I wonder what the major deal Ned was talking about. A 10% possibility isn't much but I would love to know what he was thinking.

I hope he doesn't think like Sabean http://tinyurl.com/yws26e

But if Cain is up for grabs I would give up LaRoche, Kuo, and Loaiza for him.

I'd going to re-post the following comment from the previous thread, because I have the same questions and it got LAT'ed. Is Ft. Pierce a good lodging option for Dodgertown?

152. Disabled List
125 Thanks for the info. We're going cheap-o on the lodging accomodations, so it looks like we're gonna be staying in a motel. How's Fort Pierce? It seems to have a lot of inexpensive motels, and it's right in between Vero Beach and Port St. Lucie.
I am really pumped for this trip! I should've done this a long time ago.

From what I can tell, being a minor league manager isn't all that great of a job unless you're a baseball lifer.

Collins has been around baseball a long time and has been a major league coach. I would think riding buses around the Cal League to exciting places like Adelanto, Lancaster, and Lake Elsinore probably gets old really fast.

1 If I were a Giants fan, I would be looking for the nearest bridge. Not only is Cain supposedly being shopped, but P. Feliz was offered a two-deal--and he declined! P. Feliz's agent has brass ones, as they say.

2. I'm going to Vero Beach for a couple games early March. It should be fun. I can't wait to experience Dodgertown for the first and last time in my 27 years of existence.

4. If they are really shopping Matt Cain (which , by all intense purposes it looks as if they are doing, then I would be all over it. We already have a better 3B than Crede that I would give up in a heartbeat to give up for Cain and I love LaRoche.

5 They have to mean Lowry, Sanchez or Hennessey when they say a pitcher for Crede. I can't believe that even Sabean would consider that trade. Especially to a team that has absolutely no prospects to give in return.

5. by all intense purposes

Good stuff.

I too am appreciative of LAT's service to the community yesterday. That was interesting (in its filtered form - I can't imagine how tedious it must have been to actually be there).

My guess is that the "10% chance of a big deal" is akin to saying "I'm still working hard - not taking 2 months off." It's probably nothing.

5, 7. No feeble purposes here, no sirree.

Continuing yesterday's contract talk, here is the breakdown of James Shields' contract:

2008 - $1m
2009 - $1.5m
2010 - $2.5m (1st arb yr)
2011 - $4.25m (2nd arb yr)
2012 - $7m option; $2m buyout (3rd arb yr)
2013 - $9m option; $1.5m buyout (1st FA yr)
2014 - $12m option; $1m buyout (2nd FA yr)
-----------
Total - 4 yrs / $11.25m guaranteed

There are also escalators of up to $6.25m in 2012-14 based on IP, GS, and CYA voting, which could bring the total package to as much as 7/$43.5m.

http://tinyurl.com/3baeuf

I believe Shields' 2008 salary of $1m is the highest ever for someone with under two years service time, tied with Takashi Saito's $1m base salary last year. I haven't confirmed this, however. I was only going off an MLB.com story on Ryan Howard that reported his $900k last season was the highest contract for such a player (when in fact Saito -- admittedly a special case -- made more).

10 If you let Saito in, then you have to consider people like Kaz Matsui making eight million in their second year.

Trading Cain/Lincecum (or both) could make them pretty good in a few years depending on the return. There's no way that happens, though.

Still out there:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hotstove07/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=3212018

11
You're right. I'm just shocked that James Shields of all people has the highest salary of a true under-2 service time player. Right place, right time, I guess.

13
Is it finally the time that front offices realize that guys like Livan Hernandez really aren't all that good for the price they demand?

13 In recent years, more clubs have decided to save money and give prospects a chance rather than overpay for mediocre veterans.

Ned?

ESPN.com just ranked every player on the Patriots and Giants from 1 to 106. This comes one day after they ranked every Super Bowl quarterback from 1 to 82.

We still have 10 days left until kickoff. Ugh.

Nice job, LAT.

And remember, if you buy the season tickets, we will come :)

16 He seems to be doing that this year.

17 Most of the time I just pretend espn.com doesn't exist.

My guess on a major trade that would be on the back-burner but would be made if the price was right: Johann or Bedard.

