Pictures of Manny

Questions and Albuquerque

Who is playing second base for the ‘Topes this year?

It won’t be Hu. Chin-lung has an outside shot at the one backup shortstop position that is available this spring on the major league club. Hu should continue to play short in Albuquerque when he loses out to Alfredo Amezaga or Nick Green for that bench spot.

Ivan De Jesus, on the other hand, is almost fully healed from last year’s tough break and appears to be well enough to play full time. Ivan needs innings in order to make up for the ones lost healing his broken tibia, so it made sense to me when I read that “the Dodgers just want to see De Jesus get through this season at Triple-A in one piece”. Logic tells me that Ivan will play second base there.

Alright, but if Ivan De Jesus is already posted up at second base in Albuquerque, what position is Blake DeWitt expected to play should he not make the big league team?

Blake DeWitt is generally considered to be competing for a major league role in a second base platoon with Ronnie Belliard and Jamey Carroll. Anything can happen in Spring Training; ask DeWitt. No one expected him to begin the season as the Dodgers’ starting third baseman two years ago, but you know what happened then. The point is, though, that Ivan De Jesus is near full-strength, the Dodgers are transparently thin at third base in the minors after trading Joshua Bell for George Sherrill, and Casey Blake is not going to miraculously pull a Benjamin Button any time soon. After a messy campaign last year shuttling between AAA and L.A., DeWitt would really benefit from a stable year-full of play for one team at one position. So, should he not make the big league team, DeWitt's position appears to be third base for the Isotopes.

Who else will be on the AAA roster?

In addition to two shortstops (from the group of Hu, Amezaga, Green, and Angel Berroa), De Jesus, and probably DeWitt, I would expect Jason Repko, Xavier Paul, Russell Mitchell, Lucas May, A.J. Ellis, Jay Gibbons, Hyang-Nam Choi, Cory Wade, Jon Link, Travis Schlicting, and Brent Leach to be in Albuquerque. I purposefully excluded minor league pitchers Javy Guerra and Alberto Bastardo (who are probably good enough to be in AAA this year) so as to make the list as conservative as possible.

Where are all of Ned’s non-roster invitees going when they don’t make the Big Club?

Chances are, almost everyone who doesn't make the major league team out of Spring Training will be offered jobs in New Mexico. Most of the NRI’s are there to fill practice squads, anyway, and have no chance of making the major league roster to begin with. Players on this list include, but are not limited to, Francisco Felix, John Koronka, Justin Miller, JD Closser, Gabriel Gutierrez, Justin Knoedler, John Lindsey, Argenis Reyes, Brian Barton, Timo Perez, Prentice Redman, and Michael Restovich. Granted, all twelve of these guys won’t necessarily be playing for the Isotopes this year, but I bet a lot of them will be.

That’s a crazy number of players already, isn't it?

I know, and I’m not even finished yet! Besides the backup shortstop scrum and second base uncertainty at the major league level, Joe Torre and his crew also have a rotation issue and at least one bullpen competition to worry about. There are no less than EIGHT non-roster pitchers looking to make the Dodgers out of Spring Training. From a group consisting of Luis Ayala, Scott Dohmann, Josh Lindblom, Ramon Ortiz, Russ Ortiz, Juan Perez, Josh Towers, and Jeff Weaver, I expect a MINIMUM of four to be pitching for Albuquerque. Not to mention the possibilty of James McDonald being sent down to "work on stuff" just because of his convieniently remaining option year(s).

I’ve now got AT LEAST 30, probably closer to 35, total names potentially looking to catch on in ABQ, but of course not all of them can. Some players will get hurt, while some will be cut, and some may play in Double-A. Retirement could be a real option, as well, for guys like Brian Giles, Doug Mientkiewicz, Ramon Ortiz, and Russ Ortiz, who might prefer to not accept an assignment to New Mexico if they are not on the big league club by Opening Day. Bottom line: There are just not as many openings as there are players.

Ned Pulls Out, Wang Leaning To Right

As of this morning, former Yankees 19-game winning right-hander Chien-Ming Wang was reported to be all but signed with the Washington Nationals. Only an hour later though, we heard that nothing was close with Wang and the Nats. Maybe Chien-Ming turned on the news and saw that the East Coast was buried under a thick Snuggie of snow because Dodgers execs Ned Colletti and Logan White were reportedly to watch Wang throw today. So is Wang indeed headed for the Left Coast?

No. “Dodgers have pulled out of Wang derby“, says Jon Heyman.

I didn't think the Dodgers would ever actually sign the pitcher with the career 55-26 W-L record, though, because of lingering shoulder issues that remind us all of the “S”-word, but Washington makes sense for him and for them. Looks like the Nationals are going to insert Wang into the backend of their rotation sometime around May.

Significant Tools

I sure hope Matt Kemp does not get distracted by his own celebrity this year. Ken Gurnick has some insight into historic Dodgers hook-ups with famous tail and also some Kemp. The story even contains a reference to Brad Penny and Alyssa *touch* ‘em all Milano "linking". This got me thinking; then furiously trying to think of something entirely different. What else is going on in the Dodgersphere?

Brian Giles was signed to a minor league contract…um (how do you type a cursor blinking?). Honestly, the last story I read about this guy was about how him and his brother love showering together.

