Right up against the deadline, The Dodgers have swung another trade, this one to improve their bullpen:
Dodgers Acquire Pirates Closer Octavio Dotel For
The 36 year old Octavio Dotel had a miserable start to the season and had an ERA over 10 at the end of April, but he's improved as time has gone on, with 48 strikeouts in 40 innings on the year. He'll slide into the Dodger bullpen behind Jonathan Broxton to pair with Hong-Chih Kuo as a setup man. It's worth noting that Dotel has a $4.5m club option for 2011.
In exchange for Dotel, the Dodgers paid a hefty price. McDonald is a 25 year old righty with 53 games of big league experience, mostly out of the bullpen. In the minors, though, he’s been a starter, and he features a low-90s fastball, a curve, and a change. With more than a strikeout per inning pitched in AAA, he’s got a shot at a career.
The bigger piece, though, is the other one. Rosenthal referred to a 'Lamb', but there is no Lamb in the Dodgers' system. There is a Lambo. Andrew Lambo, who a year ago was rated Baseball America's 49th best prospect in baseball. Andrew Lambo is a soon-to-be 22 year old outfielder who was repeating a level with AA Chattanooga. Though he hasn't hit in AA quite like he did in lower levels, he is laden with upside, and was one of the Dodgers' better prospects in the system. One concern is that he has twice tested positive for a drug of abuse, and was recently suspended. Still, he remains a very promising young player.
Check out more at True Blue LA and Bucs Dugout. The Dodgers got a little better in the short-term, but the Pirates gained two pretty good values in exchange for an aging reliever. That’s a very good deal for a rebuilding organization.
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