November 2008 Archives

The Dodgers added pitchers Brent Leach, Jesus Castillo, Travis Schlichting and Victor Garate and outfielder Jamie Hoffmann to the 40-man roster tonight, which was the deadline for protecting Rule 5 draft-eligible players from being taken in the Rule 5 draft, which is scheduled for Dec. 11. They could have added more, but they needed to leave a couple of spots open for possible free-agent signings between now and the Rule 5. Forty-man is now at 38. And some of these guys could be removed if the Dodgers end up signing more than two FAs before Dec. 11. ... I believe I have gotten to the bottom of this Camelback Ranch thing. Turns out, this whole area of Glendale/Phoenix is known as Camelback Ranch. I live at the Villas at Camelback Ranch, which is adjacent to the Townes at Camelback Ranch. Thus, that thing going up across the street should technically be called the Spring Training Complex at Camelback Ranch. For whatever reason, the Dodgers and White Sox seem to want to take credit for coming up with the name, which apparently was in place long before they ever even thought about building a spring-training complex here and even before KB Home started their development here. Talk about chutzpah. ... I'm starting a well-deserved vacation tomorrow. Doug Padilla will be covering for me while I'm gone. See you on Dec. 2, and Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

The Dodgers just sent out a release stating that their new spring-training home, which will be shared with the Chicago White Sox, will be called Camelback Ranch. That's funny, because the subdivision across the street, where your favorite blog host now owns a home, is ALSO called Camelback Ranch. Now, I am completely unaware of ANY affiliation between the two entities -- although the sales office DOES have an artist's rendering of the baseball complex prominently displayed on an easel. I'm trying to figure out if there is some connection between the two. The subdivision is a KB Home project.

They put up the lights at the main stadium today, something I noticed as I was on my way to the gym tonight (yes, some of us scribes at least ATTEMPT to live a somewhat healthy lifestyle). Light towers were erected at a couple of the back fields several weeks ago, but the fact they are now up at the main stadium is a real sign of progress. Interestingly, the stadium lights have airplane warning lights on top, which the backfield lights don't. They're of roughly equal height, and there is an airport (Glendale Municipal) adjacent to the facility, as well as an Air Force Base (Luke) about five miles to the West. But I digress. Anyway, I'll try to post regular updates whenever some significant, obvious development takes place over there. It's amazing that it has only been eight months since I got my first glimpse of the place, when it was nothing but a big, flat patch of dirt. Now, it's beginning to look like a spring-training complex.

The Colorado Rockies are expected to announce tomorrow that our old friend Jim Tracy is their new bench coach. He has been out of the game for the past year while still being paid by the Pirates, who fired him as their manager after 2007. In all my years of covering ball, Trace is still one of my favorite people that I have met in the game, and it'll be great having him back in the N.L. West and to be able to see him frequently and catch up.

OK, this isn't something anyone has told me, and it isn't something that is being reported. It's just a logical inference I am making based on the information that I have. But it APPEARS that the CC Sabathia sweepstakes could come down to two final teams: the Dodgers and the Giants. This is based on one very big assumption, which is this: the fact Sabathia still hasn't accepted the Yankees' offer of six years, $140 million, which was made almost a week ago, seems to suggest that maybe he just doesn't want to pitch for the Yankees. I'm not stating that as a fact. I'm only saying that is what it seems to suggest. Anyway, we know CC wants to pitch for an N.L. club because he likes to hit. We know he just purchased a home in SoCal. And we know he wants to stay close to home. That pretty much leaves the Dodgers and Giants. Padres are dumping payroll to the point that they're shopping Jake Peavy, so they're out. Diamondbacks aren't adding payroll, and besides, they have Brandon Webb and Dan Haren. So it LOOKS like that is where this whole thing is headed, provided the Dodgers don't re-sign Manny Ramirez anytime soon. This much is clear: they WON'T sign both Manny and CC.

