The Los Angeles Dodgers announced their opening day roster for 2011 after their final exhibition game last night against the Seattle Mariners. Injuries helped to dictate at least 5 positions on the roster as Jay Gibbons, Casey Blake, Dioner Navarro, Vicente Padilla, and Jon Garland are all starting the season on the Disabled List.
With Casey Blake being on the Disabled List, that allowed Ivan DeJesus Jr. an opportunity to make the team although Jamey Carroll will get the start at second base against the San Francisco Giants tonight. Non-Roster Invitee Aaron Miles also made the team as a backup infielder.
I do not know why I am so enamored with Outfielder Xavier Paul making the team but he did make it as a backup outfielder. He was a 4th round draft choice in 2003 and has slowly worked his way through the Dodgers minor league system. He has never really hit for a high average, only has below average power, and he does not have game changing speed. He also struck out too much this spring. He has had injury problems the past couple of years but he has logged 135 at-bats in the major leagues with a lone Homerun to his credit. For whatever reason, I wanted him to make this roster.
The pitching staff was pretty well set after Padilla and Garland hit the Disabled list. Right-handers Lance Cormier and Mike MacDougal made the team. I would have preferred the Dodgers take another left-hander in Scott Elbert but Cormier kind of forced their hand not to mention the fact that Elbert had some serious control problems this spring. He is another player I have been campaigning for to make the roster (maybe it was because I saw him pitch for the Savannah Sand Gnats a couple of times) but this one was not meant to be.
The Dodgers decided to carry three Catchers coming out of Spring Training- Rod Barajas, the more defensive minded A.J. Ellis, and the one that was swinging a hot bat this spring, Switch-hitter Hector Gimenez. Gimenez has more pop in his bat and can also occasionally play First Base.
The "real" roster will be set when everyone starts coming off the Disabled List. Casey Blake is due to come off April 8th (my guess would be back up Catcher A.J. Ellis will be sent down at that time) and Pitcher Tim Redding is due to start on April 10th, the first time the Dodgers will require a 5th starter. I believe DeJesus will be the first to be sent down of the infielders.
That is the great thing about the first game of the season. The possibilities are endless and the Dodgers stand as good a chance as anybody to win the World Series.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Pitching Staff
As Spring Training nears its end and the Los Angeles Dodgers prepare to begin the season there are a few questions that remain as far as the pitching staff goes. There are 10 pitchers that are a lock to make the staff.
Starters:
Chad Billingsley
Clayton Kershaw*
Hiroki Kuroda
Ted Lilly*
Jon Garland
Relievers:
Jonathan Broxton
Matt Guerrier
Blake Hawksworth
Hong Chih-Kuo*
Vicente Padilla
Jon Garland and Vicente Padilla are probably going to start the season on the Disabled List and if that is the case that means 2 to 4 pitchers a from the current group they have in camp will make the team. The Dodgers most likely will not need a fifth starter until April 12th so they will all be used in a relief role until then.
On the Bubble:
Scott Elbert*
John Ely
Kenley Jansen
Ramon Troncoso
Mike MacDougal
Ron Mahay*
Tim Redding
Scott Elbert and Ron Mahay- Since Kuo is the only left-handed lock on the team, all Elbert had to do was show that he could get the ball over the plate. At the beginning of the camp, he couldn't do that. His first couple of outings, I don't know if he got anybody out while issuing free pass after free pass. He has put in the extra work every day and his last several outings have been fairly impressive while not walking anyone. Ron Mahay has the Major League experience (500+ games) over Elbert but he has been inconsistent and has been hit pretty hard this spring (3 HR's allowed in 7+ innings). I would give the edge to Elbert.
John Ely and Tim Redding- The only two pitchers penciled in as starters in this group have both had pretty good camps. Ely has 0 BB's in 15 innings and Tim Redding has 144 big league starts under his belt and is a former 10 game winner with Houston and Washington. I would give the nod to Ely.
Mike MacDougal, Kenley Jansen, and Ramon Troncoso- MacDougal has the experience over the other two with three 20+ save seasons in the majors and has had a good camp, Jansen has shown some serious promise but he is still learning the art of pitching (not even 100 innings in the minors or majors), and Troncoso is very inconsistent. I would give the edge to MacDougal in this group with Jansen a close second.
I look for the Dodgers to break camp with 11 pitchers and for Garland and Padilla to start the season on the Disabled List. Ely and Redding will start the season in AAA until one of them is recalled on April 12th. I look for the three that start the season with the Dodgers will be Scott Elbert, Mike MacDougal, and Kenley Jansen.
*denotes left-handed
Starters:
Chad Billingsley
Clayton Kershaw*
Hiroki Kuroda
Ted Lilly*
Jon Garland
Relievers:
Jonathan Broxton
Matt Guerrier
Blake Hawksworth
Hong Chih-Kuo*
Vicente Padilla
Jon Garland and Vicente Padilla are probably going to start the season on the Disabled List and if that is the case that means 2 to 4 pitchers a from the current group they have in camp will make the team. The Dodgers most likely will not need a fifth starter until April 12th so they will all be used in a relief role until then.
