JharelCotton/status/760174113235271680
Tim Bower
Trading away 3 of your top 5 pitching prospects for 2 mediocre rentals is a pretty questionable move, bordering on awful. This is the type of package you put together for controllable arms or an everyday bat.
throwdeuce
Yeah, I’m not thrilled if this is only move. But thankfully Urias and DeLeon are still in system for now.
Mark Hagerstrom
The two players acquired have generated WAR 5.1 in two slots needing upgrading. You gotta give to get and the Dodgers used an abundant resource.
Tim Bower
The only problem with noting the WAR they have generated to this point is that they did that for the A’s. The Dodgers will have 2 months of that value (and hopefully more if they go to the playoffs with a healthy Reddick and Hill) but trades are made to better your future and I think the value the Dodgers traded away for 2017 and beyond far outweighs the value they may get in the next two months.
NOTE: I would be more than happy to eat my words if Hill gets a win in the World Series this year.
Mark Hagerstrom
You referred to the two players as being “mediocre” in making your argument. I don’t think that they deserve such a label.
Tim Bower
Fair enough but I am taking their career and injury history into account with that assessment. Hill is most definitely a mediocre player who has had a great last 6 months of his career but he has already been on the DL twice this season. Reddick is another oft-injured platoon player. The injuries are the most troubling aspect as the Dodgers only have two months (plus playoffs) to squeeze any value out of them and that goes out the window if they are on the DL (Hill) or can only bat against RHP (Reddick).
Two things I think this trade tells us- Ethier is nowhere close to coming back and Montas’ rib issue was more serious than we thought (remember, he was the centerpiece of the Reds/White Sox 3-way trade so for his value to drop this much in the Dodgers eyes is telling).
T.A. Barnhart
this makes no sense to me.
Jon Weisman
Comparison: The Giants just traded their 2015 first-round draft pick, right-hander Phil Bickford, and catcher Andrew Susac for Milwaukee reliever Will Smith.
Don Bright
Wow, that’s a good deal for the Brewers, however Smith isn’t a rental, just going into his arbitration years. So good for the Giants beyond this year.
Tim Bower
Also an overpay. If WAR is a meaningful measure of value, Will Smith has a negative .2 WAR on the season. Hopefully he costs the Giants some wins over the next few seasons!
I think both the LAD-OAK and SFG-MIL trades show us that the price of pitching is a bit high right now! (which is all the more reason the Dodgers should have hung on to their controllable arms!)
Ron Babcock (@ronniebsurf)
Another joke of a trade by our front office. This is the trade for a elite, impact player Friedman promised!!!