We'd like to have a lefty in the rotation, and we'd like a front line stud too. For the right price, we'd take them for one year, but all of baseball is scared of a long term deal for either of these guys right now. We wouldn't/couldn't trade the farm for them. They'd have to take one major leaguer and a few second tier prospects, not likely the right price for the sellers.

End result: 10% chance of a big trade.

>> However, the Chicago Tribune's Sam Smith suggested a new deal the other day in his NBA column, with the Lakers acquiring power forward Ben Wallace in exchange for center Kwame Brown and backup forward Vladimir Radmanovic.

Smith's reasoning was sound, although he acknowledged it was not based on anything he has heard from the Bulls, Lakers or any other league sources. <<

http://www.dailybreeze.com/sports/ci_8060663

I suspect this is how many of our baseball trade rumors are hatched.

13 What could be holding up a Mark Sweeney deal? He can't be asking for more than 900K and I don't think he's looking for more than a one-year contract.

With spring training around the corner, I hope he knows how many months are in a calendar. I'm quite sure he learned last year that there are three outs in the bottom of the ninth, he could figure out a complicated item like a calendar by now, couldn't he?

23
Don't we usually go with 12 pitchers starting sometime in May?

If we have 12 pitchers and 2 catchers plus Loney, Kent, Furcal, Nomar, LaRoche, Abreu, Either, Jones, Kemp, Pierre and Young (who I think is out of options) we have 25.

Who do you cut to add Sweeney?

24 I'd guess LaRoche is sitting in Vegas while Nomar plays third if we do get Sweeney.

I am the absolute biggest Delwyn fan on this site. Please realize that before someone makes an insensitive comment/post in response to this.

We are already counting on a lot of youngsters in major roles. We also have four outfielders, two who hit from the left side. We'll also have (according to Ned) LaRoche or Nomar on the bench, both hit from the right side.

I simply don't see Ned or even Torre going with Delwyn as a fifth outfielder who will be used primarily as a pinch hitter in pressure situations. I am quite convinced that Ned et. al would like that PVL on the bench hitting from the left side. If they believed Delwyn could be that guy, they wouldn't have sent him down last year to bring up Shea, and they wouldn't have traded for Sweeney right after releasing (and paying) Marlon Anderson.

LaRoche in AAA could change the Delwyn scenario, but right now, I think Delwyn looks like the odd man out because of his youth.

I don't think keeping or not keeping Delwyn is what is keeping the Sweeney deal from happening. It has to do with contract talks, or it's been implied that is the issue.

In this case, I hope I'm dead wrong. I want Delwyn to stay and get his shot here in LA. I just don't have any confidence it will actually happen.

Abreu still has options. He could start the year at AAA if we sign Sweeney. If LaRoche takes care of business and wins the 3B job, we have Nomar to sub around the infield.
Sure wish we could unload Pierre. It would make things easier and improve the club.

24 If LaRoche wins the 3rd base job the odd man out could be Abreu. I know many here don't think much on Nomar's defense but Torre remembers the Nomar he saw play for Boston and considers him a supersub possibility. We may see Nomar get in a few innings at 2nd base this spring.

Somehow, "Quantum of Solace" just doesn't have the same ring as a "Goldfinger" or "Octopussy".

28 I do not want to think about Nomar being a super utility guy. How is it that two years ago our bench consisted of nothing but shortstops, and now we don't have any.

Huge longshot: Ethier to Vegas. He would hate it, for sure, but it would save Delwyn.

How is it that two years ago our bench consisted of nothing but shortstops, and now we don't have any

Now we have three centerfielders (Jones, Kemp, and Repko).

26 I can't believe that we would just waive Delwyn. It's a bad move for so many different reasons. Even if Ned hated the guy, his love of depth would keep him from just having six outfielders on the 40 man.

32 How soon we forget Pierre.

29 Ooh. Filming now and due by the holidays.

We would not be having this discussion if Ned had not screwed up royaly by signing Pierre. And, I also do not consider him a legitimate center fielder. Or left fielder. He is the fly in the ointment.

