Dodgers acquire Rivera from Blue Jays, for some reason

For reasons unknown and potentially confusing, the Dodgers acquired Juan Rivera and cash from the Blue Jays for a player to be named later or, get this, cash considerations.

Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated tweeted the following:

"juan rivera and cash were sent to dodgers in trade, and cash may go back to jays as compensation. almost like a loan for la"

Some things never cease to amaze me. How does a team get money from another team in a trade just to send it back to the initial team? Such are the 2011 Los Angeles Dodgers, I suppose.

Anyway, I don't much understand this move. Marcus Thames was designated for assignment to make room for Rivera.

I've often thought Rivera would be a decent option as a left fielder and/or left-handed masher. With the Angels in 2009, Rivera put up a nice slash line of .287/.332/.478 with 25 home runs, 88 RBI and 24 doubles. Last season, he still managed 15 home runs. He's been pedestrian this season with the Jays (.243/.305/.360).

Rivera, like Thames, mashes lefties. For his career, he is a .291/.337/.501 hitter against southpaws. He's decent against righties (.270/.321/.429), but also like Thames, he can't play defense. Don't let the better-defensive-metrics-than-Thames fool you -- Rivera is pretty much Thames in the field.

Thames has been disappointing this season this season (.197/.243/.333) and hasn't played the field since June 24. His designation was coming, but acquiring such a similar player to replace him was unforeseen.

This doesn't bode well for those hoping the Dodgers will sell at the deadline. Rivera isn't going to put this team on his back and carry them -- he isn't that kind of player. But with the Dodgers riding a four-game winning streak, General Manager Ned Colletti just couldn't pass up the opportunity to acquire a mediocre baseball player.

Wouldn't it be fitting if in a couple weeks the Dodgers traded Chris Withrow and Trayvon Robinson to the Blue Jays for Octavio Dotel? It seems the Dodgers could be heading down this path. I'm not usually one for rooting against my favorite team or wanting them to lose, but this is a situation where it is warranted.

The Dodgers aren't going anywhere this season. There is no debating that. Thinking otherwise is just irresponsible and illogical.

Let's hope this isn't a "gateway" trade. Let's just hope Colletti was thinking he'd need a veteran replacement for Andre Ethier when he's traded.

Yeah, right.

It's time for the Dodgers to bring up Trayvon Robinson

The Dodgers' left field situation was a concern from Day One. Here we are nearly three months into the season and it's still a problem.

Dodger left fielders have hit a collective .216/.286/.298 with 2 HR, 20 RBI, 15 2B (9 of which came from Jerry Sands), 27:59 BB:K ratio. That is absolutely putrid coming from a traditional "power" position.

It started with a platoon of Tony Gwynn and Marcus Thames. I wrote back in Spring Training that Gwynn could have filled a huge need for the Dodgers by living up to his potential. He has decent on-base skills and is a really good defender. If all went well, he would have succeeded as the Dodgers' No. 2 hitter and left field wouldn't have been a problem.

Sadly and unsurprisingly, that did not happen. Gwynn has put up an uninspired .222/.266/.291 line through 64 games (117 ABs). He hasn't had a chance to play everyday, but I don't think even if he did play everyday that he'd be the answer in left field.

Thames, who has dealt with injury issues, has been even worse: .193/.246/.333 in 57 at-bats.

Sands was recalled and given a shot in left. He started off slow, got hot and cooled off. He hit .200/.294/.328 in 125 at-bats. He has since returned to Triple-A for a little more seasoning. He is the Dodgers' future in left field or at first base -- it remains to be seen which position in which he'll settle.

Which leads us to Trayvon Robinson. He has been on fire for the last month, raising his slash line to .317/.388/.575 with 16 home runs. He's drawn 29 walks in 259 at-bats -- good for an 11.1 percent walk rate. That's actually a decrease from last season (16.8 percent), but still a good rate. However, his strikeout rate has jumped about 2 percent -- from 28.8 last season to 30.9 this season. Another concern is his stolen base numbers have decreased for three consecutive seasons -- from 47 in 2009 to 38 in 2010 to just seven in 2011.

