True Blue LA - Logan Forsythe acquired by Dodgers from Rays for Jose De LeonWhere The Dodger Dogs Are Always Grilledhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49563/truebluela_fav.png2017-01-24T06:00:05-08:00http://www.truebluela.com/rss/stream/141309292017-01-24T06:00:05-08:002017-01-24T06:00:05-08:00What to expect from Forsythe
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<p>New 2B has ties to Roberts, Friedman, Byrnes</p> <p id="ft9tTg">LOS ANGELES — There is always some level of uncertainty when introducing a new player to the team, but the Dodgers are pretty well acquainted with new second baseman Logan Forsythe.</p>
<p id="YWP6XP">He was drafted by the Padres in 2008 out of the University of Arkansas, and made his major league debut in 2011. In Forsythe’s three years in San Diego, current Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was his first base coach.</p>
<p id="ivkTsZ">Forsythe was traded along with reliever Brad Boxberger to the Rays in January 2014 in a seven-player deal that saw pitchers Jesse Hahn and Alex Torres go to the Padres. Andrew Friedman was the general manager who brought Forsythe to Tampa Bay, and his San Diego counterpart was Josh Byrnes, now a senior vice president in Friedman’s baseball operations department in Los Angeles.</p>
<p id="7Ptt5U">"You do as much digging as you possibly can on a guy you're looking to acquire, but it never replaces just being around a guy. Just in terms of how he prepares, what kind of competitor he is, how he might fit in within the context of your group,” Friedman said on Monday. “A number of us having experience with him gives us that much more comfort in terms of that fit. We're all extremely optimistic that he's going to fit in really well with our group.”</p>
<p id="rSBL2E">Friedman described Forsythe as “a grinder,” and Tampa Bay general manager Erik Neander called Forsythe “a great teammate and leader in the clubhouse.”</p>
<p id="Jm5ToI">Some former Rays teammates also had great things to say about their now former teammate.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I'm really, really, really gonna miss Logie bear . Doesn't get more classy or blue collar than him. Happy I was able to play with that man.</p>— Chris Archer (@ChrisArcher22) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisArcher22/status/823694089300414464">January 24, 2017</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rays?src=hash">#Rays</a> Longoria on Forsythe deal: "I'm surprised and upset at losing a player, clubhouse presence and friend like Logan. He's a rare player''</p>— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) <a href="https://twitter.com/TBTimes_Rays/status/823735496157384705">January 24, 2017</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Don't care about numbers/sabermetrics. The way Forsythe plays the game, his abilities, his leadership and the ultimate pro he is...</p>— Jp Arencibia (@jparencibia9) <a href="https://twitter.com/jparencibia9/status/823692143386472448">January 24, 2017</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dodgers just got a star... one of the most underrated players in the game.</p>— Jp Arencibia (@jparencibia9) <a href="https://twitter.com/jparencibia9/status/823692288882667520">January 24, 2017</a>
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<p id="1PLkdu">Forsythe was a utility player with the Padres. He started 119 games at second base with San Diego, but also 30 games at third base, 11 games at shortstop, seven games in left field and two games in right field. </p>
<p id="Spxzy3">Through his first four years, including his first season in Tampa Bay (2014), Forsythe never had more than 350 plate appearances in any one season. Injuries played a part, including:</p>
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<li id="LOFjKe">Arthroscopic left knee surgery in September 2011 that prematurely ended his rookie season.</li>
<li id="iWYtJP">Surgery on his left foot in spring training cost him the first two months of the 2012 season.</li>
<li id="wdmacZ">Missed the first two months again in 2013, this time with plantar fasciitis in his right foot.</li>
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<p id="zK4rbZ">Forsythe also missed 28 games on the DL in May and June 2016 with a hairline fracture of his scapula in his left shoulder. </p>
<p id="uGAC4h">In those first four years of his career, Forsythe hit .235/.305/.343 with 18 home runs, and in the last two seasons he has been an everyday player, hitting a combined .273/.347/.444 with 37 home runs.</p>
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<p id="x6wHFT">Forsythe had his first injury-free year in 2014, and then had a breakout season the next season. Marc Tompkin of the Tampa Bay Times <a href="http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/logan-forsythe-seizes-opportunity-with-rays/2245041">explored Forsythe’s success in September 2015</a>:</p>