32 If "De" and "Fault" are the two greatest words in the English language, "Nial" must be the third.

33
I could see Ned trying to solve this through a minor deal (the same way he brought in Brady Clark at the last minute with a surplus of middle relief to trade). I could see a Delwyn for (fill in left-handed PVL bullpen guy here).

If the team goes with 11 pitchers, starts LaRoche and and signs Sweeney, then the six-man bench on Opening Day would figure to be Sweeney, Young, Ethier, Garciaparra, Bennett and Abreu, wouldn't it? Am I missing someone? Repko and Hu in the minors.

If it's 12 pitchers, Abreu goes down if Nomar is on the bench. If Nomar starts, then perhaps LaRoche (or Abreu) goes down for a very short time.

I really think that barring a trade or just a noxious Spring Training, Young is a lock to make the team March 31, with or without Sweeney.

38 That wouldn't solve the we have to call up Xavier Paul when Repko gets hurt problem.

Pitching locks:

Penny
Lowe
Billingsley
Kuroda
Loaiza

Saito
Broxton
Beimel
Proctor

Two BP spots up for grabs.

41 I'd say Kuo is a lock since he's out of options. Yhency is probably the next guy in line.

21 Santana or Bedard for one ML player and a couple of B prospects? For only one year? Nothing close to a 10% chance of that happening.

42 If Kuo is on the team, he's the 5th starter. Loaiza to the pen.

I guess I'm the only person on the face of the interwebs that thinks "Quantum of Solace" is a pretty compelling title.

45 I think it's pretty cool, too.

41 You assume Schmidt is not ready. What if he is?

Lowe
Penney
Bills
Kuroda
Schmidt

Biemel
Broxton
Kuo
Loaiza
Saito
Proctor

That's 11. If Brazoban is ready he's 12. That leaves Houlton, Hull, Stultz and everyone else in Vegas.

39 I really, really, really hope you are correct Jon.

I think we can go with 11 pitchers out of the gate. I just think that Abreu might get the nod over Delwyn if it came down to it.

I hope we learned from Cody Ross and Jayson Werth. I think I'm too invested in Delwyn to see this all clearly. I was convinced he'd never get a shot to stick with the Dodgers big club.

43 Agreed. I think we'd only make a deal if we came out of it smelling like roses. Not likely to happen. But if the price falls enough, we might take a bite.

47. That would be a very good pitching staff from top to bottom. Hope it works out like that. Hope Guo and Schmidt are healthy. I think Guo is more likely to be healthy at the start of the season than Schmidt, but middway through the season, it's a tossup.
vr, Xei

From 13 : "Clark is so revered in the clubhouse, Derek Jeter calls him 'Mr. Clark.'"

We have reached the point that I am no longer surprised when Derek Jeter calls a teammate, manager, front-office executive, reporter, or anyone in baseball, "Mister." What I want to know is: who are the people Derek Jeter denies the honorific?

Baseball America's Top 30 Dodger Prospects
1. LHP Clayton Kershaw (20, AA)
2. 3B Andy LaRoche (24, MLB)
3. SS Chin-Lung Hu (24, AAA)
4. LHP Scott Elbert (22, AA)
5. 3B Blake DeWitt (22, AA)
6. RHP Chris Withrow (19, Rookie/Low A)
7. RHP James McDonald (23, AA)
8. RHP Jonathan Meloan (23, AAA)
9. OF Delwyn Young (25, MLB)
10. 3B Pedro Baez (19, Low A)
11. 3B Josh Bell (21, High A)
12. RHP Bryan Morris (21, Low A)
13. SS Ivan DeJesus Jr. (20, AA)
14. OF/1B Andrew Lambo (19, Rookie/Low A)
15. RHP Josh Wall (21, High A)
16. RHP Ramon Troncoso (25, AAA)
17. C Lucas May (23, AA)
18. LHP Greg Miller (23, AAA)
19. LHP James Adkins (22, High A/AA)
20. RHP Javy Guerra (22, AA)
21. RHP Mario Alvarez (23, AA)
22. RHP Justin Mller ((20, Low A)
23. OF Xavier Paul (23, AAA)
24. RHP Tim Sexton (20, High A)
25. C Carlos Santana (21, High A)
26. RHP Cory Wade (24, AA)
27. RHP Justin Orenduff (24, AAA)
28. 2B/SS/OF Preston Mattingly (20, Low A)
29. OF Alfredo Silverio (20, Low A)
30. LHP Geison Aguasviva (20, Low A)

Their age is listed as of 2008 Opening Day, location is where that player will most likely start in 2008.

