Mientkiewicz signed to minor league deal

Dodgers at Giants, 12:05 p.m.
Today's Lineup

Rafael Furcal, SS Orlando Hudson, 2B Russell Martin, C Mark Loretta, 1B Blake DeWitt, 3B Delwyn Young, LF Jason Repko, CF Xavier Paul, RF Tony Abreu, DH (Randy Wolf, P)

The Dodgers signed 34-year-old left-handed first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz to a minor-league contract, pending a physical, reports Dylan Hernandez of The Times. Mientkiewicz ("Eyechart" to those with better things to do than memorize the spelling of his name), had a .374 on-base percentage in 334 plate appearances for Pittsburgh last season and would be a candidate to  fill the pinch-hitting/backup first baseman role that Mark Sweeney never filled.

If you look at a Dodger roster that has Manny Ramirez on it, there are three locks for the bench: Brad Ausmus, Mark Loretta and Juan Pierre. That leaves in all likelihood two other slots (assuming, with only one off day in the first two weeks and two off days in all of April, the Dodgers carry 12 pitchers). There are numerous names in the mix for those two slots, and it's not clear there would be a place on the Opening Day roster for Mientkiewicz. One of the two remaining bench slots would probably go to someone who can play shortstop.

Mientkiewicz's main competition would seem to be 26-year-old Delwyn Young (.321 on-base percentage in 2008). It's not clear that the Dodgers are ready to cut bait on Young, who has no minor-league options remaining, but I wouldn't rule it out. If Mientkiewicz were willing to start the season in the minors and bide his time until needed, however, that might be the best scenario.

Comments

[CodyS]

Dodgers are reported to have interest in free agent Pedro Martinez, who is throwing 90+ by the way.

[GoBears]

From the last post:

"You're going to tell me that Pudge Rodriguez isn't one of baseball's best 30 catchers? Or one of the best 60 catchers?"

I imagine Pudge is one of the 60 best catchers, but I doubt he's one of the 60 best VALUES at catcher. These claims that "it must be collusion" ignore that a lot of teams don't bother making offers that they know will be rebuffed. No way Rodriguez is playing for the minimum, and some of those "60-best" catchers ARE playing for the minimum.

[bigcpa]

McCourt just wanted to get a closer look at that 2004 World Series ball.

[Tripon]

The problem is that the 30+ best catchers in the majors aren't the same 30+ starting catchers today.

I'm sure Pudge could beat out anyone catching for the Astros, or Marlins, but nobody's going to pay him enough to do it.

[fifth of]

I like Mientkiewicz but I don't see how he would fit on this club other than as an injury replacement for Loney. If he's fine with AAA action and hoping for injuries on the big club, I guess this makes sense. He's basically an older, weaker hitting but likely still better fielding version of Loney.

[cargill06]

Let's call Pedro "X" and Schmidt "Y"

The Dodgers need a #5 starter. The number 5 starter figures to make 31 starts this year. If the Dodgers throw pitcher X and pitcher Y how many starts does pitcher Z need to make to reach 31?

[dominic]

This is a nice pick up for the Dodgers. I find it odd that Eye Chart hasn't been able to find work so far. Maybe with the recession teams are trying to cut back on the lettering on jerseys.

[Tripon]

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/02/manny-ramire-15.html

Update on the Giants pursuit of Manny.

There is no update.

[fifth of]

Re: Tripon. While Rodriguez would be a pretty good backup for Hou or Fla, I think John Baker and JR Towles have pretty strong claims that they are the better players at this point. And JR House, who the Astros could have kept for the minimum but didn't because Ed Wade is Ed Wade, is probably better than Rodriguez as well.

[68elcamino427]

*There are numerous names in the mix for those two slots ...*

Just how likely is it if/ when Ramirez is signed is it that some of these "names" will be packaged in a deal for another starting pitcher?

[Humma Kavula]

Cargill: The answer is 32.

Yes, Schmidt and Martinez will not only be injured all season long, but their injuries will be so horrific as to remove one start from another pitcher on the Dodgers.

