Julio Lugo, 2B, Los Angeles Dodgers

August 2, 2006 @ 16:00:00

By Joshua Ellis
Edited by Ryan Dodson

Although the Los Angeles Dodgers were quiet for most of the week before the trade deadline, they made two big moves that were announced after the deadline passed. In addition to acquiring future hall of fame pitcher Greg Maddux, the Dodgers received shortstop Julio Lugo from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in exchange for two minor league players. The deal comes in response to injuries that have stricken the Dodgers infield. Veteran second baseman Jeff Kent (left abdominal strain) and first baseman Nomar Garciaparra (right knee sprain) have landed themselves on the disabled list, which has forced action from the Dodgers front office.

In the deal the Dodgers gave up utility player Joel Guzman and outfielder Sergio Pedroza. Guzman is a 22-year-old who has spent this season with Triple-A Las Vegas. There he was hitting .297 with 11 home runs and 55 RBI. Guzman, at 6-foot-6 is a large body with big power potential in the major leagues. Pedroza, 22, spent the bulk of this season with Single-A Columbus where he hit .281 with 21 home runs and 75 RBI in just 89 games. He has since struggled after his promotion to Single-A Vero Beach where he is hitting just 6-for-39. 

The Dodgers decided to get Lugo from the Devil Rays to fill the void left by Kent at second base. Lugo was originally drafted in 1994 by the Houston Astros in the 43rd round. He spent the next 5 1/2 years in the minor leagues before making his major league debut on April 15, 2000. Over the next 2 1/2 years, Lugo was an average hitter with a mediocre glove for the Astros. It took a move to the Devil Rays for Lugo to really begin to become a fantasy baseball asset. In 2003, the Astros released Lugo after a run-in with the law, and the Devil Rays took a shot on the young infielder. After two more mediocre seasons with the Devil Rays, Lugo put up vastly better numbers in 2005. In that year he hit .295 with 39 stolen bases and 89 runs scored. He also hit six home runs and drove in 57 runs. Lugo finally had the batting average and speed numbers that fantasy owners wanted. The only question was, would Lugo keep it up in 2006? So far in 73 games Lugo has continued to put up solid fantasy numbers. He is hitting .308 with 12 home runs, 53 runs scored and 18 stolen bases. Lugo only has 27 RBI though despite the elevated power numbers. His continued good play from last season has been a nice surprise for Lugo owners, and the trade to the Dodgers should only help his value.

First of all, Lugo has gone from the American League East cellar to the thick of a divisional and wild-card race in the National League West. He will be playing more meaningful games in a more potent lineup in Los Angeles, so his runs scored and RBI numbers should see a boost. In his first game, Lugo batted in the No. 3 position. Although that will change with the return of Kent and Garciaparra, the time he spends at that slot should also help his stats. When Kent returns, Lugo should move to third base where the recently acquired Wilson Betemit is playing. This will boost Lugo's value because he will become eligible at third base and at the corner infielder spot in deeper leagues. The more positions a player is available at, the better it is for your team. If you're worried about Lugo's stolen bases decreasing because he is entering a better hitting lineup, there is not much to worry about. The Dodgers have 82 stolen bases this season, which is seventh in the major leagues. With shortstop Rafael Furcal, outfielder Kenny Lofton and Lugo at the top of the Dodgers lineup, there will be a lot of speed opportunity for runs to be scored and fantasy stats to be gained by all the hitters in the Dodgers lineup. 

There is a small down side with this trade for fantasy owners of Lugo. With having already belted 12 home runs, Lugo is just three from his career high for a season. He may reach that mark but his power shouldn't continue like it had in Tampa Bay. In just 10 at-bats in Dodger stadium, Lugo has just two hits and no home runs. Dodger Stadium is widely considered a pitchers' park so that should aid in taming his power numbers. Also, one slight possibility is that Betemit will really flourish for the Dodgers making it difficult to start Lugo every day when Kent returns. Lugo should go to third base with Betemit as his backup but, they could become platooning infielders if Betemit really takes off. Although it is a slight possibility, I feel it's necessary to be mentioned.

Overall, this trade will help Lugo's value in all leagues and formats. I advise owners of Lugo to seek trading him with his high current value to address other needs, or to simply just hold on to Lugo because he has the opportunity to increase his value with the Dodgers more offensive lineup. Any way you put it, Lugo has the opportunity to make himself and his new teammates better.

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Joshua Ellis
Joshua has been a KFFL contributor since 2006.

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