Would the Dodgers have had to trade Alvarez eventually?

[Snuffy]

Hearing the Cardinal announcers getting excited over seeing Alvarez come to the plate - "We finally get to see him!  We've heard a lot about him...." - only to see him take a couple swings, smash a 2B, and then return to the bench after Straw comes in to run for him, it finally dawns on me that the Dodgers had no choice.

W/o a position, Alvarez was limited to a AB per game for the Dodgers.  They could have gotten much more for his bat had they waited, but Alvarez's value was limited in the NL team.

He is a force at the plate, but ultimately he is a one-dimensional player for now - the reason most of us hated the DH b/f the Astros moved to the AL.

[JimR]

Hearing the Cardinal announcers getting excited over seeing Alvarez come to the plate - "We finally get to see him!  We've heard a lot about him...." - only to see him take a couple swings, smash a 2B, and then return to the bench after Straw comes in to run for him, it finally dawns on me that the Dodgers had no choice.

W/o a position, Alvarez was limited to a AB per game for the Dodgers.  They could have gotten much more for his bat had they waited, but Alvarez's value was limited in the NL team.

He is a force at the plate, but ultimately he is a one-dimensional player for now - the reason most of us hated the DH b/f the Astros moved to the AL.

This is bs. He is a decent OFer, as we have seen in Houston, and as I saw in RR. He can and will play 1B. He played 1B in RR and did fine.Where the hell do you get these ideas? Are you new to baseball? One dimensional? Hell, no.

Álvarez was 16 or 17, 180 pounds, and had not yet played played a game for the Dodgers. They needed Fields, who was a MLB reliever who throws hard. This was a no-brainet for LA because they did not have an inkling of who he would become.

The answer to your question is no. Hell no.

[doyce7]

Hearing the Cardinal announcers getting excited over seeing Alvarez come to the plate - "We finally get to see him!  We've heard a lot about him...." - only to see him take a couple swings, smash a 2B, and then return to the bench after Straw comes in to run for him, it finally dawns on me that the Dodgers had no choice.

W/o a position, Alvarez was limited to a AB per game for the Dodgers.  They could have gotten much more for his bat had they waited, but Alvarez's value was limited in the NL team.

He is a force at the plate, but ultimately he is a one-dimensional player for now - the reason most of us hated the DH b/f the Astros moved to the AL.

Do you remember when the Astros had Berkman play CF? If you can hit, they will find a position for you

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[Mr. Happy]

Hearing the Cardinal announcers getting excited over seeing Alvarez come to the plate - "We finally get to see him!  We've heard a lot about him...." - only to see him take a couple swings, smash a 2B, and then return to the bench after Straw comes in to run for him, it finally dawns on me that the Dodgers had no choice.

W/o a position, Alvarez was limited to a AB per game for the Dodgers.  They could have gotten much more for his bat had they waited, but Alvarez's value was limited in the NL team.

He is a force at the plate, but ultimately he is a one-dimensional player for now - the reason most of us hated the DH b/f the Astros moved to the AL.

Nonsense.

[Snuffy]

This is bs. He is a decent OFer, as we had seen in Houston, and as I saw in RR. He can and will play 1B. He played 1B in RR and did fine.Where the hell do you get these ideas? Are you new to baseball? One dimensional? He’ll, no.

Álvarez was 16 or 17, 180 pounds, and had not yet played played a game for the Dodgers. They needed Fields, who was a MLB reliever who throws hard. This was a no-brained for LA because they did not have an inkling of who he would become.

The answer to your question is no. Hell no.

Great to hear eye witness testimony regarding his current & potential OF and 1B proficiency!  That is good news.   My question was based on a limited sample, having seen him handle a few innings in one game, as well as how he has been under utilized (so far) in an NL home game - the St. Louis series.

Thanks also for your take of LA's reason to want a present value of Field's FB to any future value of their fresh and certainly unknown/unproven signee.  That makes sense to me. 

Heck, tho they had been w/ the organization for some time, the Astros gave away JD Martinez and Laureano b/f their potential was fully realized and, until they showed more, they could not break in to 25-man roster, much less the lineup.  The Dodgers trade was based on scant information about Alvarez, obviously less than the Astros scouts had seen.

His ONLY AB last night reminded me why I hated the DH.  It's hard not to enjoy Alvarez as a DH.  (Tho I still get the haunting feeling from my younger self, that I am losing my baseball "virginity"}

I wonder if another former NL Astros fans also feel some minimal discomfort mixed with their joy of having Alvarez as an Astro DH.