Just found out that the Dodgers have NOT made an offer and that they aren't ABOUT to make an offer. This does not mean, however, that they WON'T make an offer at some point. The Dodgers ARE interested in CC Sabathia, and if you believe what you read just about everywhere these days, he is at least somewhat interested in them. But that doesn't mean it's going to happen, especially given that the Yankees have offered what they reportedly have offered. ... Also just found out that the Dodgers AREN'T talking to the Jays about Halladay. Oh, and there is apparently another report out there (I haven't seen it, was just told about it) that they are in hot pursuit of Raul Ibanez, which would make no sense given that the last thing the Dodgers need is another outfielder (at least not another outfielder NOT named Manny Ramirez). There is no truth to that report, either.

The Times blog says they're about to make an offer to CC Sabathia. The Newark Star-Ledger says it's six years and between $110 million and $120 million, which is well short of the six years and $140 million the Yankees have offered, but CC is said to want to pitch in Southern California, where he reportedly recently purchased a home. I'm still trying to nail this down. The Star-Ledger also says the Dodgers might be involved in trade talks with Toronto for Roy Halladay, a deal that presumably would negate the need to go after Sabathia and might allow the Dodgers to continue to pursue Manny Ramirez, something signing Sabathia probably wouldn't allow.

It became official about an hour ago. Here is the link to a story that was just posted on the web site of the Chicago Tribune, by my buddy Mark Gonzales, who covers the Sox. They WILL be joining the Dodgers in Glendale next spring, after all, so the Dodgers won't have the place to themselves for the first year. The main point to take from this development, of course, is that now Tony only has to make TWO trips to Tucson next spring (when the Dodgers play the D-backs and Rockies) instead of FOUR (the White Sox will be the home team in two of their three meetings with the Dodgers, all three of which are now set for Glendale, not Tucson).

http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports_hardball/2008/11/white-soxs-move.html

This one comes to us from espn.com, and it says the Red Sox were ready to suspend Manny for his unwillingness to play in the final days before his trade to the Dodgers.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3704917

Here's the link to a Chicago Tribune story. OK, it's actually an AP story on the Chicago Tribune web site. But the Dodgers should know by Tuesday whether the White Sox will be able to join them at the new Glendale facility next spring or whether they won't arrive until 2010.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/chi-081114-chicago-white-sox-training-camp,0,6393835.story

Doesn't mean it's gone forever, but it's gone for the moment.
``The offer expired,'' Ned Colletti said.
I then asked where the Dodgers go from here.
``We'll see,'' he said. ``It doesn't preclude us from more conversations, but every offer yo make has a deadline to it so that it doesn't stand out there forever. That offer expired and is off the table, and hopefully, we'll have more conversations and see where they take us.''
Colletti said the Dodgers have yet to make a formal offer to any of their 13 other free agents, but that he has had conversations with the agents for Casey Blake (Jim McDowell) and Rafael Furcal (Paul Kinzer). Furcal remains at the top of the Dodgers' wish list at shortstop as opposed to signing another free agent or making a trade.
``(Blake and Furcal) want to see what else is out there,'' Colletti said. ``They know we have strong interest and that we want them back. We'll continue to stay in touch.''

It will start early (Feb. 25) because of the World Baseball Classic, and it will start with four away games, presumably because the new stadium in Glendale won't be ready until March 1, when the boys host the Brewers at the new complex across the street from my house. There also will be TWO scheduled off-days (March 11/18) as opposed to the traditional ONE. Also, there are only three scheduled games with the White Sox, which is rather strange when you consider the two teams will be sharing a complex. My guess is that is a hedge against the possibility that the White Sox can't get out of their Tucson lease for another year, something that is expected to be determined with certainty sometime in the next week or two. The Dodgers are the visiting team for two of those three games, meaning that if the White Sox can't move in until 2010, the Dodgers will have to make FOUR trips to Tucson next spring instead of two.