[Marty Leadman (LAT)]

It looks like we have a license for our minky

[berkowit28]

I got LATed:

Although the first offer to Manny has previously always been described, as Gurnick is still doing in his latest post, as "$45 million for two years, with a club option for a third year at $15 million" and in more detail as "two years at $22.5 million with a club option for a third year at $15 million", Dylan Hernandez in the Times, who is usually accurate and authoritative, has now told us (twice) that:

"That first offer would've paid Ramirez $15 million this season, $22.5 million in 2010 and included a $22.5-million option for 2011 that the Dodgers could've bought out for $7.5 million."

That's very different from the new offer, in money as well as the option being on the other foot. $15 million for 2009 is hardly the same as $25 million. So each of the three offers (or 4 offers counting the arbitration offer) has been an improvement. It's a good offer now, Boras and Manny have more than saved face. With a minor tweak or two, it will happen.

[dane bramage]

And all this time I thought the ultimate answer was 42...

[Bubblybee]

I believe in Schmidt!

[Jon Weisman]

68elcamino427 | 11:31 AM

Could happen. I definitely see Young, for example, as a trade candidate for Colletti, a la Cody Ross.

[dane bramage]

We now have this tidbit from Tony Jackson on his blog:

"Scott Boras, Giants president Larry Baer exchange voicemail messages.

That's about all it was, though, according to what Baer told reporters here at Scottsdale Stadium earlier today. He also was asked about Boras' insistence that Manny will pay for himself in terms of ticket sales, merchandising, etc., and Baer said that might be the case if the economy weren't in the tank, but the fact that it obviously IS in the tank negates Boras' argument. That sounds an awful lot like a window closing."

[kinbote]

I agree that the player Mient. would most likely supplant is D. Young. This relates to my biggest criticism of Torre (whom I haven't criticized all offseason): his belief in defined "roles" as opposed to a fluid squad of the best available players. There's no law that says you have to have a veteran LH pinch-hitting specialist on your team. Besides, Loretta can play 1b just fine. Watchyerbutt, D.Y.

[DL]

Remember back when the Dodgers were trying to reconstitute the 2002 Giants (Kent, Schmidt, Lofton, Mueller)? They've apparently moved on to the 2004 Red Sox as the faded glory team worth re-creating (Manny, Eyechart, Pedro).

Too bad Derek Lowe left.

[Zzyzx]

With regards to the Giants having the cash to steal Manny at the last minute, Bill Neukom, the new Giants managing partner was interviewed this morning on the radio and was asked about Manny. He had the usual caveats, age, attitude etc., but he also mentioned that they have huge debt service on the loans they used to build their ballpark.

While this line has been repeated before by their management and it has been broken before, ala Barry Zito, I think they really are hurting for money. I live up here in the SF bay area usually buy a small "six pack" of tickets each season. I haven't bought one yet this year and I've already started getting calls from them asking if I want to buy tickets again this year. I've waited this long or longer to buy tickets in previous years and never been dogged by their salesmen like this before.

Also in passing Neukom alluded to a -lower- payroll in the future, going from 90 mil this year to 80 mil in the future. I think times are tough for for the Giants.

[D4P]

***a trade candidate for Colletti, a la Cody Ross***

Trade...? What trade...?

[Old Dodger Fan]

Zzyzx-
Did the salesman tell you they had signed Manny?

[BHSportsguy]

Delwyn needs to make himself invaluable as the third catcher.

I still think that the way its sounding, if Hudson and Furcal remain healthy, I think Abreu goes down to AAA to play everyday (probably rotating at SS, 2B and 3B). Also, I think DeWitt goes down to play 2B and 3B.

This leaves the battle for backup between Hu and Castro with Loretta being the other backup.

I still think Young will win out right now because he switch hits and provides a little more flexibility.

[Tripon]

Also in passing Neukom alluded to a -lower- payroll in the future, going from 90 mil this year to 80 mil in the future. I think times are tough for for the Giants.

Posted by: Zzyzx | February 26, 2009 at 11:41 AM

And yet they added at least $25 million in contracts this year payroll with additions of free agents.

[BHSportsguy]

BTW, I think Abreu is more likely to be the first one called if Furcal goes down.

[Tripon]

Can Aberu play short stop?

[Eric Stephen]

D4P,

I thought the Dodgers got Ben Kozlowski or someone like that for Ross from the Reds.

[SteelMohawk]

If they cut DY I will be upset. I really like him, even though he isn't all that good.

