02.07.10
The Rumor Mill
- The Dodgers signed outfielder Brian Giles to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Major League camp. -- Ken Gurnick
- Third base coach Larry Bowa on Manny Ramirez: “I know he wants to play another three or four years, so this is an important year for him.’’ -- Boston Globe
02.06.10
The Wire
Matt Kemp tweets: "Going to Dallas 2 workout wit the best CF in the game T. Hunter."
The Rumor Mill
The Mets, Dodgers, Red Sox, Giants, Pirates, and Padres all considering Yomiuri LHP Hisanori Takashi, who'll pick team soon. Jon Heyman
02.03.10
The Rumor Mill
- The Dodgers signed right-handed free-agent pitcher Ramon Ortiz to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Major League camp. Ortiz, 36, last pitched in the Major Leagues in 2007, splitting time between the Twins and Rockies. He pitched in Japan in '08 and for the Giants' Triple-A affiliate in Fresno last year, going 5-6 with a 3.05 ERA. -- Dodgers.com
02.02.10
The Rumor Mill
- A club official said Tuesday that the Los Angeles Dodgers are considering signing free-agent outfielder Alfredo Amezaga. But that official denied widespread reports that a deal had already been reached. -- ESPN
- Jeff Weaver has signed a minor-league deal with the Dodgers worth $800,000. -- Dylan Hernandez
- The Dodgers are monitoring several rehabbing free-agent pitchers, including Chien-Ming Wang and Noah Lowry. The Dodgers watched Wang throw off flat ground last week but believe that he is three months or more away from pitching. Lowry's scheduled workout for scouts on Tuesday was postponed. -- Dodgers.com
- The Dodgers remain interested in Jeff Weaver, but their roster situation could prevent them from offering him a major-league deal. -- Dylan Hernandez
02.01.10
The Rumor Mill
UPDATE: OF Reed Johnson passed a physical examination to finalize a one-year deal with the Dodgers. -- Dylan Hernandez
The Dodgers are close to signing Reed Johnson to a one-year deal to be their fourth outfielder, according to baseball sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal hadn't been completed. -- LA Times
01.31.10
The Rumor Mill
- Relief pitcher Joe Nelson claims the Dodgers are showing interest in the right-hander. Nelson, 35, had one bad month last season, posting an 11.17 ERA from May 4 to 27. He was strong on either side of May, posting a 2.38 ERA in 10 games before and a 1.40 ERA in 20 games after. -- FOX Sports
- Garret Anderson, Brian Giles, Gabe Gross and Reed Johnson are in the mix for the fourth outfielder spot, according to a source close to the organization. -- ESPN
Little Known Fact
Don Newcombe won 27 games in 1956, winning the NL Cy Young and MVP Awards, but faltered soon afterwards and by 1961 he was out of the majors. Newcombe resurfaced in 1962 on Japan's Nagoya Dragons - as a first baseman, hitting .262 with 12 homers in 81 games. -- ESPN The Magazine
01.30.10
The Rumor Mill
- The Dodgers and possibly the Angels could be looking into Garret Anderson, according to Jon Heyman.
- The Dodgers are exploring the idea of signing Garret Anderson to be their fourth outfielder and have been in contact with his agent, Scott Boras, according to multiple sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity because talks are ongoing. -- LA Times
01.28.10
The Rumor Mill
- Chien-Ming Wang is reconsidering his plan not to return from shoulder surgery until a couple of months into the season, his agent told ESPN.com Thursday. Alan Nero said that "four or five teams" are now pursuing Wang more aggressively than expected. So the 29-year-old right-hander could sign before spring training if "someone makes an offer we can't say no to." The Los Angeles Dodgers has expressed interest and watched Wang throw in Arizona recently. The St. Louis Cardinals also have been linked to Wang this winter. -- ESPN
- The Dodgers are one of the finalists for reliever Derrick Turnbow. -- Ken Gurnick
- The Orioles, Dodgers, Mets, Red Sox and Giants are among the teams believed to have an interest in free agent pitcher Hisanori Takahashi, who is looking to make the transition from Japan to Major League Baseball at age 34, reports ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. Takahashi, a left-hander whose best pitch is the screwball, posted a 10-6 record with a 2.94 ERA last year for the Yomiuri Giants, who play their home games in the hitter-friendly Tokyo Dome. His best season came in 2007, when he went 14-4 with a 2.75 ERA in 186 innings. -- ESPN Insider
01.26.10
The Rumor Mill
- Ronnie Belliard underwent a physical examination this morning to finalize a one-year, $825,000 contract with the Dodgers. Belliard, 34, can earn an additional $250,000 in incentives based on plate appearances. Belliard's agent, Dominic Torres, said that Belliard was told he would compete for the starting job at second base with Blake DeWitt and Jamey Carroll. -- LA Times
- The Dodgers have agreed on a one-year deal with Brad Ausmus that includes a mutual option for 2011, according to his agent, Pete Mrowka. Ausmus, 40, started 27 games as Russell Martin's backup at catcher. He batted .295 in 36 games last season. Ausmus will earn a base salary of $850,000 this year and his 2011 option is worth $1 million. If either Ausmus or the Dodgers decline the option, Ausmus will be paid $150,000. -- LA Times
- The Dodgers are still looking to add a left-handed hitting outfielder to the bench. -- Ken Gurnick
01.25.10
Timm's Two Cents
If you thought this offseason was flush with starting pitching issues, just wait until next winter. As the roster currently sits, the Dodgers will have only two legitimate starting pitchers returning in 2011 as both Vicente Padilla and Hiroki Kuroda will be free agents. Certainly, someone like Eric Stults or James McDonald could emerge this year and therefore solidify a spot in the rotation for next season. But that's no guarantee.
