Dodgers-Athletics Trade: Rich Hill and Josh Reddick By The Numbers
The Los Angeles Dodgers made one of the first big deals of this seasons trade deadline, sending high rated prospects Frankie Montas, Grant Holmes and Jharrel Cotton to the Oakland A’s in return for pitcher Rich Hill and outfielder Josh Reddick.
Reaction to the trade has been mixed as many fans didn’t like seeing Montas and Holmes go as they both figured to be big pieces of the team moving forward the next few seasons. But, it is not as if the Dodgers didn’t get any kind of value in return.
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Hill was one of the most prized pitchers available this deadline and landing him has the potential to be a big addition for the Dodgers. Reddick, on the other hand, doesn’t fit as seamlessly into the lineup due to the abundance of outfielders on the roster already. But, he is still a very solid player and the Dodgers did well to acquire him.
Mad Money: Good for Wins and Baseball?Lets take a closer look at the numbers of the two players that the Dodgers got in this deal.
Hill has had a career year this season and is defying all expectations that are normally placed on a pitcher of his age. Being a journeyman for most of his career, you can’t help but feel happy for Hill as he boasts a 9-3 record, to go along with a 2.25 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP.
[graphiq id=”hzFJxtnDB9b” title=”Rich Hill 2016 Complete Pitching Splits” width=”600″ height=”815″ url=”https://w.graphiq.com/w/hzFJxtnDB9b” link=”http://baseball-players.pointafter.com/l/7338/Rich-Hill” link_text=”Rich Hill 2016 Complete Pitching Splits | PointAfter” ]He was hitting .315 with an OPS of .830, both of which would have been career high had he been able to maintain them. For the whole season though, Reddick is slashing .296/.368/.449 with 8 homers and 28 RBI’s. His best statistical season came back in 2012 where he hit 32 HR’s to go along with 85’s and had a slash-line of .242/.305/.463.
So both definitely have talent, it’s just a matter of making sure they keep up the good play while wearing Dodger blue. However, no stats will make up for the sting that the team will feel having traded away two of their top-10 prospects in Holmes and Montas, who were ranked 4 and 5 in the organization respectively in the beginning of the year.
Montas hasn’t pitched this season due a nagging rib injury, but the 20-year-old Holmes accrued a record of 8-4 with a 4.02 ERA in class-A ball this season. Jharrel Cotton, the third piece in the trade, has been on watch-lists for many years now and has an 8-5 record to go along with a 4.90 ERA for the Dodgers triple-A affiliate Oklahoma City.
Dodgers News: Dave Roberts Weighs in on Rumors as Trade Deadline Approaches | VIDEOThere is no way around it, losing Holmes and Montas sucks. That was a lot to give up for two players who are set to be free-agents this upcoming offseason, but if Hill and Reddick can push the team into the postseason, fans may be more forgiving of giving up such highly touted players.
While the team didn’t get Chris Sale or Chris Archer as many fans had hoped, Hill is by no means a consolation prize. He is putting up extraordinary numbers and if Kershaw comes back could form a potent one-two punch at the top of the rotation. Hill was cheaper than Sale or Archer and while he doesn’t have the upside of either of them, it would have costed much more than just Holmes and Montas to get one of them.
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Outside of
Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller, I am not sure there was a player traded that
would be considered elite.I can
certainly understand why the Dodgers would not pay the price that Chicago and
Cleveland did for either player.The
Cubs and Indians are certainly favorites to get to the WS, so the price seemed worthwhile.The Dodgers needed multiple positions to get
into that position as favorite.Their
choice seemed either do nothing or try to find some help to at least attempt to
get you to the playoffs where you at least have a chance.I am assuming the Dodgers passed on Jonathan
Lucroy because they feel that Grandal, with his resurgent hitting stroke, was
preferable to the cost to acquire Lucroy.Jay Bruce cannot hit in Dodger Stadium, and is a poor defender.I would have wanted Matt Moore, but the price
the Giants paid seems steep; a highly regarded cost controlled (arb eligible
2018) ML 3B who was #2 in 2015 ROY, a highly regarded middle infield and Giants
top 5 overall prospect, and another Giants top #30 pitching prospect.I do not know who the Dodgers comps would be
for Lucius Fox or Michael Santos, but the Dodgers do not have a Matt Duffy.I do not know why, but it is obvious that
Tampa Bay values Matt Duffy very highly.What this means for Evan Longoria, I do not know.I assume they believe they can move him
sometime this winter.The Giants clearly
overpaid for Will Smith and Eduardo Nunez; however, Nunez allowed them to get
Moore.The Giants traded Matt Duffy ,
Phil Bickford (#1 pitching and overall prospect), Adalberto Mejia (#3 pitching
prospect), Lucius Fox (top 5 prospect – SS), Andrew Susac, and Michael Santos
(top 30 pitcher), for Matt Moore, Will Smith (decent reliever), and utility
infielder Eduardo Nunez.
This was a
trade that I went back and forth on.Rich Hill and Josh Riddick are rentals, and the Dodgers paid a premium,
albeit not overwhelmingly so.That is
what happens with Deadline trades.The
Dodgers needed a SP for this year only, and Rich Hill is as good as there was
available on a short term basis.He is
certainly having a better year than the other starting pitchers that were
traded this past month (including Matt Moore).He is leading the AL in ERA and is 9-3 on a bad A’s team.Yes, he is on the DL, but for a blister, not
an arm injury.If he picks up where he
left off with Oakland, he is a legit #2 for the rest of the year.If Kershaw comes back, then Kershaw, Hill,
McCarthy, Maeda, and Kazmir are the rotation, with Norris as a 6th
option.If the Dodgers get to the
playoffs, that is a better rotation than they had last year.Hill is not needed for next year as Urias and
De Leon will undoubtedly be in the rotation with Kershaw, McCarthy, and Maeda. Stripling,
Stewart, and Oaks would be ready to fill in.
As a hitter,
Josh Riddick puts the ball in play.That
is something the current roster has not done well with up to this point.Outside of Matt Kemp, there was not a RH
power hitter available.Carlos Beltran
is really an AL DH.The Dodgers were not
interested in a return of Kemp, thus a LH contact hitter like Josh Riddick for
the year was preferable to what they were putting on the field.
With respect
to what they traded away, the Dodgers dealt from their strength; their #3, #4,
and #7 pitchers.Jharel Cotton was never
going to be on the LAD roster.I am glad
that he is at least going to get an opportunity with Oakland.He deserves a chance.Grant Holmes was the primary target.But with Stripling, Stewart, and Oaks near
ready, and De Jong, Sborz and Sopko apparently deemed at least comparable,
Holmes was considered expendable.Sborz
and Sopko just got the promotion to AA and join Chase De Jong in the AA
rotation. I have also read where the
Dodgers were not happy with his improvement this year, especially with his
command.He is still a potential mid
rotation pitcher and I hope he succeeds with Oakland.Frankie Montas is the wild card.He could very well develop into a premier
closer, or his control will never be at the premier level.
So the
Dodgers believed they have a better chance this year with Hill and Riddick than
with Cotton, Montas, and Holmes.And
that Holmes and Montas could be adequately replaced with De Jong, Sborz, Sopko,
Yadier Alveraz, Walker Buehler, and Jordan Sheffield.They all cannot be on the same 25 man.