Coming in before the David Freese signing, the Dodgers first off-season transaction appears to be the trade on Thursday that sent left-hander Manny Banuelos to the Chicago for infielder Justin Yurchak. This is no doubt one of many off-season transactions to follow especially at the minor league level.
It also appears the Dodgers did not see a role on the team for the 27-year-old Banuelos who most likely would have opted for free agency if not kept on the Dodgers 40-man roster.
Yurchak was selected by the Chicago White Sox as a third baseman in the 12th round of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft out of SUNY Binghamton University.
He was born in Clifton park, New York and attended Shenendehowa High School in his home town. Following his graduation from high school he headed off the Wake Forest University. As a freshman the 6’1” /204-pound left-handed hitter played in 47 games. He hit .313 and posted an OBP of .424 with 5 homers and 30 runs batted in. His signature plate discipline was already on display as he walked 30 times while striking out only 22 times. He was named to the 2015 ACC All-Freshman Team.
Although he had a very successful year at Wake Forest he made a decision to transfer to SUNY Binghamton for the 2016 season. He felt that Wake Forest was not quite the right fit for him and Binghamton was a school much closer to home and he knew the coaches there from his high school days. The big catch was that he had to sit out one year before being eligible to play for the Bearcats. One would think the all practice; no play season would be very taxing for a youngster raring to get on the field. However, Yurchak made the best of the situation, watching, learning, cheer leading and practicing hard.
“Really, I was just as involved in those games as everyone else,” said Yurchak. “Some of the wins we had this past year were some of the most exciting games I’ve been a part of.”
Following his college season, with all of his game time spent on the bench, he signed up to play with the Bourne Braves of the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League competing against many top college players. As a 19-year-old he hit .295 while continuing to accumulate free passes by walking 25 times. An added bonus was that his grand-parents who live in Cape Cod came to many of his games. He was named a CCBL all-star and for the first time in his young career started to play first base. His all-star selection was unexpected.
“It was extremely humbling to be named one of the all-stars out here,” said Yurchak, a high school shortstop and college third baseman who spent his time with the Braves playing first base. “There’s so much talent out here that really everyone is deserving of making the all-star game.”
His 2017 college season with Binghamton caught the attention of MLB scouts as he posted a triple slash of .320/.474/.442 in almost 200 trips to the plate. He walked 41 times and only struck out in 12 plate appearances. Yurchak spoke about the upcoming draft and was unsure if the would be selected.
“Yeah, it was kind of a tough situation because it’s in the midst of your school season and you’re trying to talk to all these scouts and work with your advisor and everything. I had no idea who I would be drafted by or if I would get drafted at all so when the White Sox called it was a great feeling.”
Following the draft Yurchak was assigned to the Great Falls Voyagers of the rookie level Pioneer League where his slash line over 60 games was .345/448/.520 along with eight home runs, 46 runs scored and 27 runs batted in. Once again, his 43 walks outnumbered his 33 strikeouts.
Justin Yurchak played the entire 2018 season with the Kannapolis Intimidators of the Class-A South Atlantic League playing almost exclusively at first base. For the first time in his career he found the going a bit tough. His triple slash fell off to .256/.348/.326 and he hit just one home run. He walked 45 times in 95 games and struck out 53 times.
The expectation for Yurchak would be that he starts the 2019 season with the Great Lakes Loons of the Midwest League and look to regain his batting stroke. One would expect that since he is a good athlete that the Dodgers will not use him strictly as a first baseman. At the plate scouts have thought his swing to be a little long although he has good bat control.
Update on fall league and winter league minor league ball.
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Not a lot of good news.In the Arizona Fall League Jared Walker, Cody Thomas and Errol Robinson are all hitting less than their weight. Keibert Ruiz is hitting .286 with an OBP of .357 along with six walks and 2 strikeouts.
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After being the pitcher of the week last week Ben Holmes gave up five runs in three innings on Sunday. Andre Scrubb and Nolan both have inflated ERA’s but Long gave up nothing in his last two one-inning outings. Oh yes, Jordan Sheffield has given up three hits in eight innings with seven K’s and two walks.
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In the Dominican Winter League Christian Santana is hitting .319, second in the league, with an OBP of .347. He has struck out 13 times with only two walks. Catcher Hamlet Marte, at .278, is fourth in the league with an OBP of .381. He has not played since November 8.
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Joe Broussard has an ERA of 5.06 while Victor Gonzalez has an ERA of 4.91. Those ERA’s are a bit deceiving as always with relievers one bad outing inflates the ERA. Elio Serrano has not pitched since October18 so he may well be shut down.
