Dodgers keep gathering hitters

By Jim Callis
April 1, 2004

For the second time in three days and for the fourth time since he took over as Dodgers general manager, Paul DePodesta has acquired a minor league hitter as he seeks to boost his club's anemic offense. On Thursday, he picked up outfielder Cody Ross from the Tigers for lefthander Steve Colyer and a player to be named later. Previously, Los Angeles had purchased infielder/oufielder Jose Flores and outfielder/first baseman Jason Grabowski from Oakland and traded for outfielder Jayson Werth.

Ross, 23, signed as a fourth-round pick out of a New Mexico high school in 1999. He gets mixed reviews as a prospect. His proponents see him as a gritty overachiever who gets the most out of his tools, while his detractors see him as too small (5-foot-11, 180 pounds) and not talented enough to play regularly in the majors. Ross tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while trying to beat out a bunt against the Indians last September, but he has fully recovered. He has good pop for his size and plays a solid right field with a strong arm, though he may not hit for much of an average if he doesn't become more patient at the plate. He has decent speed. Ross batted .287/.333/.515 with 20 homers, 61 RBIs and 15 steals in 124 games at Triple-A Toledo last year, and went 4-for-19 with a grand slam in his first taste of the majors. He'll probably open 2004 at Triple-A Las Vegas.

Colyer, 25, also made his major league debut in 2003. A second-round pick in 1997 out of a Missouri high school, he signed as a draft-and-follow after spending a year at St. Louis CC-Meramec. He has an explosive fastball, throwing 93-98 mph with plenty of life. Colyer backs up his heat with a hard slider, but throwing strikes always has been his problem. He had a 2.75 ERA in 13 appearances with the Dodgers last year, though opponents hit .292 against him. He also had a 16-9 strikeout-walk ratio and didn't allow a homer in 20 innings. At Las Vegas, he went 2-3, 3.21 with 23 saves in 44 games. He should make Detroit's bullpen.

Update: The Dodgers sent cash considerations to the Tigers to complete the deal.