Yikes, Dodgers go young: Call up Dee Gordon, keep Jerry Sands as Jay Gibbons, Juan Castro designated for assignment

Even as the Dodgers activated two players older than 30 Monday, they managed to get younger with a series of stunning moves.

Suddenly, this is not the same Dodgers organization you’ve known the last two seasons. Kids were everywhere.

On Monday the Dodgers elected to keep rookie outfielder Jerry Sands and designate veteran Jay Gibbons for assignment, while calling up shortstop prospect Dee Gordon and also designating veteran infielder Juan Castro.

Busy on the roster front, as expected they also activated infielder Juan Uribe, outfielder Marcus Thames and reliever Blake Hawksworth.

Then they optioned infielder Ivan De Jesus Jr.and right-hander John Ely back to triple-A.

If you were screaming for the Dodgers to go with youth, Monday was your big day.

Gordon has been one of their top prospects for the last couple of years. The rail-thin infielder has zero power but is lightning fast. At triple-A Albuquerque, he was batting .315 with 22 steals in 25 attempts. His glove work, however has been suspect.

Still, the Dodgers did not bring Gordon up to sit him. With Rafael Furcal again on the disabled list, he figures to see his share of starting time at shortstop. Monday against the Phillies, however, they continued to start Jamey Carroll at short and Aaron Miles at second.

Uribe was back in the lineup at second, Thames in left (and batting third) and Sands in right for Andre Ethier against the left-handed Cliff Lee.

The Dodgers had agonized over whether to return Sands to Albuquerque. Sands has not been the sensation some hoped for but has shown promise (.210 average, two homers, 17 RBI, 10 doubles in 119 at-bats) and now figures to get a prolonged chance to stick.

After a comeback year at Albuquerque in 2010, Gibbons, 34, struggled with vision problems this year. He was hitting .255 with one homer and five RBI in 55 at-bats.

Castro, who turns 39 later this month, had two hits in 14 at-bats and was an emergency fill-in. He was reliable with the glove and a classy guy to have in the clubhouse, but this may end his career.

-- Steve Dilbeck

Photo: Dodgers rookie Jerry Sands in congratulated by third baseman Casey Blake after throwing out a Cubs baserunner earlier this season. Credit: Charles Cherney / Associated Press

Comments

[k]

This is good on some level, but it also sounds like they're getting ready to be sellers. Now maybe it's time for Loney to pull a reverse Rick Ankiel and reinvent himself as a pitcher. He once was, you know.

[Casey]

Now Mattingly is saying Gordon will be the starting SS? Bold, but with Uribe coming back, too, this likely means that Carroll will return to the bench, and he's been one of the team's only productive bats and a great tablesetter so far.

[Native Angeleno]

Whaddaya know, Ned had a strong cup of joe this a.m.

As to them now being sellers, not while McCourt still has a foot in the door. If they traded a bunch of cheap, affordable, guys for someone who they'd have to pay more for, McCourt wouldn't be able to make payroll in a week, if he's able with the cheap guys he has now.

Once McCourt is kicked out, look out, the promising Dodger youth may be shipped out by Ned in another of his spectacular moves, i.e., bringing back Aundrw, trying to impress the next New Owner with his baseball acumen.

[16blows]

This indicates the dudgers have cried 'UNCLE' and realize they're DOA in 2011.

Good.

Reality bites but trying to keep the old jalopy running with 'Stop Leak' is just ignoring the inevitable.

________

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gordon has the speed of Juan Pierre, the range of a Land Rover, the hands of a butcher and the arm of hammer... he'll make the old E6 even more exciting than furcal has his time in LA.

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sluggo sands - a vote of confidence for you/the man... keep the 'K's below a Mark Reynolds and kemp measure, and keep showing flashes of the power that lies within you, and gain a foothold.

I still think sluggo should play 1st base (gywnn starting in LF for his defense & catalyst possibilities/speed the base paths), because ss isn't naturally fluid enough & looks too mechanical in the OF, but... que sera sera.

*
dejesus must be puzzled... back to AAA he goes. He never really impressed me/looks like a career backup to me, but then he hasn't yet had much of a chance to succeed (or fail.)

All considered, it will be at least more interesting watching the dudgers if not necessarily any better results doth result.

Personally, I think ned hears footsteps (those of his unemployment check coming)...

[RunsWithScissors]

Now that Gordon is up, the Dodger farm system is pretty much depleted. Other than De Jesus and Robinson, there is absolutely zero talent ready to come up to the bigs, except for pitching.

Other than Dee Gordon, the Dodgers have not drafted a position player with their #1 pick in 10 years. How dumb is that? Jerry Sands is a 25th round pick; he started last season in lower Class A ball. He would not be in the majors if he belonged to any other team other than the cash strapped and desperate Dodgers.

Looking south down the freeway, it's pretty amazing what the Angels have done at the minor league level. They have 6 potentially excellent players (and possible All-Stars) in Kendricks, Aybar, Izturis, Trumbo, Morales, and Bourgos , all who came up through the Angels farm system.

Simply put, the Angels are following the developmental template that the Dodgers were known for decades ago.

[Joe Shmegly]

Sounds like Frank is trying to cutt payroll some more to make the next pay period. Even nickel and dimes like Gibbons and Castro.