Here is the link to the schedule on the Dodgers' official web site:

http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/spring_training/tentative.jsp?c_id=la

Here is the link to a TMZ video of Brad Penny and a few of his buddies getting into a scuffle in a Hollywood nightspot a couple of weeks ago. It's very unclear from the video what any of this was about, but the funny part is that right at the end, when order seems to have been restored and the camera is shooting nothing but a hardwood floor, some girl can be overheard explaining to someone her version of what happened, and she refers to Penny as ``the baseball guy.'' One day you're a two-time All-Star, the next day you're just a ``baseball guy.''

http://www.tmz.com/2008/10/28/dodger-pitcher-dodges-punches-at-key-club/

At least according to betonline.com, they will. They issued odds today that say the Dodgers are the favorites to land both players. Here are those odds, so take them for whatever you think they're worth:

BetOnline.com: Manny Ramirez Contenders

Dodgers 1/2

Yankees 4/1

Mets 6/1

Blue Jays 6/1

Other 3/1

BetOnline.com: Rafael Furcal Contenders

Dodgers 7/5

Cubs 3/1

Giants 5/1

Blue Jays 5/1

Athletics 8/1

Other 11/4

Was starting to wonder when that was going to happen. He was the last eligible Dodgers player, with all 14 of them having now filed. I'm going to guess he won't be back and that Angel Berroa and Chin-lung Hu will be the utility guys next year. But what do I know?

Here is the link to a story that just appeared today on the Boston Globe's web site in which David Ortiz speaks candidly (albeit not always coherently) on Manny Ramirez's final days with the Red Sox. Interesting comment in there about the media being ``family.''

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2008/11/papi_opens_up_o.html

Also, my colleague Dylan Hernandez wrote in today's Times that the Dodgers' two-year, $45 million offer to Manny is $15 million in 2009, $22.5 million in 2010 and a $7.5 million buyout of a $22.5 million club option for 2011; that Frank McCourt might be open to guaranteeing the third year if that's what it takes to get a deal done; and that this particular offer will stand only through tomorrow, although that doesn't mean the Dodgers' attempts to re-sign Manny will end there.

Below is a press release I received this morning from ESPN about this Sunday's edition of OTL, which will focus largely on Manny.

Sunday's Outside the Lines (9 a.m. ET ESPN, noon ESPNEWS) will examine Manny Ramirez' upcoming free agency, his final days in Boston and circumstances that led to his trade, and a behind-the-scenes look at his 2000 free-agent signing with the Red Sox. Pedro Gomez reports.

Sunday's show will also reprise excerpts from the December 2000 Outside the Lines: Inside the Deal in which cameras followed Manny Ramirez' agent Jeff Moorad for seven weeks as he strategized with his client, criss-crossed the country, worked the phones, and met with general managers, to eventually produce the eight-year, $160 million contract with Boston.

From Sunday's Show:

"Every question was about Manny Ramirez. We lost a game -- it was 'Why Manny didn't run a ball out?' We win a game - 'Is Manny going to show up tomorrow and play?' So it got to the point that, I don't want to say it got to us, but it was this dark cloud over the team." - Alex Cora, Red Sox SS

Checked in with Ned Colletti today. Absolutely nothing is going on with the Dodgers, so you won't see anything in tomorrow's paper, but even in down times, I like to check in at least once a week or so, as do the other beat writers. One thing I asked him was whether he has to proceed now on the assumption that Manny Ramirez isn't coming back so he isn't unnecessarily hampered in his pursuit of other free agents or possible trades. Here is what he said:

``No. I think we have to do business as it comes our way. I think we have to sign players we want to sign as we agree to do deals with them. We have enough areas of need that we can't wait by the side and wait for one person to make up their mind, really. We have to continue. We would love to have Manny back, but that is going to be a decision that will probably take some time. In the meantime, we will still try to add some other pieces to it.''

