August 25, 2012: The Trade

                            In March of 2012, much to the delight of Dodger fans everywhere, Frank McCourt agreed to sell the Dodgers to Guggenheim Baseball Management for the sum of 2.15 billion dollars. At the time, the highest amount ever paid for a professional sports team at the time. McCourt also agreed to sell the land surrounding the stadium for an additional 150 million to the same group. He would retain some economic interest in the property. According to Guggenheim, he would have no control or influence over the land but could profit from the potential development of it. Also, they agreed to pay 14 million to rent the parking lots around the stadium from an entity half owned by McCourt. 

                                The sale officially closed on May 1, 2012, ending McCourt’s turbulent era as the Dodgers owner. Ownership left most of the baseball people they inherited in their positions. Colletti was still the GM and Don Mattingly continued as manager. The day they took over the team, they were in first place by 4 games.

                           They beat the Rockies that day 7-6 behind Ted Lilley. One of the things the new owners pledged was to always try to field a championship caliber team.  Magic Johnson, Laker legend was one of the new owners and he was seen several times at Dodger games after the sale. 

                               It was only natural for the group to sit back and evaluate personnel after the sale before making any changes or suggestions. But one thing was for sure. Colletti would not have to worry too much about adding salary or getting rid of it. This group had plenty of financial clout. 

                               There were several home-grown stars and players on the team, Kershaw, Loney, Gordon, Kemp, Gwynn, Van Slyke, DeJesus, Eovaldi, Lilly, who had been drafted, then traded and the reacquired, and Kenley Jansen. There were some veterans who had been signed or picked up off of waivers. But they were playing well. 

                               Around the 11th of June, the wheels began to fall off of the wagon. From that date to the end of the month, the team went 4-14 and went from 4.5 games in front, to 1 game back. At the end of July, they were still one game out of first. The June draft, conducted by Logan White, netted them some players who would spend some time with the team, Seager, Paco Rodriguez, Ross Stripling, Onecki Garcia, Daniel Coulombe. A couple others would later be used in trades, Cotton, Sweeney. 

                             On June 12th, they dipped into the international market and signed a young Cuban player named Yasiel Puig. On the 25th of July, Colletti pulled the trigger on his first trade. He sent Eovaldi and a minor leaguer to the Marlins for SS Hanley Ramirez and LHRP, Randy Choate. He then traded two minor leaguers to the Mariners on the 30th for reliever Brandon League. At the deadline he made yet another trade. This time he sent Josh Lindblom, Ethan Martin and minor leaguer to the Phillies for Shane Victorino. 

                              With the September 1 deadline for roster additions that would be eligible for the playoffs, on the 25th of August, the Dodgers were 11-9 for the month and two games out of first place. Colletti got the ok from ownership and pulled the trigger on a blockbuster. The Dodgers sent, James Loney, Ivan DeJesus, Allen Webster and two players to be named later, (Rubby De La Rosa, Jerry Sands), to the Red Sox for Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto and cash.

Nick Punto

                               Crawford was injured and would not play until 2013. Punto was light hitting good glove man, but LA fans fell in love with the guy, especially, Danny DeVito, who was seen often at the Stadium wearing a Punto jersey. Beckett was brought in to bolster the starting staff. A former WS MVP with the Marlins in 2003, he started 7 games and went 2-3. Gonzalez was brought in for two reasons. He was a power hitting RBI machine, and he was Hispanic. He had spent a little under two full seasons in Boston and hit over .300. 

                                But he gave the Dodgers something they had not had in quite a while, a star who would appeal to their large Hispanic fan base. Gonzalez made his debut as a Dodger at Dodger Stadium on the 25th and did not disappoint. In a game started by Clayton Kershaw, with 2 on in the first inning and Josh Johnson of the Marlins, he hit a 3-run homer into the right field seats. Ethier and Mark Ellis also homered in an 8-2 Dodger win. 

                               It did not help though as the Dodgers would lose 12 of their next 16 games and fall out of the race. They would finish 8 games back in second place and miss the playoffs. They have not missed another since. That trade was a precursor to the best decade in Dodger history.

