Dodgers Rumors

Odds & Ends: Belliard, Nats, Looper, Gathright

By Zachary Links | March 12, 2010 at 9:07pm CDT

Friday night linkage..

Dodgers second baseman Ronnie Belliard has still yet to make weight, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. Upon re-signing him to a one year deal, the club asked that the veteran weigh no more than 209 pounds by the start of Spring Training.
In his latest mailbag, MLB.com's Bill Ladson writes that the Nationals are trying to trade for a top-of-the-rotation starter.
El Lefty Malo implores the Giants to ink free agent pitcher Braden Looper as Madison Bumgarner continues to struggle in Spring Training. You can read up on Looper and the other remaining starters in Ben's post from earlier today.
With a good showing this spring, Joey Gathright has a solid chance of making the Blue Jays' roster, says Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. The soon-to-be 29-year-old has hit .263./.327/.303 for his career with a UZR/150 of 10.3 in the outfield.

Odds & Ends: Weeks, Castro, Roberts, Piniella

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 12, 2010 at 5:58pm CDT

Lots of rainouts in Florida, so here are some links to get you through the day…

Jayson Stark takes a look at pitching phenoms not named Stephen Strasburg. Also featured: Strasburg.
MLB.com's Steve Gilbert looks back at the trade that sent Jose Valverde to Houston and says the D'Backs now look like winners for obtaining Chad Qualls, Juan Gutierrez and Chris Burke.
Rickie Weeks told Colin Fly of the AP that he'll miss former teammate J.J. Hardy, who was traded for Carlos Gomez this winter (link via the Miami Herald).
MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo profiles highly-touted high schooler Jameson Taillon, from his academic background to his hobbies, to his upper-90s fastball. Taillon will likely be a top pick in this year's draft.
Top Cubs prospect Starlin Castro will start the season in Triple A no matter how good he looks in Spring Training, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.
Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail repeated to Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun that the Orioles will consider other options in case Brian Roberts isn't going to be ready on Opening Day.
In case you're wondering, Jermaine Dye is the only remaining free agent who qualified for the batting title last year.
Cubs manager Lou Piniella feels healthy going into the last year of his contract, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. Team president Crane Kenney expects to have an "interesting conversation" with Piniella after the season.
The Lancaster Barnstormers of the Atlantic League signed Toshihisa Nishi, according to this Sanspo report passed along by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker (via Twitter).
Jason Bay says he feels more comfortable than before, now that he has a no-trade clause in his contract, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.
Steve Dilbeck of the LA Times can't think of a Dodger to successfully make a comeback like the one Eric Gagne is attempting.
A former GM tells Baseball America that teams didn't worry about losing players out of minor league options in the past. Check out MLBTR's list of players out of minor league options here and go to the Baseball America article for Matt Eddy's explanation of options and why they matter.
Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post suspects that the Nationals may not draft Bryce Harper with the first overall pick in this year's draft.

Brian Giles Retires

By Tim Dierkes | March 11, 2010 at 12:46pm CDT

Outfielder Brian Giles announced his retirement today, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times. The Dodgers had signed Giles to a minor league deal on February 7th, and soon after he told MLB.com's Ken Gurnick it wouldn't take long to decide whether his knee could hold up physically.

Though he's not a household name, Giles finishes with an excellent .291/.400/.502 line in 7,835 career plate appearances for the Indians, Pirates, and Padres. Giles' career OBP currently ranks 59th all-time. Giles made two All-Star appearances and received MVP votes in five seasons. He was involved in a blockbuster trade in August of '03, joining the Padres for Jason Bay, Oliver Perez, and Cory Stewart. According to Baseball Reference, Giles earned about $81MM in his career.

Heyman On Twins, Torre, Beckett

By Tim Dierkes | March 10, 2010 at 3:02pm CDT

Let's dig into the latest from SI's Jon Heyman…

The scenario of the Twins signing a free agent starter like Jarrod Washburn and moving Francisco Liriano into the closer role is "said to be floating around Ft. Myers," possibly depending on whether Joe Nathan's contract is insured. I'd be surprised by that approach, though; I think Liriano is primed for a big year as a starter.
After talking to Dodgers manager Joe Torre, Heyman isn't sure he'll stop managing after the 2011 season.
Heyman writes that there has been "at least some progress" between the Red Sox and Josh Beckett on an extension.

Odds & Ends: Smoltz, Pedro, Cardinals, Percival

By Tim Dierkes | March 8, 2010 at 9:34pm CDT

Links for Monday…

John Smoltz and Pedro Martinez will likely eventually sign with National League clubs, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. He names the Cardinals, Phillies, Cubs, and Dodgers as potential players for the two veteran right-handers.
Cardinals GM John Mozeliak tells MLB.com's Matthew Leach that his club is going to be patient about assessing their bullpen, and is not currently seeking right-handed relief help.
Troy Percival is in Angels camp as a guest instructor, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times. He has no plans to try another comeback.
I named my undervalued hitters for fantasy baseball leagues over at RotoAuthority.
Former A's and Padres exec Sandy Alderson has been tasked with revamping MLB's Dominican Republic office, reports ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr.
Indians third baseman Jhonny Peralta told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports he'd like to remain in Cleveland beyond this year, though Morosi sees a good chance of a trade. Peralta earns $4.6MM this year, and has a $7MM club option for 2011 with a $250K buyout.
Joe Posnanski profiles Joakim Soria, suggesting the Royals should've tried him as a starter at some point.
ESPN's Rob Neyer learned from Michael Lewis that Jonah Hill has replaced Demetri Martin as the actor who will play Paul DePodesta in Aaron Sorkin's Moneyball movie. Brad Pitt is still slated to play Billy Beane.

