Day one of the winter meetings: James Loney, Jonathan Broxton, Prince Fielder, Russell Martin

Well, that was fun while it lasted.

Less than an hour after a story was posted on the Internet about how the Dodgers were talking to the Brewers about swapping James Loney and Jonathan Broxton for Prince Fielder, a high-ranking Dodgers official shot down the report.

What’s becoming clear is that the Dodgers aren’t looking to shop any of their core group of players –- a group that includes Loney, Broxton, Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp.

The routine is the same every year: Rumors surface that the Dodgers are about to deal one of their key players who broke into the majors with them. The Dodgers deny the rumors. The Dodgers leave the winter meetings without trading any of them.

“I think it’s a good core,” General Manager Ned Colletti said.

Colletti said other teams still inquire about some of the players but speculated it’s nothing more than due diligence.

Russell Martin is no longer part of that core, as the two-time all-star's contract wasn’t tendered a contract for next season and he is a free agent. Martin’s agent hasn’t spoken to the Dodgers since the tender deadline last week.

Martin’s agent, Matt Colleran, said he has meetings scheduled with four or five teams over the next couple of days. He said he would circle back to the Dodgers after gauging the interest level of the other clubs.

Some other notes from the winter meetings:

-- Matt Diaz and Scott Podsednik are among the players the Dodgers are looking at to fill their vacancy in left field.
-- The Dodgers are not pursuing free-agent closer Hiroyuki Kobayashi, who has been linked to them in Japanese news reports.
-- Hiroki Kuroda’s trilingual translator, Kenji Nimura, has been re-signed.

-- Dylan Hernandez in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Comments

[alanw19]

Seriously and with due respect, re-signing Kuroda's translator is a darn good move if not pretty darn important.

[Jim McVeigh]

You have to be honest, if frank (PT BARNUM) mccourt really wanted to win, he would have takn a real hard run aat Cliff Lee, Adrian Beltre and either Crawford or Dunn. But we know that frank covets second place and the thought of teasing Dodger fans for another year. he might even get to the playofffs but to win, you sign all three of the top free agents. That is expensive but look at all the cheap signings over his tenure with L.A. If he really wanted to win, he would have had two of the three pieces in place and he would only have to sign one, maybe two. But not our little weasel, MONEY MONEY MONEY is all he thinks about and I for one hopes he gets scalded by equally cheap soon to be ex-wife.......

[Labeldude]

C'mon Ned. How much you paying Kuroda's translator? A Blackberry and a free on-line translator. Do I have to do all of your thinking for you?

[OldBrooklynFan]

Anything but Podsidnik. It would be the same as getting Juan Pierre back, I'd rather see Martin out there.

[darrelld]

Ned.. trade for the Prince!! Think the core is good now, wait till Fielder is batting 4th in your order. Forget about the core of players, and go for the core of your lineup. You've assembled a fine pitching staff, now go make their jobs easier by adding a TRUE BLUE HOMERUN THREAT to the lineup. Just dont let him anywhere near Guillermo Mota!!

[Mark]

What a big tease! Fielder for Loney and Brox- we fans must have been dreaming HARD!! But I think even bigger news will be the judge's ruling in the divorce trial tomorrow. I hope the ruling is that the team is sold more than if we sign all of the top FA's out there (Lee, Crawford)- another pipe dream.

The reality is that McCourt has an affinity for old, washed up former or current Red Sox players (Bill Muellar, Manny Ramirez, Nick Green) and wanted Varitek while Colleti has the same regard for ex-Giants (Schmidt, Bill Muellar, Juan Uribe, Jeff Kent) and almost signed A.J. Pierzynski. I seriously question the moves that were recently made- especially Jon garland who by many accounts has arm problems now. Funny we didn't just re-sign him when we had him during the last part of 2009!

As a Dodger fan I am outrgaed that we have these stooges as the current stewards of this once proud franchise. Get out of L.A. you clowns!!

[H Albert]

Dodger fans are funny, but I guess that's just the nature of all baseball fans. I can only imagine what Giant fans were complaining about when they overpaid Zito to pitch and Rowand to play CF, and then followed it up by picking up journeymen like Huff, Burrell, Guillen and Ross. Hey, wait a minute, sometimes these low cost signings work out when you least expect it! If Colletti can get Diaz or maybe Willingham to play some LF (please leave Posednik out!), sign Padilla to spot start and/or relieve, and maybe get someone to play 3B, I think we'll be good to go.

[Farmer John]

We feel uniting the Coney Island hot dog eating champion and free agent closer Kobayashi with Dodger Dogs at Dodger Stadium is a natural.

[Philbert]

Look, the "core" group of players without a legitimate power threat in the lineup has proven to be no better than a .500 club. There has been no evidence to support the theory that an offense consisting of Kemp/Ethier/Loney (and maybe Martin) without a Manny-type hitter in the middle can sustain any kind of success. Although the starting rotation is serviceable, perhaps even better than serviceable, this team will need to score runs. Lots of them. A lineup made up of an older and frailer Furcal, a platoon of Gibbons and a leftover free agent, an enigmatic Kemp, a confused and rebounding Ethier, an overpaid journeyman .250 hitting Uribe, a steady but a stranger the the extra-base hit Loney, an elderly and punchless Blake and a We-Love-Him-He's-A-Great-Story-But-Is-He-An-Everday-Catcher Barajas doesn't exactly draw comparisons to the '27 Yankees. I've followed this franchise for more than 50 years and at this point I just want to watch a competitive team. If trading a "core" player (or three) puts and end to this ridiculous Giants "Dynasty" then I say, "Trade 'em, Ned!"

[Tripod]

The grass is always greener this time of year.