Stu Nahan R.I.P

Stu Nahan passed away the other day and we failed to notice. Our apologies for not recognizing sooner one of the great voices in Los Angeles sports history. Stu did the nightly newscast on channel 5 who just recently also lost Hal Fishman. We wish his family well & remember Stu fondly including his stint as the announcer in the early Rocky movies.

Break Time

So PFD is taking a break until the New Year, unless any big news comes up or I get an itch. We'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas & a Happy Blue Year.

Last Day of Business

Today is the last day of business before the New Year for MLB clubs. Barry M. (moron?) Bloom writes this for MLB.com:

Heading into their 50th anniversary season in Los Angeles, the Dodgers made a big splash this month by signing free agents Andruw Jones and Hiroki Kuroda. This coming after Torre left the Yankees and replaced Grady Little as manager.

Though Jones will displace Juan Pierre in center field, perhaps moving Pierre to left, the Blue Crew still could use another power bat in the middle of the lineup behind Jones and Jeff Kent. If not, they're eyeing another season using the oft-injured Nomar Garciaparra at third base.

While Scott Rolen would fit nicely into this picture, GM Ned Colletti may be more likely to pit Garciaparra and Andy LaRoche against each other this spring. An outfield surplus of Pierre and Andre Ethier gives Colletti some trading chips. And it's hard to believe, because of the current falling out between Rolen and manager Tony La Russa in St. Louis, that Rolen will remain with the Cardinals.

Keep this one on the front burner.

What the fuck? Please Ned Colletti keep this off the front burner, in fact keep it in the fridge. We already have one hobbled 3b in Garciahamm. Andy LaRoche at least deserves a shot if we can't acquire a solid 3b. Solid meaning someone who doesn't need crutches while taking his position. Crede would be a nice addition.

As for Bloom's contention that the Dodgers don't have any other power hitters, I beg to differ. Matt Kemp hit 10 homers in 292 AB, had an OPS of .849 & is still only 23. What about James Loney? He hit 15 dingers & had an OPS of .919. He too is only 23. What about Russell Martin? Well Mr. Martin knocked out 19 last season while playing the most physically demanding position in baseball. His OPS? .843. He'll be 25 when the season starts. This is a young team with the makings of a nucleus that could be together for a number of years. Remember those years of Sax, Garvey, Cey, Russell & Lopes? They all came up right around the same time & the Dodgers were a force to reckoned with.

Barry Bloom is a nationally read journalist a little fact checking and common sense should come into the equation. Scott Rolen is a liability the Cards can't wait to get rid of, he's been a cancer in nearly every clubhouse he's been and burned so many bridges that Tony La Russa publicly ridicules him. I do concede that there is one way this could happen & that is if the Dodgers move Pierre for Rolen straight up then move either LaRoche or Ethier to left and trade the odd man out for relief pitching. The salaries match up pretty closely & even Rolen is better than Pierre. Colletti has had a good spring thus far. I can't help but wait for the other shoe to drop.

Yawn

Dodgers signed Gary Bennett to be the backup to Russell Martin. Bennett will start maybe 3 or 4 times a month. This is the same Gary Bennett that admitted to HGH usage last week so great signing Colletti. For a mere $400,000 more the Dodgers could have kept Mike Lieberthal. He already knows the staff & he was there to help Martin mature. It's not a huge deal, but it doesn't help the team nor McCheap's image of being a frugal miser.

Eric Bedard

John Fay from the Cincinnati Enquirer is saying the Dodgers are still the front runners to get Bedard. Considering the Dodger rotation is 6 deep right now, it's seems a bit redundant to give up prospects & many of them most likely for an ancillary need like Starting Pitching. I would file this one under the, "John Fay gets his info late cause he's in Cincinnati."

If the season started today...

I've received a lot of emails from Dodger fans & detractors alike (like my cousin the Padre fan) who think the Dan Haren trade will have a significant impact on the NL West and the NL in general. While I agree that it was quite a coup for the D-Backs you also have to take into account who they gave up and who the Dodgers and other teams for that matter still have. Therefore I have compiled the starting rotations for the entire NL if the season were to start today.

NL WEST

D-Backs

• Brandon Webb
• Danny Haren
• Doug Davis
• Micah Owings
• Billy Buckner

Dodgers

• Brad Penny
• Derek Lowe
• Chad Billingsley
• Hiroki Kuroda
• Jason Schmidt/Esteban Loaiza

Giants

• Barry Zito
• Matt Cain
• Noah Lowry
• Tim Lincecum
• Kevin Correia

Padres

• Jake Peavy
• Chris Young
• Greg Maddux
• Randy Wolf
• Justin Germano/Glendon Rusch/Shawn Estes

Rockies

• Jeff Francis
• Aaron Cook
• Josh Fogg
• Ubaldo Jimenez
• Franklin Morales

When it comes to depth the Dodgers are just as deep as anyone in the division. With the signing of Kuroda & the hopeful re-emergence of Schmidt I would match that rotation up with anyone's in the division. The Rockies rotation has some young stars in waiting (Francis, Cook) & the Padres have perhaps the best pitcher in the NL in Peavy. After Webb and Haren the D-backs' rotation is not that strong.