"You get nervous when you see those guys come into the shower"

Yeah. Back to Milano. She’s been connected to some real dooshes over the years, hasn’t she? Too bad she and I never met while we were both still unmarried. I qualify in the looks department, as well, because if Edgar Frog, Deputy Dewey, another goofy-looking dude, and Penny had a baby, it would look similar to me. That's ok, we'll always have Poison Ivy 2. Thanks for the memories.

Young Man Blues

Now, I’m not talking about my generation, I’m referring to the young men ten years my prior who will join together in the big leagues one day in the future, but, alas they are still a couple of years away. We've been told who the Top Prospects are before and we've been let down before, but we won't be fooled again into buying into player hype. I for one won't be, anyway. Anyhow…any…where was I? Oh yes I was writing a blog entry about my list of Dodgers Digital's 21 Best Prospects when my wife was like, “Why 21? Why not 20?"

Well, I did not come up with a number first and then fill up the list to that number, I merely listed my top prospects and they just happened to total 21. You will see the players divided into the 9 best pitchers and 12 best hitters, in my opinion. I have to agree with most ratings that Dee Gordon is our top position player, but I am one of the few who has Kyle Russell as the second best. It’s not like I can see for miles into the future, but to me, KR seems promising, as does my Number One ranked Dodgers pitching prospect, Aaron Miller. This guy is going to be riding the magic bus to LA sooner than Ethan Martin and, to me, has more upside, as well.

I can’t explain how I came up with these rankings, it is just my opinion of the player, but I have included their 2009 statistics. The point is, though, that if I ran into Lasorda on the street I’d say, “Hey Tommy, I watched The Baseball Bunch religiously as a kid and in my mind you will always be the Dugout Wizard! Tommy, can you hear me?! The kids are alright!"

Some may disagree with me on this Super Bowl XLIV Sunday, but I think I’m going to enjoy the halftime show. Long live rock!

1 Cool Customer

Ned Colletti has played it so cool the past two winters, that from now on I will occasionally refer to him as Ned COOL-etti. He got us Padilla, Belliard, and Johnson all on the cheap, while Ausmus and Carroll were acceptable. After signing NRI's like Mientkiewicz, Amezaga, and Weaver, who else will Cooletti schmooze into accepting a spring invite? I would not mind seeing another experienced loogy or two out of the pen to compete with Zerpa and Elbert. There are plenty of free agents left unsigned and Cooletti is whispering sweet nothings in their ears already, promising roster spots that aren't even there yet.

When it comes to contract negotiations, Ned is as cool as the other side of the pillow, as cool as a cucumber, as cool as "Cool Whip", but also, Cooletti, is a cold hard ballbreaker when it comes to getting the guys we want for the price Frank wants. I'm sure Ned has mad baseball knowledge, but now he is coming across as a superior salesman as well.

I will always watch my team, root for my team, wear my team colors, and defend my team, but in my heart, I'll admit, I had doubts about what Ned was up to. Now, though, I truly feel that this team, as it is assembled, is looking pretty good and close to where we should be by opening day. I'm very much looking forward to a three-peat as NL West champs in 2010. Cooletti, you have made a believer out of me: I am excited about the way this team is shaping up.

If you are not a Dodgers fan, then please, complain about this roster. Otherwise, let the NL West best streak run to 3, you weak wanna-be's! I back the squad that Cooletti has constructed 100% 'cause I love the Dodgers the way Cooletti loves inventory, baby! So hows abouts a coupla more NRIs Ned? Some left-handers like Noah Lowry or Joe Beimel or Ron Mahay? Whatta ya say?

Weew. Getting a little hot under the collar. I better chill out.

Hole Punch

With the signings of Ronnie Belliard, Brad Ausmus, and Reed Johnson, all holes in the Dodgers’ 40-man roster are now full. There are still several positions left open for competition on the Active squad that would appear to be best filled by one or more of Ned’s long list of non-roster invitees that includes Jeff Weaver, Alfredo Amezaga, and Doug Mientkiewicz. If any NRI guys are to make the team out of spring training, we'll need to axe or trade some fellows off the 40-man list to make room.

The Dodgers do have options, though, but Eric Stults and Charlie Haeger do not. They are both “out of options” so if they don’t make the team, they will have to clear waivers to be sent to the minor leagues. Carlos Monasterios and Armando Zerpa are an even easier decision. They can simply be given back to their old clubs. In addition, Belliard’s contract, while it is a major league deal, is non-guaranteed.

In Ned’s pantry, he has some surpluses of catchers and outfielders to trade, as well. AJ Ellis, Lucas May, Jason Repko, Xavier Paul, and even Chin-lung Hu could be traded; perhaps for a left-handed relief pitcher or even more prospects to stock the farm.

2 Headed Monster

The Two-Headed Monster is, as the name implies, a monster with two heads.

Jonathan Broxton and George Sherrill (pictucted above) are making Joe Torre really comfortable managing this year. Their 2009 dominance as one of the best Righty/Lefty closer combos in baseball should let JT focus on the first seven innings and let the cards fall where they may in the final frames. Dodgers starters aren't known for going deep into the game lately so why ask them to? Chad and Clay are young, so limiting their innings can't hurt. The important thing is to get quality starts, then hold the game close in the middle innings until you can unleash the power arms out of 'pen in the 8th and 9th. I'm looking forward to a full season of our two-headed monster locking up saves whenever there's a late lead.