By Tony Jackson
Staff Writer
In addition to losing their manager on Tuesday, the Dodgers also lost five players from their 40-man roster when pitchers Rudy Seanez and David Wells and infielder Mark Sweeney all filed for free agency and the club declined to exercise the 2008 contract options on catcher Mike Lieberthal and infielder Ramon Martinez.
Lieberthal, the little-used backup to Russell Martin, receives a $100,000 buyout of his $1.5 million option. The club is expected to try to re-sign him at a lower figure. The Dodgers also are likely to re-sign Seanez, a middle reliever who made just $700,000 this season, and possibly Sweeney, who was acquired in August and is second on baseball's all-time pinch-hits list. The club won't re-sign Martinez, who batted just .194 this year. The Dodgers also are highly unlikely to re-sign Wells, who is 44 and might simply retire.
The Dodgers presently have just 29 players on their 40-man roster.