Could the Dodgers replace Todd Coffey with Brian Fuentes?

When the Dodgers signed Todd Coffey this offseason, I was puzzled. The bullpen had (seemingly) been set and the Dodgers brought him in. The Dodgers quickly rectified the clutter by releasing Mike MacDougal in April.

But just when Coffey had gotten things going, his season (and likely Dodger career) as a Dodger is over after suffering a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament. The 31-year-old will need Tommy John Surgery.

Coffey had a 4.66 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 7.9 H/9, 4.2 BB/9, 8.4 K/9 and a 3.59 FIP. He had a rough start to the season, spent some time on the DL, came back and pitched well. Before Monday, he had been lights out in his previous 16 outings: 15 1/3 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 12 K, .120 batting average against. He was one of the Dodgers' most effective relievers for more than a month.

Shawn Tolleson was recalled (after literally just being sent back to Triple-A) to take his place. But I wonder with the Dodgers' lack of left-handed relievers (just Scott Elbert) if the recently designated Brian Fuentes is a possibility?

Fuentes was designated for assignment by the A's on Tuesday because he's pitched poorly this season. However, he still has value as he throws 90 MPH and is left-handed. I'm not especially keen on the Dodgers picking up pitchers who have a 6.84 ERA and a negative fWAR (-0.4), but Fuentes can give Don Mattingly some flexibility out of the 'pen.

Fuentes isn't fairing well against anyone this season, but he does have a career .220 BAA vs. left-handed batters and has given up just 13 of his career 63 home runs against lefties. This, mind you, after pitching in Colorado for the majority of his career.

The Dodgers could probably snag him for the minimum, though, I'm sure there are other teams interested in his services. If they have to offer a little more than the minimum, I'd be OK with that.

This would free Elbert up to throw more meaningful innings, i.e. against right-handed hitters. Elbert is actually much better this season vs. RHH than he is LHH:

• vs. RHH: .179/.267/.282 in 45 plate appearances
• vs. LHH: .296/.361/.444 in 61 plate appearances

So, acquiring a LOOGY (and this is the way to go about it, Ned; not by trading prospects) might help the Dodgers' bullpen in the long run. It's said the Dodgers are looking for one and there is one available for cheap. Seems like just a matter of time.

Photo credit: SD Dirk, Flickr

Elbert, Guerra among Dodgers' bullpen worries

Coming into the season, I thought the Dodgers' bullpen was going to be a strength for the team. I even made fun of the Cleveland Indian broadcast team during Spring Training when it said the bullpen would be a "huge question mark."

"Indian broadcasters said Dodger bullpen will be "a huge question mark." It's one of the strongest parts of the team, if not the strongest."

Boy, was I wrong.

There have been some strong parts of the bullpen (Josh Lindblom and Kenley Jansen), but the rest of it has been, what the broadcasters said, a huge question mark.

The bullpen blew another game today when it lost to the Cubs 4-3 in 11 innings. The Dodgers had a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the ninth, but for the third time this season, Javy Guerra blew a save. Jamey Wright went on to get the "L" in extra innings.

The Dodgers actually made a somewhat positive move this week, designating Mike MacDougal for assignment (replacing him with Ronald Belisario), but that can't fix all the problems.

While Guerra is the easiest target because he's the closer, I've been even more disappointed in Scott Elbert.

Elbert really came into his own last season, posting a 2.43 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 9.2 K/9. He was a guy Don Mattingly could rely on out of the bullpen. This season, however, Elbert's been flat-out bad: 6.75 ERA, 2.25 WHIP, 16.2 H/9 and has given up two home runs in 6 2/3 innings.

Elbert was supposed to be one of the young guns out of the 'pen, but instead, he's been a liability. This is concerning because Elbert has thrown in mostly low-leverage situations, meaning he's been unsuccessful when the pressure hasn't been that great.

And being the only lefty out of the 'pen, Elbert needs to find his mojo quickly, as he's far too talented to be pitching as poorly as he has this season.

Matt Guerrier

Guerra is not without fault. Basically everyone was worried about regression with Guerra, but he came out and was damn good in his first six appearances: 0.00 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, .125 BAA and 5-for-5 in save opportunities. Since that time, he's been awful (there's no other way to put it).