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<p id="CwzztM">But Forsythe learned some valuable lessons, such as how to tailor his workouts to stay injury-free for a full season for the first time and how to develop a pregame routine that prepared him the same for whatever opportunity arose. That his best 2014 success came during a stretch when he played regularly motivated him going into this past offseason to find a way to be even more ready.</p>
<p id="aU83xq">"What I asked myself was how can I have that success without that consistent playing time," he said. "So that's what I focused on, just trying to improve on being consistent and improve on a routine."</p>
<p id="FyH4jk">Part of it was mental, and part physical, specifically settling on the best set of mechanics and sticking with them. Working out during the winter with former Ray Ben Zobrist near their Nashville-area homes, Forsythe would send videos to Rays hitting coach Derek Shelton, who offered suggestions, and they agreed to remain, well, consistent.</p>
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<h4 id="NjLWcT">2017 outlook</h4>
<p id="4WQhyW">A few projections heading into Forsythe’s age-30 season:</p>
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<li id="sRFHsd">
<a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/projections.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&type=steamer">Steamer</a>: .258/.328/.415, 19 doubles, 12 home runs, .322 wOBA</li>
<li id="GfC91S">
<a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/2017-zips-projections-tampa-bay-rays/">ZiPS</a>: .259/.329/.421, 21 doubles, 15 home runs, .329 wOBA</li>
<li id="Yn6SHp">
<a href="http://www.billjamesonline.com/">Bill James</a>: .258/.334/.414, 26 doubles, 17 home runs</li>
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<p id="ncHFmK">Forsythe made all 125 starts batting leadoff in 2016, but in 2015 he batted fourth or fifth in 122 of his 148 starts, and started at least once in seven different spots in the batting order.</p>
<p id="2o2WUp">Friedman on Monday said he didn’t know exactly where Forsythe would bat in the Dodgers’ lineup, and that is something that would be determined in spring training.</p>
<h4 id="sIv6dL">The contract</h4>
<p id="QjDcWM">Forsythe has one more season left on his two-year, $10.25 million contract signed before the 2016 season. He will earn $5.75 million in 2017, and has a club option in 2018 with a $1 million buyout.</p>
<p id="eznrCS">The option began at a salary of $8.5 million but has already increased to $9 million for reaching 550 plate appearances in 2016 (he had 567). The option can increase to as high as $10.5 million based on Forsythe’s playing time in 2017, <a href="http://www.espn.com/espn/wire/_/section/mlb/id/14578504">per the Associated Press</a>. The 2018 option value increases...</p>
<p id="DwVNgj">$500,000 for 533 plate appearances (giving him 1,100 total in 2016-17)<br>$500,000 for 550 plate appearances<br>$500,000 for 600 plate appearances</p>
<p id="kNdoG9">With Forsythe in the fold, the Dodgers <a href="http://www.truebluela.com/2013/10/21/4861112/los-angeles-dodgers-payroll">have $170.8 million committed to 19 players on the 40-man roster in 2017</a>, and including dead money and some minor leaguers have $215.25 million in total committed for this year.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2017/1/24/14367378/logan-forsythe-dodgers-connections-outlook-2017Eric Stephen2017-01-23T19:53:48-08:002017-01-23T19:53:48-08:00What the Dodgers gave up in Jose De Leon
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<figcaption>Photo by Darin Wallentine/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>De Leon would have ranked No. 2 on <a href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/12/15/13971860/dodgers-2017-top-prospects-list">David Hood’s 2017 Dodgers prospect list</a></p> <p id="NOHMgh">In trading <span>Jose De Leon</span> in <a href="http://www.truebluela.com/2017/1/23/14365412/logan-forysthe-trade-rays-dodgers-jose-de-leon">a one-for-one trade with the Rays for Logan Forsythe</a>, the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> dealt from their greatest organizational strength, close-to-the-majors pitching. De Leon was ranked second on my prospect list this year, with grades largely <a href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/2/20/10786766/jose-deleon-profile-dodgers-top-prospects-2016">unchanged from the previous year</a>. Before the 2016 season began, I did not expect to still have to rank De Leon in 2017, figuring he would at least serve a bullpen role by the second half of the season. </p>
<p id="4YV8f0">Injuries and competition got in the way of De Leon exhausting his rookie eligibility. De Leon’s time spent on the disabled list allowed <span>Brock Stewart</span> to jump ahead in reaching the major leagues, and with a solid performance, he likely had a leg up on De Leon for a role in the upcoming season. </p>