I am not surprised at how poorly Walker and Thomas are hitting. It is a big jump from RC to AFL. Cody is a little older and I would have hoped he would have surprised and played better. But the one that surprises me is Errol Robinson. He has 1.5 years at AA and while I would not expect him to be hitting .300, but he has 5 singles in 35 ABs for a .143 BA. He is a strong defensive middle infielder, but I suspect he is going to get more of a look in the OF to take that utility player route. He may need a change in environment, but his value is questionable.
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I have never been a big Joe Broussard fan. I think I have previously compared him to Jacob Rhame. Not nearly consistent enough to be a quality reliever, especially late inning which is where he has been set at. Somebody will give him a shot, but I do not see it with the Dodgers. I know other blog sites are higher on him than I am, so hopefully I am wrong.
Justin Yurchak did not get me to sit up and take notice when he was in the Pioneer League even though it appears that he had a good start to his career. I do not follow SALLY even though one of my favorite MiLB parks is in that league…Piedmont. Fantastic location.
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The Dodgers do like their LHH 1B, even though many are converted 3B. Edwin RIos, Matt Beaty, Jared Walker, and now Justin Yurchak. Justin should get a good look and potential ABs of Nick Yarnall. SALLY is much more of a hitters league than is the Midwest League, so if assigned to Great Lakes, which I agree is where he will start, it will be a test.
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He is one that we just have to wait and see how he develops.
What captured my attention with Yurchak is his K/BB ratio. I hate strikeouts. I don’t know if his one year out of college ball when he switched colleges means he is still on a one-year catch up. I expect not.
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I agree on Joe Broussard. I feel at 27 (28 in January) he is pretty much at crunch time. I hope some team gives him a shot. He has, as they say, paid his dues. Unfortunately he is still a couple of years away from minor league free agency. He has been used quite a bit as a closer. That will not be his path forward.
BTW,
DC told me he would not be a part of a pay site. I suspect AC feels the same. Motion carries 3-0. This site shall remain free.
I feel the same.
All quiet on the Western front. Maybe too much smoke.
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Rams win again. Lots of offense yesterday from both Seattle and LA.
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I like watching Ball play. He is a Jason Kidd type player. With the game on the line and a second on the clock would you rather see Ball shoot from the three point line or Shaq from the free throw line?
Speaking of smoke: Are all of our Dodger Brothers and Sisters safe from the wildfires?
We are about 100 miles south of the Paradise fire. No real danger from the fire itself, but it is not at all healthy to breathe.
I am not near the fires, about 2 hours North, but the sky is smoke filled and a lot of junk in the air way up here.
Daughter in Chico had a few anxious moments but has made it through (so far) unscathed.
QO decision time this afternoon. I don’t have strong feelings either way. For the sake of discussion, I’ll say Grandal declines and Ryu accepts.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/hyun-jin-ryu-most-likely-to-accept-dodgers-qualifying-offer.html
Just saw that after I posted. Makes sense for all concerned, though a gamble for both as well
If Ryu accepts the QO, what are the chances that the Dodgers offer him a longer term contract (let’s say 3 years) with a lower AAV?
I do not think they will do anything until they see what other contracts they are going to acquire. I do not see the Dodgers going above $206MM. MLBTradeRumors projected Ryu signing a 3 year deal with LAD for $33MM. That is a $7MM AAV difference. I have seen others at 3 years $36MM or a $6MM AAV difference.
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By picking up Ryu, Wood is as good as gone, saving $9MM. Because of the way he was used in the post season, that will have a lasting affect on the other clubs, so we will be looking at a mid level lottery pick in return. And you can bet, I will be rooting for him to win 20 games. The Yankees and Indians are potential landing spots. Maybe the Mets if they are not comfortable with Vargas or they want Matz in the bullpen.
I would work on moving Wood and Joc then pay Harper. The city of LA is not going to take missing the World Series because they would go a bit over the luxury tax. Hill, Kemp, and Puig are off the books after 2019. I would move Kemp for 25 cents on the dollar if that’s what it takes but there are other teams looking to move guys who should be DH’s. The Phillies should be doing everything to move Santana so Hopkins can play 1st.
would not
DC
Thank you for your contributions to this site!
MJ – thank you for that. You are most welcome.
Re the fires: I was flying back to LAX last night from Chicago (Bears game baby!). As we approached downtown, we could smell the smoke from the fires IN the plane. That was very surreal. I wasn’t sitting on the right side of the plane, however; I wanted to look outside to the right and see if I could see the smoke from the Malibu fires.