NL CENTRAL

Astros

• Roy Oswalt
• Woody Williams
• Wandy Rodriguez
• Brandon Backe
• Chris Sampson/Brian Moehler

Brewers

• Ben Sheets
• Dave Bush
• Jeff Suppan
• Yovani Gallardo
• Claudio Vargas/Carols Villanueva

Cardinals

• Adam Wainwright
• Mark Mulder
• Braden Looper
• Ryan Franklin
• Joel Pineiro

Cubs

• Carlos Zambrano
• Ted Lilly
• Rich Hill
  
• Jason Marquis
• Sean Marshall

Pirates

• Ian Snell
• Tom Gorzelanny
• Zach Duke
• Paul Maholm
• Tony Armas Jr./Matt Morris

Reds

• Aaron Harang
• Bronson Arroyo
• Homer Bailey
• Matt Belisle
• ???

The NL Central is the worst division in all of baseball & the pitching is extremely suspect for every team. The Pirates have the potential to have great pitching, but right now I'd have to give the nod to Chicago. Zambrano, Hill & Lilly are a solid trio, especially in this garbage division.

NL EAST

Braves

• John Smoltz
• Tim Hudson
• Tom Glavine
• Chuck James
• Buddy Carlyle/Mike Hampton

Marlins

Who cares? The Marlins are the worst team in baseball history.

Mets

• Pedro Martinez
• El Duque
• John Maine
• Orlando Hernandez
• Mike Pelfrey

Nationals

• John Patterson
• Shawn Hill
• Jason Bergman
• Matt Chico
• Tim Redding/Joel Hanrahan/Tyler Clippard

Phillies

• Cole Hamels
• Jamie Moyer
• Kyle Kendrick
• Adam Eaton
  
• J.D. Durbin

The Marlins & Nationals aren't going anywhere. The Mets have to hope Pedro can give them something, but right now the Braves have the best rotation. Too bad they're not going anywhere.

Dodgers sign Kuroda

Tony Jackson is reporting that Hiroki Kuroda has officially agreed to a 3 year 36-40 million dollar deal. It's a lot to give up for a middle of the rotation guy, but as Jackson says, Colletti has filled 2 holes (CF & SP) and hasn't given up one of the young players. Kuroda slots in probably to the 3 or 4 spot in the rotation & most likely moves Loaiza into a long relief role.

Pitching at a premium in NL West

The D-backs made 3 trades today which could impact the NL West.

• RHP Dan Haren from the A's for OF Carlos Gonzalez, LHP Brett Anderson, OF Aaron Cunningham, 1B Chris Carter, LHP Greg Smith and LHP Dana Eveland.
• RHP Chad Qualls, 2B-OF Chris Burke and RHP Juan Gutierrez from the Astros for RHP Jose Valverde.
• RHP Billy Buckner from the Royals for infielder Alberto Callaspo.

That's 5 of the the top 10 prospects in their organization gone, but they get one of the best young pitchers in baseball. He was solid on a bad A's team last season & should be quite a tandem with Brandon Webb.

Frank Mc Cheap Speaks

Frank Mc Cheap, who we love to hate here at PFD, had these comments regarding the Mitchell Report:

As the steward of the Los Angeles Dodgers, I am steadfast in the belief that performance-enhancing drugs have no place in baseball. The Dodgers have supported and fully cooperated with this investigation, initiated by the commissioner and conducted by Senator Mitchell. We wholeheartedly support Commissioner Selig’s efforts to rid the game of these substances and we commend Senator Mitchell on a thorough investigation. Our commitment to our fans during our stewardship has been and always will be to do everything in our power to maintain the game’s integrity.

With that said, I have not had the chance to read the report in its entirety and once I am able to do so, I’ll be willing to share any further thoughts.

A couple things: Mc Cheap seems to enjoy the word Steward & why is it that nobody has read this thing yet? Bud Selig got the report 3 days before anybody else and said he hadn't read it yet. Now, Mc Cheap says he hasn't read the report in it's entirety. Here's a suggestion, "Steward" of the Dodgers, take 15 minutes out from trying to woo the NFL to the Dodger stadium parking lot and read this thing. It's really much better than anything you're reading now.

Former Dodgers

• Radomski alleges that Paul Lo Duca purchased steroids on Gagne's behalf and recalls having direct contact with him just once, at which time they reportedly spoke about how to get the air out of a syringe. According to the Mitchell Report, the Red Sox had internal discussions about Gagne's past steroid usage before acquiring him in 2007, including an e-mail from general manager Theo Epstein that read: "Have you done any digging on Gagne? I know the Dodgers think he was a steroid guy."
• Radomski produced three checks of $3,200 each, supposedly for human growth hormone, and a hand-written note from Lo Duca. The Mitchell Report also has an internal note from the Dodgers in Oct. 2003 claiming Lo Duca "got off the steroids" and should probably be considered trade bait. He ended up being sent to the Marlins just before the 2004 trade deadline.
• Radomski alleges that Herges was referred to him by former teammate Paul Lo Duca. Former Albuquerque Dukes strength and conditioning coach Todd Seyler said that Herges and Lo Duca purchased and used steroids while teammates in the minor leagues. Seyler said that teammates also used steroids that were purchased by Lo Duca and Herges, specifically siting an incident in which five players injected themselves prior to a game in 1999.

