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As Hall of Fame ceremonies commence in Cooperstown this weekend, it’s a good opportunity to reflect on five superstar players (most of them Hall of Famers) who were lost by the Dodgers during their careers.
Five Superstar Players Lost by the Dodgers
Tom Seaver
The Dodgers drafted Tom Seaver in the 10th round of the 1965 draft, after being scouted by the one and only Tommy Lasorda. Seaver wanted a $50,000 signing bonus. Los Angeles, through Lasorda, countered with $2,000. Seaver chose to go back to the University of Southern California. The future Hall of Famer went back into the draft pool the following January and eventually signed with the New York Mets after the Commissioner voided the Atlanta Braves’ pick of Seaver on a technicality.
Dave Stewart
Dave Stewart was selected in the 16th round of the 1975 MLB Draft by Los Angeles. Upon the advice of Sandy Koufax, Stewart converted from a catcher to a pitcher. Stewart made the 1981 Opening Day roster for the Dodgers and did not allow a run in his two World Series appearances against the New York Yankees. The Dodgers bested the Yankees in six games to win the title.
In August of 1983, the Dodgers traded Stewart to the Texas Rangers for Rick Honeycutt and a player to be named later. However, when he signed with Oakland Athletics in 1986, Stewart found his overpowering stuff. From 1987 to 1990, he had four 20-win seasons, the highlight of which was Stewart being selected as World Series Most Valuable Player in 1989 against the San Francisco Giants. He went 2-0 with an ERA of 1.69.
Adrián Beltré
The Dodgers signed Adrián Beltré in 1994 at the age of fifteen. Coming from the Dominican Republic, it took time to tame Beltré’s talent. But in 1998, when Tommy Lasorda vouched for him, Beltré made his major league debut. The eventual five-time Gold Glover finally broke out in 2004, An ankle injury, ironically, forced Beltré to refine his swing. As a result, he would hit 48 home runs, drive in 121, and have the best season of any position player in Dodger history, with a Wins Above Replacement rating of 9.7, ahead of Jackie Robinson‘s WAR of 9.6 in 1949. In spite of this, Frank McCourt’s management fumbled negotiations, and Beltré signed with the Seattle Mariners. Beltré would eventually amass over 3,000 hits in his Hall of Fame career. He is one of the new inductees in Cooperstown this weekend.
A career that started in LA and ends in Cooperstown. Congratulations Adrián Beltré on being inducted into the 2024 Hall of Fame! pic.twitter.com/NRMHkhSj6N
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) January 23, 2024
Roberto Clemente
In 1954, in order to keep him away from the rival New York Giants, the Brooklyn Dodgers offered Roberto Clemente a $5,000 salary and a $10,000 signing bonus. The amount of the bonus prevented the Dodgers from protecting Clemente from the Rule Five Draft. Consequently, the Pittsburgh Pirates plucked Clemente from the Dodger farm system for $4,000. He won 12 straight Gold Gloves, compiled 3,ooo hits, and won two World Series (1960, 1971). In the latter year, he took home MVP honors against the Baltimore Orioles.
Pedro Martínez
Pedro Martínez signed with Los Angeles in 1988. Concerned that he would wear down as a starter, the Dodgers used him as a reliever. In the most infamous trade in Dodgers history, Martínez was traded to the Montreal Expos for Delino DeShields in 1994. Martínez won five ERA titles, three Cy Young Awards, the pitching Triple Crown, and a World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2004. He is one of only four pitchers in MLB history to have 3,000 strikeouts and less than 1,000 walks.
Fans are left to wonder what could have been if these five stars had remained in Dodger Blue.
More must-reads:
- Mets to promote top pitching prospect for MLB debut
- Cubs catcher lost to horrific-looking injury on same day he returns from IL
- The 'American League WAR leaders' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Phillies superstar may be building Hall of Fame case
Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber is in the midst of another impressive season. Schwarber entered Wednesday having posted a .249/.373/.578 batting line in his 528 plate appearances this season, hitting 42 homers while driving in a National League-leading 97 runs. The Phillies slugger was named to his third All-Star Game this season and, according to NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, he should be the NL MVP. Schwarber has been one of baseball's premier power hitters since establishing himself in the majors in 2017. He's in his eighth season of hitting 30 or more homers and has reached the 40-homer plateau three times in his four seasons in Philadelphia. The 32-year-old Schwarber may find himself in elite company when his career comes to an end. He has already hit 326 homers in his career, potentially giving him a chance to reach the 500-home run plateau. If Schwarber does hit 500-plus homers, the narrative around his career may change. There have only been 28 players in MLB history to reach that plateau, 19 of whom are in the Hall of Fame. Two players — Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera — are not yet eligible and are expected to be enshrined on the first ballot. The seven players who have not been inducted into the Hall of Fame have been linked to PED use, torpedoing their candidacy. At the same time, his entire candidacy may be based on his home run total. Schwarber has a lifetime .232/.346/.499 batting line over 5,188 plate appearances; although batting average no longer carries much weight for the voters, he would have the lowest batting average of any non-pitcher in the Hall. His 20.7 fWAR has been dragged down by his defense and is unlikely to make him a favorite among the younger voters who put more emphasis on such metrics. Schwarber is marching toward the 500-home run plateau. If he does reach that mark, he could be a polarizing Hall of Fame candidate.