Sure, next year is a long way off and a lot can happen. Absolutely. On the other hand, why would you want to go into next winter needing to add, possibly, three starting pitchers?
One question to answer: Should the Dodgers offer a contract extension to Hiroki Kuroda this spring? Kuroda pitched only 117 innings last year. He missed two months of the season because of an oblique strain and an additional three weeks after getting drilled on the head by a line drive. Despite all of that, Kuroda posted an ERA of 2.98 in 11 starts after the All-Star break. All indications are that Hiroki will be at full speed when pitchers and catchers report next month. Kuroda will be 35 when the 2010 season starts while he's slated to make $13 million. He has a 3.74 ERA in his two seasons in the Majors after pitching 11 years in Japan and he has full no-trade protection.
In all likelihood, the Dodgers will not pursue the likes of Cliff Lee or Brandon Webb next winter and it's not in Ned's blood to dish out contract extensions to free-agents-to-be. It's also fair to assume that Kuroda will use the upcoming season to prove himself worthy of a multi-year deal when he hits free agency.
However, assuming he shows up strong during Spring Training, L.A. could do a lot worse than to offer Kuroda an extension for 2011. Even, perhaps, offering a deal during the first part of the season after, say ten starts or so, would make sense. There's always risk involved when signing a starting pitcher. But with Hiroki Kuroda, you know what you're going to get: a solid groundball pitcher with plenty of experience to anchor this young group of Dodgers hurlers.
01.24.10
The Rumor Mill
Now that the Dodgers have gotten their No. 4 starter (Vicente Padilla) in place, they're turning their attention to their bench. Their two areas of interest: a backup catcher and a role player who could bounce around the infield, reports ESPN.com's Jayson Stark.
Even though it's still late January, there are multiple free-agent options at both spots -- Brad Ausmus, Jose Molina, Javier Valentin and Paul Bako behind the plate -- and an even larger infield cast that includes Adam Kennedy, Felipe Lopez and ex-Dodger Ron Belliard. And there are indications the Dodgers have checked in on a number of them.
Both Ausmus and Belliard had significant on-field and off-field impact on last year's NL West champs. So it wouldn't be surprising if both wound up back in L.A.
-- ESPN Insider
01.23.10
The Wire
As if the Dodgers need any more negative publicity, reports are surfacing from Matt Kemp's past that, if nothing else, raises some questions. You can read the tabloid reports here and here, but keep in mind that one of the events happened when Kemp was 17 years and he was never charged with a crime in either incident. All I can add is this: nothing good can come from a ballplayer dating a celebrity. The spotlight is just too bright.
01.21.10
The Rumor Mill
The Dodgers signed free agent Vicente Padilla to one-year deal today. The right-hander will get $4 million, plus a $1-million signing bonus and could earn another $1 million in incentives. Ned Colletti said it was unlikely the Dodgers would be able to sign another starting pitcher and that they would spend the remainder of the off-season focused on bolstering their bench. -- LA Times
01.20.10
The Wire
- True Blue L.A. has the breakdown on the recent contract agreements between the Dodgers and all of their arbitration eligible players. Of note, Russell Martin only received a one-year deal. TBLA places the current Dodgers payroll for 2010 near $91 million.
- Fanhouse has posted a report from Tuesday's Ben Sheets audition. "No red flags," the scout said. "No restrictions. He threw nice and loose. The Dodgers were one of many teams in attendance. Let the bidding begin.
- Chad Billingsley talks about his struggles over at Diamond Notes. “I just want to improve on all aspects of the game, as far as managing the game in situations and whatever it may be. I always want to get better because there’s always someone behind you wanting to take your job and replace you.”
01.16.10
The Rumor Mill
- Jon Heyman, speaking on the MLB Network Friday night, reported that the Dodgers are speaking to the agent for Joel Piniero almost daily in an effort to land the free agent pitcher.
- The Dodgers are among the teams that will be in attendance when Ben Sheets throws for scouts on Tuesday, according to a team official, tweets Dylan Hernandez.
Timm's Two Cents
Don't get too excited over the recent signings of Matt Kemp and Chad Billingsley. Certainly, it's always better to reach agreements with players without going to arbitration, and the news definitely falls in the "positive" column. But these signings, as well as the potential two-year deals for Andre Ethier, James Loney, and Jonathan Broxton, do not necessarily signal a commitment by ownership that the organization is committed to the young core nucleus of players or that is is willing to spend money. The Dodgers were going to pay these players one way or another. The only thing this signals is that ownership is willing to bet that Matt Kemp stays healthy. Big deal.
