Dodgers add veteran catcher Rod Barajas [Updated]
The Dodgers reinforced their thin catching corps Sunday by acquiring Rod Barajas from the New York Mets for cash considerations.
A 12-year veteran from Santa Fe Springs, Barajas was hitting .225 with 12 home runs and 34 RBIs for the Mets. He's a career .237 hitter who will turn 35 next month.
With Russell Martin out for the season, the Dodgers have been splitting time behind the plate between rookie A.J. Ellis and 41-year-old Brad Ausmus. The pair is hitting just .183 combined.
[Updated at 2:05 p.m.: Barajas is scheduled Tuesday to join the Dodgers in Milwaukee, at which time they plan to send Ellis back to triple-A Albuquerque. Dodgers Manager Joe Torre said Ellis would then be called back up when rosters can expand Sept. 1.
In another roster move prior to Sunday's game, the Dodgers activated right-hander Jeff Weaver from the disabled list. Weaver had gone on the DL on Aug. 3 with left knee tendinitis.
To make room for Weaver, the Dodgers placed reliever Travis Schlichting on the DL with a sore right shoulder. Schlichting appeared in one game since being called up Thursday, allowing a pair of runs in two-thirds of an inning Saturday.]
-- Kevin Baxter and Steve Dilbeck
Who cares?
.
Vin Scully is coming back in 2011!
Posted by: Sell the Dodgers---PLEASE---Committee | 08/22/2010 at 10:06 AM
Who or what did the Dodgers give up? And don't tell me "I don't know, he's on third."
Posted by: KoufaxFan | 08/22/2010 at 10:42 AM
Anybody is an improvement. He even has more homers than Martin and he can't be any worse defensively.
Posted by: Since '58 | 08/22/2010 at 10:53 AM
So,the Dodgers finally figured out that Ellis can't even make it as a back up catcher.
Posted by: LA42 | 08/22/2010 at 11:50 AM
Can he throw out runners? That's what I want to know. Since Martin went out, I don't think Ellis and Ausmus have thrown out anybody.
Posted by: kjp | 08/22/2010 at 12:24 PM
He was claimed on waivers - the Dodgers didn't give up anything, other than taking on his salary.
Posted by: Stu B | 08/22/2010 at 12:52 PM
What Barajas offers is this: Mets pitchers have the 6th-best ERA in MLB, at 3.62, with Barajas behind the plate for 74 games. Dodgers pitchers have the 15th-best ERA, at 3.98, although the two teams basically have identical records around .500...
Posted by: Stu B | 08/22/2010 at 01:25 PM
Barajas is a good catcher with pop. He used to have a cannon and it is still an able arm but he is not particularly mobile behind the plate, especially coming off an injury which could hurt us with how wild Dodger pitchers have been. All in all a definite upgrade, just bummed Ellis never got a chance. Think he would make a solid major league backstop.
Posted by: N.P.Krohn | 08/22/2010 at 03:12 PM
Why not DL Broxton? Looks to me like he has a sore right shoulder.
Anybody else think Big Brox can get his ERA over 5.00 before season's end? I think it's doable.
Go, Whale!
Posted by: kjp | 08/22/2010 at 04:26 PM
Well, they gave up "cash considerations". RB is only 4/27 in throwing out runners & he does have 12 HR's, but a less than exciting .223 BA & he's 34 years of age!
Hey Dread, how do those catching prospects look to you now !
This is at best, an okay move since they onlky had to cough up a little change, but this team is going nowhere, that any of these 5 guys he's gotten of late, can do anything about!
Posted by: Dallas | 08/22/2010 at 04:52 PM
Good point Dallas - the Mets put Barajas on waivers because they're around .500 and going nowhere, and a team that's also around .500 and going nowhere picked him up - the Dodgers. However, you Dodger fans would have loved his signature moment as a Met, in a game I saw at Citi Field on May 7th - he drilled a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 10th to beat the Giants.
Posted by: Stu B | 08/22/2010 at 05:59 PM
Good point Dallas. The Mets put Barajas on waivers because they're around .500 and going nowhere, and he was picked up by another team around .500 and going nowhere - the Dodgers. But you Dodger fans would have loved his signature moment as a Met. In a game I saw at Citi Field on May 7th, Barajas drilled a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 10th to beat the Giants.
Posted by: Stu B | 08/22/2010 at 08:33 PM
WOW!!!.......who would've ever thought that this dude, "Bad Rojas" (?or whatever his name is?), would be the "key" to the "dawgs" 2010 post-season run????
"confetti-4-brainz" Neva ceases to amaze.....
& must men-shun,too, that fine 3B prospect Bell recently homered twice in same game for O's.....
(while "dawgs" R stuck w/$hittie-$hirlie-$herrill)
Posted by: RingMyBell | 08/23/2010 at 03:47 AM
Obviously he is not an all star catcher. He is an upgrade from Ausmus and Ellis. They got him for almost nothing. He is not a big addition but can help. 12 homeruns and consistently in double figures for his career. Lets also be honest Martin hitting .248 with 5 Hr. before the injury not exactly an all-star either and he is getting paid a lot of money, Barajas cost a lot less than Martin.
Posted by: rob | 08/23/2010 at 09:48 AM
To the moron below me..
"Who cares?"
The guy just doubled twice and hit a three run home run.
Please don't spread your terrible sports-talk in other states. Theyre going to think all dodger fans are that ignorant.
Posted by: Adrian | 08/24/2010 at 07:21 PM