On July 12, with their record at 41-51, the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired Juan Rivera for cash. Rivera was a pending free agent. The Dodgers were 11 games back of a playoff spot. Most importantly, the organization didn't have any cash, save for a sack of buffalo nickels that Kevin Malone forgot to take out of his desk when he was fired. Trading for Rivera was a strange move.
Dodgers Re-Sign Juan Rivera
The Dodgers re-signed outfielder Juan Rivera.
Now we can see the endgame, though. They traded for Rivera so they could have a better chance at re-signing him. And that’s exactly what they did. From Jerry Crasnick:
Juan Rivera deal with #Dodgers. $4M in 2012 with $500,000 buyout, so it’s $4.5M guaranteed. There’s a $4M club option for 2013
Rivera hit .274/.333/.406 after coming over from the Blue Jays, which is essentially his career line, but with a penalty for hitting in Dodger Stadium. His upside is limited, but he's a known quantity that you've probably heard of.
Ned Colletti is not the most surprising GM in baseball.
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