The Mitchell Report

The Mitchell Report came out today and WOW!!! This thing is a laundry list of some of baseball's greatest players. To say what happened, happened is naive. This is a plague that had to be eradicated from the game. The report is over 400 pages long. I have yet to read it all, but rest assured I will. When people say referring to someone like Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens, "He was great already, he belongs in the Hall of Fame." is just aiding and abetting these athletes.

Baseball is to blame, the players are to blame, the fans are to blame. Everyone is complicit in this story. The strike pushed fans away and only a juiced Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa could bring them back. Fans returned in droves to see the astronomical blasts by these two behemoths. Children wanted to be them & now that we learn that they have become a pox on the game, now that we learn that players earning 16 million a season do everything possible to help their teams win are we surprised?

Tragically, we are not. The evidence is staggering from people such as former trainer Brian McNamee who said he injected Roger Clemens with Winstrol about four times per week over a several-week period in 1998. The Yankees went on to hire McNamee, supposedly at Clemens' recommendation, and worked with much of the team. Clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski who seems to have provided steroids to anybody that would give him the time of day. It's a rough day to be a baseball fan.

It's hard to watch the game you love implode from the inside out. One can make the correlation to the Black Sox scandal from 1919 & then realize the damage this has on the game. This is not a problem that is going away. Players will continue to use substances like HGH or Wistrol or Deca-Durabolin as long as there are masking agents or baseball turns a blind eye. Baseball watched players grow to gigantic proportions. They watched Barry Bonds' head grow three sizes and only when they realized he was approaching one the most hallowed records did they do anything about it.

Too little, too late. Bud Selig can look in the mirror & see who's to blame. He has made famous or infamous names that no one should have ever known. Club House attendants that do nothing more than arrange the towels and get food for players are key witnesses in the most damaging report in baseball history. Kirk Radomski will go down in history with such names as: Arnold Rothstein, Ron Peters and Paul Janszen. This is truly a dark day in baseball history. Where have you gone Joe Dimaggio? Our nation turns it's lonely eyes to you. The myth that our heroes are pure anymore coincides with the myth that our politicians are honest. Baseball has never been a perfect sport. Babe Ruth ate and drank too much, Mickey Mantle was an alcoholic, Blacks weren't allowed until 1947, but cheating is the most reprehensible thing a player can do.

To compromise your values for the almighty dollar shows that baseball is no longer a game for the fans but a business for the owners and players. It is no longer the game we grew up loving and cheering for, but a cash cow for millionaires to become billionaires. The fan no longer has a voice, but is merely an afterthought to players that sue baseball as a tool to line their pockets with our hard earned money. It is, however, a game that I adore. A game that I grew playing in the street, at the park & everywhere else I could throw a ball. The Mitchell Report is merely the tip of the iceberg & in the coming months more allegations will come out. More players will admit, deny & pass on the culpability to others.

The game can not be blamed. The game is beautiful. It's the people that use the game for their selfish desires that bring it to it's knees at least once a decade. To quote Terrance Mann (James Earl Jones) from "Field of Dreams":

Ray, people will come Ray. They'll come for reasons they can't even fathom...It's only $20 per person. They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they'll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come, Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come.

And people will come, they always will.


Here are some of the names in the Mitchell report:

Larry Bigbie (confessed)
Brian Roberts (based on an admission to Bigbie)
Jack Cust (based on an admission to Bigbie)
Rondell White (Kirk Radomski)
Roger Clemens (Brian McNamee)
Andy Pettitte (Brian McNamee)
Gregg Zaun (Kirk Radomski)
Ron Villone (Kirk Radomski)
Ryan Franklin (Kirk Radomski)
Miguel Tejada (performance-enhancers provided to Tejada by teammate Adam Piatt)
Mike Stanton (Kirk Radomski)
Jerry Hairston Jr. (Kirk Radomski)
Paul Lo Duca (Kirk Radomski)
Eric Gagne (Kirk Radomski)
Matt Herges (Kirk Radomski)
Gary Bennett (Kirk Radomski)
Brendan Donnelly (Kirk Radomski)
Nook Logan (Kirk Radomski)
Kevin Brown (Kirk Radomski)
Fernando Vina (Kirk Radomski)
Mo Vaughn (Kirk Radomski)
David Justice (Kirk Radomski)

Non Tenders

Here is a list of all the non tenders from the Major Leagues:

American League

Angels
Dallas McPherson, 3B

A's
Kiko Calero, RHP; Jose Garcia, RHP

Blue Jays
Josh Towers, RHP

Mariners
John Parrish, LHP

Orioles
Cory Doyne, RHP; Roberto Novoa, RHP

Rangers
Nick Gorneault, OF; Akinori Otsuka, RHP

Red Sox
Brendan Donnelly, RHP

Royals
Emil Brown, OF

Tigers
Chad Durbin, RHP

Twins
Jason Tyner, OF

White Sox
Andy Gonzalez, INF; Heath Phillips, LHP

Yankees
T.J. Beam, RHP; Matt DeSalvo, RHP; Darrell Rasner, RHP; Bronson Sardinha, OF


National League

Astros
Adam Everett, SS

Braves
Willie Harris, OF

Brewers
Kevin Mench, OF; Matt Wise, RHP

Cardinals
Aaron Miles, 2B

Cubs
Mark Prior, RHP

Dodgers
Mark Hendrickson, LHP

Giants
Scott Munter, RHP

Marlins
Miguel Olivo, C

Mets
Johnny Estrada, C; Ben Johnson, OF; Juan Padilla, RHP

Nationals
Nook Logan, OF; Mike O'Connor, LHP

Padres
Jack Cassel, RHP; Morgan Ensberg, INF; Ryan Ketchner, LHP; Jason Lane, OF

Pirates
Brad Eldred, 1B; Brian Rogers, RHP

Reds
Jerry Gil, SS; Brad Salmon, RHP

Rockies
Sean Barker, OF; Darren Clarke, RHP

Nice to see Mark Hendrickson is out of there. A few interesting names are available. Let's start with some possibilities.

Pitchers:

Kiko Calero - Had an off year last year on a bad Oakland team, but if you look at his stats from the previous seasons he could be a cheap pick-up in a bounce back year.

Akinori Otsuka - Terrific year last year even though he was injured. He was just about unhittable with the Pads a few years back and could provide solid seventh inning relief as a bridge from the starter to Broxton. His rehab has had some positive reports & he could easily give the Dodgers a boost.

Matt Wise - Wise had a great K/BB ratio last season but his ERA was a little high in the hitter friendly Miller Park.

Mark Prior - Ah, Prior, the former Ace. Since 2003 (his 18 win season) Prior has either been injured or extremely hittable. Though at probably 4 million prorated due to his sitting out the first 2 or 3 months it might be worth the gamble to see what he has left in the tank. I personally, think he goes to the Pads.

Infielders:

Morgan Ensberg - It's a real shame the way this guy's career has gone into the dumps after that one break out season. If the Dodgers are interested in signing him they would be better off with La Roche and Garciahamm.

Minor signings

Dodgers signed RHP Tanyon Sturtze, RHP Mike Koplove, RHP Brian Falkenborg, RHP Rick Asadoorian, RHP Fernando Desgue, RHP Greg Jones, LHP Brian Shackelford, OF John-Ford Griffin, 1B John Lindsey, IF Angel Chavez and C Danny Ardoin to minor league contracts and invited them to spring training.

Chris Kline --- Baseball America

Chris Kline filled in for Jim Callis in the ESPN Baseball America chat and had a few things to say about some quality Dodger prospects.

Brian (LA): Answer this one for Dodger fans out there. Is there any guy on the trade market today that you would trade Kershaw for?

Chris: (2:21 PM ET ) On the block right now? No.

John (Dallas): Chris, I was looking at BA's top 10 prospects for the Dodgers and I recognize the top 4 but the last 6, and especially the 3 rhp's are new for me, can you tell me about the 3 rhp's Withrow, McDonald and Meloan? Are they going to have anywhere near the impact that Kershaw, and to some extent Elbert, will have?

Chris: (2:24 PM ET ) Withrow's fastball was up to 98 mph in the Gulf Coast League, which was higher than he was before the draft. McDonald played himself into a prospect last year with ridiculous numbers in high Class A and Double-A. Meloan has enough pitches to start, but the mentality to pitch out of the pen in short spurts. His velocity plays up in that role and the bite on his secondary pitches are much sharper.

Kuroda news

According to the Kyodo News in Japan Kuroda has reportedly informed his former team in Japan The Hiroshima Carp that he intends to sign with the Dodgers and took a flight today to L.A. to take a physical and sign the contract. A nice pickup for the Blue. He'll be a solid #4 man behind Penny, Lowe & Bills. Here's some info on the guy in case you want to know what the Dodger's are in for.

Jeff Kent is coming back

Yes, Jeff Kent's agent Jeffrey Klein informed the Dodgers that Kent will grace us with his presence according to Ken Gurnick. I was hoping he'd come back and earn that $9 million the Dodgers are paying him.

HIroki Kuroda news

Tony Jackson from the L.A. Daily News is reporting that Hiroki Kuroda is "leaning strongly" towards signing with the Dodgers & canceled his trip to the U.S. this week and would make a decision between Seattle and L.A. soon, VERY soon. Arizona is reportedly out of the running.