It's not known if he's dealing with an injury, but his velocity would suggest he isn't. Guerra is averaging 93.4 MPH on his fastball, compared to 94 MPH last year. His slider is being thrown at the same velocity as 2011 (88.7 MPH). But he is throwing his fastball nearly 11 percent more than last season (61.5 percent to 72.1 percent). Chad Moriyama thinks that might be a problem.

No matter what the issue is, Guerra just hasn't been getting the job done. While he pitches mostly in high-leverage situations, he's been just fine when he's in low-leverage situations. Hence, a move to middle relief with Jansen and Lindblom taking over the eighth- and ninth innings might be in order.

This doesn't mean Todd Coffey and Jamey Wright are immune to the criticism -- they've been equally bad in their own right. Matt Guerrier, despite being on the disabled list, hasn't been that bad (despite a 0.8 K/BB ratio). Would Ned Colletti venture into the trade market to "fix" the bullpen?

Joel Hanrahan

We know Colletti has gotten himself in trouble trading for relievers before (Danys Baez, George Sherrill and Octavio Dotel come to mind). But if the Dodgers do explore the trade route, Joel Hanrahan might be a guy to go after.

Hanrahan, a former Dodger top prospect, has been great with Pittsburgh the last two seasons. He's a free agent after the 2013 season, so the Dodgers would have to give up something of value for him. Plus, despite the bullpen struggles, the Dodgers would still need to acquire a bat before July 31 if they're still in contention. The Dodgers might want to hold onto prospects to land a bat. That's where Shawn Tolleson comes into play.

Tolleson is dominating minor-league hitting and has been since becoming a professional. It's about time for the Dodgers to give him a chance. The bullpen is jammed up, but losing Belisario, Wright or Coffey wouldn't exactly be big losses.

In an ideal world, Jansen, who's pitched almost exclusively in the eighth inning, would be available to throw when the Dodgers need their best reliever in the game (not necessarily in the ninth inning). But relegating him to closer duties would eliminate using him in the seventh- or eighth inning when a tying run might be on the third base with less than two outs.

It's a double-edged sword. One thing's for sure -- Guerra needs to stop getting the ball in high-leverage situations. He needs to get his mechanics figured out or whatever it is that's preventing him from being successful. He's a major cog in the Dodgers' bullpen and needs to start pitching as such.

Photo credits

Guerrier: Cbl62 (Wikimedia Commons)

Hanrahan: Picasa Web Albums, UC International (Wikimedia Commons)

Did the Dodgers do the right thing in letting MacDougal go?

MacDougal

To answer the headline: hell yes! He was awful this season and, unsurprisingly, Ned Colletti was fooled by Mike MacDougal's sparkly 2011 ERA.

MacDougal signed a 1-year contract this winter and got a guaranteed $1 million ($650,000 base salary, $350,000 buyout). And what did the Dodgers get out of it? Not much: 7.94 ERA, 2.65 WHIP, 14.3 H/9, 9.5 BB/9.

But giving Ronald Belisario, a guy who hasn't pitched in the majors since 2010 (and did so poorly), the roster spot was the wrong move.

Belisario, who's been through a lot in the last year, had trouble throwing well in his minor-league rehab appearances: 4 2/3 IP, 8 H, 6 R (four earned), 2 BB, 1 K.

Those numbers don't exactly instill a lot of confidence. However, Belisario is out of options and, as Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A. notes (in the link above), since he has already been outrighted once in his career, Belisario would have to approve any minor-league assignment.

Belisario 29, is known for his low-to-mid-90s sinker and could be a big boost to the Dodgers' bullpen -- if he can somehow regain his 2009 form (2.04 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 3.51 FIP). But I'm not holding my breath.

In this scenario, I'd have rather the Dodgers promoted Shawn Tolleson, who has been flat-out dominant in the minors ever since being drafted in the 30th round of the 2010 MLB Draft. This season is no exception: 0.90 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 5.4 H/9, 2.7 BB/9, 16.2 K/9, 6.00 K/BB. He has a career 1.00 ERA in the minors (that isn't a typo).

We know the Dodgers are hesitant send legitimate pitching prospects to Triple-A, so the next logical step for Tolleson is the majors.

He's not on the 40-man roster and with just one spot open (and the likely signing of Bobby Abreu), the Dodgers would have to make a move. In this case, I would have just 86'd Belisario and gone straight to Tolleson.

