The Dodgers created an opening at second base with their trade of Dee Gordon to the Miami Marlins early in the day Wednesday, and filling it with Howie Kendrick was a quick one-or two-win upgrade over what they could have reasonably expected from Gordon in 2015. Kendrick is a much better defender than Gordon and also a better contact hitter, even if he never quite lived up to the expectations placed on him as a prospect because he has never been patient enough to work the count. Kendrick's walk rate spiked in 2014, and if that's a skill change rather than a fluke, he'll be one of the majors' top second basemen and a bargain at $9 million for the year.
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