If this is true then this would give the Dodgers quite the starting rotation. If it happens the team would look something like this:

Starting Rotation

Brad Penny
Derek Lowe
Chad Billingsley
Hiroki Kuroda
Jason Schmidt (injured)/Esteban Loaiza

Bullpen

Joe Beimel
Jonathan Broxton
Scott Proctor (candidate to have his arm fall off with Joe Torre as manager)
Eric Stults
DJ Houlton
Hong Chi Kuo
Takashi Saito
Yhency Brazoban (injured)
Mark Hendrickson (Likely Non-tender candidate)

PROJECTED LINEUP

Rafael Furcal -SS
Russell Martin - C
Jeff Kent - 2b
Andruw Jones - CF
Matt Kemp - RF
James Loney - 1b
Andy La Roche/Nomar Garciaparra - 3b
Juan Pierre/Andre Ethier- LF

Bench

Tony Abreu
Jason Repko
Nomar Garciaparra/Andy La Roche
Juan Pierre/Andre Ethier
Chin Ling Hu

The Bullpen looks a little light. I could see the Dodgers moving one of their excess outfielders (Juan Pierre, Andre Ethier, Delwyn Young) for a reliever & maybe even one of their starters (Schmidt, Loaiza) though that seems unlikely.

Andy La Roche or Pedro Feliz?

I was reading Randy Youngman's column in the OC Register & I find it very hard to believe that Ned Colletti would prefer signing someone like Pedro Feliz or trading for Brandon Inge over playing Andy La Roche at 3b. Now, it's a well known fact that Ned Colletti is still a closet Giant lover (he wears that 2nd place ring all over the place), but even he should see the stupidity in signing Pedro Feliz. Jayson Stark has already pointed out that the Dodgers have no interest in Brandon Inge.

Juan Pierre to Chicago?

Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times is saying that there may be some interest in Dodgers CF Juan Pierre from the White Sox who are coached by all around bad manager and big mouth Ozzie Guillen who used to coach while Pierre played in Florida. Guillen, known for being abrasive and moronic, seems to be in love with Pierre, who is known for being bad at baseball.

I'm all in favor of this move. The Sox could use Pierre in CF, we could keep Ethier and maybe even get a reliever out of the deal though, it wouldn't really matter. Pierre may be worse in LF than he was in CF. If he's gonna be moved this is as good a place as any.

All I want for Christmas is a Starting Pitcher...Oh & maybe a reliever

So the Dodgers got one of their guys in Andruw Jones & it's a great pick-up (we've discussed this), but there are other needs still there. The need for a 3b is a need only if you don't think Andy La Roche can carry the load himself. True his stint in the majors last season was not impressive, but he did battle injuries all season & a full year with the big club may be just what he needs to raise his game to the next level.

What the Dodgers really need is a starting pitcher and some relief help. As I've written before, who knows how good or healthy Schmidt or Loaiza will be after they were hurt last season? If the Dodgers land Kuroda then the need for a starter is lessened and a middle reliever can be found for perhaps Ethier. The Tampa Bay Rays could be interested but will have to come up with some better offers than Al Reyes for Ethier straight up.

There have been some ruminations that the Dodgers are interested in Johan Santana. Of course, they are interested, the Pirates are interested, he's the best pitcher in baseball. The fact is, though, that Ned Colletti does not want to move Matt Kemp. In his own words, to Tony Jackson of the L.A. Times,

"I'd have to have a conversation where my jaw drops. It's got to be something you can't say no to. I haven't heard anything like that. In fact, teams have stopped asking."

He also said,

"We are not of the mind to give up three or four prospects for one player, I'll tell you that."

Any 4 for 1 or 5 for 1 rumors should be put to rest. It is inconceivable to me that the Dodgers would create holes at other positions to fill another. A great story was written about this on the blog Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness, basically saying how the Dodgers Farm system is so much better than almost anyone else's that other prospects are more highly valued because of the depth. I agree with that sentiment and believe that Logan White deserves much of the credit.

If the Dodgers don't sign another player, don't get that pitcher & go into the season with what they have now...I think it's safe to say that it would still be a successful winter. Ethier can come off the bench or turn Juan Pierre into one of the most expensive bench players ever (I believe Jason Giambi is the most expensive).

Winter Meetings...Tying up Loose Ends

• Andruw Jones signed with the Dodgers last night and his salary breaks down like this:

$12.2 million signing bonus, of which $5.1 million is payable next year, $2.1 million in 2009 and $5 million in 2010. He well get salaries of $9 million next year and $15 million in 2009

• Jones also receives a full no trade clause.
• Astros selected LHP Wesley Wright from the Dodgers with the eighth pick in the Rule 5 draft. Wright, a short left-hander, had a 2.49 ERA and a 68/31 K/BB ratio in 61 1/3 innings for Double-A Jacksonville last season. Still wondering why the Dodgers left him available. There's a good chance they get him back.
  
• The Heater, The Tampa Bay Rays Blog talks about the possibility of Andre Ethier could be moved to them.
  