On the Bubble:
Scott Elbert*
John Ely
Kenley Jansen
Ramon Troncoso
Mike MacDougal
Ron Mahay*
Tim Redding
Scott Elbert and Ron Mahay- Since Kuo is the only left-handed lock on the team, all Elbert had to do was show that he could get the ball over the plate. At the beginning of the camp, he couldn't do that. His first couple of outings, I don't know if he got anybody out while issuing free pass after free pass. He has put in the extra work every day and his last several outings have been fairly impressive while not walking anyone. Ron Mahay has the Major League experience (500+ games) over Elbert but he has been inconsistent and has been hit pretty hard this spring (3 HR's allowed in 7+ innings). I would give the edge to Elbert.
John Ely and Tim Redding- The only two pitchers penciled in as starters in this group have both had pretty good camps. Ely has 0 BB's in 15 innings and Tim Redding has 144 big league starts under his belt and is a former 10 game winner with Houston and Washington. I would give the nod to Ely.
Mike MacDougal, Kenley Jansen, and Ramon Troncoso- MacDougal has the experience over the other two with three 20+ save seasons in the majors and has had a good camp, Jansen has shown some serious promise but he is still learning the art of pitching (not even 100 innings in the minors or majors), and Troncoso is very inconsistent. I would give the edge to MacDougal in this group with Jansen a close second.
I look for the Dodgers to break camp with 11 pitchers and for Garland and Padilla to start the season on the Disabled List. Ely and Redding will start the season in AAA until one of them is recalled on April 12th. I look for the three that start the season with the Dodgers will be Scott Elbert, Mike MacDougal, and Kenley Jansen.
*denotes left-handed
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
The Cuts Are Rolling In
The Los Angeles Dodgers 2011 Opening Day Roster is starting to take shape. Several cuts have been made the past couple of days. Dee Gordon being cut did not come as a surprise but I am curious to see whether he will end up in Albuquerque or Chattanooga. He spent all of last season in AA Chattanooga.
Russ Mitchell, John Lindsey, and Jon Link joined the cut list. Mitchell had a horrible camp, batting .083 at last look, and I honestly never was that impressed with him. He has a hint of power which the Dodgers desperately need. I was really pulling for career minor leaguer John Lindsey to make it on to the Opening Day Roster but it wasn't meant to be. He is not versatile defensively and he probably needs to play for a team in the American League where they have the designated hitter. Jon Link is going to be converted from reliever to starter and will make the conversion in Albuquerque.
Russ Mitchell, John Lindsey, and Jon Link joined the cut list. Mitchell had a horrible camp, batting .083 at last look, and I honestly never was that impressed with him. He has a hint of power which the Dodgers desperately need. I was really pulling for career minor leaguer John Lindsey to make it on to the Opening Day Roster but it wasn't meant to be. He is not versatile defensively and he probably needs to play for a team in the American League where they have the designated hitter. Jon Link is going to be converted from reliever to starter and will make the conversion in Albuquerque.
Monday, March 14, 2011
A Work in Progress
I got to see the spring training game versus the Chicago Cubs on Sunday March 13th on WGN. The first inning was some ugly offensive baseball. Rafael Furcal led off with a single up the middle, Xavier Paul couldn't get a bunt down, Furcal got picked off, and James Loney singled but got thrown out trying to take the extra base. I admire the effort but the play was right in front of him. I was hoping Matt Kemp could make any kind of contact with two strikes. He might as well have gone back to the dugout and got a boat oar the way he was swinging.
Rubby De La Rosa got the start and pitched two solid innings. He was hitting the high 90's with his fastball and he displayed a good breaking pitch. Carlos Monasterios followed him and pitched two solid innings as well. It was probably his best effort of the Spring but he got sent to the minors today probably because he has still got options left. That will allow the Dodgers to go with a veteran arm such as Mike MacDougal who has had a good camp and has three 20 plus save seasons in the majors. It also gives the Dodgers a veteran closer in case Jonathan Broxton blows up again.
As far as the bench goes, Trent Oeltjen got a bunt down and Jerry Sands ripped an opposite field single on a pitch outside (I like the way he went with the pitch rather than try to pull it and ground out to short) but he also got thrown out at home with the play right in front of him. The coach may have sent him but I couldn't tell.
Wilkin De La Rosa, a left-handed reliever, looked pretty decent (he also got reassigned today but he was a non-roster invitee) and last years camp story and AAA flameout, Josh Lindblom displayed some decent stuff and worked his way out of a little bit of a jam.
Xavier Paul did not help himself with his performance yesterday. On the bunt attempt, you could see him drop the head of the bat below the ball and even watching it on TV, you could tell the ball was going to go straight up in the air. He did run out that bunt attempt because Zambrano let the ball hit the ground and avoided the double play. He overran second base on a hit-and-run and was tagged out although you have to give him the benefit of the doubt on that because it was hit to the shortstop and he may have been breaking up a potential double play. He looked bad striking out but he did end up with a bloop single.
