A Retrospect: Ramon Ortiz and Nick Green No Longer Dodgers

The baseball gods surely healed the Dodgers of some of what ailed them:



This is how I felt when I heard the wonderful news they had been DFA'd.

A little late (a lot late), but eh, the vigor with which I post this is still the same as when I heard the oh so glorious news that these gentlemen had been DFA'd.

What took Joe Torre and Ned Colletti so long? Green is useless on this team (and any other), while Ortiz is a veteran, and was a San Francisco Giant. Those two traits all but guarantee you a job and a semi-long to long stint with the Dodgers nowadays.

For what it's worth, Justin Miller is likely to not be much better, if better at all. And hey, what do you know, he's a veteran AND a former Giant.

Set for life I tell ya, set for life.

Dodgers Notes From Saturday's Game 5/29/2010

Colorado 11, Dodgers 3

Box Score.

• Hiroki Kuroda went an uncharacteristically short and putrid 4 innings (7 Runs [5 ER], 10 Hits, 1 K, 1 BB, 1 HR Allowed, 1 Hit Batter, 81 pitches - 47 for strikes). Kuroda did draw a walk, but was also picked off of second base. A poor night all around for Hiroki.
  
• Bullpen: 4 IP, 4 ER, 4 Hits, 1 K, 4 BB.
• Scott Elbert (0.2 IP, 1 ER, 1 Hit, 3 BB) and Justin Miller(1.1 IP, 1 K, 0 BB) made their season debuts.
• Rafael Furcal, with 3 singles, was the only Dodger to reach base more than once.
  
• Matt Kemp made a nice catch racing into left-center, and had to basically cover the entire outfield tonight with a stiff to his left and a stiff to his right. He also tripled.
  
• The offense struck out 3 times, walked twice, and had 2 extra-base hits.

Dodgers Notes From Thursday's Game 5/27/2010

Chicago 1, Dodgers 0

Box Score.

• John Ely went 7.1 really good innings (1 ER, 4 Hits, 4 K, 2 BB, 98 pitches - 65 for strikes).
• Bullpen: 0.2 IP, 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 1 K, 0 BB.
• Russell Martin (Single, IBB), Casey Blake (2 Singles), and Reed Johnson (Single, BB) each reached base twice.
• Blake DeWitt struck out in 3 of his 4 plate appearances.
• The offense went down swinging 9 times, drew 4 walks, and had 0 extra-base hits for the third time in the last 4 games.
• Ramon Ortiz was designated for assignment, and Justin Miller was recalled from AAA.

"He [Justin Miller] can pitch every day. I saw him do that with the Giants last year," said Torre. "In Spring Training, we knew we couldn't take him, even though you want on your staff someone with durability."

So basically what Joe Torre is saying is that because Justin Miller wasn't on the team, he was obligated to burn through Ramon Troncoso. Lovely.

Three Sent To AAA

Luis Ayala, Justin Miller, and J.D. Closser were all sent down to AAA Albuquerque. All three had signed minor league deals in the offseason with invitations to Spring Training.

Final roster decisions will be made on Saturday in preparation for Monday's season opener against the Pirates.

Some comments from Joe Torre on Ayala and Miller:

"I think Ayala probably has a bigger arm but was a little more inconsistent. But they got experience so it's always nice to have people down there you can choose from."

"I think Miller was a little more consistent," Torre said. "He showed me he could get both lefties and righties out even though he's a little better against right-handers. But he showed a nice offspeed pitch against lefties."

Dodgers Sign 9 To Minor League Deals

• Doug Mientkiewicz
• Angel Berroa
• Josh Towers
• Justin Miller
• Luis Ayala
• Prentice Redman
• Juan Perez
• John Lindsey
• Francisco Felix

All 9 have received an invite to Spring Training.

The first 7 have been mentioned here already, but the last two are new names.

Lindsey, 32, spent time in AA and AAA with the Dodgers between 2007 and 2008.

Felix, 26, has spent his entire pro career in the states in the Dodgers organization, beginning in A ball in 2006 and reaching AAA in 2008. He split 2009 between AA Chattanooga and AAA Albuquerque. Over his 5 seasons of minor league baseball, including time spent in the Mexican League, Felix has K'd 8.7/9 IP with a WHIP of 1.37.

Dodgers Sign 2 To Minor League Contracts

RP Justin Miller and OF Prentice Redman.

Their claims to fame: Miller, 32, is tatted up, pretty much head to toe, and has to cover them up with long sleeves when on the mound, so as not to distract the batter ("The Justin Miller Rule"); Redman, 30, is the brother of former major leaguer Tike Redman.



Eh, they're just minor-league contracts, but I hope they don't end up on the 25-man roster and playing in meaningful games, i.e. any game. We have plenty, plenty of bullpen options, and Xavier Paul or Jamie Hoffmann can fill the 5th outfielder role, and hopefully the 4th, which of course depends upon whether we can find some G.M. dumber than Colletti to take Juan Pierre away for good.