The Dodgers' desire to give Belisario another shot is understandable. Despite a turbulent year-plus, he arrived at camp a month early and was committed to getting back on the mound.

We'll see what happens. I'm not optimistic, but the Dodgers do need another legitimate pitcher to back up Josh Lindblom, Kenley Jansen and Javy Guerra. If it's Belisario, that'd be great. If not, hopefully someone else steps up.

At least we don't have to see MacDougal struggle to throw strikes for the Dodgers anymore.

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Speaking of Abreu, there's no official word of his signing yet. Those must me some really "serious" talks he and the Dodgers are having.

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Here's an excerpt of my latest post over at Chad Moriyama:

"Tony Delmonico, 2008 sixth-round pick, was released. The 25-year-old was hitting just .188 with the Quakes in 21 games.

He was drafted out of Florida State, converted to catcher, and had a great debut season in the Pioneer League: .340/.443/.716. The catching experiment didn’t work, despite a decent caught stealing percentage for a guy who never caught before (28 percent). However, 33 passed balls in 102 games is where the experiment ended."

and

"Jonathan Garcia, last year’s April monster with Great Lakes, now finds himself on the Ogden Raptors roster. There’s no word on whether he’s injured or not, but his performance with Rancho was definitely sub-par.

In 15 games, Garcia posted a .228/.250/.263 line with 22 strikeouts in 57 at-bats, and that simply isn’t going to get it done for the 20-year-old. After hitting 19 home runs in the Midwest League as a 19-year-old last season, he had just two extra-base hits for the Quakes (two doubles)."

Photo credit: terren in Virginia, Flickr

Dodgers cut Russ Mitchell, sign Jamey Wright

In a couple of really minor moves, the Dodgers designated Russ Mitchell for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for the newly signed Todd Coffey.

Mitchell, 27 in a week, was a surprising cut. It was a little curious the Dodgers decided to cut him instead of Trent Oeltjen, as the Dodgers have a glut of outfielders and not a lot of third basemen.

Having said that, Mitchell's Major Leauge career has been less-than impressive thus far.

Mitchell's career numbers (101 plate appearances):

.151/.208/.290
4 HR
7 RBI
1 2B
7:18 BB:K ratio

So, the Dodgers aren't missing much. Besides, he's probably not going to get picked up by a team. He's nothing more than Triple-A roster fodder.

The Dodgers also signed journeyman pitcher Jamey Wright to a minor-league deal. Tony Jackson of ESPN LA reported he has an out-clause that allows him to be a free agent at the end of March if he's not added to the 25-man roster.

Much to my surprise, Wright actually pitched well for the Mariners in the last season and a half. He posted a 3.41 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 2010 and a 3.16 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 2011.

Maybe this is the guy who comes out of nowhere to make the Dodgers' bullpen -- it happens every damn year.

I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him earn a spot in the bullpen by the end of Spring Training. We all know the Dodgers' bullpen was too young to possibly do any good this season. The last three additions have been Mike MacDougal, Coffey and Wright -- all guys in their 30s who will, in all likelihood, not be any better (or worse) than some of the youngsters.

We'll see what happens.

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The Chicago Cubs designated former Dodger Blake DeWitt for assignment on Tuesday in somewhat surprising move.

Man, Ned Colletti just had to have Adam Kennedy, didn't he? DeWitt would have been a much, much better signing than the over-the-hill Kennedy. I'm sure he'll get a look with another team.

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Apparently, Josh Macciello's bid for the Dodgers (the team, the stadium and the land) is $2.2 billion.

"$2.2 is for everything guys. Team, stadium, media rights deal and ALL THE LAND!!!"

Well, there's that.

Dodgers sign Todd Coffey, but why?

The Dodgers signed Todd Coffey today to a 1-year, $1.3 million deal with a club option for the 2013 season.

Update (Feb. 3, 5:22 p.m.): Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times has the contract details:

2012: $1 million
2013: $2.5 million option with a $300,000 buyout

This one came out of left field. But why the need? Seriously, this signing makes no sense.

The Dodgers' bullpen was already crowded, and now there's another veteran to take time away from a youngster.

Classic Ned Colletti.

If the Mike MacDougal signing didn't mean Nathan Eovaldi would begin the season in the minors, this move certainly does. It also means Josh Lindblom, he of the 2.73 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 6.4 H/9 and 8.5 K/9 will also likely begin the season in the minors.

