Dodgers Rumors

Looking At The Needs Of Some Contenders

By Mike Axisa | April 3, 2010 at 8:33pm CDT

With Spring Training wrapping up around the country, teams are finalizing their rosters and picking the 25 players they'll start the season with. There's always room for improvement, but some contenders have some very obvious weak spots on their rosters. Here's a look at some of them, which may need to be addressed during the season…

Angels, third base: Brandon Wood and Maicer Izturis will get the first cracks at replacing Chone Figgins, but if neither is up to par, the Halos might be looking for a fill-in at the hot corner.
Braves, outfielder: Superstar in training Jason Heyward will start the year in right, but incumbent centerfielder Nate McLouth had a brutal spring (6-for-51), which may push Melky Cabrera into full-time duty.
Rays, setup man: With J.P. Howell on the shelf due to a bum shoulder, the team has no obvious candidate to hand the ball off to new closer Rafael Soriano. Dan Wheeler and Grant Balfour represent solid options, but if Howell misses more time than expected, the Rays might be looking to add a reliever.
Twins, closer: This is the most obvious hole of them all. Joe Nathan is out for the season after having elbow surgery, and Jon Rauch will get the first chance to replace him.
Yankees, left field: The team is breaking camp with Brett Gardner, Randy Winn, and Marcus Thames set to share time in left, but we've already seen a scenario laid out in which they might need help sooner rather than later.

That doesn't include all of the clubs that could very well be looking to add a starting pitcher at some point, like the Mariners, Mets, Phillies, Cubs, and Dodgers. Some other holes aren't so obvious though. Maybe the Red Sox could use another reliever (who couldn't?), or perhaps Seattle will go looking for a big bat that fits into their extreme run prevention plan.

What other areas of need to do you see out there for contenders?

Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Figueroa, Rays, Martinez

By Mike Axisa | April 3, 2010 at 4:22pm CDT

Links for Saturday…

Rule 5 Draft pick Carlos Monasterios will make the Dodgers' Opening Day squad, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. However, Joe Torre will not announce whether the team will carry 11 or 12 pitchers until tomorrow.
Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times (via Twitter) says to expect word that Elliot Johnson has cleared waivers and will stay with the Rays at their Triple-A affiliate. Johnson, who was out of options, was waived by Tampa Bay earlier this week.
Righthander Nelson Figueroa was one of six players cut by the Mets, according to MLB.com's Bill Chastain. Figueroa is out of options and has been outrighted before, so he can elect to become a free agent instead of reporting to the minors if he clears waivers.
Victor Martinez doesn't feel he needs promises in his next contract that he will remain at catcher, reports WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. This morning we learned that V-Mart doesn't want talks about a contract extension to take place during the season.
Tracy Ringolsby of Inside The Rockies points out that the Rockies will start the year with the highest Opening Day payroll in team history, a cool $85,808,682.
Marc Carig of The Newark Star-Ledger tweets that Marcus Thames has officially made the Yankees' Opening Day roster. He could have opted out of his minor league deal if he didn't make the team out of Spring Training, but now he'll earn $900K for the season.

Dodgers Release Doug Mientkiewicz

By Mike Axisa | April 3, 2010 at 9:03am CDT

The Dodgers have finally released first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz according to Steve Dilbeck of The Los Angeles Times, almost a week after he requested the move. Mientkiewicz was informed that he did not make the team last weekend, but the Dodgers kept him around in case Garret Anderson got hurt before Opening Day.

The 35-year-old Mientkiewicz appeared in just 20 games for LA last year because of a dislocated shoulder, and his performance in camp left much to be desired. Although he's best known as a slick fielding first baseman, he also spent time at third base and in rightfield for the Pirates in 2008. The Dodgers signed Mientkiewicz to a minor league deal in December that would have paid him a base salary of $550K in the big leagues.