                              Critiquing the trade, it breaks down like this. On the surface, it is a Dodger win, big time. But as with all trades, you have to look beyond the players received. DeJesus only played 8 games for Boston and that winter he and Jerry Sands were packaged with Mark Melancon and a minor leaguer and traded to Pittsburgh for Brock Holt, and Joel Hanrahan. Holt would spend 7 years with Boston and was a member of the 2018 team that beat the Dodgers in the World Series. Sands never played a game for Pittsburgh. Hanrahan was gone after 9 games with the Sox. 

                          James Loney, who was probably traded because he was a free agent at the end of 2012, left the Red Sox after the season and signed with the Rays. He was part of a playoff run with the Rays in 2013. Webster pitched in 19 games over 2 years for the Sox, starting 18 of them. He was then traded to the D-Backs along with Rubby De La Rosa and a minor leaguer for Wade Miley. De La Rosa played in 30 games for the Sox before the trade. The trade for Boston was pure and simple, a salary dump.

                        Beckett over his three years with LA was ok. He did have a no-hitter in 2014 against the Phillies in Philadelphia. Kersh would get his against the Rockies later. Beckett was injured and out most of 2013 when LA made its first serious run at the World Series, only to lose the NLCS to the Cardinals. 

                          Crawford was injured a lot; he did not play at all for LA in 2012. He played 116 games in 13. He hit .283. He played 105 games in 2014. He hit .300 and stole 23 bases. Injured most of the year in 2015. He played 69 games and hit .265. Unable to trade him, and with well over 40 million owed to him, the Dodgers released him on June 13th, 2016. 

                           Punto also played only one more year in LA. He was a valuable utility player. He played in 116 games and hit 2 homers. He batted .255, which was 10 points higher than his career average. He left as a free agent after the season. 

                           Adrian Gonzalez was the jewel of the deal for the Dodgers. Adrian spent 6 years with LA. He hit .280, OPS was .793. He had 101 homers, but more importantly, he drove in 448. He was as Vin said, the Dodgers butter and egg man. In his last year, injuries hampered his production, and he went on the IL. Forced to make a move, the Dodgers brought up Cody Bellinger, and the kid just kept on hitting. He would earn the ROY that year. After the season, the Dodgers, in a salary dump of their own, sent Gonzalez, Culberson, McCarthy and Kazmir to the Braves, and brought back old favorite, Matt Kemp, who would have an inspired first half and help LA get to the World Series. Matt would hit the Dodgers first homer of the series in a game one loss. 

                             Guggenheim is now Guggenheim Partners. Mark Walter is the CEO. Freidman is still the President of Baseball Ops, and Stan Kasten, despite the wishes of some fans, is still the President of the team. There have been some additions to the ownership group, including tennis legend Billy Jean King. But the focus is still winning the big one. They really feel like they need a full season Championship to validate their statement that they wanted multiple titles. Fans really want this too. If for no other reason than to quit having to hear that the 2020 title is not legit. 

                                                                                          Minor League Scores:

                     Great Lakes won their game, 15-3. Copen went 5 innings and got his 3rd win. He gave up 2 runs and struck out 5. DePaula went 2-4 and drove in 3 runs. Newell hit his 23rd homer. Gelof had 3 hits, drove in 2. One of his hits was a homer. Campbell also had 2 hits. Tulsa lost 5-2. Ramos had 3 hits and an RBI. Wepf took the loss as he gave up 4 to Springfield in the top of the 9th. OKC beat El Paso 7-6 in 10 innings. Gauthier drove in the winning run on a fielder’s choice. Lipcius was 3-5, Trejo, 3-5 with an RBI. Gauthier drove in 3, Davis was 2-5 with 2 driven in. Choi went 5 and gave up 5. He struck out 4 and walked 1. Dreyer got the win with 2 innings of scoreless relief. Rancho beat San Jose, 4-3. George had 2 hits and scored a run. Osorio also had 2 hits, one being his second homer. Gutierrez got the win with 5.2 innings of relief. He struck out 9. And Cabrera got his first save.