[Dodger Dude]

SF doesn't have the huge market LA has of Dodger fans to buy Mannylocks, suck up otherwise unsold tickets, and SF does not have a proven following that shows up no matter what. In norcal, after the strike, there would be 3-4 thousand people per game. They have been running on adrenaline since their new stadium was built, but now its a tougher sale. When things go bad, the Dodgers have the best capacity to whether a storm. SF was an option if Boras didn’t get what he wanted. Now that he got what he wanted, he isn’t going to go to them out of spite, they would have to offer a better deal which isn’t going to happen. I think several teams would take him for a one-year deal, but I think the Dodgers have distanced themselves from any competition with their latest offer.

[D4P]

***I thought the Dodgers got Ben Kozlowski or someone like that for Ross from the Reds***

I guess you're right. Wikipedia let me down.

[underdog]

Yah I heard that same interview Zzyzx mentioned. Am also up here in the bay. I'm sure Giants fans appreciate they found the money they did for Edgar Renteria though. Btw, I also heard Gary Radnich predict that Renteria will be this year's Zito for Giants fans, i.e., the one they bash to vent frustrations. I also laughed when a caller to same show this morning said Manny should come to the Bay because of it's large Latino population. Um, yeah, as opposed to LA. (Radnich quickly gave stats on LA's Latino population vs the Bay area; both large of course, but LA's is huge.) And it's all pretty moot anyway.

Giants fans are also pretty excited about Ishikawa's two home runs yesterday, so they have that going for them.

[Jon Weisman]

Box score link for today's game

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2009_02_26_lanmlb_sfnmlb_1

[Zzyzx]

Old Dodger Fan-

Ha, if he said that I would have hung up the phone, I'm not going to sponsor Manny in orange and black.

Tripon-

This is true, and he is a business man, he's not going to air is dirty laundry on the radio so he could be flat out lying. But if they Giants do have money, why paint a picture of yourself that you don't? And to be fair, he did also say that they would have to be flexible and be willing sometimes to increase payroll, he mentioned 100 mil, but I thought the comment about lower payroll was more telling.

[Branch Rickey]

I imagine there has been a conversation between Boras and the Giants that has gone something like this:
Boras: Hey, are you guys interested in outbidding the Dodgers for Manny?
Giants: *laughing* *coughing* *more laughing* umm... no.
Boras: Well, would you mind if I said publicly that you were considering it so I can at least make your nemesis pay top dollar and possibly hamstring them for the future?
Giants: Sure, have at it.

[Tripon]

Posted by: Zzyzx | February 26, 2009 at 11:55 AM

Lowering expectations, the Giants flirted with Manny all winter long, but now they have to face with the reality that their fanbase is not going to happy missing out on Manny.

[Marty Leadman (LAT)]

Denver becomes a one-newspaper town after Friday. The Rocky Mountain News is closing.

[MollyKnight]

Diamond just told me Russell Martin homered in his first spring training AB.

Woo-hoooo!

[LandonKK]

J. Martin with a ya-ya... The power of J

[BHSportsguy]

Russell is going for a high ST average since this might be the only game he plays until after the WBC.

1-0 Dodgers on a solo shot by Martin off Cain.

Furcal and Loretta grounded out, Hudson fouled out.

[D4P]

Looks like Martin hit a homerun.

[SaMo]

I expect the Dodgers to sign Gary Matthews Jr., since they already have an overpriced weak-hitting left fielder.

Nothing like stockpiling players at positions you already have filled. Who knows, during the last Depression, there was a run on fifth starters and defensive replacements. But people who were smart started canning pitchers and putting them up in jars, and had plenty to eat during the lean years.

Canned MintCaveItch is delicious with a little hot Hungarian paprika.

[MollyKnight]

I still like Eye Chart!

[DL]

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

Of course the Giants are publicly *saying* they're not interested in Manny. They could be avoiding the bidding war, and waiting for the right time (after the Dodgers make their "final" offer) to spring in with an offer that tops everything and gets Manny signed. Or, they could legitimately be not interested. I guess we'll know soon enough.

[BHSportsguy]

Its an extra expense for sure but if you have MLBTV.com, you will pretty much be able to hear/see every Dodger ST game, if the Dodgers are not broadcasting, the other team's broadcasters like today we have Jon Miller and the Giant's crew, will be doing the game.

Tomorrow, you can get Seattle's broadcast. I do think on some games, the Dodger broadcasters will be doing games only on the internet.