It doesn't appear likely that one of those pieces will be another outfielder. Ned said he is comfortable with the outfield quartet of Ethier, Jones, Kemp and Pierre if Manny ends up signing elsewhere.

I was asked to pass this along. The Sports Museum of Los Angeles, which I am told includes ``lots of Los Angeles and Brooklyn Dodgers items,'' will open to the public on Nov. 28, the day after Thanksgiving. It is located at 1900 S. Main.

His name is Ray Maytorena, and he comes from the U.S. Secret Service. He replaces Lon Rosenberg, who will be free now to concentrate fully on his primary duties as stadium operations director. The two will work closely together and report to Dodgers chief operating officer Dennis Mannion. What I know on general background, culled over the past few months, is that the club is trying to find a happy medium between keeping the atmosphere safe -- meaning trying to cut down on the number of fights in the stands -- and keeping the atmosphere pleasant -- meaning making Dodger Stadium fell a little less like a police state and strongly encouraging the security detail there to improve their guest-relations skills. At any rate, I don't think you'll be seeing 15 guards getting out of their chairs and walking into fair territory down each line every time a manager or pitching coach goes to the mound anymore. Below is the official release.

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Dodgers today named Ray Maytorena as Vice President of Security. Chief Operating Officer Dennis Mannion made the announcement.

Maytorena has spent the past 24 years working for the United States Secret Service and has lived in Los Angeles, New York, Washington DC, San Diego, and Puerto Rico.

"Ray's extensive background will be a tremendous asset to the Dodger organization," said Mannion. "One of our three primary goals is to provide the best fan experience in all of sports, and Ray will play a huge role in ensuring that Dodger Stadium remains a safe and family-friendly place for all fans.

"Ray has traveled the world extensively and has had leadership roles in Secret Service offices here, elsewhere in the United States, and internationally. His extensive experience includes security, personal protection, and criminal investigation."

Most recently, Maytorena served as the Special Agent in Charge (SES) of the Los Angeles field office, the nation's third-largest district, in which he managed more than 250 employees. In that capacity, he oversaw security and protection for the numerous large events, including the State Funeral of President Gerald Ford, and served as the lead advance agent for the 1996 Republic National Convention in San Diego.

Maytorena, who is bilingual in Spanish, serves as an Executive Board member of the Los Angeles FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and an Executive Board Member of the Police Officers Association Los Angeles County (POALAC).

Maytorena received a Bachelor of Science degree in Administration of Justice from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL.

Just got the release, which I have pasted below. His son used to live up the street from my family in Arkansas when I was growing up. My dad, who had seen him play, got to meet him one time when he was visiting. Preacher Roe was 92 when he died last night. Here is the release:

STATEMENT ON THE PASSING OF FORMER DODGER GREAT PREACHER ROE (1915-2008)

The Dodgers are saddened to announce that former Brooklyn Dodger pitcher Elwin Charles "Preacher" Roe passed away last night at the age of 92. Roe pitched 12 seasons in the Major Leagues (1938-54), including seven seasons with the Dodgers (1948-54). Roe was named to the National League All-Star team on five occasions and he went 22-3 with a 3.04 ERA in 1951 for the Brooklyn Dodgers, his best season in the Majors. That year, he was named the National League's Best Pitcher by The Sporting News and finished fifth in the NL MVP voting.

Roe was the winning pitcher in Game 2 of the 1949 World Series, pitching a complete-game shutout against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. He also earned a complete-game victory in Game 3 of the 1952 World Series for the Dodgers at Yankee Stadium. He pitched a complete game in all three of his career postseason starts while posting a 2.54 ERA during five Fall Classic appearances.

Roe went on to serve as an instructor during several of the Dodgers' Adult Baseball Camps in Vero Beach, FL.

