Despite the news of the shocking trade that sent long-tenured Dodger A.J. Ellis to Philadelphia earlier today, the show must go on. Ellis was a leader in the clubhouse, and he was one of the nicest baseball players I have ever met. But the reality is that the Dodgers are in the middle of a pennant race. Whether it’s an incremental upgrade or not, Carlos Ruiz has hit left-handed pitching well over his 11-season career (.275/..376/.438/.814), a weakness of this team that has already been discussed here.
A.J. will surely be missed.