Dodgers Ship Dee Gordon to Marlins in Six Player Trade

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Miami Marlins have agreed to a six player trade reports Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. Dee Gordon and Dan Haren will go to the Marlins while left-hander Andrew Heaney, second baseman Enrique Hernandez, reliever Chris Hatcher and catching prospect Austin Barnes are on their way to Los Angeles.

Gordon, the Dodgers second baseman and a 2014 All-Star and Heaney, a 23 year-old hurler who was picked 9th overall in 2012, are the main pieces in the deal. Earlier this offseason Haren, who exercised his $10 million player option for 2015, stated that he would retire if he was not playing for the Dodgers or Los Angeles Angels. The Dodgers will pay his salary as part of the trade.

After several poor seasons in a part-time role with the Dodgers, Gordon broke out in 2014. The 26 year-old got off to a blazing start which resulted in his selection to the All-Star game. He cooled off as the season wore on, but ended up with a solid .289/.326/.378 batting line for a 101 wRC+. Gordon also stole 64 bases, the most in the major leagues. Overall, he totaled +3 WAR.

However, the Dodgers may have taken advantage of this opportunity to sell high on the speedster. Looking to 2015 Steamer projects a rather pedestrian batting line of .256/.307/.331 and just +1 WAR. Meanwhile, Heaney was ranked as the No. 30 overall prospect by Baseball America entering the 2014 season. He’s performed well in the minor leagues, and while he struggled in his 29.1 major league innings in 2014, there is plenty of promise for the young arm who could mature into a No. 2 or No. 3 starter.

Hernandez, a 23 year-old second baseman who has also played third, short and all three outfield spots, could be a solid bench piece for the Dodgers. He made his major league debut in 2014 with the Houston Astros, and was sent to the Marlins as part of the Jarred Cosart deal. In 42 games he batted .248/.321/.421.

Hatcher, a 29 year-old reliever, enjoyed his first full big league season as a member of the Marlins bullpen. He pitched in 52 games, throwing 56 innings and authoring a 3.38 ERA with strikeout and walk rates of 25.9 percent and 5.2 percent. The right-hander features a mid 90s heater with a slider and changeup and should be a solid add to a Dodgers bullpen that has struggled to bridge the gap to closer Kenley Jansen.

Barnes isn’t regarded as a high upside prospect, but the 24 year-old catcher produced some impressive numbers in Double-A. In 78 games he batted .296/.406/.507 with more walks than strikeouts. With his positional versatility (he’s also played second base) he stands a good chance of making a major league roster in some capacity.

Overall, the Dodgers got a good pitching prospect in Heaney and some useful pieces in exchange for Gordon and the willingness to eat Haren’s salary. This looks like a savvy move for the Dodgers revamped front office.