2015 Leaf 25th - All the Dodger Cards

Leaf has come out with a brand new set that once again seeks to take advantage of their ever popular 1990 Baseball card design.  It is called 2015 Leaf 25th, and it includes several hot Dodger prospects we all know and love.  Go here for a complete checklist.

Julio Urias, Jose De Leon and Yadier Alvares can be found in packs.  Check them out below.  There are three main kind of cards available (Clear Auto Gray, Metal Auto Silver and PURE Auto Charcoal), along with numerous parallels, but only Urias is available in each one.  De Leon can be found as a Metal Auto Silver and PURE Auto Charcoal card.  Alvarez can be found only as a Metal Auto Silver card.  Frankly, I don't exactly know what are the main differences between the three different kind of cards, so I show a general example of what they look like below.

Of note, there is a fantastic 1990 Leaf Kirk Gibson autograph buyback card available, as well.  They are numbered to 40 copies.

Jose De Leon                                               Julio Urias

Blog Kiosk: 12/18/2015 - Dodger Links - Quality Assurance and Iwakuma Deal is Dead

Awesome!  The graphic above via SportsNet LA on twitter.

Below are more links to check out:

• Come on now!  Yesterday came word that Hisashi Iwakuma had failed his physical, and the contract many had thought would bolster the pitching staff was now in jeopardy.  Some reports said the deal was over; while others said that the team and Iwakuma were still in discussions.  Apparently, the former were correct.  Via a tweet directly from the Mariners, they have resigned Iwakuma for the 2016 season, and they initially announced it during their holiday party last night.

Jerry Dipoto delivers a special gift to the front office at the #Mariners holiday party: Kuma is back. pic.twitter.com/8Bo8Y93ub2

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) December 18, 2015

• Via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider, "So, Dave Roberts, what’s a quality assurance coach?" 

“Juan had been in the system working with the infield, and he had the rapport with a lot of Latin players,” Roberts said, “and I think his ability to teach was attractive to me. So I think for me, as the puzzle kind of played itself out, and (as) I looked at a staff that doesn’t have anyone who speaks Spanish, it only made sense to have Juan on board, help (third-base coach) Chris Woodward out with the infield defense, (and) sit in the suite and watch from above during the game to help us with things like that.”

So while Castro will be in uniform before the games and on the field or in the clubhouse or dugout, by the time the first pitch is thrown he will often be upstairs, supervising the scene like an NFL defensive coordinator.

“Whether he’s watching the game in the clubhouse on the screen, or up top and seeing the whole big picture,” Roberts said, “right after the game we can talk about things from his perspective. But he’s on the Major League staff. He’s going to be hitting ground balls, work with infielders and helping with positioning and doing all that stuff as well.”

• Via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider, "Frankie Montas: Future starter or fireman?"

“Our scouts feel like his fastball-slider combo is one of the best in the minor leagues, and we feel like he’s got a great chance to develop as a really good Major League starting pitcher,” Dodger president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Wednesday.

“As we go through it and get a chance to be around him on a daily basis, it’ll be interesting to get a better feel for where he is with the changeup and his ability to manipulate the slider. But (we) feel like he’s got a really good chance to be a really good Major League starting pitcher, and if not, we feel like he can be an impact bullpen arm.”

• Good bye old friend.  Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Justin Ruggiano signs 1-year deal with Rangers."
• Via Richard Justice at MLB.com, "Dodgers' best rotation options may be in farm system."

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