Feeling Dodger Blue

Martin out; opportunity arises

2010-03-08T06:03:00Z

Trouble and bad luck keep finding Russell Martin on the baseball field.

Once the gem of this group of budding Dodger prospects, Martin was close to becoming the face of the Dodgers.

Then 2009.

Martin hit just .250 with seven home runs and 53 runs driven in last season, both career lows. He stole just 11 bases, his lowest since his rookie year, in which he didn't play the full season in the bigs. His slugging, on-base and OPS were all the lowest they have ever been. He slugged just .352. There were players (well, at least Joe Mauer) who had higher averages then Martin slugged. Not good.

So after averaging over 140 games per season for the better part of the last four seasons, the busiest backstop in the game is shelved for a while with a groin injury and might not be ready for Opening Day. This is not good for Mr. Martin, more than anyone.

For one, Martin is a slow starter. He hit only .205 last April, and hit .167 for the first week.

He did the same thing in 2008, hitting just .197 for the first three weeks. So, we can see he is a slow starter, so missing Spring Training, especially when trying to rebound from a sub-par year, is not going to be good.

How bad does this hurt the club?

Not too bad, I submit.

]]> First of all, it gives a chance for A.J. Ellis to play. The guy doesn't hit a whole lot, but he goes deep into counts and makes contact. He'll be a good No. 8 hitter. He's also a good defensive catcher, which is an area that Russ struggled in a year ago.

I'm interested to see what Ellis will do with his opportunity.

I'm also interested to see how much more playing time Brad Ausmus gets. He will be a great influence on Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw, and he'll develop the guys battling for the fifth spot.

I'm not happy that Russ is hurt, and was really counting on him to bounce back. I don't, however, think it's all that big of a deal. I think there are other positions where it would be a disaster if someone were to get hurt.

Long story short, I think Ellis and Ausmus will hold down the fort just fine, giving Martin plenty of time to get healthy, while getting his timing down with a rehab stint.

Playing Pepper: Dodgers style

2010-03-08T05:59:34Z

Did an interview with my friend and Baseball Bloggers Alliance brother Daniel Shoptaw from C70. The segment is called Playing Pepper, and it was all about the Dodgers.

Here it is, enjoy!

Anderson gives Dodgers options

2010-03-06T01:22:33Z

It has been brought to my attention that some Dodger fans don't like the signing of Garrett Anderson. And it's not like he's expected to carry the offense. He's a solid left handed pinch hitter with a little bit of pop still in his bat. It's nothing to get worked up over, either way, actually.

He also adds depth to the outfield, and he creates competition which is great.

Here are the options after the three starters, Matt Kemp, Ramirez and Andre Ethier...

Reed Johnson

Johnson is going to be the teams fourth outfielder. He would have to get hurt to not start the season with that role. He's a scrappy player, who played good defense and can hit a little bit. I don't love this signing, but I'm not all that against it, I guess.

Jason Repko

The reason I'm not exactly thrilled with Reed Johnson is that the team already has a Reed Johnson, just with a different name. Repko is not going to get his chance this year. Too many outfielders, now.

Xavier Paul

Paul was in line to be the fourth outfielder after Juan Pierre was traded, but then the Dodgers signed a slough of average to slightly above average players. Paul is a solid player with a lot of potential, it's just not his time yet.

Garrett Anderson

If Anderson can give this team 150-200 AB's, and hit five to eight home runs, I'll take it. A .250-.260 average would be great. Dude has a knack for driving in runs, so I think he'll come up with some big hits. Not a horrible spot starter option.

Brian Giles

The Dodgers went from hoping that Giles could regain form and be the left-handed bat to just now hoping to be surprised. Giles isn't going to hold up, but now he has incentive to perform and that can only be good for competition. He'll truly have to earn a spot, and if he does, that means he'll give them some production.

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What do to with the two-bag

2010-03-02T05:14:04Z

We don't have anybody of Orlando Hudson's caliber this year, that's for certain. He's had some decent full seasons in the Bigs, but he's had some bad seasons as well. And the fact that he has a fat clause worries me.

Luckily the team has options.