Minor League Transactions

By Mark Polishuk | March 31, 2010 at 7:08pm CDT

Matt Eddy of Baseball America is back with his weekly list of minor league transactions, and here are a few of the familiar names on the move…

RHP Chad Orvella, who last played in the majors for Tampa Bay in 2007, was released by the Angels after signing with the club earlier this month.
The Dodgers released outfielder Brian Barton. Barton was one of just two non-pitchers to appear in a game last season without making a plate appearance. He entered his only major league game of 2009 as a pinch-runner and was caught stealing.
Jesse Foppert was released by Florida. Foppert's last major league game was in 2005 with San Francisco, but the right-hander has been pitching in the Giants' (and, briefly, the Mariners') system ever since. Prior to the 2003 season, Foppert was the fifth-highest ranked prospect in the game by Baseball America.
And finally, if you see a spate of "Boston Releases Papelbon" headlines, it's not an April Fool's joke. The Red Sox released right-hander Josh Papelbon, Jon's younger brother.

Dodgers Sell Stults To Hiroshima Carp

By Tim Dierkes | March 31, 2010 at 6:42pm CDT

WEDNESDAY, 6:42pm: Stults' deal with Hiroshima is worth roughly $700K plus bonuses, tweets NPB Tracker.

TUESDAY, 5:26pm: Los Angeles is expected to receive between $300K and $400K for Stults, tweets Hernandez.

TUESDAY, 11:36am: The Dodgers sold pitcher Eric Stults to the Hiroshima Carp, reports Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times. The 30-year-old southpaw was known to be available, as the Dodgers prefer other pitchers for the fifth starter job. The Hanshin Tigers and Chiba Lotte Marines also had an eye on Stults.

Stults posted a 4.86 ERA, 5.9 K/9, and 4.7 BB/9 in ten starts for the Dodgers last year. He made another 13 starts in the minors, putting up similar numbers.

Dodgers Release Jason Repko

By Zachary Links | March 31, 2010 at 1:08pm CDT

WEDNESDAY, 1:08pm: The Dodgers released Repko, reports MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. The move saved the team $375K of his $500K salary.

TUESDAY, 6:34pm: The Dodgers have placed outfielder Jason Repko on waivers, major league sources tell Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The move is less than surprising, as there is no room in Los Angeles' outfield for the club's first-round selection in the 1999 draft.

The 29-year-old has suffered multiple injuries throughout his career and has not seen significant time in the Majors since 2006. In 433 plate appearances for the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate last season, Repko hit .277/.329/.471 with 16 home runs.

Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Giants, Lo Duca, Stults

By Zachary Links | March 30, 2010 at 10:39pm CDT

Tuesday night linkage..

The Dodgers' ownership issue won't be resolved until the end of the season, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. The trial to determine the owner of the club will begin on August 30th.
Sergio Santos – formerly a shortstop in the Diamondbacks organization – has made it to the major leagues as a pitcher for the White Sox, writes Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.
Todd Wellemeyer isn't sure that the Giants' rotation is better than the Cardinals starting five that he was a part of, writes Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News. While it has yet to be announced, Wellemeyer will likely be crowned the fifth starter in San Francisco's rotation.
Rockies catcher Paul Lo Duca will accept his reassignment to the minors, tweets Troy Renck of The Denver Post.
Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times supports the Dodgers' sale of Eric Stults to the Hiroshima Carp. This year marked Stults' ninth with the organization.
Dontrelle Willis is sad to see Nate Robertson go to Florida, writes Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post. Willis' inclusion in Detroit's rotation was a big reason why the Tigers were able to part with Robertson.

Offseason In Review: Los Angeles Dodgers

By Tim Dierkes | March 29, 2010 at 10:18am CDT

Next in our Offseason In Review series, the Dodgers.

Major League Signings

Vicente Padilla, SP: one year, $5.025MM.
Jamey Carroll, IF: two years, $3.85MM.
Brad Ausmus, C: one year, $1MM. Includes $1MM club option with a $150K buyout.
Ronnie Belliard, IF: one year, $825K.
Reed Johnson, OF: one year, $800K.
Total spend: $11.5MM.

Notable Minor League Signings

Justin Miller, Ramon Ortiz, Russ Ortiz, Josh Towers, Jeff Weaver, Nick Green, Argenis Reyes, Alfredo Amezaga, Garret Anderson, Brian Barton, Luis Ayala

Extensions

Andre Ethier, RF: two years, $15.25MM.
Jonathan Broxton, RP: two years, $11MM.
Matt Kemp, CF: two years, $10.95MM.