Rubby De La Rosa got the start and pitched two solid innings. He was hitting the high 90's with his fastball and he displayed a good breaking pitch. Carlos Monasterios followed him and pitched two solid innings as well. It was probably his best effort of the Spring but he got sent to the minors today probably because he has still got options left. That will allow the Dodgers to go with a veteran arm such as Mike MacDougal who has had a good camp and has three 20 plus save seasons in the majors. It also gives the Dodgers a veteran closer in case Jonathan Broxton blows up again.
As far as the bench goes, Trent Oeltjen got a bunt down and Jerry Sands ripped an opposite field single on a pitch outside (I like the way he went with the pitch rather than try to pull it and ground out to short) but he also got thrown out at home with the play right in front of him. The coach may have sent him but I couldn't tell.
Wilkin De La Rosa, a left-handed reliever, looked pretty decent (he also got reassigned today but he was a non-roster invitee) and last years camp story and AAA flameout, Josh Lindblom displayed some decent stuff and worked his way out of a little bit of a jam.
Xavier Paul did not help himself with his performance yesterday. On the bunt attempt, you could see him drop the head of the bat below the ball and even watching it on TV, you could tell the ball was going to go straight up in the air. He did run out that bunt attempt because Zambrano let the ball hit the ground and avoided the double play. He overran second base on a hit-and-run and was tagged out although you have to give him the benefit of the doubt on that because it was hit to the shortstop and he may have been breaking up a potential double play. He looked bad striking out but he did end up with a bloop single.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
The 5th Starter
The Dodgers started Spring Training with six starting pitchers but Jon Garland and Vicente Padilla have already gone down with injuries. Padilla will not back for two or three more weeks and Garland probably will not back until at least the middle of April and will start the season on the Disabled List.
The Dodgers probably will not need a fifth starter until the middle of April and if Padilla and Garland are not ready there are probably three likely canidates to choose from, all three of them right-handers. John Ely, who got work last year as both a starter and long reliever and sported a 4-10 record and a high ERA after looking good early, Tim Redding, owner of a career record of 37-57 and 144 career starts in the majors, and Carlos Monasterios, who also got some work in last year both starting and relieving.
Both Ely and Redding have had good camps and Monasterios has taken himself out of the running by getting lit up this Spring. I would like to see them give the spot to Ely for the simple reason that he brings a younger arm and more options to the table than does Redding. If it doesn't work out, he also has options.
The Dodgers probably will not need a fifth starter until the middle of April and if Padilla and Garland are not ready there are probably three likely canidates to choose from, all three of them right-handers. John Ely, who got work last year as both a starter and long reliever and sported a 4-10 record and a high ERA after looking good early, Tim Redding, owner of a career record of 37-57 and 144 career starts in the majors, and Carlos Monasterios, who also got some work in last year both starting and relieving.
Both Ely and Redding have had good camps and Monasterios has taken himself out of the running by getting lit up this Spring. I would like to see them give the spot to Ely for the simple reason that he brings a younger arm and more options to the table than does Redding. If it doesn't work out, he also has options.
Fighting It Out for the Last Roster Spots
Its coming down to the last two or three weeks of the preseason and some decisions have to be made by Don Mattingly and his staff. An interesting battle is developing for the utility infielder position between Aaron Miles and Juan Castro. Miles has had a good spring with the bat and Castro's value will always be in his glove. They can both play multiple positions so they cancel each other out there.
With Furcal's ever present health issues and Blake's age and the fact the Dodgers want to rest him more, I would like to see Miles get that roster spot. I believe he has more pop in his bat (he is also a switch-hitter) and it is not a secret that the Dodgers cannot seem to put runs on the board.
It seems that longtime prospect Xavier Paul is going to be the odd man out in the fight for the last outfield spot. He is out of options and I would be willing to bet that some team will be glad to claim him off the waiver wire. The Outfield seems to be set with a Thames/Gibbons platoon in Left (which I am really not a big fan of), Kemp in Center, and Ethier in Right with Tony Gwynn, Jr. as the occasional fill in and left-handed bat off the bench.
With Furcal's ever present health issues and Blake's age and the fact the Dodgers want to rest him more, I would like to see Miles get that roster spot. I believe he has more pop in his bat (he is also a switch-hitter) and it is not a secret that the Dodgers cannot seem to put runs on the board.
It seems that longtime prospect Xavier Paul is going to be the odd man out in the fight for the last outfield spot. He is out of options and I would be willing to bet that some team will be glad to claim him off the waiver wire. The Outfield seems to be set with a Thames/Gibbons platoon in Left (which I am really not a big fan of), Kemp in Center, and Ethier in Right with Tony Gwynn, Jr. as the occasional fill in and left-handed bat off the bench.
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