One of those options is Jamey Carroll. The Carroll signing is quickly earning the reputation as being one of the worst of the year. You know it was a weird off-season when a deal for two years worth less than $4 mil is being regarded as one of the worst.

Carroll's gonna hit about .270, be scrappy, play solid defense and be a good clubhouse guy. Certainly not an everyday player.

Blake DeWitt was the leading candidate to earn the starting job before Belliard was signed. The problem, of course, is that by starting DeWitt the lack of a left-handed bat on the bench becomes exposed.

DeWitt didn't do anything to show he was ready to be a regular last year, hitting .204 in 31 games. He showed flashes when he hit .264 in 368 AB's the year before.

So what's the solution here? It will be a committee, and a decent one I think. Between Belliard, Carroll and DeWitt I am foreseeing 600+ at-bats, with a combined .278 average, 15 home runs, 68 RBI and 11 steals.

Hmmm... those numbers are eerily similar to the .283, 9 HR, 62 RBI and 8 SB the O-Dawg gave the club last year.

In other words, I'm not in love with any of the options, but as a whole they'll be fine.

And of course I've been dying to see what Ivan DeJesus Jr. can do, so maybe we'll find out sooner rather than later.

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The Fifth Starter Report

2010-02-24T21:57:04Z

Last year, there were several installments of The Fifth Starter Report.

It's back with a vengeance because this year the spot is even more wide open/in flux than it was at this time in 2009.

Let's meet the candidates...

]]> Scott Elbert

The 2004 first round draft pick has been dealing with injuries since 2007 and has only made 22 combined starts over those three seasons. He's never made a big-league start.

He obviously has the stuff, with 21 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings, but a 1.32 WHIP says he still needs to be more consistent. With questions surrounding his shoulder, durability and effectiveness, Elbert is probably a long shot to win this spot. He's going to get a chance, however.

Charlie Haeger

Haeger made a big splash with the Dodgers, giving them two very, very good starts down the stretch last year, and compiling a 3.32 ERA in six games (three starts). He is a knuckleballer, so naturally he struggles with his control. His fastball isn't exactly a BP fastball, clocking in the mid to high 80's. Haeger is only 26 years old and there is a chance he's just going to get better. Intriguing candidate here.

James McDonald

McDonald really developed as a reliever last year, but he wants to be a starter. A 2.72 ERA out of the bullpen and an 8.78 ERA as a starter might say he's better suited as a reliever where he can throw 95-97 for an inning or two instead of 91-92. His fastball is very straight. His curve and change are getting much better. The kid made 79 starts in the Minors, so that is what he knows. He deserves a fair shot and he's going to get it.

Carlos Monasterios

I can tell you very little about this guy. I know the Dodgers were excited to get him in the Rule 5 Draft. He's slight, weighing just 175 pounds and is 6-2. He doesn't appear to strike out too many guys, or walk too many guys. His ERA, WHIP and win-loss record are all very average, all the way across the board. Very much an unknown right now.

Eric Stults

It's pretty much now or never for the 30-year old lefty. He has looked very good in small stretches with the Big League club, but he's just been far, far too inconsistent. He's posted a 1.51 WHIP in the Bigs (and exactly that number in the Minors as well) and that's not going to get it done when you are a thumber.

His changeup is really good, and when he's throwing strikes he can use it quite a bit and be effective. He's made 17 starts with the club over the last two seasons, enough to give us a sample size, and now that he's out of options, he's going to have to find it.

Braden Looper

The Dodgers are in contact with Looper and his people, but as we've read on MLBTR the team won't guarantee him the fifth spot. Looper might provide a small upgrade at the fifth starter spot, because he's made 97 starts over the last three years and won 38 games, but an ERA of 5.22 last year and of 4.94 in 2007 shows that he's nothing to get too excited about.

Game Over returns

2010-02-19T04:20:51Z

In my 24-year tenure as a Dodger fan (started following the team when I was eight, in 1986) I have loved very, very few players the way I loved Eric Gagne when he was a Dodger.

The stretch of 2002-2004 was as dominant as any closer in the history of the game. He saved 84 straight games, he saved 152 games in those three years, struck out over 100 all three years, had an ERA below 2.00, and he won a Cy Young.

