Dodgers Rumors: Alex Guerrero Remains Trade Candidate
Once all the Ts were crossed and Is were dotted Thursday afternoon, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ trades with the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins officially hauled in seven players — Bronson Arroyo, Luis Avilan, Jim Johnson, Mat Latos, Michael Morse, Jose Peraza and Alex Wood.
Major League Baseball guidelines stipulate any necessary 40-man roster moves be completed once a trade is finalized, which forced the Dodgers to designate Brandon Beachy, Chris Heisey, Morse and Chin-hui Tsao for assignment. Additionally, Chris Hatcher was transferred to the 60-day disabled list.
Issues still remain with regard to the 25-man active roster, however. According to ESPN’s Mark Saxon, one solution to freeing up a roster spot the Dodgers continue to pursue is trading Alex Guerrero:
Sounds like the #Dodgers still trying to trade Alex Guerrero to clear room on the 25-man roster for acquisitions. Milwaukee a possibility
— Mark Saxon (@markasaxon) July 31, 2015
Prior to the Dodgers addressing their starting pitching need in the complex trade, it was previously reported Guerrero was being shopped in search of a pitcher.
With Justin Turner still unable to play Wednesday, Guerrero made his first start at third base since May 24; overall it was his first start since July 10. It’s been an unceremonious decline for the Cuban native since he impressed in Spring Training and April.
Guerrero batted .423/.429/.1.077 with five home runs and 13 RBIs over 28 plate appearances in 13 games during the first month of the season. His production and playing time have since dropped off.
The 28-year-old left fielder/third baseman is hitting .241/.265/.481 with 10 home runs and 30 RBIs on the season, but just .063/.063/.063 in the last 28 days and .167/.167/.167 over the last 14 days. Despite the slump, Guerrero’s best skill set remains his bat, which has led to many believing he’s best suited as a designated hitter in the American League.
Having recently traded Carlos Gomez to the Houston Astros, the Milwaukee Brewers also have an agreement in place to trade Gerardo Parra to the Baltimore Orioles. That conceivably frees up a spot in left field for Guerrero, though the Brewers’ first activity in the trade market was dealing third baseman Aramis Ramirez to the Pittsburgh Pirates, which could make Guerrero necessary at the hot corner in Milwaukee.
The Dodgers’ ability to move Guerrero figures to face some difficulty given his contract contains a clause that allows him to opt out after the season concludes in which he was traded. However, it’s believed Guerrero would be willing to waive the clause if financially incentivized and it leads to more playing time. He has $10 million over two years remaining on his deal after the 2015 season.
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