The following press release comes from the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball.
Alberto Callaspo and Juan Uribe highlight Los Angeles/Atlanta Deal
Dodgers and Braves Complete Six-Player Trade
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers today acquired infielder Alberto Callaspo, left-handed reliever Ian Thomas, minor league right-handed pitcher Juan Jaime and left-handed pitcher Eric Stults from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for infielder Juan Uribe and right-handed pitcher Chris Withrow, who was on the 60-day disabled list. Callaspo will be in uniform for the Dodgers tonight, wearing No. 5, while Los Angeles optioned Thomas to Triple-A Oklahoma City, assigned Jaime to extended Spring Training in Arizona and designated Stults for assignment.
Dodger President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman will be available to the media to discuss today’s trade at approximately 3:40 p.m. in the Dodger dugout.
Callaspo, 32, has a .265 career batting average with 52 home runs and 362 RBI in 1,033 games in 10 big league seasons with the Diamondbacks (2006-07), Royals (2008-10), Angels (2010-13), Athletics (2013-14) and Braves (2015). During the course of his career, Callaspo has appeared at first base (23 games), second base (299 games), third base (565 games), shortstop (32 games), left field (seven games) and right field (seven games), combining to post a .969 fielding percentage. The switch-hitter has been the hardest active player to strike out in his career, averaging 11.20 plate appearances per strikeout, and batted .206 with one home run and eight RBI in 37 games with Atlanta this year.
Callaspo was originally signed by the Angels as a non-drafted free agent in 2001 and made his MLB debut with Arizona in 2006.
Thomas, 28, made his big league debut with Atlanta last year and has gone 1-2 with a 3.94 ERA in 21 combined appearances with the Braves in 2014-15, including allowing three runs (two earned) in five appearances this year (5.1 IP). He has been dominant at the minor league level this year, tossing 15.2 combined scoreless innings in nine games with Triple-A Gwinnett and Double-A Mississippi, and in 87 games (17 starts) in four minor league seasons in the Braves organization, he went 12-9 with eight saves and a 2.81 ERA. As a minor leaguer, he’s limited opposing hitters to a .211 batting average and posted a 1.09 WHIP, while striking out 228 and walking only 60 in 188.2 innings.
Thomas, who played four years in independent leagues following a collegiate career at Virginia Commonwealth University, was originally signed by the Braves as a minor league free agent on May 21, 2012.
Jaime, who was on Atlanta’s Double-A affiliate Mississippi roster, has appeared in games with Atlanta (2), Triple-A Gwinnett (4) and Mississippi (2) this year and has pitched in 18 total big league games with the Braves in 2014-15 (0-1, 5.93 ERA). In eight minor league seasons, the 27-year-old has a 14-11 record with 37 saves and a 3.12 ERA in 168 games (14 starts). During the course of his minor league career, Jaime has limited opposing hitters to a .183 batting average with 359 strikeouts in 251.1 innings.
Jaime, who was a Triple-A International League All-Star last season with Gwinnett, was originally signed by the Nationals on Dec. 7, 2004 as a non-draft free agent out of the Dominican Republic.
Stults, 35, had a 1-5 record with a 5.85 ERA in nine games (eight starts) with the Braves this year, his ninth Major League season.
Uribe, 36, batted .260 with 28 home runs and 155 RBI in 407 games with the Dodgers from 2011-15, originally signing with the club as a free agent on Nov. 30, 2010. During his time with the Dodgers, he posted a .979 fielding percentage at second and third base and was twice honored as a Wilson Defensive Player of the Year (2013 & 2014). Uribe also left his mark in Dodger postseason lore with a dramatic eighth-inning, two-run homer in Los Angeles’ 4-3, series-clinching win over Atlanta in Game 4 of the 2013 National League Division Series.
Withrow, 26, was on the 60-day disabled list and last pitched on May 20, 2014 before being sidelined by Tommy John surgery (June 3, 2014) and off-season lower back surgery. He appeared in 46 games with the Dodgers in two seasons from 2013-14, going 3-0 with one save and a 2.73 ERA, and was originally selected by the club in the first round (20th overall) in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft.
