The fallout: Dodgers designate Mike Morse, Brandon Beachy, two more
Mike Morse, who came over from the Marlins in a trade, was designated for assignment by the Dodgers.
And now for that nasty math problem. One that was never on the SAT: How to make 29 go into 25 and have it equal one.
The Dodgers picked up seven players in their three-way trade with Atlanta and Miami on Thursday. They sent back not a single one from their 25-man roster. This is going to make for some painful choices.
They got started on the 40-man roster aspect of it Thursday, placing right-hander Bronson Arroyo (Tommy John surgery) on the 60-day disabled list and assigning infielder Jose Peraza to triple-A Oklahoma City. Then came another one of those expensive cuts: They designated infielder/outfielder Mike Morse for assignment.
Since he signed with the Marlins in the off-season for two years at $16 million, that’s a lot of cash to eat. But then the Dodgers have shown a willingness to absorb contracts of players they do not deem useful (Brian Wilson), and it was no shock the struggling Morse was designated. The Marlins did give the Dodgers an unannounced amount of cash in the deal.
The Dodgers continued to make other hard decisions on their 40-man roster: After moving reliever Chris Hatcher (oblique) to the 60-day disabled list to open one spot, the Dodgers also designated for assignment right-hander Brandon Beachy, outfielder Chris Heisey and reliever Chin-Hui Tsao. All three had been up with the Dodgers this season.
In the off-season they signed Beachy for $2.75 million and Heisey for $2.16 million. Money, money, money. The Morse money was essentially what they paid to acquire Mat Latos from the Marlins.
All that maneuvering still leaves the Dodgers needing to make room for four players on their 25-man roster.
They have to find roster spots for starting pitchers Alex Wood and Latos, and relievers Jim Johnson and Luis Avilan.
It figures to get pretty ugly by Friday, when the nonwaiver trade deadline passes and rosters have to be set.
Since Mike Bolsinger is no longer expected to be in the rotation, they could return him to the minors. Zach Lee almost assuredly is going back down. Then it gets tough.
Yimi Garcia’s spot could be in trouble. He’s already been up and down, and been both very good and very unpredictable this season. They’re down one reliever, so an added spot could come at the risk of position players who have options remaining – either Scott Van Slyke and Enrique Hernandez.
There are going to be some sad faces around the Dodgers by the time they return to Dodger Stadium on Friday. And plenty of new ones.
MORE DODGERS NEWS:
Dodgers bolster starting pitching depth with 3-team, 13-player trade
Blue Jays, not Dodgers, get pitcher David Price
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