• Tom Haudricourt, from the Brewers Blog, is denying that the Dodgers and Brewers ever spoke about Ben Sheets, contradicting an earlier report from USA TODAY. He does believe there is mild interest in Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, but does not get into specifics.
  
• An Oakland A's source told the SF Chronicle that the Dodgers & A's are, "as far away as the moon" on a Joe Blanton deal.
• Hiroki Kuroda plans on visiting Arizona, Seattle and L.A. while trying to finagle a fourth year out of teams according to Nick Piecoro, from the AZ Republic.
  

Bag of Balls and a Fungo Bat for Pierre

Eric G weighs in on the Juan Pierre saga:

Ship him to SF for all I care

I dont give a flying F if we give Juan Pierre to the Giants for a bag of peanuts, AND, pay ALL of the $35 mil or so left on his contract...Please, it would be worth it so that we wont have him play D or hit in our line up for FOUR MORE YEARS!!! Four Years!! Christ! That's worse than having Bush for 8 years!!!

Trade him to the white sox, rangers or some other team in desperate need for a shitty Lef..errr I mean Centerfielder..I think some sort of middle reliever and paying half of what's left on his contract is more than worth it. At least, he is guaranteed to NOT be playing center in the Ravine next year...ANDREW!!!!

ANDRUW JONES SIGNS

Ken Gurnick form MLB.com reports that the Dodgers have reached an agreement with Andruw Jones for 2 years/36 million dollars. I know I'm pretty hard on Ned Colletti but this is a great deal. Great job, Ned!!!

Steve Phillips, by the way, is a huge idiot saying, "The Dodgers are a long way away from signing Jones and thinks we're gonna have to wait a while until this goes down." That was @ 9:30 pst. Gurnick broke this story at 10:09 pst.

Baseball America's Top Ten Dodger Prospects

Baseball America came out with it's Annual Best Prospects in the organization review. I have posted for your viewing pleasure compared to last seasons. I made a huge mistake unknowingly thinking that it was from Baseball America itself. However, it was created by Jon Weisman from the Dodger Thoughts. This is an egregious error and I was wrong to not do my normal dearth of research. I apologize to my readers and to Jon Weisman, it was not intentional.

Top 10	2008	2007
1)	Clayton Kershaw, LHP	LaRoche
2)	Andy LaRoche, 3B	Kershaw
3)	Chin-Lung-Hu, SS	Elbert
4)	Scott Elbert, LHP	James Loney, 1B/OF
5)	Blake DeWitt, 3B	Tony Abreu, 2B
6)	Chris Withrow, RHP	Ivan DeJesus, Jr., SS
7)	James McDonald, RHP	Meloan
8)	Jonathan Meloan, RHP	DeWitt
9)	Delwyn Young, OF	Josh Bell, 3B
10)	Pedro Baez, 3B	Preston Mattingly, SS
Tools
Best Hitter for Average	Young	Loney
Best Power Hitter	LaRoche	LaRoche
Best Strike-Zone Discipline	DeJesus Jr.	Cory Dunlap
Fastest Baserunner	Jovanny Rosario	Trayvon Robinson
Best Athlete	Elbert	Mattingly
Best Fastball	Kershaw	Kershaw
Best Curveball	McDonald	Elbert
Best Slider	Greg Miller	Meloan
Best Changeup	Cody White	Carlos Alvarez
Best Control	McDonald	Kershaw
Best Defensive Catcher	A.J. Ellis	Gabriel Gutierrez
Best Defensive Infielder	Hu	DeJesus
Best Infield Arm	Pedro Baez	LaRoche
Best Defensive Outfielder	Jamie Hoffmann	Hoffman
Best Outfield Arm	Xavier Paul	Paul

Donnie Baseball is now Donnie Dodger

Looks like Donnie Baseball is getting acclimated to the National League well. This goes to show you kids studying pays off.

Rolen?

Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Dodgers are in "hot pursuit" of St. Louis Cardinal 3b Scott Rolen.

That's exactly what we need an injury prone 3b. Don't we already have one of those in Garciaparra? Colletti do your magic!!

Ned Colletti Speak

For all of you out there who aren't sure of what Ned Colletti means when he speaks, I will now translate for you. This from a recent article on Dodgers.com.

COLLETTI SPEAK: Colletti said he is not of the mind to break up the core of the youth movement and that three-for-one or four-for-one was too much to deal for any single player.

"You fill a one-year need with a tremendous player and look around and have three more needs to fill," he said. "I'm not sure how you gain on the process."

TRANSLATION -- I do not want to be the guy who traded away Clayton Kershaw like my predecessors traded away Pedro Martinez...fair enough.

COLLETTI SPEAK: "We believe in our scouts and when you listen to them talk about someone like Clayton Kershaw, for example, a few years down the road he might be the same guy [as Willis]. If there's four players you might deal and two of them have a chance to be one of those guys [like Willis], why would you do that?"

TRANSLATION: I have no balls.

