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| Barney adds depth to LA infield. Photo Credit:Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images |
Defense, has been something the Los Angeles Dodgers have struggled with mightily at times during this season. This afternoon LA made a trade to help shore up their middle infield defense & add depth.
By: Michael Hanley
According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Dodgers have acquired infielder Darwin Barney and cash from the Chicago Cubs in a trade for a player to be named later going back to the Cubs. It can be a pretty safe bet to say that it will not be one of the more highly regarded prospects in the Dodgers farm system but it is a victory for Chicago to get something for a player that was not performing for them to the level they had expected this season.
Barney, 28, had been designated for assignment last week by the Cubs, which in turn gave the team ten days to either trade, release or waive him. The market for him was not very strong and was looking like Chicago would have to just cut their losses and either release or waive him altogether until Los Angeles came calling today ready to deal for him and take him off the Cubs hands for the rest of the season.
Barney will add depth to an infield that could use an additional option with the injury to Chone Figgins, who went down with a hip injury and is currently trying to come back from that injury. He is a former Gold Glove winner as he won that award back in 2012. The plan is for Barney to play at shortstop when called upon and to give Miguel Rojas, the current backup shortstop and late inning replacement for starter Hanley Ramirez, an opportunity to work some more rest in when manager Don Mattingly sees fit.
Its a smart move by Los Angeles as it addresses their need to shore up that middle infield defense, adds depth to a needed area of the club and also is more insurance just in case Ramirez experiences another injury down the road. Unfortunately for as good as Hanley Ramirez is as an overall player, his history of injuries have to be a constant concern for the Dodgers front office, especially as this season wears on into the later summer months and stretch run in the fall. Now with Barney in the fold, LA has given themselves two solid options now at that position to go to when needed.
Now, by no means are the Dodgers trying to acquire Barney outside of his spectacular defensive play as a middle infielder. His numbers with the bat this season prove that out pretty emphatically. Coming into today, Barney was hitting just .230 with two home runs and 16 RBIs in 72 games he has played so far in this season. His offense will definitely be considered a bonus if he is able to give Los Angeles anything with his bat on top of his sharp defensive play.
Its not as if the Dodgers are bereft of offense at that position or in the infield in general. In fact the infield constructed of Juan Uribe, Hanley Ramirez, Dee Gordon and Adrian Gonzalez are batting a collective .284 this season, easily one of the most powerful and productive infields in all of baseball.That luxury the Dodgers have affords them to let Barney be able to just focus on playing a strong middle infield and not worry about his bat productive or tinkering with his swing or anything like that. It also will not force him into having to start every game. Mattingly can really mix and match with Barney when it comes to which games he wants to insert him in and what situations he thinks Barney could most help the team out with.
The Dodgers have what it takes in terms of pure talent to make a serious run in the postseason this year, but defense is one area they must improve upon a great deal if they want to make good on their goal of winning a World Series title.They currently have a .985 fielding percentage and have committed 62 errors as a team so far this season, both rank 17th in all of baseball, a very average performance for a team so gifted and talented at all positions.
As we have seen in past postseasons, its a very fine line between winning and losing. One errant throw in the infield or outfield can make the difference between a team winning a close game that spurs them onto a series win and deep playoff run or an agonizing loss that puts them on the brink of their season ending. Los Angeles is trying to avoid that latter reality when they hit the playoffs and have taken a very big step in the right direction with the addition of former Gold Glover Darwin Barney.
