Not Claudio Vargas!!
July 31, 2009 at 10:30 am | Posted in Claudio Vargas, Vinny Rottino | 12 CommentsI wrote that title as a complete joke, because really, Dodger fans have done little but make fun of Claudio Vargas all year… but now that I think about it, I’m not at all sure I understand this:
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers today announced that they have acquired minor league catcher Vinny Rottino from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for right-handed pitcher Claudio Vargas. Dodger General Manager Ned Colletti made the announcement.
Rottino, 29, has appeared briefly in the Major Leagues for Milwaukee in each of the past three seasons and was named to the Pacific Coast League All-Star team last season when he posted a 24-game hitting streak. The Wisconsin native has made the PCL All-Star team each of the past three years and has been named to his league’s All-Star team in each season dating back to 2004 when he recorded a team record 124 RBI for Single-A Beloit.
Vargas, 31, spent much of the 2009 season on the disabled list with right elbow tendinitis before being activated on July 3. Since returning to the big leagues, he has appeared in eight games for Los Angeles, posting a 1.64 ERA in 11.0 innings. The Dominican Republic native will be returning to Milwaukee, where he won 11 games for the Brewers in 2007. In seven big league seasons, the right-hander is 46-40 with a 4.89 ERA in 172 games (114 starts).
Rottino is expected to report to Double-A Chattanooga.
Believe it or not, Vargas has actually been pretty good for the Dodgers since coming off the DL. 11 innings isn’t much of a sample size, but he’s allowed only 11 baserunners and 2 runs in that time, with a nice 10/4 K/BB ratio. I’m hardly crushed that he’s gone, but did we really need Vinny Rottino? He’s 29 with all of 18 MLB games under his belt, and he’s so highly thought of that he’s being sent to AA. You almost feel bad for the guy, being a Wisconsin native and all, now being shipped out to Chattanooga.
No, what this feels like is a way to clear out a roster spot for George Sherrill, but there were better ways to do that. DFA Jason Schmidt, for one, and no, I don’t care that he’s tonight’s starter. Send down James McDonald or Scott Elbert, if you must, because you know that either one would be right back up in a week.
Vargas wasn’t great, but he was at least useful, while Vinny Rottino looks unlikely to ever play a single game as a Dodger. I hate to act as though I’m all worked up over losing Claudio Vargas, of all people, but this move just makes no sense at all.
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Agreed.
This trade is very curious. Perhaps a little too curious…
Comment by Brandon— July 31, 2009 #
Agreed.
This trade is very curious. Perhaps a little too curious…
Comment by Brandon— July 31, 2009 #
agreed. just cut Schmidt already. Is it bad that I hope he gets injured every time he goes out?
Comment by dusto— July 31, 2009 #
Yeah – DFA Schmidt already. I saw him “pitch” in his first game back and it really looked like he was throwing BP. I’d rather see Vargas starting tonight than Schmidt. But what do I know? I wanted to DFA Mota in April.
Comment by Jeremy— July 31, 2009 #
maybe this was to say that this was part of a failed trade… to show the GM at least tried to make the ballclub more competitive.
very curious. at least Vargas was useful. u can never have too many arms.
Comment by slam— July 31, 2009 #
AFAIK, neither Bell nor Jackson was on the 40-man roster, which means sending down Elbert or McDonald would not have been an option.
Comment by Alireza— July 31, 2009 #
5 – DFA’ing Schmidt would have solved that problem, but you could also easily move Paul or Ohman to the 60 DL, they’ve each been there long enough.
Comment by Mike Scioscia's tragic illness— July 31, 2009 #
Mike – Paul is already on the 60 day DL. He injured himself further during his recovery from that nasty staph infection. I am sure it isn’t a B.S. injury, because Paul has options. Ohman I just don’t get. He wasn’t THAT bad, he just couldn’t get Adrian Gonzalez out (or keep him in the park).
I also would have preferred DFA’ing Schmidt, but we all know that isn’t going to happen.
Comment by Alireza— July 31, 2009 #
I saw Vinny Rottino in his first MLB at bat…Yost put him in the game in the bottom of the ninth, tying and winning runs on base, with two outs. All I remember is the called third strike: first the Marlins’ pitcher (think it was Kevin Gregg) started walking off the mound, then the catcher starter walking away…Rottino stood there like a deer in headlights, finally turning around only to see the ump ringing him up…he had no clue that the pitch was a strike.
He’s only gotten worse from there.
I heard he’s a decent guy, gives 110%, and is decent with the glove…but he’ll never win any batting crowns.
Comment by David Hannes— July 31, 2009 #
Vinny Rottino and batting crowns? He followed a record setting year by Prince Fielder in A ball at Beloit by slamming 124 RBI and leaving Prince’s record in the dust. He made the All Star Team each of three years in AAA… Brewers screwed him every way but Sunday… LA has a real keeper in him… if only given the change. The dude who wrote about his first at bat missed the at bat last year when he drove in the winning run in the game that propelled the Brewers to the play offs. Check the history… This guy has more heart than you can imagine. He works his butt off. You will be surprised. Happily.
Comment by kathie solie— August 1, 2009 #
[...] him for a 29-year-old backup catcher hitting .249 on Milwaukee’s AA team, Vinny Rottino. This didn’t make sense to me at the time… Believe it or not, Vargas has actually been pretty good for the Dodgers since coming off the [...]
Pingback by MSTI’s 2009 in Review: Relievers, Part 3 « Mike Scioscia’s tragic illness— November 18, 2009 #
[...] with the Marlins today. You may remember that he’s who Claudio Vargas was traded for in July, which I thought was stupid at the time. It didn’t get any smarter by the time of our off-season reviews: Vargas went to Milwaukee [...]
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