If the Dodgers were truly committed to the core they would be locking up Kemp and Ethier to four or five years, not two. And if the team was really willing to spend money, the Dodges wouldn't be waiting to sign a leftover starting pitcher. Nor would they be satisfied with their options at second base. Should the Dodgers spend money just to prove to fans that they can? Of course not. But don't tell us that there is money to spend and expect us to believe that signing arbitration eligible players to one or two-year deals amounts to much.
01.15.10
The Wire
On Thursday, Frank McCourt addressed the media at a Dodger Stadium workout. Here are some highlights from Ken Gurnick's report:
- "I own the team, it's not for sale and my hope someday is that my four boys will own the team. When people process this situation, they go down a path that the team is owned 50/50 and one party has to buy out the other. That's when you need a partner and that's not this situation. I own 100 percent. There's nothing to buy."
- McCourt said talks continue with manager Joe Torre on a contract extension that would include a front-office role when he's done managing. He said coach Don Mattingly will "be here a long, long time," but stopped short of saying he is Torre's heir apparent as manager.
- Among free agents on their radar are Joel Pineiro, Vicente Padilla, Braden Looper and Jon Garland.
- "So what I say is, judge us on how well we do. When I bought the team, it hadn't won a postseason game in 15 years. We won a postseason game. It hadn't won a playoff series in 20 years. We won a playoff series. It hadn't won back-to-back division titles in 31 years. We won back-to-back titles. ... Those are the facts."
01.13.10
The Rumor Mill
- Dave Stewart, agent for Matt Kemp says he is close to a 2-year deal with the Dodgers, not a longer term deal because of the ownership situation. -- Jim Bowden
- A well-placed source within the Dodgers organization, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that club officials have spoken with Adam Katz, Joel Pineiro's Los Angeles-based agent. But the source declined to provide any additional details. -- ESPN
01.12.10
The Rumor Mill
- Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports tweets: In the face of economic limitations, Dodgers working on a way to sign Joel Pineiro.
- The Dodgers signed free agents Scott Dohmann, Nick Green and Argenis Reyes to Minor League contracts with an invitation to Spring Training. -- Hot Stove Blog
01.09.10
The Rumor Mill
Here's a couple of winners for you:
- Lyle Spencer of MLB.com tweets that the Dodgers have shown interest in Rob Quinlan as a possible fourth outfielder.
- The Dodgers signed free-agent pitcher Russ Ortiz and outfielder Michael Restovich to Minor League contracts with invitations to Major League Spring Training. -- Dodgers.com
01.06.10
Timm's Two Cents
January is typically when that pain begins to swell in my stomach. It's that nervous excitement that comes with the phrase, "pitchers and catchers report..." As Spring Training is just around the corner, I'm beginning to think about plans to head out to Arizona this March. Last year, many of you may recall, the Dodgers were gracious enough to provide some bloggers with a behind-the-scenes tour of Camelback Ranch. Let me tell you, if you have any twitch in your body that is urging you to go to Spring Training this year, scratch the itch! It's well worth the trip. Players and coaches are accessible and there's plenty to see and do if you simply enjoy the being around the game.
You can check out my slide show of last year's visit to Camelback here. It includes my tip on which stadium seats are in the shade as well as a sneak into some of the areas we were privileged to view. The Dodgers website has a page you should visit to help plan your trip. Additionally, you can check out the official Camelback Ranch site here. Individual game tickets go on sale this Saturday.
If you have any questions regarding Spring Training, please send me an email. If I cannot answer your concern directly, I can forward your question directly to the Dodgers for a response.
01.04.10
The Rumor Mill
Before you read the following, please note that there is no source connected to this "rumor." Pure speculation on ESPN's part.
- With Kemp and his agent preferring to go year-to-year rather than signing a multiyear pact, the Dodgers' next few moves might be to work to get Andre Ethier and Chad Billingsley's names on the dotted line, and to possibly begin exploring the idea of trading Kemp sometime before next winter. -- ESPN Insider (emphasis added)
01.02.10
The Rumor Mill
Missed this one from the other day:
- The Dodgers are no closer to signing pitcher Joel Pineiro -- or Vicente Padilla or Jon Garland -- than they were at the Winter Meetings. Agents say the club must have no money to spend because it is not competitively negotiating for any of the major available pitchers in which it expressed interest to fill an innings-eating fourth starter's role. Instead, general manager Ned Colletti continues trying to trade for a pitcher without taking on salary, which usually means moving a similar contract. Based on salary, that could mean dealing catcher Russell Martin or reliever George Sherrill. -- Hot Stove Blog
THE CHANGEUP
is a cacophony of features that includes: Timm's Two Cents, Things That are Dead, The Wire, The Rumor Mill, Fantasy Focus, and Little Known Facts.
by Robert Timm
This site is not affiliated with the Dodgers, MLBP, or MLBAM