It has also become pretty evident that Gagne used HGH, which has left my memory for him tainted and my feelings for him mixed.

Sure, a lot of players did it, but when the face of your franchise does it and it tarnishes all he accomplished, it's tougher to deal with.

Gagne's last 70 appearances in the Major League's, with Boston to end 2007 and with Milwaukee in '08, were less than memorable. He wasn't even around in 2009. I don't have is semi-pro Canadian League stats (or whatever it was) handy.

Now he's returned to the place where he was a legend. Where Game Over signs flahsed and Welcome to the Jungle blasted and many questions loom.

Will he be in any way effective?

How will he be received?

How do we feel as Dodger fans feel about this?

One more day...

2010-02-17T22:42:41Z

The roster isn't quite where I'd like to see it, but pitchers and catchers report tomorrow, and I think the Dodgers have to be fairly optimistic for 2010. Starting tomorrow, when camp officially opens, we'll have a variety of topics to talk about.

Here is what I think are the story lines (in no particular order) to this point.

- Eric Gagne

- Starting pitching

- Second base

- Manny Ramirez

- The development of Kershaw, Bills, Matty Kemp, Andre, Loney etc...

- Rebounding of Russell Martin

- Lack of power on the bench

- Possible rookie contributions

Did I miss anything? Because we're gonna start getting really busy here very soon. Chime in and let me know what we should talk about this Spring.

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BBA hits the radio

2010-02-16T20:41:49Z

Myself, and other members of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance are taking to the airwaves.]]> Baseball Talk can be found at Blog Talk Radio.

The segments will be an hour long and will discuss all things baseball and callers will be welcomed and encouraged to call in at 347-884-8690.

The host of the first show will be BBA founder Daniel Shoptaw (C70 At The Bat) and Ron Kaplan (Ron Kaplan's Baseball Bookshelf).

The hosts of these shows will rotate, and yours truly will be included. Here is what the schedule is tentatively. We would love if you could join in and help us support this venture.

Feb. 23: Allan (MLB Secrets) and David (Rockies Review)

Mar. 2: Joe Dexter (Motor City Bengals) and James (Astros County)

Mar. 9: Matthew Seybold (The Sporting Hippeaux) and Joe Fiorello (Disgruntled Mets Fan)

Mar. 16: Michael (Seamheads) and Jonathan (Hot Stove Philly)

Mar. 23: Nino (The Tribe Daily) and Matt Smith (Feeling Dodger Blue)

Mar. 30: Robert (Bronx Baseball Daily) and Rich (Fightin Phillies)

Apr. 6: Ron (Ron Kaplan's Baseball Bookshelf) and Ryan (Prose and Ivy)

Apr. 13: Adam (The Ghost of Midnight Graham) and Steve (The Eddie Kranepool Society)

Apr. 20: Brian (BoSox Injection) and websoulsurfer (Websoulsurfer)
Apr. 27: Eutaw Street Hooligans and Fire Eric Bruntlett

Little moves keep adding up

2010-02-09T06:22:41Z

With the Dodgers being hamstrung in the cash flow department, and with very few marquee free agents in the 2010 class, the Dodgers have adopted the quantity over quality philosophy. This off-season, that philosophy has been taken to a whole new level. Colletti, prior to February, had signed Vicente Padilla, Reed Johnson, Jamey Carrol, Belliard and Ausmus.

Since then, he's done more bargain hunting as he has re-signed Weaver, brought in super-utility guy Alfredo Amazega, pitcher Ramon Ortiz, Timo Perez and Brian Giles.

None of these names jump out at you, and if one or two of them works out, then great. If only a couple workout, then it's not a big deal because hardly any money was spent.

First of all, I really like Amazega. As a guy who watches a lot of baseball, I saw him play a lot with Florida. He can play nearly anywhere, and can supply some offense. I would expect more of the guy who hit over .260 from 2006-2008 over the guy who hit .217 last year. He played in just 27 games as injuries slowed him down.

I think bringing Weaver back was a good idea. Weaver was actually pretty valuable last year and as a long reliever/swing starter there aren't many better options.