The only legitimate justification for this signing is the Dodgers are worried about Blake Hawksworth's injury, but he's projected to return for Spring Training.

The only way this signing would have made sense is if MacDougal wasn't re-signed (and would have been a much, much better option).

Coffey's career numbers aren't great, but he's been solid for the last three seasons (his 2010 wasn't great, though). His career ground ball percentage is 51, but that number has trended down in four consecutive seasons (43.6 in 2011). He also gets lit up by left-handed hitters (.317/.388/.470 for his career), so I guess he's a ROOGY.

The only saving grace is the contract isn't pricey and is for one guaranteed year.

You may have heard about Coffey's world famous sprint to the mound. Well, Mike Petriello has a post on it, if you'd care to have a look at it.

Petriello also points out the Dodgers' 40-man roster is full, so someone is going to get Das Boot.

"The Dodgers already had a full 40-man, so someone's got to go. The bell tolls for thee, Trent Oeltjen?"

Here's hoping. Oeltjen has zero reason to be on the 40-man roster.

Photo credit: isabellamckinney (Elizabeth McKinney) on Flickr.

Mike MacDougal re-signs with the Dodgers

Ned Colletti is at it again -- and we shouldn't be surprised.

This time, he signed veteran reliever Mike MacDougal to a 1-year, $650,000 contract, reports Dodgers.com's Ken Gurnick.

The deal also includes a laughable $2.35 million option for 2013 or a $350,000 buyout.

So, MacDougal gets $1 million guaranteed, eh? Colletti cannot be gone soon enough.

While MacDougal's ERA was (somehow) sparkling (2.05), his peripherals were not. His 1.46 WHIP, 4.6 BB/9, 6.5 K/9 and 1.41 K/BB don't exactly scream guaranteed contract from a medicore -- at best -- reliever.

MacDougal was brought in last season on a minor-league contract. That was fine. He performed much better than anyone expected. But what team exactly was Colletti bidding against? No one else expressed interest in the reliever, but Colletti felt so compelled to give him a million bucks as opposed to another minor-league deal? Sometimes I just don't understand life.

And this move basically assures Nathan Eovaldi will begin the season in the minors, presumably with the Chattanooga Lookouts.

Despite my desire to keep Eovaldi a starter as long as possible, I'm inclined to believe Eovaldi could be just as good (bad?) as MacDougal while earning the rookie minimum.

This is just another in the long line of misallocation of the limited resources the Dodgers have right now. So, I guess I shouldn't really be surprised.

It's going to be funny when MacDougal throws 30 innings with a 5.52 ERA.

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An item I missed yesterday: Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus tweeted the Dodgers have signed former White Sox' and Royals' third baseman Josh Fields to a minor-league deal.

Well, at least the Isotopes found their starting third baseman.

Fields was a top prospect a few years ago and last played in the Majors in 2010 with the Royals. As a 24-year-old in 2007, Fields clubbed 23 home runs for the ChiSox and was primed to break out. Unfortunately for him, he never did. He hit just 10 home runs in the next three seasons (320 ABs) and spent most of his time in the minors.

He has a career .835 OPS in the minors, but he's nothing more than a fringy Four-A player.

Having said that, I could see him in L.A. this season if the Dodgers suffer enough injuries.

2011 Los Angeles Dodgers off-season preview: Dodger free agents

This is the first of a five-part series in previewing the off-season for the Los Angeles Dodgers. It breaks down as follows:

• Dodgers' free agents
• Arbitration-eligible Dodgers
• Free agent position players
• Free agent pitchers
• Trade targets

Ned Colletti is famous for not offering arbitration to players, so I wouldn't expect Barajas or Kuroda to get an offer. That doesn't mean they won't be back in the fold for 2012.

Dodger free agents

C Rod Barajas (Type B)
3B Casey Blake
RHP Jonathan Broxton
INF Jamey Carroll
RHP Jon Garland
RHP Hiroki Kuroda (Type B)
RHP Mike MacDougal
INF Aaron Miles
RHP Vicente Padilla
OF/1B Juan Rivera

Barajas: He was inexplicably signed to a $3.25 million contract last off-season. He is in a similar position this winter -- a Type-B free agent looking for another contract. Will Ned Colletti be foolish enough to give him anything more than a couple million? At that price, he's worth it to come back. He has pop, but not much else. His defense is average. Abritration: Yes

Blake: His option was not exercised by the Dodgers, so there's almost zero chance he'll be back.

