DODGERS NAB NOLASCO FOR THREE PITCHERS
The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired pitcher Ricky Nolasco and cash from the Miami Marlins for pitchers Josh Wall, Steve Ames and Angel Sanchez.
What does it give the Los Angeles Dodgers
Nolasco can be a little inconsistent year to year, but he has above-average stuff and is a veteran starter who knows how to win games. He becomes a free agent after this season, so although his contract is hefty the rest of this year the Dodgers can move on if he doesn't work out. It's a testament to how volatile starting pitching can be that L.A. had to make a deal for an expensive veteran starter here (considering their overflow of proven rotation arms in Spring Training). Expect Nolasco to settle in quickly as the Dodgers' No. 4 guy. The International Signing Bonus Slot is simply a little more financial flexibility for L.A. when it comes to signing international players.
What does it give the Miami Marlins
The Marlins have been in major overhaul mode this year and moving Nolasco's big contract saves them a lot of money. Newcomers Wall and Ames are both fairly polished righty relievers, although neither has great upside (and the lanky Wall has been somewhat disappointing after being a second-round draft pick back in 2005). Both could soon get called up by the Marlins. Sanchez is a bit more promising, but he isn't very close to helping out in Miami. He projects as a solid longer-term starting pitching prospect for the young Marlins. The main purpose of this deal was to shed salary and Miami does this better than any team in MLB.
Fantasy impact
Nolasco had good numbers (in terms of both K's and ERA) for a dismal Marlins squad this year, so he gets a nice fantasy upgrade by landing with the talented Dodgers here (since he will likely win a lot more now). Nolasco's arrival in L.A. probably significantly downgrades the fantasy fortunes of {P Ted Lilly} (when he gets healthy), and {P Stephen Fife} (since those latter two will now probably need to fight for the No. 5 spot in the rotation, along with {P Chris Capuano}). For the Marlins, none of Wall, Ames, or Sanchez is fantasy-viable for this season, and only Sanchez has any sleeper appeal as a long-range keeper type (and even then, isn't a top-tier prospect).