[DaDoughboy]

Yoga power right there..

[BHSportsguy]

Steiner is visiting with Miller right now.

Charley is not making anyone in Vero Beach happy right now with his characterization of them right now.

[LandonKK]

BHS:
I thought that was pretty harsh myself. Apparently th only Dodger fans at ST the past few years were Brooklyn fans with walkers.

[D4P]

It's amazing how bad the Giants's lineup is, year after year.

[Old Dodger Fan]

On to Tiger news-
Tim Clark drains a 100 foot putt on #5 to even the match then Tiger bogeys #6.

Clark goes 1 up thru 6.

[underdog]

It's kind of cool -- and disorienting -- to hear Charley Steiner in the booth with Jon Miller on the Giants' broadcast.

[underdog]

Sad news about the Rocky Mountain News. As a Broncos fan, I also liked their coverage and their Broncos beat writers better than the ones at the Denver Post. Sigh, terrible times for journalism right now.

[ceyhey10]

Steiner is visiting with Miller right now.

Charley is not making anyone in Vero Beach happy right now with his characterization of them right now.

Posted by: BHSportsguy | February 26, 2009 at 12:26 PM

Adam Carolla has a clever rant about how frequently cops start off by saying "OK right now what I'm going to need you to do for me right now is get out of the car right now? OK right now?"

:)

[jim hitchcock]

Wow, Marty, just under 150 years old. Sad.

[underdog]

Martin looks ready to play. 2 RBI double.

[Tripon]

http://tinyurl.com/bworbj

Diamond has quotes from Coletti where he thinks that Manny should decide by today.

[LandonKK]

J. Martin with a 2 run double to follow his solo shot. Wow.. Not a bad opening to the spring for J.

[Cannonball]

At the game in Scottsdale. Ned sat 7 rows in front of me about first pitch. He just got a phone call a few minutes ago & left, which prolly means...lunch is ready.

Russell just smoked the ball again, keep that yoga up!

[Old Dodger Fan]

Tiger and Clark even after 8.

[underdog]

DY drives in another run! Dodgers crushing Giants 5-0. Misch looks terrible. Er, he sounds terrible, I should say.

[underdog]

Hah hah Cannonball. Why don't you stalk him for awhile and report back?

[BHSportsguy]

Infield hit and ground ball single by DeWitt and Young and now the Dodgers lead 5-0.

[BHSportsguy]

Underdog, are you listening to the over the air broadcast or on the net?

[D4P]

The "live" box score appears to be dead.

[underdog]

BH, I'm listening to KNBR here in San Francisco. On that weird old device called the radio.

[BHSportsguy]

Xavier Paul gets a 2 out hit and its now 6-0 Dodgers. This has the makings of a short game in Arizona.

Abreu gets the dreaded 2 at bats in one inning and makes 2 outs.

[BHSportsguy]

Jeff Weaver returns to the Dodgers!!!!!

[underdog]

Jeff Weaver in there now. Sounds like Wolf pitched pretty well.

[Old Dodger Fan]

It is one baseball starved group of people who get this excited about the 2nd ST game of the year.

[underdog]

Travis "The Next Will Clark" Ishikawa strikes out vs Weaver.

[underdog]

It's the Giants, Old Dodger! Even if meaningless...
And I've been at lunch. What else am I gonna do?

[regfairfield]

We've gotten hyped over way less than a .737 slug in AAA.

[jim hitchcock]

That was kind of fun, reading one of Jon's first posts back in July of '02:

***And I figure, occasionally, someone else might read this. My brother or sister. An indulgent friend. I don't know - someone. I'm not sure it matters.

And I guess I enjoy the idea of writing about baseball enough that I'm going to try not to worry about the audience thing too much.

But if there's one thing I do want to make sure you all know, it's that I'm not so delusional that I'm thinking big about this site. I'm thinking small. Very small. Just something to have fun with for the time being.***

[underdog]

Certainly so, reg. He's a good player, actually. I just think 2 hrs in a spring training game doesn't prove he's the second coming. You don't live in SF, you don't know what I have to hear up here. But yes, it afflicts all baseball fans. I think he'll be pretty solid.

[Old Dodger Fan]

Underdog-I watched Monday's episode of "24" at lunch today. 60 minutes took about 42.