Re the Dodgers: I agree; I think Grandal declines our QO and Ryu accepts, with the intent to sign on for 3 more years. I LOVE that move. I trust Ryu more than I trust Wood, and I have no problem trading Wood and Strip for some impact minor league talent. Unlike AC, I don’t see him winning 20 games (unless we’re talking over a 2 year span). I think Wood is a back of the rotation starter, and fortunately for us, we have several of them now, and several more on the way (who will all cost a lot less than Wood)
To be fair, I did not say I see him winning 20, only that I will be rooting for him to win 20. But I see no way for him on this roster. It would be unfortunate for both the Dodgers and Alex Wood if he were somehow retained.
I was joking. He really does seem like a really good guy; his story with Kyle Farmer and his college buddy who was paralyzed is an awesome friendship story.
But as far as roster construction and as far as Alex Wood’s career, I think it’s best he move on and get a full time starting job.
I am not a fan of Ryu… I hope he ends up signing elsewhere. I want pitchers on the staff that I can feel confident in when they take the mound in a playoff series… Ryu doesn’t pass that test for me. Plus… he didn’t pitch in 2015 and has only pitched a total of 213 inning over the last 3 seasons for the Dodgers.
He’s been very injury-prone the last several years and I don’t think that’s going to miraculously go away. How many red flags do you need?!
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I think I like Alex Wood more than most people on here… maybe not as much as AC but…
However it might be time to move on from Alex as well… although I think he would be great as a #5 starter for the team next year.
I just don’t think the Dodgers FO and Management believe in him / trust him… similar to the way they have treated Hill over the last few years.
I don’t think that feeling is completely unjustified… but he did happen to give one of the best starting pitching performances that I’ve seen in a high pressure game over the last few years by a Dodger pitcher (not named Walker Behhler)… in game 4 of the 2017 World Series. And I still believe to this day that we would have won game 7 of that series had Alex started that game instead Yu know who.
Val
I think Ryu will at least make it through spring training, if that makes a difference. Ha, Ha!
Ha! Then you are what I call a glass half full kind of person.
Does the name Anderson come to mind?
Looks like it’s official. Ryu accepts the QO and Grandal declines.
Val
Wood never took a pitch off in that World Series game, he started.
And he had his own back history in the post season, that he could have let get to his psyche, but he didn’t!
He was nails in that game!
Yeah… that was peak Alex Wood… rising to the occasion. It was a pleasure to watch.
And that was the only home loss suffered by the Astros in the 2017 post season.
OK, this is who we know is in the rotation:
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1. Kershaw
2. Buehler
3. Ryu
4. Hill
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On the bubble: Stripling, Maeda, Wood
and in the wings, Urias. (Though I have no clue how they will decide to utilize him based on past history)
It has to be Chicken Strip or Maeda or some RHSP not already on the roster. I do not see 4 lefties in the rotation to start. I do not believe Urias will start in the LAD rotation. He will probably start at OKC to stretch out and get innings, but then come to LA in the bullpen and be in a position to start in September. He will be a full fledged member of the rotation come 2020.
Urias for about 100 innings or so. With the injury histories of Kershaw, Stripling, Wood, Ryu, and Hill the front office and their algorithms will figure out how to fill the innings. With Maeda you just have an inconsistent pitcher that is a #5 starter or a middle innings reliever. They have the combination to make it work or the depth to make a deal. I think the Dodgers might have missed an opportunity to sell high on Stripling.
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I feel the same way a MJ about Ryu and the same as Val about Wood. I think Wood can bring value in the pen or rotation, but he may bring more value in a trade. I like Wood. I think he should go back to his wind up though. Hill is a gamer and come playoff time I want him on my team. He’s got one year left on his deal.
Of the 7 receiving QO’s, only Ryu accepted. The Dodgers officially have 39 on the roster; 23 pitchers, 3 catchers, 6 infielders, and 7 outfielders. We should start to see some small movement during the next week…some players traded in small deals and some DFA. A week from tomorrow, the roster has to be set including all that need to be protected from Rule 5 draft. Now the “fun” should begin.
no doubt. I also wonder how long it will take for someone to overpay for Machado/Harper. Or, will it come to teams waiting it out and trying to get a deal like Boston did last year with JD. Boston was absolutely genius last year, and look what it got them!
