Editorials

Breaking Down Trading Juan Uribe And Chris Withrow For Spare Parts



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Juan Uribe for Alberto Callaspo is a really bad trade. Uribe is better defensively, he’s better offensively and he’s definitely better for the clubhouse. Thank goodness the Los Angeles Dodgers didn’t trade Uribe for Callaspo, then.

While many are reporting the trade as if that’s the summary, the reality is that the Dodgers traded Uribe for some financial relief and a pair of relievers while taking on Callaspo’s contract to make the money (sorta) work. 

The full trade has the Dodgers sending Uribe and Chris Withrow to Atlanta in exchange for Callaspo, Juan Jaime, Eric Stults (who the Dodgers have already designated for assignment) and Ian Thomas.

In looking at the personal side of the move, it sucks. Uribe was clearly one of the best guys in the clubhouse, a mentor to young players like Yasiel Puig and both a fan and reporter favorite as well.

On the baseball side, however, the deal is a picture of practicality.

Uribe began the season as the team’s starting third baseman, but has quietly slid down to No. 3 on the depth chart behind Alex Guerrero and Justin Turner. While Uribe is easily the best defender of the three, he has become the weakest hitter of the group — in 81 at-bats, he has a slash line of just .247/.287/.309.

So on paper, this trade makes sense — the Dodgers traded a 36-year-old free-agent-to-be making $6.5 million this season (who wasn’t playing) and a reliever recovering from major arm surgery for a some pitching they might be able to get something out of. (Strong emphasis on “might”)

CONTINUE READING: Breaking Down The Dodgers’ Return

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19 Comments

  1. I think it was a poor trade. I’d venture to say the value he brings to the fans and the culture in the clubhouse is worth more than any savings they’ll see by shifting his salary over to the Braves. I’m generally very pragmatic about these sorts of things and understand it’s all about making it to the championship but… this one was a mistake. They should have let him finish his days out as a Dodger.

    There are few players these days that garner everyone’s admiration and respect despite not having top split stats. However, Uribe is one of them. Good luck, Uribe. You’ll always be a favorite Dodger of mine despite what uniform you wear or have worn.

  2. This trade is a disaster on ALL fronts, especially on “the baseball side”. You totally discount that Withrow is needed more and is more talented that the rest of the involved players combined. Before his elbow injury early last year, the 100-MPH reliever had established himself as the number one set-up guy and a future star closer. This will haunt the Dodgers for years to come. This is what I wrote yesterday before the dumped Stults: http://thehounddawgsportsblog.com/2015/05/27/uribe-trade-is-shear-idiocy/

    1. Withrow was at risk of losing his spot on the 40 man roster. I agree they should have gotten more for him, but he’s coming off TJ AND back surgery, very serious injuries. Who knows if he’ll break 95? I’m betting he will one day, but that won’t be this year.

  3. I guess I have to be the warm fuzzy here. I loved the trade. I hated when they brought in Uribe and as far as I’m concerned, he had one good year, and I will always be appreciative of his one big hit. Is that enough to keep him on the roster? Not even close. You say he’s a clubhouse guy. True, but how much of a clubhouse guy can he be when he is unhappy. If Puig, Ryu, and others can’t carry on without him, then they shouldn’t be in a professional environment. These things happen all the time.

    This trade is addition by subtraction. Withrow, as far as I’m concerned was the biggest hit. However, the Braves are taking all of the risk. Not only is he recovering from Tommy John, but he also had back surgery.

    This trade’s point was to clear salary, get some possible relief depth, and free a spot for Hector Olivera when he is ready to play. Stults is gone and Callaspo won’t last till the end of June. Its so funny how everyone is all of a sudden an armchair GM. I would trust the moves of the Dodgers brain trust any day. Patience Dodger Nation… patience.

    1. So I’m not the only one that remembers him saying he wanted to play everyday? I am glad I didn’t just image this. Where is the report on that? I mean really when you say you want to play every day and your not even 2nd string there has to be a little bit of tension in the club house. He is a vet holding down the younger guys. He should have made the most out of the at bats he got. if he did, he would still be a dodger.

      it takes care of things and its easily played off as trying to get better pitching.

      1. All players wants to play everyday. Doesn’t mean he was bad for the clubhouse. You are assuming that. That being said, the trade makes sense for both teams financially and on a baseball level.

