GLENDALE, Ariz. — Some odds and ends from this morning’s media scrum with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, plus the lineups for today’s 12 p.m. (PT) game against the Texas Rangers in Surprise:
Continue reading “Morning notes: Hyun-Jin Ryu, starting assignments, Adrian Gonzalez, lineups.” »
Julio Urias (left) isn’t part of the Dodgers’ 2016 rotation plans for now.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman was asked today whether he would consider pitching prospects Julio Urias, Jose De Leon or Jharel Cotton for a spot in the Dodgers’ 2016 rotation in spring training. Here’s what he said:
“Not really,” Friedman said. “We want to do what’s right for those guys. Now we may get to spring training and it’s accelerated. It’s certainly not something we would plan on right now, with where those guys are. We feel like a number of them will impact us during the 2016 season. Don’t think it’s fair to them and their development to say we’re going to count on that in April of 2016. Now it may end up happening with injuries and things that happen, but it’s certainly not something that we’re planning for, as we sit here in December.”
The Dodgers added pitchers Jharel Cotton and Ross Stripling to their 40-man roster on Friday, the deadline to protect eligible minor-league players from the Rule 5 draft.
Had they not been added, Cotton and Stripling could have been selected by another team in the annual Rule 5 draft, which is Dec. 10 this year.
There are now 39 players on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster.
Cotton, who turns 24 in January, saw time at four different levels in 2015. He was 5-2 with a 2.30 ERA for Double-A Tulsa before earning a promotion to Triple-A Oklahoma City in August, where he made five relief appearances and allowed four runs.
In four Arizona Fall League starts for the Glendale Desert Dogs, Cotton pitched 10 ⅔ innings with a 3.38 ERA.
Stripling had Tommy John surgery in April 2014 and didn’t return to the mound until June 14. He went on to make 13 starts for Double-A Tulsa, posting a 3.38 ERA in 67 ⅓ innings.
Neither pitcher is expected to play Winter baseball.
Andres Santiago and Jharel Cotton are not generally ranked among the top 10 prospects in the Dodgers’ organization. Fact is, unless you’re a prospect wonk, or you’ve been to baseball games in Chattanooga or Rancho Cucamonga this season, you probably haven’t heard of them.
After reading this, you might not hear from either pitcher again.
But in 2014 Santiago and Cotton did something few minor-league pitchers do — or even get the chance to do.
The two ranked first and second on Baseball America’s list of the best minor-league starts of 2014. Both authored complete-game shutouts this season: Santiago tossed a no-hitter for Double-A Chatanooga seven days ago and Cotton threw a two-hit shutout for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on July 29.
Santiago, 24, was a 16th-round draft pick out of Puerto Rico in 2007. Take away the no-hitter, and he had a 4.80 ERA (which is about a full run above the Southern League average ERA of 3.85).
Cotton, 22, was a 20th-round draft pick out of Eastern Carolina University in 2012. Take away the shutout, and he had a 4.36 ERA for the season (which is still below the California League average ERA of 4.62).
Here’s more from Matt Eddy’s piece:
Continue reading “Baseball America picks two Dodgers prospects for best pitching performances of 2014.” »