Dodgers Team News

Thank You Adrian Gonzalez, Brandon McCarthy, Scott Kazmir, And Charlie Culberson

The Dodgers traded away four players on Saturday in a deal that brought Matt Kemp back and provided some financial relief. The deal sent Adrian Gonzalez, Brandon McCarthy, Scott Kazmir, and Charlie Culberson to Atlanta. All four of them contributed to the Dodgers success during their time in blue and will all be missed.

Charlie Culberson’s time in Los Angeles may have been brief, but he had a way of making it memorable. Despite only playing in 49 regular season games as a Dodger, he became a fan favorite. Culberson went 8 for 16 with 4 extra base hits during the 2017 postseason, helping the Dodgers win the National League pennant. Culberson’s most memorable moment as a Dodgers came at the end of the 2016 season. Tied in the bottom of the 10th, Culberson stepped to the plate and hit his only home run of the season. The walk-off bomb clinched the National League West for the Dodgers, and was Vin Scully’s final call at Dodger Stadium.



Scott Kazmir also signed with the Dodgers prior to the 2016 season, signing a 3-year deal. Kazmir started his Dodgers career with a bang, working 6 scoreless innings. Unfortunately he was unable to carry that success through the rest of the season. Kazmir finished the season 10-6 with a 4.56 ERA and 134 strikeouts over 136.1 innings. Kazmir came into spring training in 2017 expecting be in the rotation but due to a hip injury and a drop in velocity he started the season on the disabled list. Kazmir ended up spending all of 2017 on the DL, having not pitched an inning for the Dodgers. The move to Atlanta could help Kazmir get an opportunity to be a regular in the starting rotation, if his health allows it.

Brandon McCarthy came to the Dodgers prior to the 2015 season after signing a 4-year contract. McCarthy had a rough start to his Dodger career, tearing his UCL and needing to undergo Tommy John surgery after just four starts. McCarthy returned in 2016 to appear in 10 games, including 9 starts. He pitched to a 4.95 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 40 innings. McCarthy came out of the gate strong in 2017 before being placed on the DL with a shoulder injury. When he returned he had a brief battle with the yips, struggling to throw the ball over the plate. McCarthy got past this and finished the season 6-4 with a 3.98 ERA over 92.2 innings. McCarthy made one appearance in the World Series, allowing two runs and taking a loss. Injuries made McCarthy’s time in Los Angeles tumultuous, but he always gave the team everything he had in terms of pitching and leadership.

Adrian Gonzalez always made his presence felt in Los Angeles, on the field and off. On the field, Gonzalez slashed .280/.339/.454 with 101 home runs and 448 RBI’s during his 6 years with the Dodgers. He was a force in the middle of the Dodgers’ lineup until a back issue forced him to spend over half of the 2017 season on the disabled list.

 

Adrian also made just as much of an impact off the field. He and his wife started the Adrian and Betsy Gonzalez Foundation to help underprivileged youth. The foundation focuses on helping bring athletics, education and health to the children it helps. Adrian will be sorely missed both on the field and in the community by Los Angeles. Below is a video of him talking about his work with the I Am Hope organization!

Hopefully him being traded and released by the Braves gives him a chance to play every day so he can continue his storied career. Adrian also penned a heartfelt thank you to Dodger fans after the trade was announced.

All four of the Dodgers will be missed by fans and teammates alike. They helped bring us joy during their time in Los Angeles. We wish them all the best with their careers moving forward and want them to know that they will always have the support of the Dodger faithful!

Hunter Thompson

Born in Pennsylvania but comes from a long line of Dodger fans from their Brooklyn days. Extremely passionate about the Dodgers and baseball in general. News writer and Twittercaster for Dodger games. Follow me on Twitter @Officialism27 for more Dodgers talk!

3 Comments

  1. Good riddance!! The pitchers were disasters!!!!! Gonzalez was done n had crap attitude. Go Dodgers. Maybe 2-3 more useful rookies will be added to roster

    1. I believe Kemp will be traded or released. This trade was about dumping money!!!

    2. WRONG FELCHLIN!!!
      1. Yes Kazmir WAS a bad signing…he never got untracked!
      2. McCarthy was a good guy with a good attitude but Baaaad Luck!
      3. Gonzo was great all around…couldn’t ask for a better team mate!
      4, Charlie is a real loss & will be missed

      It doesn’t look like Kemp will ever play for the Dodgers….they will dump him due to bad fielding & history of bad attitude! This was all about dumping bucks!!!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button