Tag Archives: Clayton Kershaw

Dodgers’ lineup tomorrow to feature Ethier, Schumaker, Hairston Jr.

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Andre Ethier Don MattinglyDon Mattingly hasn’t filled out his lineup card yet for tomorrow’s Cactus League opener against the Chicago White Sox. But the Dodgers manager revealed Friday that he’s planning to start Andre Ethier in right field, Skip Schumaker in center field and Jerry Hairston Jr. in left.

Clayton Kershaw is expected to start and pitch roughly two innings, which would give the Dodgers the minimum four regulars that teams must use in exhibition games. “Regulars” has taken on some loose definitions in the past, but at least none of these four players will start the season in Triple-A.

“We’re going to use our guys,” Mattingly said. “We have to get them ready. Our number one objective is to get guys ready. During that, there are rules … within that, as far as pitchers and how we’re doing it, you’re trying to get your team ready knowing that you’ll have guys that are out there.”

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Dodgers pitcher Aaron Harang is “planning on starting.”

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Aaron Harang

In a typical off-season, Aaron Harang said he’ll wait until mid-November to train for the upcoming season. After last season, he moved the plan up a month.

“This year I just decided to take some time to let my body recover — I didn’t go crazy. I did a lot of circuit-based training so it’s not as hard on the body.”

In circuit training, the participant moves from station to station, exercise to exercise, in a rapid fashion.

“I focused on trying to increase my strength from what I had in the past,” Harang said.

His training, combined with a new diet, allowed Harang to come into camp looking slimmer than he finished last season. He wouldn’t say how much weight he lost, but 10 pounds would be a conservative estimate.

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Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers haven’t begun contract extension talks.

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"<strongClayton Kershaw, who is in the final year of a two-year contract he signed before the 2011 season, said Tuesday that he hasn’t begun negotiations on an extension.

If the Dodgers don’t want negotiations to be an issue after the season, they better start talking.

“I don’t think I’m going to let it go into the season if it does happen at all,” Kershaw said. “There’s nothing to say yet. We’ll see.

“I’m not saying ‘get it wrapped up, or say anything.’ I’m just saying, during the season I’m not going to talk about it.”

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Daily Distractions: Chris Capuano would consider joining the Dodgers’ bullpen. 

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Chris Capuano, in an interview with KLAC (570-AM) last night, acknowledged his uncertain future with the Dodgers – and seemed willing to accept a move to the bullpen if needed.

“Probably a few years ago I probably never would consider that,” Capuano told host Jorge Jarrin, “but coming back from injury – my second Tommy John (surgery) in 2010 with the Brewers – I had a chance to spend a couple months in the bullpen with Trevor Hoffman, who was in his last year in Milwaukee. That was when I kind of learned I could do it, I could kind of switch gears if I needed to.”

Capuano has made 189 starts and 25 appearances out of the bullpen in his career with mostly good results. With eight rotation candidates under contract if all are healthy, there’s no room for Capuano in the rotation. There isn’t much room in the Dodger ‘pen either, but the 34-year-old could give the team a reliable multi-inning option and spot starter that doesn’t really exist among the current collection of closers, former closers, and set-up men. If Capuano likes that role, the Dodgers should consider giving it to him.

Besides, it sure beats listening to trade rumors.

“I’m getting asked this by my family a lot,” Capuano told Jarrin. “Like my dad will call me up; my brother will call me up, ‘did you read the latest rumor?’ … In the off-season, I try to avoid going online as much as I can. I still hear the rumors and everything else. I try to put my head down and prepare for the season the same way. I had a great experience with the Dodgers last year and looking forward to being part of a winner this year. But I know it’s a numbers game and they may not have room for everybody.”

Onto the links …

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Daily Distractions: Don Sutton bobblehead; updates on Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, Hanley Ramirez.

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Don SuttonDon Sutton will be the fourth and final bobblehead given away during the 2013 season, the Dodgers announced today.

The mini-Suttons will be nodding yes on June 6. The 7 p.m. game that night against the Atlanta Braves is a three-star game under the Dodgers’ new pricing plan.

The other bobblehead giveaways this season include Hanley Ramirez on April 30 (vs. COL), Matt Kemp on May 14 (vs. WAS), Jaime Jarrín on May 25 (vs. STL), Sandy Koufax on June 27 (vs. PHI), Adrian Gonzalez on July 11 (vs. COL), Vin Scully on July 25 (vs. CIN), Hideo Nomo on Aug. 10 (vs. TB), a “flag saving” Rick Monday on Aug. 27 (vs. CHI) and Magic Johnson on Sept. 12 (vs. SF).