Broxton: This one is tough. On a really cheap deal, he'd be a nice risk-reward option. However, he might be done with the Dodgers and the Dodgers might very well be done with him.

Carroll: When Carroll signed two years ago, it seemed like a throw-away deal. However, Carroll was nothing but solid for the Dodgers. He was a trade candidate in July, but the Dodgers kept him. He'd be a solid re-signing, but the Dodgers probably can fill his spot with someone making the league minimum.

Garland: Like Blake, Garland was not retained and will likely not return to the Dodgers.

Kuroda: He was a hot target at the trade deadline, but he ultimately wanted to stay in Los Angeles. I applaud his loyalty. It seems he's either going to pitch for the Dodgers or not pitch in the Majors at all. My gut tells me he'll be back, but we'll see what happens. Arbitration: Yes, without a doubt

MacDougal: He was brought in as a non-roster invitee and gave the Dodgers more than their money's worth. He's in line for a slight pay raise. I think the Dodgers have enough low-salary relievers to rely on without having to use resources on bringing him back.

Miles: Like MacDougal, Miles was a non-roster invitee and exceeded expectations. Like Carroll, the Dodgers have cheaper options to do what Miles does, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him back.

Padilla: He was supposed to be the bullpen utility guy, but that plan failed. Padilla got hurt and threw just 8 2/3 innings for the Dodgers this season. The Dodgers could bring him back, as he'd be a nice insurance policy for Nathan Eovaldi, the projected No. 5 starter (in October, so take that with a grain of salt).

Rivera: He was a surprise acquisition and did a solid job playing left field, right field and first base. I'd have no problem bringing him back as the fourth outfielder, meaning Jerry Sands would (and should) start.

Conclusion

The Dodgers have a couple of decent free agents and Kuroda. I could easily see three or four guys from this list returning. The Dodgers aren't exactly in a position to break the bank, so retaining much of the talent (a word that I use loosely) from the 2011 team could be a realistic option.

Next up: Arbitration-eligible Dodgers

Most surprising 2011 Dodgers' hitters and pitchers

In the second of a four-part series, I look at the most surprising Los Angeles Dodgers' players. Yes it's only Aug. 25, but there isn't much left to be optimistic or happy about, so here's something to boost your spirits.

There are just a few candidates (literally, I'm having trouble coming up with three in this dismal season, but there have been some pleasant surprises.

Yesterday's list: Most surprising 2011 Dodgers' prospects

Most surprising position players

1. Matt Kemp
- We all know Kemp was good, but he's gone to another level this season. That, coupled with the fact he struggled mightily in 2010, makes him the clear-cut choice for No. 1 on this list. He has a legitimate shot at NL MVP this season, but the Dodgers' overall performance will probably prevent him from grabbing the award.

2. Aaron Miles
- Miles was a non-roster invite and somehow mad the team. Who am I kidding? He made it because he was scrappy and hustled -- you know, standard adjectives used to describe "small" ballplayers. His .287/.312/.370 line isn't overly impressive, but he's filled in admirably at second- and third base for the injured Juan Uribe and Casey Blake.

3. Juan Rivera
- The guy has only been on the team since July and his acquisition was not met with enthusiasm by myself, yet he makes this list. That should tell you how depressing and disappointing this season has been for the Blue. Rivera is one of only three players with an OPS greater than .800 (Kemp, Trent Oeltjen, in 66 plate-appearances). He starts at first base often against left-handed pitchers and has established himself as Kemp's protection in the lineup. He could be back next season, allowing Jerry Sands to play first base in James Loney's wake.

Honorable mentions: None

Most surprising pitchers

1. RHP Javy Guerra
- Guerra was second on yesterday's list and tops today's list. He's been one of the most consistent pitchers out of the 'pen and stepped up when Jonathan Broxton and Hong-Chih Kuo forgot how to pitch. He also stepped up when Kenley Jansen had a couple bad outings. He probably isn't as good as his numbers right now, but he could be a consistent, solid reliever in the majors as long as he keeps his control... under control.