COLLETTI SPEAK: "You see what it costs to acquire a player and how much the core of your team is uprooted to do it," he said. "We're on the right course. Other guys are on the verge of joining [James] Loney, Kemp, Broxton, [Chad] Billingsley. Maybe it's LaRoche, maybe it's Chin-lung Hu, maybe [James] McDonald or Kershaw."

TRANSLATION: Frank Mc Cheap would rather have these guys that he doesn't have to pay as much for another 5 or 6 years compared to some like Cabrera who will cost a fortune in two.

COLLETTI SPEAK: The Dodgers met with Jones' agent, Scott Boras, on Tuesday with both sides aware that the Dodgers are willing to offer a short-term contract to the 30-year-old center fielder, who is coming off his worst season (.222 average, 26 homers, 94 RBIs).

TRANSLATION: Frank Mc Cheap can't afford to pay someone for too long cause there is a good chance he will default on the loan he already has paying off the team still. Which is why his wife is in charge, better than actually having to pay someone who knows what the hell they're doing. The average may suck but he still had more homers than any Dodger & the flexibility of adding another OF would allow them to move someone like Kemp for someone like Bedard.

COLLETTI SPEAK: The Dodgers, however, would prefer to land Japanese right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, whose signing would come without dealing away any young players. Patience is required, however, as Kuroda has not given pursuing clubs a timetable on a decision and is considering a trip to the United States next week to visit the cities vying for him. Colletti said it was not decided whether Kuroda would visit Los Angeles.

TRANSLATION: Hey, we're the Dodgers we don't spend money. In fact, if Kuroda wants to come to L.A. he better pay for the ticket himself cause Mc Cheap can not afford to pay for him to fly here. Last season Mc Cheap wanted the Dodgers to forfeit all their road games on the East Coast to save money on airfare.

COLLETTI SPEAK: Colletti, on his stated desire to acquire a big bat, suggesting it might turn out to be Kemp or Loney: "How do you know we don't have that right there?"

TRANSLATION: How do you know that I'll have a job next winter. If I have to deal with an owner who's wallet hasn't been opened since the Carter administration then who's to say he'll not give the GM job to his Dog or the maid or maybe even his son Drew (I will root for the God Damn Giants if Drew gets anywhere near running anything, but the program stand outside of Dodger stadium).

COLLETTI SPEAK: And Colletti, referring to the clubhouse tension that boiled over in September, said: "I've got a real good idea what went on, I know why it occurred and it's been addressed in a lot of different ways."

TRANSLATION: Jeff Kent's Mustache was to blame. I asked him to shave, but he gave a convincing argument for keeping it on. We're on the hook for 9 million, 4.5 to that 'stache if he let's it go then we're paying 4.5 mil to a 'stache that is no longer on the team. We already have Juan Pierre and his 14 year old mustache to pay for the next three years.

WINTER MEETINGS Day 2

Update 12-4-07 8:10pm

• Dodgers GM Ned Colletti spoke again to Scott Boras about Andruw Jones today and got the same answer as yesterday. Jones does NOT want a 2 year contract. GIVE HIM THE EXTRA YEAR COLLETTI! What a cheap organization we've become.
  
• Broxton has been deemed untouchable, much like Russell Martin.
  
• Colletti is enamored with Japanese P Hiroki Kuroda who is 5 years older than Bedard and is a number 4 at best. Considering what he would cost a year (at least 10 million) this seems to be headed into Juan Pierre territory.
  

Update 12-4-07 3:30pm

A lot of things to get through, both directly and indirectly relating to the Dodgers.

• The Tigers acquired Miguel Cabrera & Dontrelle Willis for CF Cameron Maybin, P Andrew Miller, C Mike Rabelo & 3 other minor leaguers according to Peter Gammons.
  
• The Dodgers have inquired about Danny Haren of the A's says Jayson Stark & Buster Olney.
  
• The White Sox are jumping into the Andruw Jones sweepstakes and will probably be dumb enough to feed into Boras' demands.
  
• There hasn't been any new developments in the Bedard for Kemp & Broxton trade yet.
  
• The Dodgers made an inquiry into what it would cost to get former Yankee set up man Luis Vizcaino. This could perhaps be a prelude to moving Broxton.
  

12-4-07 12:30pm

• Amy Nelson is reporting that the Dodgers are close on a trade that would have Broxton and Kemp going to the Orioles and Eric Bedard coming to the Dodgers. Seems a bit steep to me. Then we'd really have no power.
  

Colletti get's interviewed

Joe Hamrahi from Baseball Digest interviewed Ned Colletti & considering Frank Mc Cheap's short leash when it comes to GM's I could very well see this being Colletti's last year. SPEND SOME MONEY YOU CHEAP BASTARD!!!

Notes from The WInter Meetings

UPDATE 12:47AM --- Tuesday

• Tony Jackson is reporting that the Dodgers DID NOT make an offer to Andruw Jones and are out of the bidding due to Scott Boras' ridiculous demands, for now. The Dodgers
  
• Jackson also says that the rumors about Hank Blalock are unfounded.
  