<p id="vArAxg">De Leon’s injury stint was not a unique occurrence for him, as his 2015 represented a high-water mark for innings in a professional season to date at 114⅓ innings. His durability is perhaps his largest concern, a De Leon will turn 25 during the 2017 season without shouldering a season innings load befitting a major league starter.</p>
<p id="4qwSdr">That’s not to suggest De Leon won’t be a successful starter at the next level. When healthy, success has not been a problem, and De Leon struck out Triple-A hitters with greater frequency than in his Double-A breakout. De Leon’s repertoire and pitchability gave him the upside of a first-division number three starter, and he needed no further seasoning at the minor league level. </p>
<p id="I5Wt89">De Leon’s 2016 season did nothing to dissuade my opinion of him as a high-strikeout, mid-rotation arm, but he had been passed by another player for top honors in the system because of ceiling. In trading De Leon, the Dodgers are moving arguably their most ready arm, but also an arm from a heavy stockpile of ready pitching. As mentioned Stewart took the innings that could have been tabbed for a healthy De Leon, and <span>Julio Urias</span> remains the crown jewel of the team’s controllable assets. Add Trevor Oaks, Josh Sborz, and <span>Chase De Jong</span> to the equation and the Dodgers have a pipeline of near-ready-for-prime-time prospects, albeit not with the same impact potential as De Leon. </p>
<p id="pKZHnE">Perhaps most importantly, the Dodgers hold on to their other prized arms in this deal. Walker Buehler, Yadier Alvarez, and Imani Abdullah remain in their places as part of the next wave, and the Dodgers can give them additional development time to see if they each can reach their elite ceilings before determining if they should be kept or dealt. </p>
<p id="Gdkv0f">History may still suggest that the Dodgers surrendered the greater value in this one-for-one trade, but the opportunity cost of dealing a top arm like De Leon was relatively low in this circumstance. The Dodgers did not necessarily have a rotation slot for him in the upcoming season, and he did not need additional time in the minors. With the window still wide open for a World Series run, the Dodgers simply shuffled assets from a strength to a weakness, while holding onto younger, more controllable arms in the process. </p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2017/1/23/14367134/jose-deleon-trade-reaction-dodgers-rays-logan-forsytheDavid Hood2017-01-23T18:34:58-08:002017-01-23T18:34:58-08:00Dodgers use depth to fill need with Forsythe trade
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<figcaption>Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Right-handed second baseman has a career 127 wRC+ against LHP</p> <p id="COVHXD">LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers filled a big hole with the acquisition of second baseman Logan Forsythe from the Rays on Monday, and dealt from a position of strength in doing so.</p>
<p id="hR3E58">The club was intent on getting a second baseman, and a right-handed one at that after the club hit .213/.290/.332 against left-handed pitching in 2016, worst in the majors against southpaws. </p>
<p id="c7gIRb">Brian Dozier of the Twins was pursued, as was Ian Kinsler of the Tigers, both of whom would have cost more than Jose De Leon. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said there were conversations with a few teams, including the Rays, for the last several months, and that talks intensified over the last week.</p>
<p id="P5irKy">"We've had a lot of different conversations with a number of different teams,” Friedman said. “To help really balance out our position player group, we felt like our last real lever to do that was a strong, right-handed hitting second baseman.”</p>
<p id="kEzjqA">The Dodgers were and are still high on Chase Utley, who started 118 games at second base in 2016, but he bats left-handed.</p>
<p id="x8E2sq">“Chase has meant a tremendous amount to our organization. He was a big part of our success in 2015 and 2016,” Friedman said. “I don't think I've ever been around a player that has the kind of impact he has off the field.</p>
<p id="ZXtJuB">“We probably would have re-signed him months ago if our lineup was a little bit more balanced.”</p>
<p id="AjR27B">Forsythe is a career .248/.343/.475 hitter against southpaws, a 127 wRC+, and provides a contrast in a Dodgers lineup that features left-handed hitters Corey Seager, Adrian Gonzalez and Joc Pederson, plus switch-hitter Yasmani Grandal who hits better from the left side.</p>
<p id="YZWdZQ">"We feel like he will fit in incredibly well within the fabric of our group. He's a great fit. He's a grinder, professional hitter, can really handle left-handed pitching as well as right,” Friedman said. “He has some versatility, is a good base runner, and we felt like was the type of player we needed to be aggressive to add to our current group.”</p>
<p id="aDRiLX">The addition of potentially two years of Forsythe comes at a cost, with De Leon heading to the Rays with six years before free agency.</p>
