Welcome to the Blue, Tom Koehler!

Before we got word of the blockbuster trade that sent several high-priced veterans to Atlanta was announced, we found out on Friday that the Dodgers had added another arm to their bullpen. The Dodgers made their very first offseason move following the Winter Meetings by signing free agent pitcher Tom Koehler to a one-year deal (not yet confirmed and awaiting a physical exam). Per Ken Gurnick at MLB.com:

Koehler, 31, was non-tendered by Toronto, which acquired him from Miami in August. Koehler was 0-2 with a 2.65 ERA in 15 games (14 in relief) with the Blue Jays after going 1-5 with a 7.92 ERA in 12 starts with the Marlins. As a converted starter, Koehler would fit the multi-inning reliever role the Dodgers rely on with most of their starting pitchers lasting barely five innings per game. 

"As teams are trying to maximize roster spots, I think it's going to become more common," general manager Farhan Zaidi said of the multi-inning reliever during this week's Winter Meetings.

Thank You, Adrian Gonzalez!

I still remember that day in 2012 when the entire Baseball world heard the shocking news that the Dodgers now had Adrian Gonzalez in their lineup. As you may recall, the franchise was in turmoil then. Team owner Frank McCourt had effectively been ousted just three months prior, and few people knew exactly what the new bosses had in mind.

2017 Topps Transcendent Collection - The Monty Sheldon Painted Dodgers Baseballs

On Friday I briefly introduced Topps 2017 Transcendent Collection brand by showing off the Corey Seager hand-drawn baseball created by sports artist Mayumi Seto (link here). As you know, this super premium set -- of which there are only 87 boxes/cases in existence -- includes one original artist drawn card or baseball. Of the artistic Baseballs four feature a Dodger, and three of those four were created by friend of Blue Heaven blog, Monty Sheldon.

Over the weekend, Monty was kind enough to send along pics of the three Dodgers' painted baseballs for everyone to enjoy. Check them out below -- Clayton Kershaw, Cody Bellinger and Yu Darvish. He was also kind enough to share a group pic of a bunch of the baseballs he painted for this set. You can see that at the very bottom of this post.

Authentic MLB Baseball Sketch (#/1)

#Clayton Kershaw                         #Cody Bellinger

Blog Kiosk: 12/18/2017 - Dodgers Links - Some Weekend Odds and Ends

(Via tweet from AGon)

Do you know what happens when you spend all weekend shopping and don't bother lifting a finger to check out any news?

Something big happens, like a blockbuster trade, that you don't discover until a couple days later.

That's what I experienced this morning. I dutifully got up and prepared for work, headed to the office and finally decided to check out my news feed -- something I chosen to ignore all weekend long. To my utter surprise, I discovered that old-friend Matt Kemp is back in LA. (For how long? I dunno.) And just as shockingly, the Dodgers shipped high-priced talent Adrian Gonzalez, Brandon McCarthy, Scott Kazmir, along with utilityman Charlie Culberson and some cash to the Braves in return.

Wow! Stay tuned as I think about some "thank you" and "welcome" post with fantasy Baseball cards.

Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 2009 the Dodgers traded outfielder Juan Pierre to the White Sox for pitchers John Ely and Jon Link. In 2014 the Dodgers traded Tim Federowicz and Matt Kemp to San Diego for Zach Eflin, Yasmani Grandal and Joe Wieland. 
• Happy Birthday, Dave Oldfield, Hub Knolls, Jimmy Pattison, Bill Skowron, Gino Cimoli, Zoilo Versalles, Lance Carter & Micah Johnson!