Trades and Claims

Claimed Rule 5 P Armando Zerpa from Red Sox; returned 3/15/10
Acquired Rule 5 P Carlos Monasterios from Mets for cash
Acquired P John Ely and P Jon Link from White Sox for OF Juan Pierre and $10.5MM

Notable Losses

Orlando Hudson, Juan Pierre, Mark Loretta, Juan Castro, Jim Thome, Mitch Jones, Randy Wolf, Guillermo Mota, Jon Garland, Eric Milton, Jason Schmidt, Will Ohman

Summary

GM Ned Colletti chose to let key free agents Wolf, Garland, and Hudson leave, replacing them with cheaper options. Let's take a look at the team's biggest moves.

Wolf earned $8MM in 2009 and pitched like an ace for the Dodgers. He'd signed one-year deals three years in a row and was a near-lock to turn down an arbitration offer from the Dodgers. Colletti reportedly feared a $15MM reward for Wolf, but said, "Our decision was made strictly from a baseball perspective." The misstep cost the Dodgers a pair of draft picks. Hudson was also a Type A free agent, but the choice not to offer him arbitration was defensible. The Dodgers have more than enough options to replace him.

So, Colletti missed out on the #36 and #65 picks in the 2010 draft. The Dodgers will survive. Colletti's first big move of the offseason was to shave $3MM off the '10 payroll and $5MM off for '11 by unloading Pierre on the White Sox. Colletti went on to allocate $11.5MM to free agents, most of which will be paid in '10.

With a million bucks in innings incentives dangling, I think Padilla will have a decent year. Brett Myers and Jon Garland, who signed for similar dollars, don't seem any better or worse. Carroll's two-year deal was unnecessary. The 36-year-old is a useful player, but if you're pinching pennies there are better ways to spend $3.85MM. Saving the money for midseason acquisitions would've been a better move.

Colletti deserves praise for adding 2011 cost certainty with the Ethier, Broxton, and Kemp deals. He chose the right players and didn't overpay.

The Dodgers' offense appears respectable, with no clear area for upgrade. Getting sufficient innings out of the Billingsley-Kershaw-Padilla-Kuroda front four is a concern, though few teams are satisfied with their rotation depth. Colletti may need to make a deal this summer.

Mientkiewicz Seeks Release From Dodgers

By Zachary Links | March 28, 2010 at 5:26pm CDT

Despite being told that he will not make the Dodgers' Opening Day roster, Doug Mientkiewicz's request to be released from his contract has yet to be granted, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Mientkiewicz says that he has been told he is the club's contingency plan in the event that Garret Anderson is hurt.

The Dodgers have contractual control over the 35-year-old first baseman until Friday, when his opt-out clause goes into effect. Mientkiewicz says he doesn't understand why he has yet to be cut loose as Angel Berroa and Eric Gagne were both released upon their requests.

Mientkiewicz, known best for his defense, declined an offer from manager Joe Torre to stay on with the club as a coach. In twelve big league seasons, the veteran has a career slash line of .271/.360/.405.

Cafardo’s Latest: Fielder, Pedro, Gagne, Santos

By Luke Adams 2 | March 28, 2010 at 9:37am CDT

In his latest column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe ranks baseball's managers, from first (Bobby Cox) to 30th (rookie skipper Brad Mills). He also shares a few hot stove notes:

Contracts like the eight-year pacts signed by Mark Teixeira and Joe Mauer may indicate what it'll take for the Brewers to lock up Prince Fielder long-term. Milwaukee "would like to seal the deal right now," avoiding the drama that will only increase as Fielder approaches free agency.
Cafardo wonders if Pedro Martinez could end up pitching for the Dodgers at some point this season.
Alex Gonzalez said "forget it" this winter when the Red Sox asked him to wait until they had dealt with Jason Bay. Gonzalez adds: "I was going to get a starting job, and in this market, I'm glad I didn't wait."
Eric Gagne believes he can still succeed at the big league level, but he may have trouble catching on anywhere this late in the spring.
Sergio Santos would have plenty of teams interested in him if he doesn't break camp with the White Sox. Santos, a former first-round pick as a shortstop, is out of options and competing for a spot in Chicago's bullpen.

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