Dodgers links: Hanley Ramirez trade anniversary

Hanley Ramirez is hitting .381/.436/.690 this season, including .382/.443/.718 during the Dodgers' 23-5 stretch to the top of the National League West. He has not been alone, but has been the main culprit on offense during this great run.

Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of his acquisition from the Marlins, and Mike Petriello at Mke Scioscia's Tragic Illness fondly reviews the trade.

On Wednesday, Jeff Sullivan at FanGraphs looked at Ramirez and said, "there’s reason to believe he’s getting back to being the superstar he used to be, in the before times."

John Sickels at Minor League Ball reviewed his preseason Dodgers top 20 prospects list and how Yasiel Puig, Hyun-jin Ryu, et al have fared.

Maybe Kevin Towers can buy a trophy for best scouting, because his Diamondbacks trail the free-spending Dodgers. Towers told KTAR in Arizona, "When you have that wherewithal financially it doesn't mean you're the best scouting organization, just you have the wherewithal to go out and buy what you want."

Perhaps with Mark Ellis hitting .440 (11-for-25) with seven runs batted in during the six-game road trip, the Dodgers' need for a second baseman isn't as great as once perceived. But even if the Dodgers did want Chase Utley, he might not be available, as Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly speculates a contract extension might be in the works with the Philies.

In case you missed this yesterday, Dodgers VP of scouting Logan White was a guest of Jarred Massey and Dustin Nosler on the Dugout Blues podcast.