I think the Dodgers will be in the wait mode. If someone wants to pay Harper so he can have the longest contract in terms of years and highest AAV, the Dodgers will not be players. This is Boras’ ego in play. When he does not get what he wants he will scream collusion. The Dodgers will probably look to trim the roster of the surplus pitching and OF, add a couple of lower level pitchers to the bullpen, look for a catcher, and if they can add a Kluber they will. The problem with the Dodgers will be if they do stand pat, they will get passed by the Braves, Phillies, and Brewers who have all said they will be adding significant players to the roster.
i guess the real question with Ryu is are they content with him playing 1-yr at 17.9 or will they try to lower the AAV and work out a 3-yr deal. Ryu strikes me as someone who wants to be a Dodger. The Dodgers may not want to do a 3 year deal with his injury history. However, let’s not act like he’s Brett Anderson when it comes to injuries. He really only had the one injury until this season’s freaky injury and Ryu came back better than I thought he would from such an injury.
I think the AAV is key. If they need to cut salary to stay under luxury tax, then a $3M or so AAV saving by signing Ryu to a 3 year deal makes a lot of sense for the team. It probably depends on who else they try to sign.
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Freese’s deal makes me think they may sign Ryu to a lower AAV contract
Hawkeye
I like both Wood and Ryu.
And I think your right that Wood should go back to his wind up, or some kind of wind up.
The more deception a pitcher can have, has to make it harder on hitters.
And with the way our front office stocks piles starting pitchers, I don’t think we know what they will do.
We had four lefties in the rotation before, along with Maeda.
Sickels top 20 for the Dodgers:
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https://www.minorleagueball.com/2018/11/12/18088804/los-angeles-dodgers-top-20-prospects-for-2019
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Omar Estevez making a move.
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From the comments:
Joc did not hit there, though he had just a month worth of PAs
Corey Seager (19 years old, 2013) – 309/.389/.529 in 312 PAs
Bellinger went straight from Ogden to Rancho, Yusniel Diaz went straight to Rancho
Verdugo (19, 2015) – .295/.325/.394 in 444 PAs
Lux (19, 2017) – .244/.331/.362 in 501 PAs
Keibert (18, 2017) – .317/.372/.423
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I know anything can happen to catching prospects, but I think Keibert is real deal. If you hit in the Midwest League at 18/19, you’re starting in the bigs in at least 3 years. I also think Verdugo needs to be given a chance somewhere. He held his own in 2015.
Bluto
Take a look at what Andrew Toles did in the Midwest League for the Ray’s affiliate.
He has really good numbers too.
Bowden was just debating Grandal on SiriusXM. $18 million for 1 year or 3 for $36-42 million which would you do? They make a good point that today’s GM’s are smarter and won’t give out deals like Martin and McCann got that were failures for their organizations. Grandal could have taken the $18 million knowing that the QO couldn’t be put on him next year. He did what most of us thought turning down the offer, but it couldn’t have been easy. Two straight post-season benchings may have affected his decision.
Hawkeye
I surprised more players turn that down.
After Grandal’s problems in the post season, it probably would have been better for him, to take the QO and try to improve his stock, especially if he is going through the emotional stuff, Bobby heard about.
I feel sorry for the guy, but I understand how everyone feels about his play, because at catcher, defense is to important.
I’m not sure he can improve his stock among the smart GM’s. He is what he is at this point in his career. He’s a plus framer, plus game caller, despite only having 9 PB’s this year he isn’t great at blocking balls, he’s a streaky hitter who will hit you 20 HR’s a year but disappear for months at a time, and a plus thrower. No matter what he does this year it will be the same other than possibly having a good postseason for once in his career. He’s a top 10 catcher but not a star by any means. I think he would get the same package next year as this year unless there is an injury. So do you take $18 million guaranteed knowing you can get the same three year deal next year or grab the $36-42 million now and don’t risk the injury. I guess he could get 4 years since it’s a weak class and a weak position.
He only needs one not-as-smart GM who needs a catcher
I think the two post season benchings had A LOT to do with turning down the QO. I think all these projections that he is going to get $60MM to $70MM is a pipe dream. He will be lucky to get a Salvy Perez deal and probably closer to a Cervelli deal.
I have been a champion of Grandal and I wish him well… however it was time to go. Maybe he will do better somewhere else. He never became the player I thought he could become.
You and I will both have players that we have championed for awhile that do not seem destined to be with LAD next year…Grandal (for sure) and Wood (probably). Both could use a change in environment. I will wish them both well except when/if they play against LAD.
Grandal is obviously betting on what you and I think is a pipe dream.
Jared Walker homered in his first AFL game but then fell into a 2-for-23 tailspin that included 15 strikeouts. He has tried to adopt a more patient approach and flourished since, batting .286/.407/.619 in his last six contests.
“It’s more about trying to put the ball in play a little more, cutting down with two strikes, trying to take the little base hit over the shortstop’s head, something simple like that,” Walker said. “It’s been better the last two weeks, starting out was a little slow, but I feel like it’s picking up.”