Despite the negatives, it's time for Robinson to get a shot in left field. He certainly cannot be any worse than the players the Dodgers have sent out to left field this season (Gwynn, Thames, Jay Gibbons Xavier Paul, Jamie Hoffmann and Trent Oeltjen).

Dee Gordon, Rubby De La Rosa and Sands have all gotten the call -- each of which was surprising. So, why not Trayvon?

In theory, Robinson is the Dodgers' future in center field, pushing Matt Kemp to right field and Andre Ethier to left field (if he isn't moved). That would make the Dodgers' outfield much better defensively.

I was on board with the Thames signing and playing Gwynn, but the experiment has failed. It's time to start fresh with some young blood.

The Dodgers need Tony Gwynn to fill voids

Much has been made this off-season about a few things: The Dodgers' third base situation, left field and the No. 2 hitter.

Well, the Dodgers have one man who could fill two of those roles. The barely-newsworthy signing of Tony Gwynn this off-season has the potential to be an outstanding one.

"Potential" being the key word.

Gwynn, a career .244/.323/.314 hitter, has been on fire this spring. Gwynn does possess good plate discipline (career 11.6 percent walk rate) and Gold Glove-caliber defense. His best season came as a in 2009 as a part-time player. He hit .270/.350/.344 (93 OPS+) in 393 at-bats. He did have 48 walks in those at-bats, which shows his ability to work the count.

I've been preaching for the last few weeks that Gwynn would have to play his ass off to unseat Matt Kemp from center and move Andre Ethier to left field. Well, the only other position either has played this spring is DH, so it's safe to say Kemp and Ethier are the Dodgers' starting center- and right fielder.

However, Gwynn could unseat Jay Gibbons and/or Marcus Thames in left field.

Gibbons is 2-for-22 this spring. Thames is 7-for-23 with four doubles, but his glove won't allow him to be an every day option in left.

Gwynn, who had two hits off a left-handed pitcher yesterday, is hitting .321/.375/.429 this spring and would be the ideal No. 2 hitter in the Dodger lineup.

Casey Blake hurt the back of his rib cage on Saturday bunting after a Gwynn had singled to lead off the game. Manager Don Mattingly has stated his desire for Blake to be the team's No. 2 hitter, but I haven't been a fan of it since I first heard it.

Spring Training statistics don't mean a whole hell of a lot, but Gwynn has speed (6-for-6 in stolen bases), can bunt and do everything you'd want a traditional No. 2 hitter to do. He isn't going to hit for a lot of power, but he has the skill set to get on base; it just remains to be seen if he can put it all together.

It might be wishful thinking on my part, looking at Gwynn's career numbers, but if he's ever going to be someone other than "Tony Gwynn's son," it's going to be right now.

Besides, the Dodgers need Gwynn to be the No. 2 guy in the lineup -- Blake in the 2-hole was doomed from the start.

2011 Los Angeles Dodgers Season Preview: Left Field

In the seventh of a nine-part series, I preview the left field situation for the Dodgers.

Let's just say it isn't pretty.

Andre Ethier
- "Wait, I thought Ehtier played right field?" Currently, he does -- and not very well. Since Ethier took over in right field in 2008, his UZR/150 has been atrocious: -11.8 in '08, -14.2 in '09 and a Major Leauge-worst (by far) -19.7 in '10. The bottom line is, Ethier needs to move back to left field, where he's still bad, but it isn't nearly as bad as this. The only way this happens is if Tony Gwynn takes charge of the center field position in Spring Training.

Jay Gibbons
- I wrote about Gibbons in my bench preview and he is the favorite to get the most at-bats as the left fielder. Gibbons has some pop but is bad defensively and probably won't maintain a .500+ slugging percentage, as he did in limited time in 2010.

Marcus Thames
- I was for the Thames signing this off-season, despite his horrific defensive metrics. If you thought Ethier's -19.7 was bad in right, well, it has nothing on Thames' last three seasons in left field: -26.5 in '08, -23.8 in '09 and a whopping -35.6 in '10. Good thing there are significantly fewer left-handed pitchers in baseball than righties, or Thames would be getting a lot more time in the field. Just from the eye test, he cannot be that much worse than Manny Ramirez, but with numbers like this, who knows? Thames will also backup James Loney at first base.