2. LHP Scott Elbert
- Elbert has been a top prospect seemingly forever. He's been ranked in the Dodgers' Top 11 by Baseball America since 2005. He's finally put it together this season, posting a 2.88 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 8.6 K/9 and his most impressive stats, 2.9 BB/9 and 3.00 K/BB ratios. He should be a fixture in the Dodgers' bullpen for many years to come.

3. RHP Mike MacDougal
- Like Miles, MacDougal was a non-roster invite and while folks rip him for not being good -- which is legitimate because he isn't -- he's been a surprise. His 2.14 ERA is deceiving because his peripherals are terrible. He has a 1.51 WHIP, 8.9 H/9, 4.7 BB/9 and 1.33 K/BB ratio, which normally doesn't bode well for a pitcher. He's also allowed 37 percent of inherited runners to score, which is actually down from earlier in the season. For what MacDougal is, he's been a nice surprise.

Honorable mentions: Blake Hawksworth, Clayton Kershaw, Hiroki Kuroda, Josh Lindblom

Next up: Most disappointing 2011 Dodgers' prospects

My Dodgers' 25-man roster prediction (updated)

With Opening Day just more than a week away, the Dodgers' roster is beginning to take shape. However, there are a few guys making late pushes to secure spots on the 25-man roster.

Here is my prediction for what the Dodgers' roster will look like come March 31.

(Opening Day starters in italics)

Catchers (2*)
Rod Barajas
Hector Gimenez
Dioner Navarro* - Moved to DL

Infielders (6*)
Jamey Carroll
Ivan DeJesus* - Added due to Navarro injury
Rafael Furcal
James Loney
Juan Uribe
Aaron Miles

Outfielders (6)
Andre Ethier
Jay Gibbons
Tony Gwynn
Matt Kemp
Xavier Paul
Marcus Thames

Rotation (4)
Chad Billingsley
Clayton Kershaw
Hiroki Kuroda
Ted Lilly

Bullpen (7)
Jonathan Broxton
Matt Guerrier
Blake Hawksworth
Kenley Jansen
Hong-Chih Kuo
Mike MacDougal
Ron Mahay

Disabled List
Casey Blake
Jon Garland
Navarro
Vicente Padilla

The immediate concern is with only having one true reserve infielder in Miles. However, Carroll and Uribe's ability to play all over the infield is reassuring.

Now, there are definitely some guys here who weren't expected to make the team out of camp.

• Gimenez: He has hit and showed enough versatility to warrant a roster spot. The fact that he's out of options helps his chances of making the team.
• Gwynn: A throw-away signing by most, Gwynn has a great chance to be the Dodgers' Opening Day center fielder.
• MacDougal: While I don't exactly agree with this, guys like Ramon Troncoso and Scott Elbert haven't done enough to warrant a spot over MacDougal (in management's eyes).
• Mahay: He has been terrible this spring, but Elbert has been worse (control wise). He gets a spot by default to be the second lefty out of the 'pen.
• Miles: He, like Gimenez, has hit enough and has the added bonus of being an infielder.
  

With MacDougal, Mahay and Miles making the team as non-roster invitees, that means they must be added to the 40-man roster. Gimenez is on the 40-man roster.

Here are some members of the Dodgers' current 40-man roster who could get Das Boot if these three make the roster:

• Javy Guerra
• Jamie Hoffmann
  
• John Lindsey
• Travis Schlichting

Gibbons could be on the bubble after his poor spring, too. Mike Petriello of Mike Scicoscia's Tragic Illness wonders if Gibbons is even worth a roster spot. With the Dodgers suddenly having a glut OF/1B types, Gibbons' value is lower than it was when he was re-signed in the winter.

The roster will be in flux for pretty much the entire season. The Dodgers tend to have a few non-roster invites on the Opening Day roster (due in large part to injuries) and things will become more clear when the disabled list guys are healthy enough to return.

Thanks to True Blue L.A. for the roster information.

Catching up on Dodger news

Sorry for the lack of posts the past week. I went out of town for the weekend. Lots of stuff has happened in the past week, so let's get right down to it (in no apparent order).

Jerry Sands and Justin Sellers demoted
- Both were long shots to make the roster -- especially Sands -- but the experience both gained in camp this year is invaluable. Both youngsters were sent to the Dodgers' minor-league camp.

While Sands put up impressive numbers (not the be-all, end-all, especially in spring), Sellers didn't. However, the fact Sellers was a candidate for the 25th man just shows what the Dodger organization thinks of him. He should be one of the first infielders called up, if needed.

