Yesterday, the Los Angeles Dodgers traded veteran shortstop Rafael Furcal to the St. Louis Cardinals for AA outfielder Alex Castellanos. On the surface, the Dodgers aren't getting much in return for the injury-prone Furcal, but no one thought they could actually get anything in return for him anyways.
What they are really getting in this deal is two months to see what their shortstop of the future, Dee Gordon, can do while playing everyday. Gordon is one of the fastest players in baseball, and his speed will be on display on a daily basis going forward.
Gordon hit just .232-.250-.280 with 4 RBIs, 9 SBs in 12 attempts and a 16-2 K/BB rate in 82 at bats when called up earlier this season. In AAA this season, Gordon hit .333-.373-.410 with 24 RBIs, 30 SBs in 34 attempts and a 40-18 K/BB rate in 288 at bats. Gordon has hit .300 or better in 3 of his 4 minor league seasons, and is a solid contact hitter. He will need to learn to walk a bit more, but he will use his speed plenty as he can beat out ground balls and bunt for hits as well.
With 56 games left in the season, Gordon has the speed to steal 20-25 bases the rest of the way, assuming he can hit and get on base at a decent clip.
Furcal has had a sub-par season due to injuries, but could spark the Cardinals if he can stay healthy. He doesn't have the speed he once had, but he is a better hitter than he has shown thus far this season.