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Marlins' Gordon: 'I'm glad' Dodgers traded me

Jayne Kamin-Oncea / USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

Dee Gordon doesn't resent the Los Angeles Dodgers for shipping him to the Miami Marlins this winter.

Frankly, the 26-year-old second baseman kind of felt it was time to part ways.

"Honestly, it was just time for a change," Gordon told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. "They sold high. I'm glad they did, because I’m happy to be where I’m at right now. They didn't think much of me going into last year, anyway. I did what I had to do to help myself become a major-league ballplayer."

Gordon enjoyed unprecedented success with the Dodgers in 2014, establishing new career-highs in virtually every significant statistical category while leading the major leagues with 64 stolen bases over 148 games. Despite spending most of the 2013 campaign in the minor leagues, Gordon earned his first career All-Star berth last season while also acclimating to new a position after spending most of his professional career at shortstop.

Though Gordon's efforts yielded 3.1 WAR in 2014, the Dodgers were still compelled this winter to try to upgrade at second base. The club traded Gordon to the Marlins for Andrew Heaney in December before flipping the left-hander to the Los Angeles Angels shortly thereafter for Howie Kendrick.

Gordon's offensive struggles after the All-Star break may have motivated the Dodgers to unload him - he hit .284/.300/.348 while getting caught 10 times in 31 stolen-base attempts - but Gordon isn't convinced that his performance tailed off that dramatically.

"I don’t get the regression part, honestly," he said. "As we all know, I wasn't the only one who regressed. I honestly don’t think hitting (.284) in the second half is regressing. Some people didn't hit (.284) for their whole season."

Dan Haren, who was traded to the Marlins along with Gordon, endorsed his teammate's ability to generate offense atop the lineup - a role he'll be expected to fill in Miami in 2015.

"He can carry you. When he’s getting on base, leading off, stealing bases, it’s very valuable. Nowadays, offense is tougher to come by. He can bunt for a hit, steal second and then you've got a couple of shots to bring him in. Nowadays, the one run is huge."

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