Guys in the mix

Casey Blake
- Blake is a masher against lefties and if the Dodgers had a legitimate backup third baseman capable of starting against right-handers, perhaps Blake would get a look in left. However, he's played just two games in the outfield since being acquired by the Dodgers in July 2008.

Xavier Paul
- Early last season, Paul was my preference to take over for Ramirez in left following the 2010 season. A less-than-impressive showing in the majors and defensive problems caused many to give up on him, including management. Paul's ceiling is as an average No. 3 outfielder, but he does have some value. I highly doubt he makes the team out of Spring Training (barring injury). However, he deserves to be in this discussion.

Trayvon Robinson
- Robinson is one of my best Dodger prospects, but he needs some more seasoning before he gets a legitimate shot at left field (or center field). His strikeout rate is too high for my liking, but the rest of his game is progressing quite nicely. If there are enough injuries, Robinson could make his debut before September. If that happens, the Dodgers are in trouble, unfortunately.

Jerry Sands
- Sands is surprisingly comfortable in the outfield and could take grasp of the left field job come 2012. But like Robinson, Sands needs more seasoning at the upper levels of the minors. As my No. 1 Dodger prospect, Sands needs to show he can adjust to veteran pitchers. All the scouting reports say he has the ability to adjust to breaking balls and is willing to go the other way, so that bodes well for his and the Dodgers' future.

Others: Jamie Hoffmann, Gabe Kapler, Russ Mitchell, Trent Oeltjen

Analysis

Left field was all the talk this off-season for the Dodgers -- and for the wrong reasons. Unless Ehtier plays 140 games in left field or one of the prospects explodes, I don't see the Dodgers getting league-average production -- offensively or defensively -- from the position. The 2012 LF outlook is a lot better than 2011. Paul is a sleeper in all this, but I wouldn't get my hopes up.

Next up: Center Field

2011 Los Angeles Dodgers Season Preview: Bench

In the third of a nine-part series, I'm previewing the 2011 Dodgers. This installment will preview the bench.

While some of these guys will be platoon players and/or start a fair share of games, they will still be included in this preview.

INF Jamey Carroll
- The Dodgers' team MVP last year, Carroll returns for his second season. When he signed last winter, I was unimpressed. He turned out to be a consistent player for the Dodgers and filled in admirably for Rafael Furcal, as he missed 65 games in 2010. Carroll should fill the same roll this season. With the addition of Juan Uribe, it frees him up to play more second- and third base, as Uribe is probably the team's top backup at shortstop. Carroll should be able to put up comparable numbers to his 2010 season.

OF/1B Jay Gibbons
- Gibbons made a comeback last season and OPS'd .819 in 80 plate appearances. His slugging percentage (.507) accounted for the high number, as he smacked five home runs. However, it's unrealistic to think he'd maintain that number, even as a part-time player, as he only OPS'd higher than .482 one time before 2010 (2002 with Baltimore). Gibbons splitting time with Thames and giving James Loney the occasional day off at first base looks to be the plan.

OF Tony Gwynn
- Gwynn was somewhat of a surprise signing this off-season. He hasn't hit much in his career, though, his .350 OBP in 2009 with San Diego was encouraging... until he had a .304 OBP last season. Gwynn's game is speed and defense, which is what the Dodgers need from him. He's in the mix to be the team's third outfielder, mainly because his defense in center field would be a massive upgrade over Matt Kemp's (subsequently moving Ethier back to his stronger positon, LF). The best-case scenario is Gwynn hits enough to be the Dodgers' everyday CF, making Gibbons and Thames true bench players.

C Dioner Navarro
- Navarro signed for $1 million this winter, which was an overpay by GM Ned Colletti. Triple-A catcher A.J. Ellis could have put up comparable -- if not better -- numbers than Navarro for the Major-League minimum. But I digress. Navarro was traded in 2006 to Tampa Bay and made the American League Al-Star team in 2008. However, his last two seasons have been horrific, posting a slash line of .212/.263/.306/.569. A .569 OPS! Bottom line: don't expect much from Navarro. The Dodgers are shaping up to have one of the worst catching duos in the majors -- and possibly Major League history (save the 2004 Dodgers after the Brad Penny-for-Paul Lo Duca trade).