<p id="2dSujZ">"Retaining our free agents emboldened us and put us in a position to do something like this,” Friedman said. “Re-signing Rich [Hill] put us in a place where we had some depth of major-league-ready/caliber pitching.”</p>
<p id="gPaggF">The Dodgers major league rotation depth at the moment includes Clayton Kershaw, Hill, Kenta Maeda, Julio Urias, Brandon McCarthy, Scott Kazmir and Alex Wood, while also retaining Ross Stripling and Brock Stewart, who both made starts for the Dodgers in 2016.</p>
<p id="jYedGT">Not that the Dodgers weren’t bullish on De Leon.</p>
<p id="OqXypt">"Everyone speaks incredibly highly of him. ... He's a great competitor. He's got a chance to be a very good major league pitcher,” Friedman said. “From our standpoint, with where we're at, we feel like we have a tremendous amount of depth on the prospect side as well as on the pitching side. It allowed us to use that to address what we felt like was our most acute need.”</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Can't find the words to thank the <a href="https://twitter.com/Dodgers">@Dodgers</a>, teammates, coaches & fans. NOW.. taking the mission to <a href="https://twitter.com/RaysBaseball">@RaysBaseball</a>. Beyond excited <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OnAMission?src=hash">#OnAMission</a> <a href="https://t.co/xKpMqntnLE">pic.twitter.com/xKpMqntnLE</a></p>— Jose De León (@JDL_87) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDL_87/status/823696742197628934">January 24, 2017</a>
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<p id="ErOu3M">"We are really excited to acquire someone we consider one of the top pitching prospects in baseball," <a href="https://twitter.com/RaysBaseball/status/823690933137002497">Rays general manager Erik Neander</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RaysBaseball/status/823691245629349888">said of De Leon</a>. “Tremendous makeup, tremendous character. The personality on and off the field is something we're really excited about having.”</p>
<p id="lDhtg9">As for Utley, a return to the Dodgers seems unlikely unless in some sort of a utility role.</p>
<p id="ApbdQp">"Never say never with a guy like Chase just because of the type of guy he is and the impact he has,” Friedman said. “We're going to continue to keep an open mind in rounding out our roster.”</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2017/1/23/14366020/logan-forsythe-trade-reaction-andrew-friedman-dodgersEric Stephen2017-01-23T16:36:28-08:002017-01-23T16:36:28-08:00Dodgers get Forsythe from Rays for De Leon
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<figcaption>Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="xFmdxd">LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers got a very good American League second baseman and it cost them pitcher Jose De Leon, just like rumors have predicted for weeks. But in a bit of a twist, the target wasn’t Brian Dozier, but rather Logan Forsythe from the Rays.</p>
<p id="Np6DpE">Forsythe is headed to Los Angeles in a 1-for-1 deal for De Leon, giving the Dodgers someone familiar to both manager Dave Roberts and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman.</p>
<p id="3bYUGa">Forsythe, who turned 30 last week, hit .264/.333/.444 with a career-high 20 home runs in 127 games, his second year qualifying for the batting title after four years as a utility player with the Padres and Rays. Roberts was a coach in San Diego in Forsythe’s three years (2011-2013) there, before Friedman traded for him in Tampa Bay.</p>
<p id="fXqJqH">A career .278/.343/.475 hitter against left-handed pitchers, Forsythe hit .270/.315/.461 against southpaws last year, so he certainly fills a Dodgers need in that regard.</p>
<p id="yPQlNS">Two weeks ago, Friedman said the Dodgers’ pursuit of a second baseman and someone who could hit left-handed pitching was "interconnected," and felt confident a deal could get done before spring training, even with talks with the Twins about Dozier were reportedly at an impasse.</p>
<p id="pHDUWm">"With the new CBA, it's been a slower, stranger offseason," Friedman said. "I'm not exactly sure why, but we've still got a lot of offseason left."</p>
<p id="UewTTs">The Dodgers have been <a href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/11/20/13691986/logan-forsythe-trade-rumors-dodgers-rays">linked to Forsythe in rumors since November</a>.</p>
<p id="DXYqw1">Forsythe is under contract for one more season at $5.75 million, and has a $9 million club option for 2018 with a $1 million buyout.</p>
<p id="nTAM6y">De Leon, 24, made his major league debut with four starts in 2016 after a dominant season in Triple-A, going 7-1 with a 2.61 ERA in 16 starts, with 111 strikeouts and 20 walks in 86 innings. He was ranked as <a href="http://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-prospects-2017">the Dodgers’ second-best prospect heading into 2017</a> by our own David Hood.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2017/1/23/14365412/logan-forysthe-trade-rays-dodgers-jose-de-leonEric Stephen