Other notes, Dodger system ranked 6th (same as 2007 after 3 seasons being ranked No. 2) Kershaw appears on the cover of the book.

I think it is clear that the "major deal" that has a 10% chance of happening is Juan Pierre being traded.

And Young is guaranteed a roster spot. We're not getting Sweeney. Ned just doesn't like saying any young player is guaranteed anything, and makes a show of trying to sign vets so he doesn't appear to the media to be sitting on his hands doing nothing ("Hey, I'm working hard trying to bring in guys like Sweeney and Seanez, but their agents aren't playing ball.")

51 "Hey you! Yeah, you at third base!"

I got Dave Collins' autograph at the first game I ever attended (he was an A). Still have it too.

52.
2) How can that be if this person you are alluding to doesn't even exist. Is the cover all black?
vr, Xei

52 Justin Orenduff has REALLY nosedived.

55 I have a grand total of one MLB player autograph but it is a good one. Koufax. He is my all time favorite ball player.

52
Did you get the book already, or did you see the list online?

53 I hope you're correct also. An interesting perspective. I want to be wrong. Very wrong.

BTW, I don't think Jeter uses "Mr. Rodriguez" too often.

52 -- Aguasviva's making BA's Top 30 is the first time ever that a Dodger Dominican Summer League player who has yet to play in America has made it into the Prospect Handbook. I can't see him pencilled in for low A though, there are just too may pitchers competed for too few rotation slots.

59 Yes, I just got the book so I figured I was free to at least post the list.

48 I'd be very, very surprised if Torre decides to go with 11 pitchers. Generally, he's not sure if 12 is really enough.

For any Spanish speakers, am I correct in thinking that "Aguasviva" means "Water of life?"

Any chance of the Dodgers still signing Rudy Seanez or has that ship already sailed?
vr, Xei

With the difficulty we have of who to keep on the 25 man roster what is the strategy of inviting 17 NRI's, 10 of whom are pitchers, to camp?

66. With half the team in China they may need some extra bodies for spring games??
vr, Xei

66 -- We have no obligation to put any NRI's in the majors, and they can sit in Triple A as insurance.

66 You might find the next Wilson Alvarez, Rudy Seanez, or someone like that I suppose.

There are a few guys that will take a AAA assignment and then we'll have a few veteran arms lingering around. Sturze, Faulkenbourg, guys like that can come up in September if we don't need them before.

We generally wouldn't block them if they could get a major league spot, but we have "depth". Or at least that has to be the incentive for us to bring them all in.

We have no obligation to put any NRI's in the majors, and they can sit in Triple A as insurance

NRI = Not Really Insurance

64 I think that is plural: waters of life. And that is a fantastic name; I am officially pulling for him.

70 -- Saito, Beimel, and Seanez all came to the Dodgers as NRI's.

72 Panning for gold.

73 -- "Panning for gold" is a smart way to build a bullpen. That's how the Padres do it, and it is a lot better than trading young players for the likes of Baez and Carter, or giving out ridiculously over-priced contracts to "proven relievers."

52 13 players are new to this year's list, only 2 players (Loney & Abreu) "graduated" from the list (by getting enough AB to remove them from 2008 "Rookie" status. 10 players, who are still in Dodger system, were dropped beneath the top 30 and 1 (Wesley Wright) was drafted from the Dodgers in the last Rule V Draft.

Of the 13 new players, 6 were either drafted or signed in 2007 and 7 were in the system but not listed last year.

62
The dilemma: pay $30 to get the book now from Baseball America, or wait a week or two to pay $20 when its available on Amazon.