Patriots have big Drake Maye concern surface at Vikings' joint practice
Defense ruled the day during the joint practice between the New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings. Per Chad Graff of The Athletic, the Patriots defense did a masterful job of disrupting Vikings second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy at Wednesday's practice. However, New England's offensive line was unable to allow Drake Maye to have enough time to finish plays. "Even with four new expected starters up front following last year’s debacle, Wednesday suggested that there will likely be some bumps ahead for this offensive line," Graff wrote. "Sure, going up against the Vikings was always going to be a difficult task. Greenard has been wrecking his own team’s practices in training camp, and everyone in New England knows how good Flores’ scheme can be. But the domination was so thorough by the Vikings’ front seven that three straight plays at one point would’ve resulted in a sack." Maye showed flashes of promise when he had time to throw downfield or was able to use his legs to buy time or scramble when pressure came. The concern is that the offensive line won't allow Maye enough time to even scramble, so he can make throws. Graff has noticed the same issues that happened on Wednesday have been a constant at training camp against the Patriots defense. With a new-look offensive line that includes first-round pick Will Campbell at left tackle, the Patriots are expected to have some bumps at training camp and in September. New England's offense probably won't look great out of the gate while the offensive line develops in offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' scheme. If and when the offensive line improves, Maye will have a chance to show off the arm that made him the No. 3 pick in 2024. For now, the offensive line is a concern much like it was last season.
Commanders have major hang-up preventing them from paying Terry McLaurin what he's due
It’s been two weeks since Washington Commanders star wide receiver Terry McLaurin publicly revealed his trade request, and a resolution doesn’t appear to be in sight. Thanks to ESPN’s John Keim, we’re starting to get more insight into how the Commanders are approaching negotiations…and how they run counter to their star wide receiver’s financial desires. As we’ve assumed all along, the Commanders are wary of giving McLaurin a lucrative contract that would extend well into the player’s 30s. As Keim notes, the Commanders “rely heavily on analytics,” and those numbers aren’t particularly kind to receivers on the wrong side of 30. They may be onto something. Per ESPN Research, over the past five years, only three receivers 31 years or older have played at least 10 games and averaged 70-plus receiving yards per game (that number jumps to six players if you adjust for 60-plus receiving yards). Further, the team can simply point to the NFL landscape, as other teams are also clearly wary of paying aging wideouts. Among the 24 active wide receivers who are attached to the most guaranteed money, only Tyreek Hill was older than 30 when the deal was signed. McLaurin has continually pointed to his lack of mileage despite his age; he barely played during his first two years at Ohio State, meaning he may not have the same wear and tear as similar players his age. McLaurin is also naturally pointing to the stat sheet, as the receiver has continually produced despite uncertain QB play, uncertain ownership and a handful of different coaching staffs. Per Keim, the Commanders don’t want to pay McLaurin based on his past performance, with the front office preferring to shape any future contracts based on his projections for age-31-plus seasons. The organization also doesn’t want to set a new precedent by paying McLaurin, as it could convince future veterans to push for lucrative deals in their 30s. While McLaurin has taken the drastic measure of requesting a trade out of Washington, the organization is still convinced they have leverage in this showdown. After all, the player is still under contract for the 2025 campaign, meaning McLaurin will have to forfeit game checks if he sits out games. The team could even choose to slap him with the franchise tag next offseason (which could come in north of $30M), meaning they’re in full control of the player’s fate moving forward. The team is also skeptical that another suitor is going to willingly pay McLaurin the type of money he’s seeking. Per Keim, there are doubts around the league about whether another team would be willing to meet the receiver’s demands. Even if a clear suitor does emerge, Keim makes it clear that Washington’s front office won’t give the star away without receiving a haul. We heard recently that McLaurin wasn’t necessarily seeking a deal that matched fellow 2019 draftee D.K. Metcalf‘s deal with the Steelers. However, Keim says Metcalf’s contract has generally served as a guide for McLaurin, but it’s uncertain whether the Commanders wideout is looking to match the AAV ($33M) or total guarantees ($60M). Ultimately, one source believes the Commanders may agree to pay McLaurin a contract that will pay $28M per year. Of course, it’s uncertain if the player would even accept that offer. If that hypothetical maximum offer doesn’t end in a signing, a divorce may be the logical next step.
Former Oregon WR's career may have new life after transfer decision
Ryan Pellum's career with the Oregon Ducks was over before it even started, but it may have new life. The former four-star wideout from Long Beach, California, was ranked as the No. 26 wide receiver in the 2024 class, according to the 247Sports Composite. Pellum took a redshirt last season at Oregon before hitting the transfer portal in January. He was then arrested and charged with assault with use of a firearm after he allegedly pistol-whipped someone in his hometown on Christmas Day in 2024. In June, Pellum was sentenced to probation as part of a plea deal, and now he's trying to get his college football hopes back on track. As such, it's being reported that Pellum will transfer to Delaware State for the 2025 season. Notably, he'll be joining up with former NFL star and three-time Pro Bowler DeSean Jackson, who is heading into his first season as the Hornets' head coach. As a senior in high school, Pellum caught 66 passes for 991 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was at one time committed to USC, but he flipped to Dan Lanning and the Ducks on signing day. Delaware State, located in Dover, Delaware, is an FCS program that is a part of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). The Hornets went 2-21 over the past two seasons under head coach Lee Hull, who was fired less than two years after he took over the program.
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