Dodgers Acquire Juan Rivera; Designate Marcus Thames
By Editorial Staff
A week after he was designated for assignment, Juan Rivera was traded by the Blue Jays to the Dodgers for a player to be named later or cash considerations. To make room on their roster for Rivera, the Dodgers designated Marcus Thames for assignment.
LA will platoon Rivera in left field with Tony Gwynn Jr and also use him at first base.
In 70 games with the Jays, Rivera posted a line of .243/.305/.360, but was much more successful against lefties (.909 OPS) than versus right handed pitching (.594 OPS).
Toronto general manager Alex Anthopoulos hoped to find a trade partner for Rivera, and thought he would be able to due to his solid numbers against southpaws.
Thames was in his first year with the Dodgers, as he was signed this January to a 1 year $1 million deal after his successful 2010 as a member of the Yankees’ bench. Thames was able to hit 12 home runs and bat .288 in a reserve role for New York last season.
2011 hasn’t been nearly as productive for the 34 year old. Thames had an alright April for LA when he managed an OPS of .717, but spent most of May on the disabled list. Since his return, Thames’ average has been hovering around the Mendoza Line. In 36 games with the Dodgers, Thames was only good for an OPS of .576 with 4 extra base hits and 7 RBIs.
For more on the Dodgers and Blue Jays, be sure to check out Lasorda’s Lair and Jays Journal.