• The Dodgers are being excessively cheap this Winter and it's really starting to piss me off. I'm not saying spend money for the sake of spending money (see: Juan Pierre), but God Damnit open up the purse strings Mc Court who will be now known as Mc Cheap.
  
• Dylan Hernandez agrees with Jackson & states that the Dodgers have made an offer to Hiroki Kuroda.
• He also says that the Dodgers are also thinking about Mike Cameron. Sure, why not add another bum to go along with Pierre? Not to mention Cameron is suspended for the first 25 games due to his affinity to do speed.
  
• The SF Chronicle is reporting that the Dodgers are pursuing Joe Blanton.
  
• The Dodgers have inquired about the availability of Brewers pitcher Ben Sheets.
  

12:00 pm

• The Dodgers have made a two year offer to Andruw Jones for $32 Million according to Jerry Crasnick from ESPN.COM. He may hold for a 3rd year or maybe more. If he wants more than 3 years then he won't get it from the Blue.
  
• Steve Henson from Yahoo! Sports is saying the Dodgers and Texas Rangers have had discussions involving Hank Blalock. Andy LaRoche would almost certainly be involved in that trade were it to go down.
• Jayson Stark reports that the Orioles think they may have a match with the Dodgers for Eric Bedard, even if the Dodgers won't move Kershaw or Kemp.
  
• WALTER O'MALLEY the genius that brought the Dodgers to Los Angeles was elected into the Hall of Fame today by the Veterans commission. What a great time to do it as well, being that it's the 50th anniversary of the Dodgers coming to L.A. Coincidence? We think not. What a great day in Dodgerville!!
  

Andruw Jones News

Ken Gurnick is reporting that the Dodgers are stepping up their efforts in regards to Andruw Jones, but are reluctant to go past two years on any deal. This would either make Juan Pierre available, which he may already be or perhaps pave the way for a Andre Ethier trade. Juan Pierre getting moved would be the best alternative, but his ridiculous contract may preclude any takers. Not to mention that he sucks.

Aaron Rowand News

The Delaware News Journal is reporting that Aaron Rowand is seeking a 5 year deal worth about 10-12 million annually. It'd be a little more than Pierre, but a lot less than Torii Hunter. 5 years is a long time, but could be worth it. If I'm Colletti I get on the phone to Rowand's agent and see if we can work something out.

Arbitration

Dodgers declined to offer arbitration to:

• OF Luis Gonzalez
  
• C Mike Lieberthal
  
• INF Ramon Martinez
  
• RHP Rudy Seanez
• 1B Mark Sweeney
  
• LHP David Wells
  
• LHP Randy Wolf

Only Gonzalez, a Type-B free agent, would have brought back compensation. The Dodgers are considering re-signing Lieberthal and Seanez, who just missed being a Type B.

Juan Pierre is not clutch

Clutch hitting has always been something of an anomaly. Is it real? Is it just coincidence? Bill James recently wrote an article in the book The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2008 discussing his ambivalence to clutch hitting at first being that it was difficult to prove, but now he has rethought his previous theory and has some interesting theories on Juan Pierre.

Who hasn't hit well in the clutch? Juan Pierre hasn't done great.

Juan Pierre Season Avg OBP Slg OPS AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO GIDP 2002 .111 .111 .111 .222 27 3 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 2003 .318 .434 .364 .798 44 14 0 1 0 8 9 2 2 2004 .233 .327 .349 .675 43 10 1 2 0 10 5 3 0 2005 .309 .367 .382 .748 55 17 2 1 0 14 5 6 2 2006 .229 .289 .314 .604 35 8 1 1 0 4 2 4 2 2007 .190 .246 .206 .453 63 12 1 0 0 10 3 4 1 Totals .240 .311 .296 .607 267 64 5 5 0 47 24 22 7

Nobody would confuse Juan Pierre with David Ortiz anyway, but that's not a great clutch record for a guy who gets 200 hits a year.

Once again Juan Pierre is not good at baseball. He gets many infield hits, slap hits and his speed helps him get hits that would normally be outs, but those hits do little to help the Dodgers win. In fact, he does more to help them lose. If you'd like to read the entire article then here's the link.

Former Dodger news

Boring weekend unless you're a Yankee fan. Here's some info on former Dodgers in case you care:

• Eric Gagne was offered arbitration by the Red Sox. He's worth a 2nd round pick as a Type B Free agent. Boston fans do not want Gagne back & there's a good chance he doesn't come back. I'd place my bets on Milwaukee.
• The A's offered Piazza arbitration. Another Type B free agent.
  
• Matt Herges re-signed with the Rockies for one year.
• Caesar Izturis signed a one year deal to play SS for the Cardinals for 2.85 million.
  
• Paul Lo Duca is still unsigned and may be interested in signing a 1 year deal with the Blue Jays.
  

Randy Wolf signs with Padres

Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Padres have signed another one year Dodger castoff. Randy Wolf joins former one year castoff Greg Maddux. Terms were not disclosed.