OF/1B Marcus Thames
- Thames was the most recent signing of the Dodgers' bench mob and brings some much-needed power potential to a group that lacks it. However, he's currently slated to be a part-time left fielder, which isn't good news for Dodger pitching. He is one of the worst outfielders in baseball over the last few years, and it will show. But he should only play against lefties, which means Gibbons, who isn't much better, will play the rest of the time.

Then we come to the fifth/sixth member of the bench. As of right now, the Dodgers have no surefire last member of the bench. Here are some guys contending for the spot.

INF Juan Castro
- I'm really tired about writing Castro's name. I mean, there's no way he should get this much from me or anyone else. Yet, here we are. Castro is a good defender, but he is atrocious with the bat. I mean, you can probably pick five random guys off the street and one of them would be able to hit better than Castro. Here's hoping he stays in Albuquerque or is outright released.

2B Ivan DeJesus
- DeJesus has the most talent of anyone competing for the sixth spot, but the leg break he suffered in 2009 is still haunting him. He wasn't a "can't-miss" prospect before the break, but he was regarded a lot higher then than he is now. He likely starts in Triple-A.

OF Jamie Hoffmann
- The biggest thing working against Hoffmann is the signing of Thames and Gwynn. The Dodgers are probably looking for an infielder to fill the last spot. However, Hoffmann could be the first guy called up if the Dodgers need an outfielder.

INF Aaron Miles
- Miles was just signed last week and brings his weak bat and decent defense with him. He has a couple things working in his favor -- he can play shortstop in a pinch (as well as the other infield positions) and he isn't Castro with the bat (but he isn't much better). If I had to wager, I'd say Miles makes the roster out of Spring Training.

1B/3B/LF Russ Mitchell
- Mitchell came up last season and hit two home runs in 43 plate appearances. Unfortunately, that's about all he hit. Mitchell had a nice 2010 in the minors, but he seems like nothing more than a Four-A player.

OF Xavier Paul
- Paul has some MLB experience and has done all he can at Triple-A (at the plate, at least). He's out of options and unless he lights it up in the spring and there's an injury, he's likely going to be placed on waivers. It's unfortunate, but he'll catch on somewhere.

SS/2B Justin Sellers
- I stated my case for Sellers winning the 25th spot on the roster. I don't think he's going to get it, but stranger things have happened.

INF/OF Eugenio Velez
- Velez, the former Giant, is just not a good baseball player. He doesn't do anything well. For a guy who should flourish as a speed/defense guy, those are probably his worst qualities. He's a long shot at best.

Guys in the mix

C A.J. Ellis
- Ellis showed some flashes of on-base ability late last season and was primed to be the Dodgers' backup catcher. However, Navarro signing eliminated that possibility. If/when Barajas or Navarro gets hurt, Ellis will get the first call.

SS Dee Gordon
- Gordon is the heir apparent to Furcal and should be ready by 2012. He won't make his debut until September (if that), provided there aren't a lot of injuries.

OF Gabe Kapler
- Kapler was a super prospect with the Tigers back in the late-90s. However, he never amassed to much and will struggle to get a call up with the Dodgers -- assuming he makes the Triple-A team.

1B/LF John Lindsey
- Lindsey finally broke through in 2010 and earned a trip to the majors. He went 1-for-12 with one hit-by-pitch. He then suffered an injury and missed the rest of September. Unfortunately for Lindsey, he's about eighth or ninth on the call-up list.

OF Trent Oeltjen
- Oeltjen had a cup of coffee with the Dodgers last season. He's an outfielder who doesn't stand much of a chance of making the team out of Spring Training.

OF Trayvon Robinson
- My No. 3 prospect, Robinson's lack of seasoning at the upper levels is about the only thing holding him back. After a full (or nearly full) season at Triple-A, he should be ready for primetime come 2012.

OF/1B Jerry Sands
- Sands is in the same boat as Robinson, but he has even less experience as Double-A. Sands has big power potential but needs to show he can hit advanced pitching in the minors. He could succeed Loney at 1B if he struggles in 2011.

