Again, this is a scaled-down version of the eight-player deal the clubs never consummated earlier this month. That one was CC Sabathia, Casey Blake and Jamey Carroll for (I believe) Santana, Matt Kemp, James McDonald, Cory Wade and Andy LaRoche.

INSANE!!!

"Dodger Thoughts Platinum" will be free for everyone for a week after a game in which Andruw Jones strikes out five times.

This would have to mean either LaRoche or less likely DeWitt is gone in another trade soon. Today, probably.

OTOH, Blake isn't blocking anyone for long. But just because this isn't the worst imaginable deal doesn't make it less disappointing.

Well, I guess it could have been worse.

That sort of attitude helped Napoleon in Russia.

We now have possibly the worst defensive infield in baseball.

This seems like it will end badly.

Go Team!

Then again, if Tron, Borg and JJ are getting shots before Meloan, that tells me a lot about Meloan.

I'll be very upset if this deal ends with Andy LaRoche heading to Oakland.

This deal signals to me that the Dodgers are not going to deal anyone on their MLB roster and probably their 40 man roster (outside of Meloan) by this trading deadline.

I wonder if the Padres would take Greg Miller/Justin Orenduff for Greg Maddux?

White: "No!"

McCourt: "You heard him. No."

Colletti: "Okay, how 'bout Santana and Meloan for Blake."

White: "No!"

McCourt (after a long silence): "Logan, maybe we ought to let him just this once. So Jon Heyman and Ken Rosenthal stop killing us in the press."

White: "What's in it for me?"

McCourt: "Talk to me in three months."

That's what we should've done in the first place.

Be ready to be upset.

X = ???

My final say on this before I run off today, I think this is a good deal for the current and future Dodger team.

Thanks!

Oh and I propose we re-brand the August DT outing "Casey Blake's 35th B'Day Picnic."

Dumping a high ceiling catcher like Carlos Santana for ultimate non-consequential PVL...

Just fire Ned.

Not even Bhsportsguy can condone this anymore.

Explain how adding Casey Blake makes the Dodgers better in 2009.

He just did, three spots above you.

My final say on this before I run off today, I think this is a good deal for the current and future Dodger team

Isn't that going a little far? LA has gotten a 665 OPS out of third base this year. Blake has an 830 OPS (119 OPS+) this year. Seems like an upgrade to me. And they didn't have to trade LaRoche to get him. I still feel LaRoche is the starting 3B next year.

The two guys traded were not really in the plans going forward either. I can see disagreeing with this deal, but not really the outrage.

If its a prelude to something else, Ive got a bad feeling.

Dealing Carlos Santana for 2 months of an inconsequential PVL is utter idiocy.

The two guys traded were not really in the plans going forward either.

Santana was probably having the best year of any Dodger prospect. Is giving him up really worth 2 months of Casey Blake?

Casey Blake?
Casey Blake???

What I would do is send DeWitt down because he clearly needs more seasoning and to start full time, keep LaRoche around and give him some starts still since he has nothing to gain from being in the minors. I would not trade him for anything other than a Jason Bay or Holliday (which won't happen) type deal; otherwise he's at third next year.

But it's only .830. Big deal. He's 34, and you're comparing him to a bunch of developing guys 23-25, and a couple of old stiffs. This move is still pointless and wasteful of future prospects.

From SI.com

Right-handed pitching prospect Jon Meloan and catching prospect Carlos Santana will go to Cleveland for Blake, 34, a 10-year major league veteran who is eligible for free agency following this season.

Don't care for Meloan but losing Santana hurts.

If we get two draft picks for Blake AND this stops Colletti from making anymore retarded trades, then I can live with this.

But Santana.....ahhhh Carlos, you left me too soooon.

But throwing in Santana to get an old guy for 2 months is just not forward thinking at all.

IF you're going to deal prospects, deal them for guys in their prime.

Not 2-month rentals that will just block the guy that should be playing 3rd base everyday anyway (LaRoche).

The past couple days it's seemed pretty likely that blake would be a player the dodgers would target. The fact that we didn't trade LaRoche or DeWitt (at least, not yet) to get him is great for us.

I'm not a big Ned supporter, but he did pretty well on this one!