Funeral services will be held this Thursday at:
Carter Funeral Home
1316 Porter Wagoner Boulevard
West Plains, MO 65775

In lieu of flowers the family is requesting contributions to:
The MSU Foundation
Attn: Golf Program
Missouri State University
West Plains, MO 65775

Dodger Owner Frank McCourt and President Jamie McCourt released the following statement on his passing:

"Preacher Roe left an indelible mark in Dodger history. He was one of the original 'Boys of Summer' and his success in the World Series against the Yankees in 1949, 1952, and 1953 helped pave the way for the 1955 World Champions. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to his family and loved ones."

Below is the transcript of an interview XM Satellite's Chuck Wilson did today with Scott Boras on MLB Homeplate. I didn't actually HEAR this interview, just received the transcript in my in-box. Notice how long his answers are. This is Scott's standard M.O., to answer questions with these long monologues, usually delivered at a rapid pace. ... Brad Penny officially filed today, the day after the Dodgers rejected his option year. Club could re-sign him, but it's highly unlikely. He was the longest-tenured member of the Dodgers.

Here's the Boras interview:

On Manny Ramirez's prospects in free agency and the reported offer by the LA Dodgers:

Host, Chuck Wilson: "Obviously the main topic today is Manny Ramirez and the supposed two-year contract that [the Dodgers] have offered [for] $50 million. Obviously, you're not going to give us specifics but what do you do from here and do you foresee this being a long process with Manny, trying to sign him with a club?"

Boras: "We're really not even in the negotiating mode now. We're in the information taking mode, trying to determine what the plan is for a variety of Major League teams coming in to the 2009 season. The teams have had their meetings. My job is now to extract what their plans are and see if we have any fits for our clients with those respective teams. I think the publicizing of an offer and bringing those to light, there may be reasons why that's done. I know when I go to do a negotiation my job is to look at the substance of what is fair and what should a player expect? What are the reasons behind an evaluation for value? When you look at Manny Ramirez, he's probably the greatest right-handed hitter in the game, and he's a historic hitter, a future Hall-of-Famer. He's helped two teams get to their respective League Championship Series. His pedigree in the post-season is, frankly, unmatched by even great players like A-Rod or a Barry Bonds. The only reason I raise those players' names is that Barry Bonds serves as an example of market fairness and what a Major League team did to a player who is an extraordinary performer and also had the ability to pay for himself in that Barry Bonds put fans in the seats, he was a franchise player in San Francisco, and at a year older than Manny Ramirez he got a five year contract. Alex Rodriguez is a player who is obviously a very special player, a unique player in the game, and he also got a contract that paid him to the age of 42. So people ask me about barometers. What do you use to try to attach to a sense of fairness about what other Major League teams do? And I've used those two examples just to illustrate what substantively we can look at to say, 'How do you fairly gauge the process? What's a player worth, and why?'"

On whether the way Manny Ramirez left Boston will impact future contract negotiations:

Host, Chuck Wilson: "Obviously you have a lot of strong evidence to be able to show a club as to what Manny Ramirez can mean because we saw that with the LA Dodgers, the re-energizing of a franchise, the incredible numbers, what he meant in the clubhouse, what he did from a marketing standpoint. There is some tremendous upside there. There is the flip side and I want to find out from you what your explanation is for what happened in Boston that really cannot be explained away by simply saying he had a problem with management. It went much deeper than that. The Red Sox reached a point where they really did not feel that Manny was giving his all and it wasn't just management that was feeling that way or even the manager or coaches. We're talking about the players on his team. They liked him as a teammate and even at the end they felt it would be best to part company. What about that side of it in trying to get a long term contract and convince people that he's going to stay motivated throughout that length of the contract and be able to deliver?"