Analysis

The bench looks to be in OK shape. It's going to be much stronger if Gwynn shows he can handle the everyday CF job. If not, it's going to be weaker than the Dodgers had hoped. The sixth member of the bench (because I'm counting the potential LF platoon of Gibbons/Thames as part of the bench) isn't going to have a great impact on the team. The prospects listed have virtually no chance of making the team out of Spring Training, but they could be ready to contribute as starters come 2012.

Next up: Catcher

Grading the Dodgers' off-season

I know the off-season isn't officially over yet, but the Dodgers have done about all they're going to do this winter, save for some non-roster invites and maybe another veteran signing -- Eric Chavez.

So I'm going to grade the Dodgers' off-season moves and give brief explanations of each. We'll go in chronological order.

Oct. 19: Ted Lilly re-signed for 3 years, $33 million.
Comment: At the time, it felt like a bit much. Three months later, it's still a bit much, but it was a decent deal.
Grade: C+

Nov. 15: Hiroki Kuroda re-signed for 1 year, $12 million
Comment: This was a great deal in terms of value and contract length. Kuroda could have gotten a 2- or 3-year deal on the open market, but his comfort level in L.A. seemed to be the determining factor.
Grade: A-

Nov. 26: Jon Garland signed for 1 year, $5 million with a club option for 2012 ($8 million)
Comment: This deal surprised many -- not only that a deal was made but the fact the Dodgers were getting Garland for $5 million. He must pitch 190 innings for his 2012 option to vest.
Grade: B

Nov. 30: Juan Uribe signed for 3 years, $21 million
Comment: This deal blew then and it still blows now. There is no way this player should have gotten this deal. By far the worst deal of the off-season.
Grade: F

Nov. 30: Ryan Theriot traded to St. Louis for Blake Hawksworth
Comment: Theriot was going to be non-tendered, so to get anything even potentially useful for him was a plus. Hawksworth could make the 'pen out of Spring Training.
Grade: B

Dec. 3: Declined arbitration to Russell Martin and re-signed Rod Barajas to a 1 year, $3.25 million contract
Comment: In hindsight, this might have been a mistake, considering the Dodgers spent $3.25 million on Barajas. Still, the Dodgers didn't want to risk paying an injured, regressing catcher in excess of $6 million. Barajas got $500,000 out of Spring Training last year, yet GM Ned Colletti felt it necessary to give him a $2.75 million raise.
Grade: B- and D-, respectively

Dec. 9: Vicente Padilla signed for 1 year, $2 million (plus incentives)
Comment: His contract can reach $8 million with 33 starts or as much as $6 million with certain relief bonuses. This, like the Garland signing, was a bit surprising.
Grade: B+

Dec. 11: Tony Gwynn signed for 1 year, $675,000
Comment: This was a decent signing at the time. Now, Gwynn will compete for an everyday job in the Dodgers' lineup.
Grade: B-

Dec. 14: Dioner Navarro signed for 1 year, $1 million
Comment: The Dodgers were desperate here. With Martin gone and Barajas not a full-time catcher, they panicked and, for some reason, gave Navarro $1 million to be the backup. Curious move, especially with A.J. Ellis making peanuts and could possibly out-produce Navarro.
Grade: D-

Dec. 16: Matt Guerrier signed for 3 years, $12 million
Comment: This makes almost less sense than the Uribe deal. The Dodgers weren't exactly hurting in middle relief, especially with Ronald Belisario's Venezuelan League performance. To give a mediocre reliever who doesn't strike many batters out a 3-year deal is a bad allocation of limited resources.
Grade: D

Dec. 27: Chin-lung Hu traded to the New York Mets for Mike Antonini
Comment: Hu could have been the second infielder off the bench for the Dodgers, but it appears the organization grew tired of him and was likely to non-tender him. Antonini is left-handed, which is about the best thing one can say about him.
Grade: C

Jan. 20: Marcus Thames signed for 1 year, $1 million (plus incentives)
Comment: This was one of the Dodgers' better off-season signings, despite Thames' horrific defense. His right-handed pop will be a welcome sight off the Dodger bench.
Grade: B+

The Dodgers also had a bunch of minor-league signings and non-roster invites (not counting prospects.