With Sellers' demotion, the last utility infield spot seems to be down to Aaron Miles and Juan Castro. Oy vey.

Sands, despite his hot spring, was demoted. It was the right move by the Dodgers. I wrote a couple weeks ago that Sands needed to start in the minors to hit against more advanced pitching.

With his performance, a lot of people are excited at the prospects of this prospect. Here's hoping he lives up to the hype.

Matt Kemp is on fire
- Kemp hit his fourth home run of the spring on Sunday. Eight of Kemp's 14 hits this spring have gone for extra bases.

The Dodgers are counting on Kemp to rebound for him poor 2010. I'm extremely confident in Kemp's ability to best his career-best numbers in all the major categories this season. His role has been clearly defined by Don Mattingly (cleanup hitter, center fielder) which should help him realize his full potential.

Rubby De La Rosa is turning heads
- De La Rosa pitched four no-hit innings on Friday against the Giants, walking three and striking out two. De La Rosa's spring ERA is down to 1.80 in 10 innings of work. He's allowed seven hits, two runs, three walks and has struck out seven. His groundout/airout ratio is at 1.33 -- a little low for him. Still, the Dodgers must be toying with the idea of letting this flamethrower pitch out of the 'pen to start his career.

I'm not on board with this. The Dodgers have a glut of relievers and De La Rosa needs to stretch his arm out to be able to handle a full starter's workload. He should start in Double-A before being promoted to Triple-A. He could see time with the Dodgers this season, and possibly sooner than September.

Who is this Hector Gimenez?
- Gimenez, a journeyman, AAAA, is hitting enough to warrant consideration of a 25-man roster spot. Gimenez, who can catch and play first base (and possibly a little third), could be a nice utility-type player for the Dodgers. He has three home runs and a 1.136 OPS (I know, Spring Training). However, he certainly couldn't be much worse than Dioner Navarro, he of the .267 on- base percentage.

There isn't much chance of Gimenez beating out Navarro, but the Dodgers could consider keeping him aboard, especially if Casey Blake starts the season on the disabled list.

Xavier Paul got hot
- Paul has been hot since his cold start this spring. With Blake's season debut in doubt and Jay Gibbons having trouble with his eye sight (even though it appears to be "fixed,"), Paul, who is out of options, could find himself on the roster for Opening Day. However, his 1:14 BB:K ratio is rather alarming.

The pitching staff has struggled
- Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, John Ely and Hiroki Kuroda were all knocked around a little in their most recent starts. It's best to get those cobwebs out of the way in March.

Matt Guerrier, who gave up three home runs in 71 innings last season, has given up three home runs in six spring innings.

Speaking of Ely...
- Ely is bidding to be the Dodgers' fifth starter over Tim Redding. Ely has 15 strikeouts in 15 innings this spring. Could we be seeing the second coming of Elymania?

Will Mike MacDougal make the cut?
- MacDougal has a 0.00 ERA this spring, but he does have four walks in his 6 1/3 innings pitched. Still, folks will be influenced by that ERA and thanks to Ronald Belisario's inability to be in America, MacDougal, who seemingly had zero business breaking camp with the Dodgers, is looking more and more like a cinch for the 'pen.

Mike Petriello of Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness has a good blog post about MacDougal and what to expect. Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A. also has a write-up on MacDougal.

Tony Gwynn is making an impression
- My last entry was about Gwynn and the Dodgers' need for him to hit. Petriello must have read it because he had a similar (and admittedly, more in-depth) post about Gwynn and what he can do for the Dodgers.

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In other Dodger blog news...

True Blue L.A.'s Chad Moriyama has a Prospect Profile on one of my favorite Dodger prospects, Trayvon Robinson.

Memories of Kevin Malone's Greg Zakwin has his 2010 Center Field Year in Review up.

L.A. Dodger Talk's Jared Massey and Mark Timmons of have been in Arizona following the Dodgers for the last few days. The guys from True Blue L.A. (Eric Stephen and David Young) have been there, too.

Opinion of Kingman's Performance's Evan Bladh, Sr., has an interesting post on nicknames.

Lasorda's Lair's Kenny Shulsen takes a first-hand look at Camelback Ranch.

New Mexico Fan's Evan looks at how the Isotopes' roster is shaping up.