Boras: "I think, Chuck, that the best thing you can say, in any situation, when you are negotiating a contract, you want the parties to examine the totality of the circumstances. You have to remember that Manny Ramirez played six years in Cleveland without incident, very happy. [He] took a club that had not been to the World Series in 40 years and they went there twice. He goes to Boston, he lives there [and] he found out after living there for a period of time that he didn't enjoy living in Boston, that he and his family were not comfortable in the city. [He] liked his teammates, liked the organization and Manny, far before I represented him, he went to the ownership and explained that, 'no disrespect to you and what we are trying to accomplish here, I just don't like living in the city of Boston. I want you to know that and I'd like to go somewhere else.' Now, in that timeframe, mind you, the Boston Red Sox were purchased for around $700 million, I think, in 2002. In that period of time while Manny was there they won two World Championships which, I think we all agree, is an historic accomplishment. They've become, if not the best, one of best franchises in baseball and the value of that franchise has probably tripled. The value of the network (NESN) has increased dramatically. A lot of people there have had a lot of success both economically and in the sense of performance of the franchise while Manny was there. Throughout this process Manny had explained to them that he wanted to live in another environment, that he wanted to go somewhere else. When you talk about his teammates, I remind that everyone needs to talk about what ownership and what everyone said about Manny Ramirez at the end of the 2007 season. I also remind that they can go and look, that Manny had an All-Star season in 2008. When they talk about Manny Ramirez not performing to the level he should I remind you that in July he hit .347 for his club. And so when you talk about what the players' sentiment was and, again, I represent a number of the Boston Red Sox who are in that clubhouse every day, I think their feeling was that Manny had reached the point where it was best for Manny and the organization to come to an agreement to have him play elsewhere because he had requested this transfer for a number of years. And with respect to the organization and everyone involved they came to an agreement to move on. And then we also have to look at Manny and his character and what he did in the locker room in Los Angeles that was chronicled to be very separated. He came there, he put a club together. He was enthusiastic. He demonstrated leadership and commitment. No one questions the fact that every morning this player gets up at 10 o'clock and goes to the gym. He works with young players. He was great with the fans and we all know about his extraordinary talent and performance. When you look at the totality of the circumstances I think every owner, every GM can evaluate that and the one thing he's going to want to be clear of is the fact that Manny Ramirez is a lot older than when he signed in Boston. He's more familiar with the issues about going to a city or to a place that he's not going to be comfortable with. I think he's going to be very cautious. Certainly the direction he's given me about what city he would play in, and why, he's going to really know a lot about that city and know what his parameters are for choice before he makes that decision."

Just did a phone interview for ESPNNews. Those guys seem to think it's two years and an option. That probably means the total guarantee is something LESS than $72 million, because it would only include the buyout of the option year.

That's unconfirmed, mind you, but it's an educated guess based on the information that is available, and I believe it's pretty close to accurate. That would be an AAV of $24 million. But again, if I'm wrong, don't hold it against me.

Guessing it's two years at around $50 million or three years at around $75 million, but again, that's just a GUESS, based on Colletti's preference for short-term deals and what he said on the record to reporters at the GM meetings in Dana Point today (in the interest of full disclosure, I'm not actually there). What he said was that this is the most lucrative contract ever offered in the history of the Dodgers franchise (in terms of average annual value) and that it potentially would make Ramirez the second-highest paid player (presumably based on average annual value) in baseball behind A-Rod. Ned also said the AAV of the offer is somewhere between the $20 million Manny would have made next year if his option had been exercised by the Red Sox and the AAV of A-Rod's deal, which if you do the math is $27.5 million. Boras is said to be holding out for a deal that would lock up Manny through his 42nd birthday, which is May 30, 2014. A three-year deal with the Dodgers would lock him up only through his 39th birthday in 2011. That's a pretty big gap for now.

That makes it an even dozen for the Dodgers. Doesn't necessarily mean he ISN'T going to retire. More likely that he simply hasn't made up his mind yet and wants to make sure he goes through all the requisite procedures in case he decides to play in 2009. Expect Brad Penny to file in the next couple of days.