76 Mine should be arriving from Amazon in February.

I wonder where Kyle Blair and Alex White would rank on the list if they were signed.

73 Or, as in the case of the Scott Erickson and Tanyon Sturzes of the world, sifting through kitty litter.

What are the odds of Wright sticking with the Astros the whole year? Any chance we get him back?

I don't know what their bullpen looks like. We kept Houlton all year because we needed arms and we weren't going anywhere. If Houston is in it, can they afford to be patient with a very raw rookie all year?

Anyone think it is payback for taking DJ?

Woo Hoo, hail in Sylmar.

79 Have no fear, Joe Mays is here!

80
I don't think Houston will be in contention all year, but then again maybe they will hover within 10 games or so of the division lead most of the year so maybe that is contention. My guess is Wesley Wright sticks with Houston.

And if they're worried about payback for losing Houlton, that franchise is in worse shape than I ever would have thought. :)

Whoo hoo. I made the front page.

13. From the Crasnick article: "Look at Shawn Green,'' one American League assistant GM said. "He's made $100 million in his career. Does he really want to take $850,000 and a minor league invite to go to camp and try to win a job?''

I know someone who is going to be very disappointed if he retires.

53. That wasn't the impression I got yesterday. I'm not sure Ned is as anxious to get rid of JP as we are. I think the major move is something he has in his mind that he would agree to but expects the other side won't go for it.

65. According to Ned he has lost interest. In discussing Rudy Seanez, Ned said when negations go on too long you ask yourself "what am I doing here" and you can "talk yourself out of a deal." That is what happened with Seanez's agent. Of course it may just be a negotiating ploy on Ned's part and he is still interested.

84 Count me as a Shawn Green fan. The Hebrew Hammer brought me lots of fun and pride. Of course, it was 2002 at the time.

I hope he goes out gracefully. I don't think he fits the plans of too many teams out there. Neither does LuGo. They have had similar seasons for the last few years.

44 I honestly had not considered that. Kuo as 5th starter; Loaiza to the pen [or traded]; Schmidt on the DL. That would give us a lefty in the rotation. I'm officially on board. Where do I sign?

Two other things I forgot to mention:

Ned was asked about re-signing Lowe. He said he would wait and see and it depended how much Lowe wanted to stay with the Dodgers. He acknowledged that Lowe was going to be asking for a huge contract. My take: Lowe is not the type of guy Ned is going to hand a long term, big money contract to. There would have to be a discount to stay in LA for Ned to bite.

Ned's comments on Yhancy. Paraphrasing: "I don't know. For the last two years he has been injured and he has had "occasional" [sarcastic] problems staying in shape." I didn't get the impression Yhancy was someone Ned had a lot of faith in.

52 Two hours after you posted that, Dodger Thoughts is now the #4 Google hit for "Geison Aguasviva".

85. The Hebrew Hammer

I love that. That's great. From this point forward, let it be written. Let it be done.

Count me amazed if Yhency Brazoban makes the team.

After the legendary pennant race of 2012, fans thirty years from now will still be singing "The Bison-Geison Hallelujah Twist."

75 So Kemp wasn't on last year's list? Why was that?

Diamond Leung says John Valentin is replacing Dave Collins. Henry Cruz will move up from Ogden to be hitting coach.

True or false: Henry Cruz is an Old Friend.

92 Too many major league ABs in 2006.

I don't think this was the right year to go to China. We have a new manager, new coaches and alot of new personell. The week you lose from the spring from this can only hurt. I hope Torre can get a good fell for the players in 3 weeks(instead of 4).

92 Kemp had reached the at bat limit that Baseball America (and other analysts and publications use) as their cutoff for these type of lists.

Shawn Green was a fine Dodger who played through pain, gave the team some of the best seasons in franchise history, had the greatest single-game offensive performance in baseball history, and was an island of class during the classless Fox years. Hearing him booed at Dodger Stadium was almost (but not quite) as bad as hearing Mike Piazza being booed.

Both events contributed greatly to my current disdain for the unwashed masses that have been inhabiting the Stadium of late.