It’s the first-ever bobblehead for Sutton at Dodger Stadium, who was given the royal treatment in 2007 in Milwaukee. Sutton was a Brewer for two-and-a-half seasons and a Dodger for 16 – from 1966 to 1980 and again in 1988. He still owns several franchise pitching records, including wins (233), starts (533), games (550), strikeouts (2,696), innings pitched (3,814.0) and shutouts (52).

Which defunct San Francisco ballpark, and which former National League MVP’s reputation, are getting blown up? Read on …

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Daily Distractions: Alfredo Silverio, Clayton Kershaw, Sandy Amoros, etc.

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Alfredo Silverio: Damaged goods or the one that got away?

Alfredo SilverioMLB.com reports that the minor-league outfielder, scooped up by the Miami Marlins in the Rule 5 draft, seems ready to come back from a devastating car accident last year that wiped out his season and ended his tenure with the Dodger organization.

For about a week, Silverio has been working out at the Marlins’ Spring Training complex in Jupiter. He has been taking part in the team’s voluntary minicamp at Roger Dean Stadium.

On the back fields, Silverio is taking batting practice and doing some drills, while not pushing it when it comes to throwing.

“I feel back to normal,” the outfielder said.

Silverio wasn’t one of the three Dodgers prospects ranked among the majors’ top 100 by MLB.com yesterday. (Those spots went to Yasiel Puig, Zach Lee and Joc Pederson.) You figure Silverio either belongs somewhere in that group or he won’t be the same player once he faces live pitching. Only time will tell.

Some links for a midweek morning:

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Daily Distractions: Ellis and Belisario headed for arbitration?

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Happy salary figure exchange day. May the odds be ever in your favor.

The Dodgers’ two salary arbitration-eligible players, A.J. Ellis and Ronald Belisario, will present their contract proposals to the team today. Both might end up signing a new contract today. They might end up negotiating with the Dodgers for a couple weeks. Or, they might let an arbitrator decide how much they should earn next year — their proposed salary or the team’s. That rarely happens.

In fact, the Dodgers haven’t had an arbitration case since Joe Beimel on Feb. 9, 2007.

Last year, only Clayton Kershaw got close to going to arbitration before signing a two-year deal on Feb. 7.

Ellis made $490,000 in base salary last year and Belisario made $480,000, according to Cots. Roll out a starting catcher and a set-up man with comparable stats, at comparable points in their careers, with comparable injury histories (or the lack thereof, in the case of these guys) and you have the basis for a negotiating point. Sometimes that’s easy to get to, sometimes it isn’t, but it’s fair to expect these guys will be getting raises very soon.

For other arbitration resolutions around the league, MLBtraderumors.com has set up an updating “arbitration tracker” link here.

Or, just do what everyone else does and stay glued to Twitter. Today’s links …

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Daily Distractions: United States WBC roster announced, sexy players, tattoos, and more gossip.

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The United States roster for the World Baseball Classic was announced today. Have a look:

United States World Baseball Classic roster

Obviously there are no Dodgers on the roster, but that could change. Think of this roster as a rough draft; teams must submit their final roster on Feb. 20, and all non-WBC players must report to spring training by then.

“Rough” is also a good way of describing the United States’ preliminary starting rotation. Beyond veterans R.A. Dickey and Ryan Vogelsong, who were both excellent in 2012 (and rarely so before 2010), Team USA would have to roll out Derek Holland and Kris Medlen if the tournament started today. Fortunately it doesn’t start today. It starts with three games in three days March 8, 9 and 10 – and possibly a fourth game on March 12 if they can place first or second in a four-team pool that includes Canada, Mexico and Italy. Can Clayton Kershaw or Zack Greinke sneak in one start? What about Justin Verlander, David Price, Jered Weaver or Matt Cain? Seems like the star power is falling short.

Of course, that didn’t stop the WBC from posting the headline “Stars Align on U.S. Roster for Classic” on its website today. Some feel that headline doesn’t tell the story. Count me in that group.

Some links, *some* of which actually relate to baseball …
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R.A. Dickey wins National League Cy Young Award.

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New York Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey denied Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw’s quest for a second straight Cy Young Award on Wednesday, winning the award given to the league’s best pitcher for the first time at age 37.

The veteran knuckleballer went 20-6 with a 2.73 ERA for a moribund Mets club, equaling his win total from the last three seasons combined.

Clayton Kershaw

Kershaw led the National League in ERA (2.53) and fell one short of Dickey for the strikeout title, with 229 in 227 2/3 innings. Dickey also led the league in starts (33), complete games (5) and shutouts (3).

Kershaw led the NL in wins (21-5), strikeouts (248) and ERA (2.28) while winning the award last year.

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Poll: Who should win the National League Cy Young Award?

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The voters have spoken and the three finalists for the National League Cy Young Award have been chosen. Now it’s your turn.

Simple question today: Who deserves the award? Here’s a bit more about Clayton Kershaw, R.A. Dickey and Gio Gonzalez with links to their stats.