Ramon Ortiz and Perez are pretty much irrelevant, but somehow the Dodgers have a way of getting something out of players. Who knows, right?

The wild card is Brian Giles. He's breaking down, and it's a body part (knee) that isn't going to get any better. Giles is 39, and missed over 100 games last year, and batted under .200.

Don't expect anything from this guy.

However, if it works out, and he can supply 120-180 AB's (and hit a little bit) as a left-handed bat off the bench, it would be a huge plus. A huge surprise, but a huge plus.

We feared another decent pitcher was not going to be signed, but we were hopeful. Apparently a piecemeal system will be in place this year. Let's break that down again, and further, when pitchers and catchers start to report. Which, by the way, is 10 days away.

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Why Reed Johnson?

2010-02-01T16:39:33Z

I'm very confused by this alleged signing of Reed Johnson. Second of all, I wanted Garrett Anderson. A guy who can provide some pop at a moments notice, and a proven RBI guy. Also, Anderson is left-handed and that is what the Dodgers need. The bench is now very, very right-handed which probably means that Blake DeWitt has been moved out of the starting second base slot.

I'm sure he will get playing time and at-bats, but Ronnie Belliard and Jamey Carroll are probably going to get most of the AB's.

I also feel more comfortable with Anderson as an every day player after Manny loses his mind (because we know he will) and Johnson playing every day doesn't exactly strengthen the lineup.

Not happy about this one, fella's.

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Little moves are good moves

2010-01-27T19:27:01Z

Before I get started, I did a Q&A for our Baseball Bloggers Alliance website. You can check it out here.

]]> I was hoping that Brad Ausmus would return for the 2010 season. Sure, he's 41, but he's the perfect backup to Russell Martin. Russ will catch 130-140 games, so Ausmus won't need to play that much.

And when he did play last year, he did a good job, hitting .295. He'll be a nice influence on a pitching staff that's still growing.

I really like the Ronnie Belliard signing. He was solid for the team in a brief stint last year, and he's a guy who can play all over the infield. He's also a guy that can provide the team with a big blow with one swing.

Between Belliard, Carroll and DeWitt (and possibly DeJesus Jr.) I think the Dodgers second base production will be fine. And they have plenty of infield depth.

What was a disaster of an off-season has turned out to be okay, so far with smaller signings following the semi-medium one of Vicente Padilla.

Now, if they could just find a way to sign one more pitcher. A high-risk, low-cost guy like Erik Bedard would be great. If he breaks down, then you turn to Scott Elbert, James McDonald, Eric Stults, etc...

Dodgers bring Padilla back

2010-01-21T21:30:45Z

As I posted on Twitter today, the signing of Vicente Padilla is a pretty decent one... if he is to be the fifth starter.

Unfortunately, I'm afraid he's the fourth starter.

]]> As much as I am hoping the cheap signing of Padilla means that they are going to go after Jon Garland or Ben Sheets, I just don't think it's going to happen.

Padilla's lifetime stats (98-85, 4.33 ERA) aren't bad, but I think Dodger fans are going to want the guy who was 4-0 with a 3.20 ERA in seven starts.

He won't be that guy. He'll be more like the guy who's mean stats for the year was a 4.46 ERA. That's not bad, but when the first three starters in your rotation all have question marks, it becomes more of a concern.

With someone like Sheets, Garland, Joel Piniero (before he signed) and then Padilla as the fifth starter, the rotation would look pretty solid. I'm less hyped on Jarrod Washburn and Braden Looper, but it's better than the alternatives at this point.

Now, the Dodgers are going to be relying on the one or more of the following to plug the gap:

Scott Elbert- hasn't been the same since shoulder surgery derailed a promising ascent through the Minor Leagues.

James McDonald- has proven he is more suited as a reliever because he can max out at 95-97 mph instead of a very hittable 90-92 fastball with little movement.

Eric Stults- will never be consistent enough to be a full-time starter.

Charlie Haeger- ummm... no thanks.

John Ely- got him in the Juan Pierre trade. Hasn't pitched above Double-A, but had great numbers there last year.