Juan Castro
J.D. Closser
Roman Colon
Dana Eveland
Jon Huber
Gabe Kapler
Trent Oeltjen
Tim Redding
Eugenio Velez
Oscar Villareal

I'd be surprised if any of these guys make the name out of Spring Training. The Dodgers usually find one or two NRIs to take into the season, but the 25-man roster is pretty full as it is, so that might not be the case this year. If I had to bet money on one guy making the team, it'd be Castro because of his ability to play shortstop -- even though he's the worst player on the list.

Overall grade: C (2.18 GPA)
- The Uribe, Guerrier and Barajas deals really bring down the GPA. And I think the GPA is about in line with what most think about the Dodgers' offseason: Average, but nothing special.

It's a shame, too, after starting off well with the shoring up of the starting rotation.

Dodgers agree to terms with Thames, Kapler

The Dodgers agreed to terms with OF Marcus Thames on Monday. They also signed free agent OF Gabe Kapler to a minor-league deal.

I've been on board with a Thames signing since we saw the Dodgers blow their money on Juan Uribe. In fact, earlier today I passed along the rumor from Danny Knobler of CBS Sports. I also wrote about it in December after the Dodgers lost out on Bill Hall. Thames was probably the best bat available who fit the Dodgers' price range. His defense is God-awful, but the Dodgers will just have to live with it. Besides, he won't get enough playing time to not justify this signing.

Other options included Scott Hairston, Jerry Hariston and Lastings Milledge.

Kapler is just minor-league/AAAA depth. He'll probably be ahead of Jamie Hoffmann on the depth chart.

Unfortunately, this signing pretty much spells the end of Xavier Paul's Dodger career. It's sad because he always had nice talent and ability, but never got a fair chance with the Dodgers. Oh well. I hope he catches on somewhere (preferably outside the NL West) and has a nice career.

This should be the last "big" signing for the Dodgers this off-season -- and I use "big" very loosely. The fact of the matter is, the Dodgers don't have a lot of room left on the 40-man roster or a lot of money left.

If I had to guess, Tony Gwynn would get first crack at the third outfield position. His defense is quite valuable in center field and would vastly improve the overall outfield defense. If he falters in Spring Training, he's probably no better than a fifth outfielder, creating a platoon in left field between Jay Gibbons and Thames -- thusly giving the Dodgers one of the worst defensive outfields in recent memory.

Russell Martin says 'personal' issues cause of decline

Former Dodger catcher Russell Martin told the National Post of Canada that "personal issues" were the cause of his decline in the last few seasons.

"There's some things that you keep for yourself," Martin said. "Those distractions, they're personal -- personal issues in my life that not everybody needs to know about."

This is a quote from the story. I respect Martin's right to privacy and I'm not trying to pry or even figure out said personal issues. As he said, not everyone needs to know about those issues. However, unless it was something tragic or serious, can we really expect it to be the sole blame for his decline?

I have said my piece on Martin's decline. While Martin is probably to classy to say it, his overuse as a Dodger probably led to his decline as well.

I have a soft spot in my heart for catchers. I really had envisioned Martin being the leader of this organization and having his No. 55 hanging in between Jackie Robinson and Don Drysdale. Obviously those visions were premature.

He's probably not going to reach that status, but he could get back to respectability -- and I hope he does.

The Dodgers will have to see if the combination of Rod Barajas and Dioner Navarro can at least match Martin's production in recent years. Sadly, I don't think the combo will.

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Danny Knobler of CBS Sports said the Dodgers are interested in Marcus Thames to fill the need for a right-handed-hitting outfielder.

This needs to happen. Thames' defense, while atrocious, couldn't really be that much worse part-time than Manny Ramirez was full-time in left field. Plus, he could play 1B in a pinch. His power is intriguing and should be intriguing enough to overlook his severe defensive deficiencies.

Knobler also notes the Dodgers have "moved on" from Scott Podsednik. Thank God!

Around the Dodgers' blog world

Not much happening in Dodger land right now. The Brewers acquired Zack Greinke for four prospects on Sunday and Ken Gurnick says the Dodgers have contacted Marcus Thames and Scott and Jerry Hairston about the left field vacancy.