Tks, JimR

[Snuffy]

Do you remember when the Astros had Berkman play CF? If you can hit, they will find a position for you

Great reminder!  Who can forget his fabulous catch on Tal's hill!!!
Did the work in the OF and at 1B did start in the minors b/f this year?  And, if so, why not?
Looking forward to him honing his defensive skills.
Thanks, Doyce7

[JimR]

Gave away JD Martinez? Surely you know that story. It has been written a million times.

Loreano? Ok, I give up.

[Mr. Happy]

Great to hear eye witness testimony regarding his current & potential OF and 1B proficiency!  That is good news.   My question was based on a limited sample, having seen him handle a few innings in one game, as well as how he has been under utilized (so far) in an NL home game - the St. Louis series.

Thanks also for your take of LA's reason to want a present value of Field's FB to any future value of their fresh and certainly unknown/unproven signee.  That makes sense to me. 

Heck, tho they had been w/ the organization for some time, the Astros gave away JD Martinez and Laureano b/f their potential was fully realized and, until they showed more, they could not break in to 25-man roster, much less the lineup.  The Dodgers trade was based on scant information about Alvarez, obviously less than the Astros scouts had seen.

His ONLY AB last night reminded me why I hated the DH.  It's hard not to enjoy Alvarez as a DH.  (Tho I still get the haunting feeling from my younger self, that I am losing my baseball "virginity"}

I wonder if another former NL Astros fans also feel some minimal discomfort mixed with their joy of having Alvarez as an Astro DH.

Tks, JimR

We didn't give J.D. Martinez away. The player he was was wasn't in the team's plans. To his credit, Martinez reworked his swing and became a superstar. Hard to predict.

[Snuffy]

Nonsense.

I hope I am wrong, but based on his one AB last night, more work is needed in the OF and/or 1B b/f we can see more than one AB from him at the home of an NL team.

[JimR]

Great reminder!  Who can forget his fabulous catch on Tal's hill!!!
Did the work in the OF and at 1B did start in the minors b/f this year?  And, if so, why not?
Looking forward to him honing his defensive skills.
Thanks, Doyce7

WTF are you talking about? Álvarez? Of course he played 1B and OF as he progressed through the minors. SMH, vigorously.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

I hope I am wrong, but based on his one AB last night, more work is needed in the OF and/or 1B b/f we can see more than one AB from him at the home of an NL team.

He played 2 games in a row at LF in Cincinnati last month. In NL ballparks Hinch might like having him as a pinch hit option for when the pitcher comes to the plate. It's not like he should be starting over Brantley, Springer, or Reddick at this point in his career. The way this team is constructed he is perfectly suited to DH in AL parks. Hinch will get him at bats.

[Snuffy]

Gave away JD Martinez? Surely you know that story. It has been written a million times.

Loreano? Ok, I give up.

Thot I summarized the story in the 2nd post - that he did not realize his potential, much less show it, until after the trade.  Until then, he had no hope of making the 25-man roster, much less start in the OF.  Possible Rule 5 draftee?

Same with Laureano, tho I believe his was also driven by being eligible for the Rule 5 draft and wanting something for him.

[doyce7]

Great to hear eye witness testimony regarding his current & potential OF and 1B proficiency!  That is good news.   My question was based on a limited sample, having seen him handle a few innings in one game, as well as how he has been under utilized (so far) in an NL home game - the St. Louis series.

Thanks also for your take of LA's reason to want a present value of Field's FB to any future value of their fresh and certainly unknown/unproven signee.  That makes sense to me. 

Heck, tho they had been w/ the organization for some time, the Astros gave away JD Martinez and Laureano b/f their potential was fully realized and, until they showed more, they could not break in to 25-man roster, much less the lineup.  The Dodgers trade was based on scant information about Alvarez, obviously less than the Astros scouts had seen.

His ONLY AB last night reminded me why I hated the DH.  It's hard not to enjoy Alvarez as a DH.  (Tho I still get the haunting feeling from my younger self, that I am losing my baseball "virginity"}

I wonder if another former NL Astros fans also feel some minimal discomfort mixed with their joy of having Alvarez as an Astro DH.

Tks, JimR

Go back and look at JD Martinez's stats as an Astro. He started out roughly league average in 2011 but got worse in 2012 and worse again in 2013. In spring of 2014 the Astros cut lose a 26 year old non prospect who went unclaimed. So nobody and I mean nobody saw what was about to happen coming.