Dodgers lock up the kids

2010-01-20T20:10:54Z

There haven't been too many positive things to say about this off-season for the Dodgers baseball club, but they did a pretty good job in avoiding arbitration. I feel like this is a great deal for Kemp, especially when you consider that Broxton got the same amount of money over the same years. I think it was a pretty decent deal on Broxton. Maybe a little high for a reliever, but very few are as good as he is.

Andre Ethier's deal was very good, especially only paying him $6 mil in 2010. He'll make over $9 mil in 2011, but he's worth it.

Getting Chad Billingsley for under $4 mil was pretty good, and getting James Loney for just over $3 was very good. Russell Martin is overpaid at $5.05 mil, but considering the big bump he got after his 2008 season, he got just a minor bump this year. I still think the team did well here.

Getting Hong-Chih Kuo for under $1 mil was a great price.

The only signing I have more than a minor problem with is George Sherrill's. $4.5 mil for a setup guy is way too much, plus he has incentives. I know he was great for the Dodgers, but he won't be like that for a full season. He'll be his usual, solid self, but not unhittable.

I am sensing a possible trade here to a team with the need for a closer, if Joe Torre is happy with his bullpen and can picture it without Sherrill.

Now we just need to sign a pitcher not named Russ Ortiz, right?

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A look towards the future

2010-01-08T23:13:33Z

I've literally been sitting in front of my computer for days thinking of something to write, so I figured we could take a look at the youngsters coming up, and examine the top flight prospects that have a chance (some a very slim chance) of making an appearance with the big club in 2010. Ivan De Jesus

De Jesus was really set back by that broken leg and he might have been in line to be the starting second baseman this year if it hadn't happened. With that position still in flux, I predict he gets a chance once he rounds back into shape. He's playing in the Mexican Winter League right now, and has two hits in 10 at-bats as he eases his way back.

Andrew Lambo

I know this is a long shot, but if Manny causes a stink to get traded, feigns injury or really gets hurt, then without Juan Pierre the Dodgers would be limited. He's just 21, and his numbers at Double-A slipped as he wound up hitting just .256 with 11 bombs. But the Mexican Winter League has been good so far, as he is hitting .330 with a pair of jacks.

Josh Lindblom

Lindblom showed he might be ready for a spot in the bullpen to begin the 2010 season by posting a 2.54 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP at Triple-A. 36 K's in 39 IP is pretty decent.

Kyle Russell

Russell finished the year at Class-A Advanced, so this is even a longer shot than Lambo. But he was a college player, so those guys tend to move up much quicker. Plus, 26 bombs and 102 RBI will raise some eyebrows. Those 180 strikeouts need to reduce before we get serious.

Alberto Bastardo

I'm predicting this soft throwing lefty comes up and makes a spot start at some point. I saw him pitch for Inland Empire in 2008. Very underwhelming stuff, but he preforms solid for the most part and is 4-0 with a 2.77 in the Mexican Winter League.

A good portion of the clubs best prospects like Ethan Martin, Chris Withrow, Dee Gordon, Nathan Eovaldi, Austin Gallagher, Allen Webster, Timothy Sexton and Aaron Miller are 2011-2012 arrivals at best.

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Nothing new to report

2009-12-29T20:47:24Z

I promise I haven't been lazy about blogging, it's just that there hasn't been anything new to report. We know there are so many question marks for this team, and they mostly reside in the pitching staff. The bullpen should be fine, but two starters are needed. There are still some guys out there and Ned Colletti is waiting out the market.

I can't really blame Colletti because his hands are pretty much tied. He'll have to take what's left when guys like Joel Piniero and Ben Sheets start to sign.

Second base is going to see Blake DeWitt be given a chance to play everyday, with Jamey Carroll getting some time and perhaps playing a lot if DeWitt struggles offensively, defensively, or both. We could possibly Chin-Lung Hu and/or Ivan DeJesus Jr. get a chance to play that position. Signing a second baseman is probably out of the question at this point.

Pitchers unsigned (that are worth a crap), in order of which I would like to see the Dodgers sign.

Erik Bedard

Ben Sheets

Pedro Martinez

Chien-Ming Wang

Joel Piniero

Brett Myers

Jon Garland

Vicente Padilla

Mark Mulder

John Smoltz

Braden Looper

Noah Lowry

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