Dodgers: Who Will the Upcoming Roster Crunch Could Hurt the Most?

Who should be sent down?

In business, the phrase “The last one hired is the first one fired” is commonly known and applied. In the case of the Dodgers impending roster crunch, this would be the most logical philosophy to use.

Thus, in my opinion, Edwin Rios would logically be the first man sent back down. Rios has not yet had a chance to prove himself at the big league level, even with his solid Triple-A numbers.

The 25-year old Rios has spent parts of the last three years at the Triple-A level, with 33 home runs over around 900 ABs, indicative of his 70/70 raw power rating according to Fangraphs. Part of his problems in terms of not being called up are due to his high strikeout numbers, something not likely to include at the MLB level.

Rios may be ready to play at the highest level for some team, but the Dodgers simply do not have room for him. The front office may do well to use the 6’3” lefty bat as a trade chip to help acquire a bullpen arm.

In terms of defense, Rios is not much more than a corner infielder with a decent glove which plays better at first base, but it is not a differentiator between him and Beaty at first base.

Beyond Rios, choosing who next to send down becomes far more difficult, and the argument between sending down Kyle Garlick or Matt Beaty will continue onto the next slide.