This year's Maytag repairman is ... Gary Bennett

Dodgers just signed him to a one-year, $825,000 contract, which is $325,000 less than Mike Lieberthal made as last year's backup catcher but still probably slightly above what Russell Martin will make as a third-year big leaguer -- despite the fact Martin is an All-Star and probably will start at least 135 games. What a system. Anyway, just talked to Ned, and he said it was made clear to Bennett in the negotiating process that he won't be playing much -- although he'll play more than Lieberthal did if the rest of the lineup is more productive. The fact it wasn't productive last year is the reason Grady couldn't sit Russ very often, because they had to have his bat in there.
I'm plagiarizing the following paragraph from myself, as I wrote it in the print edition one day last week. Cut-and-paste is a wonderful thing:

Bennett, a career backup who will turn 36 in April, batted .252 while catching 52 games for St. Louis this season, striking out just 16 times in 155 at-bats.