[realistic_dodger_fan]

What Dee Gordon was a 4th round draft pick...the last player drafted position wise #1 was Loney

[Los Doyers]

Screw it! Play the kids, see how they respond on the big stage, bright lights... Maybe they win, maybe they lose, sink or swim... I dont expect much from this years club, Ive seen exactly what I thought they would be, mediocre at best! Kemp, Either, Kershaw, Carroll have carried the team so far, everyone else has underperformed.

[Labeldude]

"Castro, who turns 39 later this month, had two hits in 14 at-bats and was an emergency fill-in. He was reliable with the glove and a classy guy to have in the clubhouse, but this may end his career."... until Ned signs him again during the offseason (Ned likes players he's familiar with.)

[Joe the Plumber]

Good overall moves!

[RunsWithScissors]

@realistic_dodger_fan: You're right, Loney was the #1, not Gordon. Perhaps I've been trying to forget about Loney....

[HI Dodger Fan]

Sorry, these moves make no sense to me. Carroll has been a savior for us and now he just gets benched? Gibbons was coming around and was our only lefty power on the current roster (until Ethier gets his stroke back to pre-streak days) and he gets dumped? Our bench is a bunch of punch and judy slappers: Carroll, Miles, Gwynn, Navarro and Sands. Thames will be on the bench a lot as well but he is right-handed. Since Navarro is the back-up catcher, whenever Donnie needs a lefty bat, he will see only Miles and Gwynn. Not a pretty sight.

[Abort McCourt]

What do the Dodgers have to lose. McCourt hasn't exactly filled the roster with talented everyday guys.
http://abortmccourt.blogspot.com/

[Jim]

Re: Joe Shmegly

Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. Gibbons and Castro still get paid. A combined 1.18M for nothing. Add in another 800K for Cormier. There's 2M down the drain on players that should have never been signed in the first place. Plus, they stuck with Gibbons and let XPaul go for nothing. Ned is a baffoon.

[N.P.Krohn]

If they don't contribute they gain some experience and we finish middle of the pack in the west. If they do we compete and their confidence soars maybe pushing them over the top into real Major leaguers. We don't play them we have no idea what they are capable of and we finish middle of the pack. Win win.

[Joe Shmegly]

RE: Jim

Yea, your right. XPaul should've been given the LF job from day one anyways, he deserved a chance. Dude looked like he could have been a left handed light Matt Kemp. Instead, we just waste more young dudes for old ones and end up with nothing.

[Mark]

Colletti needs to go OUT the door with McCourt- FAST
This buffoon dumped Xavier Paul for big-nose, ex-roider Jay Gibbons and look now?? I was never a fan of Gibbons but, I knew we should have kept XPaul-like some of the other folks have posted. Xavier is hitting over .300 with the Pirates! McCourt and Colletti have left this team and franchise in shambles. Colletti still holds allegiance to the Giants when he stated that he cried in joy when the Giants won the WS last year. If McCourt had any guts he would have fired Colletti and hired Kim Ng in the offseason after Colletti made that short-sighted statement.

MLB seize the franchise NOW! This nightmare needs to end.

[bleednblue]

You didn't have to be a rocket scientist to see this coming! REBUILD SEASON! As I said it before, "LET THE KIDS PLAY!" It's obvious that Frucal will not be coming back next year, as well as Blake, Thames, Miles, Garland, Padilla, and Kuroda. And don't be surprised if you don't see Broxton and Loney in a Dodger uniform as well, this will free up about 45 million! With Loney gone, Sands will play First Base, and this will make room to bring up Trayvon Robinson to play the Outfield with Kemp and Ethier. Gordon at Short, Uribe at Third, and I am sure DeJesus will get another chance to prove himself at Second Base. Barajas will share the catching duties with Navarro. Starting Pitching will be Kershaw, Billingsley, Lilly, and DeLaRosa. With at least 45 million off the books, you would think we can get another decent starting pitcher. GET USED TO IT PEOPLE, THIS IS ONLY THE BEGANNING!

[NorCal Dodger]

Thank you Dodgers for mixing things up and giving the young guys a real chance. Play them all year, win or lose, to show us fans there really may be some light at the end of the tunnel even if it takes another year to get there.

[Kevin Davis]

Bleednblue: I concur. If the Dodgers go on a selling spree I wonder if the Dodgers would get rid of Uribe. I have had doubts about him since he came to LA. I also wonder if Ethier might go onto the trading block as well. I do hope that they give Ellis a chance and bring him back up. He was hitting better than both Barajas and Navaro when he was sent down. If nothing else, he can't do much worse. I am curious as to who will be available during the next off-season free agent signings. Perhaps the economy will force down some of the signing salaries. Anyway, have a great day!

[Kevin Davis]

Just a thought on Castro and Gibbons. It might be interesting to see if neither one are picked up by any other team. If not, I would suggest to all that both Castro and Gibbons go back to AAA. If that occurs, and Sands doesn't work out, either Gibbons, both, or others are brought up. As we can all see, this is a rebuilding year. Time to have some fun with the roster. Have a great day:)

[DodgersKings323]

If i didn't know any better i'd say the team is finally reading internet blogs or at least reading the comments on Dodgers.com. Too little too late, i'd bet $50 Frank and Ned are on their way out.