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[JimR]

Thot I summarized the story in the 2nd post - that he did not realize his potential, much less show it, until after the trade.  Until then, he had no hope of making the 25-man roster, much less start in the OF.  Possible Rule 5 draftee?

Same with Laureano, tho I believe his was also driven by being eligible for the Rule 5 draft and wanting something for him.

Luhnow acknowledge his mistake with Martinez be not being patient enough.

Lauren o was blocked and was traded. Kudos to him for improving, but he still is blocked.

[doyce7]

He played 2 games in a row at LF in Cincinnati last month. In NL ballparks Hinch might like having him as a pinch hit option for when the pitcher comes to the plate. It's not like he should be starting over Brantley, Springer, or Reddick at this point in his career. The way this team is constructed he is perfectly suited to DH in AL parks. Hinch will get him at bats.

This. The only player of those 3 you could argue to replace with Alvarez is Reddick but do you really want Alvarez or Brantley in RF? Probably not

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[doyce7]

Lauren o was blocked and was traded. Kudos to him for improving, but he still is blocked.

Exactly! Is Laureano better than Springer? No. Is he better than Reddick? Maaaybe now but at that time, hell no. Can't keep everyone

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[Snuffy]

We didn't give J.D. Martinez away. The player he was was wasn't in the team's plans. To his credit, Martinez reworked his swing and became a superstar. Hard to predict.

Well said, Mr Happy, and true!  "Hard to predict." Indeed!
I don't recall Bo Porter being at least partially to blame for JD's struggles and his eventual release.  It is mentioned in this article

....at least one person familiar with the team’s thinking pointed to a particular incident from the year prior that might have expedited the fallout well before Martinez’s release, when then-manager Bo Porter pulled Martinez during a loss to the Mariners in April of 2013 and afterwards called him out publicly for a mental mistake at the plate. Instead of taking him aside privately, Martinez was subject to widespread ridicule....

The Rule 5 pressured the Laureano trade and Brandon Bailey is with Corpus Christi as a result.

Scrubb, received for White, was also Rule 5 eligible.  Hence, his move from the Dodgers.

TY, Mr. Happy - great login name - makes me think of this guy

[Snuffy]

Per this article:

Álvarez is scheduled to start Sunday's series finale in left field, but a more accurate representation of the Astros' full-strength lineup may not arrive until Tuesday's series opener against the Indians at Progressive Field.

Asked whether Álvarez would hit fifth or sixth in a full-strength lineup, Hinch gave a wry grin and only replied "one of those two." The manager intimated Yuli Gurriel — he of 15 home runs in his last 25 games — and Josh Reddick could both hit in the bottom third of the order.

[EasTexAstro]

TY, Mr. Happy - great login name - makes me think of this guy

He is so much more than that, but a good start.

[Mr. Happy]

He is so much more than that, but a good start.

Aw shucks, ETA. Thanks!!! I so value your friendship.

[Snuffy]

He is so much more than that, but a good start.

Aw shucks, ETA. Thanks!!! I so value your friendship.

Good stuff!
How old is your friendship? 
Did it start on OWA?

[Mr. Happy]

Aw shucks, ETA. Thanks!!! I so value your friendship.

Good stuff!
How old is your friendship? 
Did it start on OWA?

ETA and I have been personal friends for many years, despite that we live in different states. We speak periodically on the phone, and he actually hosted me in Houston for an OWA OD several years back. I buy tickets with the group every year, and it seems that my schedule falls apart at the end, and Mr. & Mrs. ETA get my tickets with my compliments. He doesn't come around as often as he used to, and I'm a little sad about that.

[EasTexAstro]

ETA and I have been personal friends for many years, despite that we live in different states. We speak periodically on the phone, and he actually hosted me in Houston for an OWA OD several years back. I buy tickets with the group every year, and it seems that my schedule falls apart at the end, and Mr. & Mrs. ETA get my tickets with my compliments. He doesn't come around as often as he used to, and I'm a little sad about that.

I am around, just little to say. There are good people here.

[Snuffy]

ETA and I have been personal friends for many years, despite that we live in different states. We speak periodically on the phone, and he actually hosted me in Houston for an OWA OD several years back. I buy tickets with the group every year, and it seems that my schedule falls apart at the end, and Mr. & Mrs. ETA get my tickets with my compliments. He doesn't come around as often as he used to, and I'm a little sad about that.

I am around, just little to say. There are good people here.

Not a surprise, since we are rooting for the good guys!
Thanks for sharing!  Great to hear - and see via posted tributes!