Dodgers Players Who Are in Serious Danger of Being Cut or Demoted
The Los Angeles Dodgers kicked off their first spring training games this week as it's become abundantly clear that baseball is officially back.
Over the next month, management will be closely evaluating the roster in order to determine which 25 players will make the cut for Opening Day on April 6 against the San Diego Padres.
Aside from the center field battle between Andre Ethier and Joc Pederson, the Dodgers have already slated their other seven starters in the field. The only real decisions that will need to be made prior to the start of the regular season relate to the bench and pitching staff.
Here's a look at some of the players who enter spring training on the roster bubble.
Erik Bedard
1 of 5
The Dodgers signed veteran left-hander Erik Bedard as a non-roster invitee to spring training in January.
Last season with Tampa Bay, Bedard went 4-6 with a 4.76 ERA in 15 starts before the team designated him for assignment in late July. His best years came with the Baltimore Orioles in the late 2000s before a shoulder surgery in 2009 derailed his promising trajectory.
With a five-man rotation already set on paper, Los Angeles brought in Bedard purely as injury insurance and he will likely begin the season in Triple-A. The 35-year-old has not played in the minor leagues since 2003.
“I know where I stand. It feels fine,” Bedard said, per Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com. “The game’s still fun and I like playing baseball is, basically, what it comes down to.”
Carlos Frias
2 of 5
Right-hander Carlos Frias made his major league debut last September and was on the Dodgers' postseason roster just one month later as a long reliever.
This spring, Frias will be competing for a spot in the starting rotation, according to Bill Plunkett of the Orange Country Register. That puts him in essentially the same boat as Bedard.
Los Angeles simply won't need his services as a starter unless one of the team's rotation cogs suffers an injury at some point in the next month. The Dodgers will want to keep Frias on a routine every five days, and the only place to accomplish that is probably at Triple-A.
More practice in the minor leagues should allow Frias to avoid another historic meltdown like the one he suffered at Coors Field last season.
Enrique Hernandez
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The Dodgers acquired super-utility player Enrique Hernandez from the Miami Marlins in the Dee Gordon deal.
A career .272 hitter in the minor leagues, Hernandez showed promise last season when he batted .319 mostly at Triple-A. But the 23-year-old's primary value lies with his extreme versatility. He can play second base, third base, the outfield and some shortstop.
Still, not even that skill set may earn him a spot on the Opening Day roster.
Los Angeles has Justin Turner and Darwin Barney as the main backup infielders, with Chris Heisey brought in to be the second-string outfielder alongside Scott Van Slyke.
It looks like Hernandez will get to play all over the field—in Albuquerque.
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Erisbel Arruebarrena
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The Dodgers signed Cuban infielder Erisbel Arruebarrena to a five-year, $25 million contract just before the 2014 season, but by December, the new front office regime had designated him for assignment.
He still has four years and $16 million remaining on the deal.
That's a hefty price considering Arruebarrena slashed just .195/.244/.220 in 22 games with the Dodgers. The sample size was small, but he didn't fare much better in 68 minor league games, either (.259/.304/.417). For what it's worth, Arruebarrena demonstrated excellent glove work in his limited infield action last season.
Los Angeles could not find a suitor for Arruebarrena following his designation, probably because of his egregious salary. Now that he has cleared waivers, the Dodgers can send him back to the minors without his consent. It's almost a given at this point.
Alex Guerrero
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Another expensive investment that has not panned out is Alex Guerrero.
Los Angeles signed the fellow Cuban for even more money in October 2013: four years and $28 million.
Just like Arruebarrena, the Guerrero experiment hasn't produced results. He's only played 11 major league games since signing the dotted line. Part of the reason was the resurgence of Gordon last season as well as the unfortunate ear-biting incident that cost several him weeks on the shelf while at Triple-A.
The difference, though, is that Guerrero's contract allows him to reject another minor league assignment.
"I'm not going down," said Guerrero, per MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez. "I feel like I can get better here at this level and play every day. I think that's what every player wants. You want to be in the Major Leagues and play as much as you can."
The Dodgers will have to either keep Guerrero on the 25-man roster, trade him or cut him. Despite his offensive potential (329/.364/.613 with 15 home runs last season at Triple-A), there does not seem to be room for him in the field. He doesn't have a natural position but has been working out at second base, third base and the outfield this spring.
"The team does not know what they are going to do, but all I can control is keep working hard and they will get the final word," Guerrero said, per Sanchez.
Los Angeles may opt to bring Guerrero along as a right-handed pinch-hitter and figure out the defensive situation on the fly. It's probably a better solution than eating the contract and giving up on a player that has shown flashes of promise in the minors.
All statistics courtesy of FanGraphs unless otherwise stated.
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