And there is a good chance neither one of these guys will be with the Dodgers next season. The Penny news isn't much of a surprise given that he was injured most of the season and was due to receive $9.25 million next year (buyout is $2 million). Haven't spoken with Colletti yet, so not sure of the Dodgers' willingness to re-sign him as a free agent. But I know Brad didn't exactly endear himself to anyone by not sticking around for the playoffs. He was on the DL and had been granted permission to leave, but from what I understand, the fact he asked for such permission is what didn't sit well. ... And Greg Maddux, who is also a free agent and might retire, won his 18th Gold Glove today, the most all-time by any player at any position. He actually set that record by winning it LAST year with San Diego. Prior to that, he had been tied with 3B Brooks Robinson and pitcher Jim Kaat for the most with 16. No other Dodgers player was named to the N.L. Gold Glove team.

He filed for free agency within hours of official notification that the Dodgers weren't picking up his option. This doesn't affect the 40-man roster, as Bennett was on the 60-day DL. Eleven Dodgers players have now filed, with Jeff Kent yet to do so. If the Dodgers reject Pablo Ozuna's option ($1.2M, $200k buyout), he'll file too. The club is almost certain to reject Brad Penny's option ($9.25M/$2M), a decision I BELIEVE has to be made my tomorrow, at which point he'll file, too. Penny is also on the 60-day DL.

... but the Dodgers have decided NOT to pick up the 2009 contract option on backup catcher Gary Bennett, who wasn't heard from at all after he went onto the DL on May 20 with plantar fasciitis at a time when he also admitted to what anyone watching already knew, that he had the yips. He appeared in just 10 games, starting six, all while earning $825,000. His option was for $900,000, and the buyout is $50,000. Not sure what the Dodgers are going to do about a backup catcher, a position it appears they will make more use of next year. But if they don't find anybody that blows them away, they could do well enough simply by keeping Danny Ardoin, whom they still control because he has less than three years of service time. Good guy in the clubhouse who accepts his role in a professional manner.

rarRafael Furcal filed for free agency today, giving the Dodgers an even 10 free agents from this year's club and reducing the 40-man roster to 30, not counting 60-day DL guys. Because he missed 125 games this year with his back injury, Furcal might find himself in a strange situation as far as offers from other clubs. Could turn into something similar to what Ivan Rodriguez dealt with in 2003, when he signed a one-year, $10 million contract with Florida, helped the Marlins win that year's Wotld Series, proved that he could stay healthy and be productive, then got a long-term deal with Detroit the following winter. That would work out perfectly for the Dodgers, who are targeting 2010 as the year when Ivan De Jesus takes over as their everyday SS.

Forgot to mention him when listing all the eligibles yesterday, but he became the NINTH Dodgers player to file for free agency today. He revived his failing career this year by becoming a key presence out of the Dodgers' bullpen. But he also is now basically a middle reliever (with the ability to go long), so he probably won't command a big contract on the open market. He could end up back with the Dodgers.

OK, maybe I don't have the money or the women. But I DO have the house in Arizona. Here's the deal: although the unwritten but largely followed rule that all major-league ballplayers MUST live in either Florida or Arizona doesn't necessarily apply to beat writers, I have decided, for a variety of reasons (most of them financial), to follow it anyway. I am now primarily an Arizona resident, having recently purchased a shiny new home DIRECTLY across the street from the Dodgers' new spring-training complex (yesterday, I watched from my upstairs window as a work crew hung the green screen on a batter's eye on one of the back fields -- I am THAT close). My superiors at the Daily News have been gracious enough to allow me this change, which in reality isn't going to affect my coverage of the team in ANY WAY WHATSOEVER. I will continue to cover the team just as I have for the past five years, which will mean renting in Los Angeles during the season (I'm open to suggestions on that, but as BaseballSavvy recommended in a recent email exchange, I will start with craigslist). Who knows, if I'm feeling particularly motivated, I might even make it to a couple of Arizona Fall League games before the season ends in a few weeks. But just to reassure you, the loyal readers, NOTHING WILL CHANGE as a result of this.