I said in my last post I'd take a flier on Thames. At the time, I didn't realize his defense was so God-awful. But could it really be any worse than Manny Ramirez loafing around left field every day?

One spot of good news: Ken Rosenthal reports that the Anaheim Angels are interested in Scott Podsednik. This is possibly the best Christmas present Dodger fans could ask for -- Podsednik and his scrappiness ending up in Anaheim instead of Los Angeles. Here's hoping it happens.

The news also prompted a few of nice tweets:

@truebluela: "Go Tony Reagins! #Pods"
@MikeScosciasTI: "YES! Pods! Go Angels!"
@jay_jaffe: "Dear Baby Jesus and/or Santa Claus, please give Scott Podsednik to the Angels for Christmas instead of the Dodgers."

News and notes from other Dodger blogs:

Mike Petriello of Mike Scoscia's Tragic Illness throws out an intriguing option for the Dodgers' left field opening. It's so intriguing that General Manager Ned Colletti would never even think to make such a move.

Roberto Baly of Vin Scully is my Homeboy, which is the best name for a Dodger blog out there, writes he would have brought in Orlando Hudson or Japanese import Tsuyoshi Nishioka -- both of whom signed for less money than the great Juan Uribe.

Jon Weisman of Dodger Thoughts lays out the Dodgers' payroll as of now, including predictions for the arbitration-eligible players. The paryoll is approaching $110 million, including all the deferred money -- $17.35 million.

Dodgers lose out on Hall, what's next?

Bill Hall signed with the Houston Astros on Friday for $3.25 million. Hall had been linked to the Dodgers for a couple weeks now.

The Dodgers wanted him to be their primary left fielder. Houston grabbed him to be their full-time second baseman.

I'm not sure what it came down to, but Hall's preference for infield duty probably helped in his decision. Also, that short porch in left field is probably quite attractive to Hall.

So, where do the Dodgers go from here? With left-field options dwindling, the name Scott Podsednik is being brought up.

This would be terrible.

Not only is Podsednik not a right-handed hitter with pop, he can't play defense. While I said earlier in the off-season the Dodgers should have offered him arbitration and that he'd be a nice fourth outfielder, many are fearing he'll be the starter Opening Day.

A few right-handed options remain: Jermaine Dye, Austin Kearns, Lastings Milledge and Marcus Thames.

Dye did not play last season, but owns a career .826 OPS. However, his defense in 2009 was the worst of any Major League right fielder. He could be the most intriguing part-time LF option. But how would the year off affect him?

Kearns hit righties a little better than lefties last year, but he hits lefties a little better than righties for his career. Go figure.

Milledge is young but also comes with baggage. The former first-round pick hits lefties much better than righties (.798 vs. .690 OPS).

Thames is a guy who hits lefties better than righties and provides the most power-potential of this quartet.

My preference for the four is as follows:

1. Thames
2. Milledge
3. Dye
4. Kearns

Having said that, Kearns is probably the most likely, as his name is the only one mentioned in connection with the Dodgers at all this off-season.

The best option, a.k.a. the most unrealistic option, is to sign Adrian Beltre to play third base and platoon Casey Blake in left field with Gibbons. But Beltre apparently has a $70 million offer from Anaheim, so there goes that idea.

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Articles from other Dodger blogs

Jon Weisman of Dodger Thoughts said as of right now, he'd start Tony Gwynn, Jr., as the Dodgers' third outfielder. And he'd start him in center field, moving Matt Kemp to right field and Andre Ethier to left field.

That would certainly give the Dodgers the best defensive outfield possible, as both Kemp and Ethier regressed defensively last season.

It's hard to argue the point, especially if the Dodgers are going with the "pitching and defense" angle.

We'll see what happens.

Mike Petriello of Mike Scoscia's Tragic Illness says Dodger fans should not get too excited about Zack Greinke demanding a trade from Kansas City. He also wonders what's next for the Dodgers' left-field vacancy.

Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A. says the Dodgers need to stay away from Podsednik, while making a nice A Christmas Story reference. He also had a great article on how and why the Dodgers need to lock up Clayton Kershaw right now.