        1. Diagree Dave…was a salary dump….makes no sense on a baseball level because they immediately DFA’d Stults. Callaspo plays multiple positions, but is not needed at all. all the trade did was help the Braves dump guys they did not want. None of the pitchers they got are going to help anytime soon…..

          1. We made room for Hector Olivera. Dude will be a much bigger contributor than Uribe.

            Also, sitting Uribe as a 4th tier third baseman would have been doing him a disservice. We are a classy organization that knows how to treat players right, even if it means letting one of our benched guys get more playing time somewhere else, or tipping our hats to an opponent who made a great catch.

            Very classy move by the Dodgers, and can’t wait to see what Olivera gives us.

          2. I agree it was the right move, but they got GARBAGE back. Of course I did not expect first round draft picks either.,….

          3. We’ve been pleasantly surprised about some of the other head scratching off season pickups. Hope this turns out that way. It doesn’t make much sense to me sitting here in NC, but one thing is for sure…the guys that put the trade together know a helluva lot more about baseball than I do…I sure hope whatever positive they saw in our return works out.

        2. I’m not assuming anything. He said he wanted to play everyday he wasn’t going to get that chance. He wasn’t happy. They traded him because of that its pretty clear. I wouldn’t want someone who went out of his way to say he wasn’t happy not playing everyday in my clubhouse. If he was happy with what he was doing then why did he tell reporters otherwise. He has no one to blame but himself for them trading him. If it wasn’t causing problems ok, but down the road it could. The young guys didn’t need to be looking over their shoulder. I’m telling you he brought this down on himself.

      2. He was a stabilizing influence for the young Latin players on the team…he was in no way a club house cancer and anyone who thinks differently is a moron….And he was not holding back anyone….he took his benching like a pro…

        1. Really? then why did he say publicly he wanted to play everyday? If your going to be a “stabilizing influence” then DO IT! don’t open your big mouth and cry about your playing time. you don’t know what goes on in the club house. The fact is he wasn’t going to get the playing time that he wanted and with what happen last year. Management didn’t want it again.

          1. Well in my opinion, you are looking at it in the wrong light. Juan was very professional about it. Even Mattingly talked about his taking the benching and understanding why it happened. And to tell the truth, I would be offended if the guy did not want to play every day. He was loved and RESPECTED by his team mates, and he was a stabilizing influence. All you need to do to know that is read what his fellow players wrote about his leaving. All of us as fans know little to nothing about what goes on in the club house unless it goes public. And what you are referring to last year is Matt Kemp, a player with much more talent and one who was a pretty large part of what the team was. This FO was not even here last year. Juan never went on TV and said play me or trade me. When he played, he always played hard. Now was he having a good year, no. so yeah the trade makes sense. But don’t blast a guy for something that he really did not do.

          2. I’m not saying he was a bad guy I’m not even saying that it could have got to that point(if he was the great person everyone says he was) but he said it out loud to reporters your young players know a Vet wants playing time it had to be hard on them if he was really a role model like they are saying. I wouldn’t want to stop someone I looked up to from playing.

            I wasn’t talking about Matt Kemp BTW. I was talking about Either! The one that was actually sitting the most. They couldn’t trade him because of the money. No one wanted him. I’m guessing they got rid of Matt because of Joc. I was a little shocked by that but hey Joc turned out to be a good fit.

          3. Com’on Chris, He’s not crying if he’s asked a question about what he would like, he’s a grown man, answering an adult question, Eithier said the same thing. he doesn’t need to apologize for answering a question. I wonder if you were bumped at your job for a recent college grad would you be saying the same thing whether you kept your mouth shut or not… “a closed mouth doesn’t get fed” He earned the right to be considered.. Besides, This new Mgt group is going to frustrate a lot of us before it all over with . Saber-metrics and throw real baseball sense out the window.SMH.. Oh Well . The effects of the off-season trades will not show until this season is over.. I personally wish they would stop with Mobile Mash unit pick-ups, Too many broken /spare parts

  4. The guys in the front office know what they’re doing even if, at times, it doesn’t seem to be so. Anybody crying over Matt Kemp’s departure has finally shut up about that one. Withrow, of course, could be terrific but hard throwing relievers come and go faster than the rest of ’em. Relax.

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