The Dodgers have signed four players to minor-league deals: Curacao native Dashenko Ricardo, who is playing for The Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic, and three amateurs from the Dominican Republic.
- Shortstop Dennis Santana was listed among the top amateur prospects from the shortstop-rich island. Here is video of Santana taking batting practice on July 2 last year.
- Shortstop Carlos Aquino reportedly agreed to terms a couple months ago.
- Left-hander Cesar Romero is probably unrelated to the actor of the same name who played the Cisco Kid and the Joker.
Ricardo might be catching Dodgers pitcher Kenley Jansen, and playing against Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez, when the Netherlands plays the Dominican Republic tomorrow night in a WBC semifinal game in San Francisco.
Ricardo is hitting just .211 in the tournament, 4 for 19 with a pair of RBIs. For what it’s worth, Kenley Jansen was hitting .077 as the Netherlands’ catcher in the 2009 tournament. The Dodgers turned him into a pitcher and Jansen became the team’s closer three years later.