[regfairfield]

Oh, I'm sure. Every baseball fan gets way overhyped about their own prospects. Hell, most GMs do to ("Ian Kennedy for Johan Santana, are you crazy!")

[underdog]

Hu + DeJesus now up the middle for LA!

Stults in to pitch.

[Eric Stephen]

I would like to commend everyone here because for the last week or so I have not seen any Lost or Top Chef info outside of the designated threads. I missed last week's Lost, and didn't watch it until last night, and I'm set to watch the Top Chef finale today (forgot to record it -- new DVR and all) and can do so with a clear head! Thanks.

[Trolley Dodger]

This brings up the idea of "Lost Chef" combining the best of both worlds.

[DL]

I came to Top Chef late. I only caught the last few episodes of this season, but I was immediately hooked. Great show.

[trainwreck]

I was pretty much talking Top Chef to myself last night.

[Cannonball]

Ned's back & he's smiling, which means...lunch was tasty.
Underdog-I'm not the stalking type, but if an opportunity arises I'll see what I can do.

Stults, whom I'm pulling for, is not making a strong case today.

[Sam DC]

I missed it last night too. Sick. Still sick, but I'm going to try and watch if its re-run tonight.

[underdog]

No, he's really not, Cannon. Shouldn't matter that much this early in ST but since he's already in the doghouse or whatever, doesn't help.

I really would put my money on Weaver making the team as swingman over Stults, Milton, Vargas etc.

[Old Dodger Fan]

Chan Ho Weaver?

[Dodgers49]

It appears the "anonymous source" was the Dodgers:

Dodgers.com

>> Colletti said the club has made its offers public because "most times they see the light of day anyway, and I'd rather have them accurate than not."

Another possible reason is to be sure Ramirez is aware of all aspects of the offer. Some Dodgers officials believe that hasn't always happened in past free-agent cases. <<

http://tinyurl.com/dm2ozd

[underdog]

He's being pulled but to be fair to Stults it sounds like there have been quite a few bloops and drops and now a seeing eye hit in this inning. Doesn't sound like he was rocked as hard as it will look.

[trainwreck]

RIP Miss Brahms, aka Wendy Richards, from Are You Being Served?.

[underdog]

Strickland strikes out Sandoval, which isn't easy; doesn't K a lot for a young guy.

[Dodgers49]

MLB.com

Giants staying out of Manny sweeps

>> Citing Ramirez's considerable success with the Dodgers in last season's final two months and the organization's desire to bring him back, Baer said that he believes the slugger ultimately will return to Los Angeles.

"The forces of gravity may dictate that's where he ends up," Baer said. <<

http://tinyurl.com/avssm5

[underdog]

The forces of gravity worked against Andruw Jones last season...

[Sam DC]

Tiger down 3 holes on the back 9.

[Tripon]

Posted by: Dodgers49 | February 26, 2009 at 01:45 PM

It reminds me of the information bank that teams tried to set up in the late 80's. Except now players and agents can't claim collusion because how can public information be a source of collusion?

[Sam DC]

And he chips in from a bunker . . .

[underdog]

Dodgers giving Affeldt some trouble, scored a couple this inning. Hoffman with an RBI double. Ellis had a single. Pascucci also got on. And stuff and things.

[underdog]

Mota gives up 2 hits, also gets a DP and a K in his inning. Ken Levine in the booth with Jon Miller on this chummy broadcasting day.

[Doug Minnick]

"Giants staying out of Manny sweeps"

Looks like given the choice, the Giants would rather stick it to Boras than stick it to the Dodgers. They have absolutely no reason to go public like this other than to weaken Boras's hand.

I love it.

[jpg]

Just got this email from the Dodgers:

"Your playoff tickets have been shipped to the address below via UPS . This is a 2 day service. The first delivery attempt should be made to your address no later than 2 business days from today."

I guess we don't need to the play the games. We are headed to the playoffs. I wonder who we will be playing.

[ASW]

Go Tim Clark!
___
"Boras told the Dodgers that he'd get back to them in a day or two...." - MLBtraderumors.com

[jpg]

My boy Pascucci's shot at the big club probably died when they signed Doug. Was Daniel visibly upset.

[MollyKnight]

Let's all think positive, people. Manny will sign today. I just know it. Perhaps in the middle of the night, but it will happen.