Dodgers Don’t Plan To Trade For Catcher

By Zachary Links | March 7, 2010 at 9:44pm CDT

The Dodgers do not plan to bring in a catcher after losing Russell Martin for four to six weeks with a pulled groin, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Instead, they will rely on A.J. Ellis to fill the void, with Brad Ausmus serving as the understudy. Ken Gurnick of MLB.com writes that Torre has faith in the rookie.

The post notes that Paul Bako is likely the top remaining free agent catcher. The 37-year-old hit .224/.308/.336 in 130 plate appearances for the Phillies last season. Another notable catcher without a job is Michael Barrett, though he missed the majority of 2009 due to injury.

Los Angeles dealt one of the game's top catching prospects, Carlos Santana, in the Casey Blake deal in 2008. The 23-year-old Santana will likely make his major league debut this season.

Odds & Ends: Wedge, Nats, Marlins, Webb, Tejada

By Zachary Links | March 6, 2010 at 10:50pm CDT

Some links for Saturday..

Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer hears that Eric Wedge is taking this year off by choice. The former Indians skipper, who is still under contract with the club for one more year, was connected to the Mets' bench coach job for a while.
The strong play of Nats rookie shortstop Ian Desmond could bump Cristian Guzman from the starting lineup, writes Bill Ladson of MLB.com. However, it will be difficult for Washington will find a taker for Guzman's $8MM salary.
Newly acquired Dodger Garret Anderson knows that he's fighting for a very limited role with club, writes MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. Anderson played in 135 games for the Braves last season, hitting .268/.303/.401 with 13 HRs.
Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that Giants pitcher Byung-Hyun Kim has the right to opt out of his contract on March 15th if he doesn't think he'll make the 25-man roster. The 31-year-old – who last pitched in the majors in 2007 – signed a minor league deal with San Francisco in February.
Bobby Valentine told Marlins beat reporters that he was never spoke with club owner Jeffrey Loria about managing the team, writes Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. Bobby V said the speculation was unfair to skipper Fredi Gonzalez, who led guided Florida to 87 wins and a second-place finish in the NL East.
Arizona GM Josh Byrnes said that the club wants to look at internal candidates first if Brandon Webb is unable to start the regular season, tweets MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. Byrnes added that the club, as always, will keep an eye on the waiver wire as Spring Training winds down (also via Twitter).
Despite the impressive play of Josh Bell, Miguel Tejada will be the Orioles' starting third baseman barring a "dramatic" event, writes Peter Schmuck of The Baltimore Sun. The O's signed Tejada to a one-year, $6MM deal in late January.
Joe Posnanski takes a look at the history of the Rule 5 draft. Fun Fact: The Rule 5 draft goes back more than 100 years.

State Of The Dodgers

By Zachary Links | March 6, 2010 at 4:56pm CDT

Dodgers owner Frank McCourt addressed reporters today and said that GM Ned Colletti will have the same financial flexibility at the trade deadline as he did last year, writes Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (via Twitter).

Before the trade deadline last season, the Dodgers acquired George Sherill from the Orioles for Josh Bell and right-hander Steve Johnson. Colletti also managed to bring Jim Thome, Ronnie Belliard, and Jon Garland aboard prior to the August 31st waiver deadline. While those pickups didn't require Los Angeles to break the bank, Dodgers fans should be relieved to know that they will have room to make mid-season moves.

Meanwhile, after listening to McCourt speak, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) doesn't get the sense that the club is close to adding another starting pitcher.

Dodgers Remain Interested In Braden Looper

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 5, 2010 at 8:36am CDT

The Dodgers remain interested in free agent pitcher Braden Looper, but they're not willing to offer him more than a minor league deal, according to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. They would like to add the 35-year-old righty to the group of starters competing for the final spot in the team's rotation.

Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports hears that Looper could wait for pitchers to get injured before signing (Twitter link).

Agent Alan Hendricks tells Gurnick that Looper is staying in shape, waiting for an offer he likes. A few months ago Looper said he'd like to play for the Cubs. Since then, he has told the Nationals he's going in a different direction.

Looper made at least 30 starts for the third consecutive season last year, logging 194.2 innings. He struck out 4.6 K/9 with 3.0 BB/9 for a 5.22 ERA.

Dodgers Sign Pitcher From Tryout Camp

By Mike Axisa | March 4, 2010 at 5:31pm CDT

The Dodgers have signed righthanded reliever Ricardo "Ricky" Rivas to a minor league contract, according to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. Rivas was the only player out of 85 to receive a deal out after participating in a tryout camp at Camelback Ranch-Glendale.

The 26-year-old Rivas spent last season with the El Paso Diablos of the independent American Association, where he posted a 4.82 ERA with a 5.5 K/9 and a 3.4 BB/9 in 37.1 innings. A 48th round pick of the Pirates in 2004, Rivas didn't sign and instead headed to Oklahoma State before jumping into the indy ranks.

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