The Los Angeles Dodgers have made and announced a few moves that deal with the futures of LHP Scott Elbert, shortstop Hanley Ramirez, and RHP Brian Wilson.
The Dodgers announced on Monday afternoon that LHP Scott Elbert has declined his outright assignment and has been declared a costless-agent.
Left-handed pitcher Scott Elbert has elected to become a costless agent and has been removed from the Dodger roster.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) November 3, 2014
Elbert, a former-first round draft pick has made appearances over his six different seasons for the Dodgers but due to injury and erratic pitching has only logged 3.069 years of service in the Majors. Coming off Tommy John surgery in 2013, Ebert made seven appearances for the Dodgers this past season going 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in 4.1 innings. Over the course of the six-years that Elbert has pitched in, he's collected a career record of 4-3 with a 3.54 ERA in 127 appearances. His career season came in 2012 when the then 26-year old made 42 appearances for the Dodgers going 1-1 with a 2.20 ERA in 32.2 innings. With a long history of injuries, it will be interesting to see what kind of deal the 29-year old will get on the open market.
Also announced by the Dodgers on Monday afternoon was the decision to offer 30-year old shortstop Hanley Ramirez a qualifying offer for the 2015 season.
The Dodgers have extended a qualifying offer to shortstop Hanley Ramirez.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) November 3, 2014
A 10-year veteran, Ramirez will enter the winter as one of the top costless agents on the market if he decides to decline the one-year, $15.3 million qualifying offer that the Dodgers offered on Monday. As the top position paler on the open market this winter, Ramirez is in a good position to get the best contract of his career. After coming over from the Florida Marlins in 2012, Ramirez has hit .299/.368/.506 with 43 home runs and 172 RBIs with the Dodgers in 278 games. Ramirez also was on pace for a career season while in L.A when he hit .345 with 20 home runs and 57 RBIs in just 86 games in 2013. This past season, Ramirez hit .283/.369/.448 with 13 home runs and 71 RBIs in 128 games. With a career slash of .300/.373/.500, Ramirez will have plenty of offers from suitors this offseason as it was also publicized last week that he would be willing to move to third-base if needed.
The Dodgers also made Brian Wilson's exercised player opinion official today.
Right-handed pitcher Brian Wilson exercised his option to return to the Dodgers for 2015.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) November 3, 2014
Wilson, who was expected to exercise his player option for 2015 has indeed exercised as the club announced on Monday afternoon. Going into his 10th career season and his third in Los Angeles, Wilson has collected a 24-25 career record with a 3.30 ERA in 394 career appearances. In those 394 career appearances, WIlson has saved 172 of those, with all but one occurring during his seven-year career with the San Francisco Giants. Last season, the 32-year old had one of his worst seasons going 2-4 with a 4.66 ERA in 48 1/3 innings over 61 appearances. In those 48 1/3 innings, the right-hander lacked control as he walked 29.
In minor league news, the Dodgers have re-signed right-hander Barry Enright according to Baseball America's Matt Eddy. Enright came over to the Los Angeles organization last summer after being released by the Philadelphia Phillies organization following a poor 19-game performance with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. After signing with the Dodgers, Enright was assigned to Triple-A Albuquerque where he went 0-4 with a 8.10 ERA in eight appearances