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers announced today they have acquired third baseman Casey Blake and cash considerations from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for minor league catcher Carlos Santana and minor league right-hander Jonathan Meloan. The announcement was made by Dodger General Manager Ned Colletti.

"Casey Blake is a gamer," said Colletti. "His experience and character will be a plus as we head down the stretch in the final two months of the regular season."

Plus Blake might bring a draft pick, takes away one of Torre's favorite toys in DeWitt, and provides more offense than we've seen all year out of 3B.

Of course, don't be surprised if Blake turns out not to be just a rental. Nomar, Sweeney, Ramon Martinez...not all were acquired in mid-season trades, but all were re-signed after they'd proved their worthlessness, and after it was clear that there were better options in the minors. Blake is a "gamer." I think Torre has even more of a PVL fetish than Colletti has.

Still and all, let's say Blake puts up the same numbers as LaRoche would have, or even a little better. That doesn't change the outfield situation. If Pierre and Jones continue to start all or most games, it doesn't matter who plays 3b.

One way that this COULD improve the team would be if Blake would replace Pierre in LF, and play alongside Ethier and Kemp. LaRoche could then man 3b.

And monkeys would fly out of you know where.

Our IF defense is going to be horrible. Kent, Nomar, and Blake? Yikes. They're taking money out of Derek Lowe's wallet - his ERA could jump by a run per game. All those late-inning defensive replacements don't help the starting pitchers.

Good times.

I was using his age to make the point that his OPS should be higher than anyone on the Dodgers, since the Dodgers are mostly very young, developing players, while he is still at the back end of his prime.

He's a gamer?!?!!

HE'S A GAMER!??!!

Please say something else.

>>Dodgers sources scoffed at rumors that the club is on the verge of trading third baseman Andy LaRoche to Oakland for reliever Huston Street.<<

Is this a big trade? No. Could NedCo have done better? Yes. Could NedCo be more visionary and think more long term? Absolutely.

Reason why I might be ok with this trade is because even though LaRoche could've matched his production, we know Torre wouldn't have given him a chance. This is a way of putting that production in the lineup instead of the horrible numbers that Dewitt's been giving us, which definitely helps the Dodgers for the next 2 months.

Of course, all this is assuming Blake is gone after these two months and LaRoche stays a Dodger.

Now, the important question is: Will Blake get to LA in time for today's game? I was planning on starting LaRoche on my fantasy team tonite.

I believe Dodgers fans know who holds that title.

At any rate, you just traded a very high ceiling prospect, for 2 months of Casey Blake.

Not 2 months of Carlos Beltran.

It has very limited short-term gain (since LaRoche for 2 months or Blake for 2 months isnt going to be the difference between winning the division and not), but alot of long-term risk (you just gave up Santana, who could have been a difference making player, and at worst could have been packaged for something better).

Honestly, what is 2 months of Casey Blake worth to a team that already has Andy LaRoche?

Why does my disagreeing with the move have to be labeled as outrage? Am I screaming or something?

I do not agree that it helps the team this year. LaRoche is better defensively, and I think he would start producing if he continued to play everyday.

If we can't even say "decent," we're not being totally fair.

This is not a terrible deal.

.... this wasn't Dave Littlefield or Jim Bowden in a December deal.

You have to give something up to get something.

Bc the team sucks this year.
Adding Blake might make it suck a bit less.

But why give up 1 of your best prospects for a guy that might make the team suck a bit less.

As I mentioned earlier, this isnt 2 months of Carlos Beltran. Its 35yr old Casey Blake, ultimate PVL.

Lets take away development time from LaRoche.
Lets trade a potential piece to the future.
Lets play Casey Blake for 2 months, bc having him in the lineup instead of LaRoche might lead the Dodgers to 82 wins instead of 80.

Meanwhile, if Santana goes on to be an All-Star (like um whats that guy's name--Navarro), who cares bc we'll always fall back on the excuse that "we have Russ Martin, we had to get rid of [insert catching prospect's name]..

This management really makes it difficult to root for them.

Also, though perhaps they just get money if it isn't possible, per the MLBPA CBA, players whose rights are transferred during the season, have to be transported via First Class on any flights longer than a certain time period.