The Trolley Dodger

The Marlins have put infielder Jose Castillo on waivers. He’s got stellar defense and is cheap, having signed a $650,000 contract with the Marlins to compete with Jorge Cantu for Miguel Cabrera’s old 3B position. He wouldn’t need to step in and drive the entire offense, just keep things together until Andy LaRoche gets healthy. Plus he could spell Jeff Kent at 2B.

Ignoring last year when the Pirates futzed with him, his stats seem decent enough for the price.

Do the Dodgers wait out the 72-hour waiver to see if the Marlins drop him, or do they work out a trade to make sure they get him? Do they even want him?

Update: So much for that: “Giants Claim Jose Castillo”

It’s been a weird few days in Dodger land. First off, of course, Joe Torre is still our manager — I keep forgetting, then I remember and utter a Keanu-like “Whoa.” But even stranger were the MLB headlines the past couple of days, where you could see simultaneously:

• Eric Gagne signs with Brewers.
• Milton Bradley signs with Rangers.
• Paul Lo Duca signs with Nationals.
• Randy Wolf signs with Padres.
• Andruw Jones signs with Dodgers.

Surreal.

The latest news is Jeff Kent finally got around to telling the Dodgers he was coming back. Oh, and we might have won the Hiroki Kuroda sweepstakes, according to various media reports. My favorite is Tony Jackson’s “Kuroda update: He’s leaving on a jet plane”,

A non-stop flight from Tokyo to Los Angeles, to be exact, and due to land at LAX at 9:30 tomorrow morning, from what I understand. That could mean one of two things. One, that he changed his mind yet again and decided to go ahead with his recruiting trip to Seattle and Los Angeles. Or, more likely, that he has decided to sign with the Dodgers. Sounds like this is really close to happening.

It’s funny — despite Andruw Jones’s “down year”, his 26 homers are still better than anybody else on the 2007 Dodgers.

And with today’s news that the Braves are cutting ties with him, the Dodgers Hot Stove has already begun to shine. :)

Isn’t it weird that no one has picked up Brady Clark yet? The Dodgers released him on June 20th, and while he wasn’t necessarily having a great season (he only had 58 at-bats), I can’t imagine someone doesn’t need a fourth outfielder.

Actually, I’m rather surprised the Mets haven’t swooped in to grab another ex-Dodger. ;)

UPDATE Well, not the Mets, but the other team snapping up former Dodgers. According to MLB Trade Rumors, “Red Sox Sign Brady Clark”

The news came today on MetsBlog (via DodgerThoughts) that the Mets have picked up Marlon Anderson, continuing their increasingly creepy stalking of former Dodger players. Granted, Marlon used to be on the Mets, but seriously.

Former Dodgers on the Mets 40-Man Roster currently:

• Guilliermo Mota
• Aaron Sele
• Sandy Alomar Jr
• Paul Lo Duca
• Jose Valentin
• Shawn Green
• Pedro Martinez (sigh)
• Duaner Sanchez

Former Dodgers and Dodger coaches on staff:

• Willie Randolph, manager
• Guy Conti, bullpen coach
• Rickey Henderson, hitting first-base coach

Marlon Anderson signed a minor-league deal and is headed to the New Orleans Zephyrs, who include these former Dodgers:

• Mark Brewer, pitching coach
• Steve Schmoll, pitcher
• Jesus Feliciano, OF (drafted by LA in 1997)

They even have a minor-league affiliate in Brooklyn! Will the stalking never stop?!

Former Mets on the Dodgers 40-Man?

• Tim Hamulack
• Jeff Kent

;)

UPDATE: Thanks to this Mets Today post for reminding me that the design for CitiField, the new Mets stadium, is based on Ebbets Field.

This is turning into Single White Female!

Matthew over at Metsblog has a post up today, “Note: If You’re an LA Mets Fan, Read This”, which apparently spills the beans (or the pasta) about where Mets fan congregate in Los Angeles: Cardone’s Italian, which is on W. Sunset.

The owner, goes the story, is a huge Mets fan with tons of Mets memorabilia on the walls. A certain Italian in the Dodger front office, famous for loving his food, reportedly sent over Dodgers stuff to add to the collection. Maybe a Dodger Blue-in would be a good idea some day to see if a Lasorda-autographed picture made it onto the walls. ;)

While I haven’t been there (I’d be more for the traditional Philippe’s trip), here’s a brief review of Cardone’s take out at Manifeasto.

Way back in the winter of Ought-Six, we did some speculating about potential sources of power that the Dodgers could go after: first outfielders, then “Power bats for the Dodgers: Third Basemen”.

Around that same time, there were lots of rumors about a trade with St. Louis, covered in “Brad Penny to Cardinals?” Considering how Brad has stepped up this season, not to mention Jason Schmidt’s woes, it’s a good thing that particular trade didn’t happen.

The rumors are beginning to swirl again, again stirred by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, in a forum begun by columnist Bernie Miklasz: “Would you make this trade?” The subject being, Scott Rolen to LA for Wilson Betemit and either Matt Kemp or Andre Ethier.

Personally, I don’t think either of those combinations works — never mind for the Dodgers, from what I’ve read the Cardinals don’t need young outfielders so much as pitching. Which probably means (assuming the teams are actually talking) they’re asking for Chad Billingsley.

The Dodgers would be hard-pressed to say no to the Scott Rolen of, say, 2003 or 2004. His 2007 so far is easily written off as aberration.

But is Rolen version 2006 — .296/.369/.518/.887 with 22 HR batting behind Albert Pujols — really worth giving up so much, especially at over $12 million/year?

Now, if only the Florida Marlins would take Ken Rosenthal’s “advice” and talk to us:

The landscape could change dramatically if, say, the Marlins decided to trade third baseman Miguel Cabrera, 24; anything is possible, considering the team just failed in its sixth attempt in seven years to secure financing for a new ballpark.

Then again, Cabrera is under the club’s control through 2009. If the Marlins can’t keep him, they should either relocate or fold.

Looks like the Dodger scouts are getting around and getting noticed. In the Boston Globe, this blurb showed up about both Troy Glaus and Mike Lowell:

The Dodgers have had a good start, but if they could, they’d probably trade for a third baseman. Dodger scouts were watching the Red Sox and Blue Jays last week. There doesn’t appear to be any chance the Sox would move Mike Lowell after the hot start he’s had, but the Blue Jays, given their demise, might consider parting with Troy Glaus. If the Jays fade fast, there could be a fire sale in Toronto. Glaus, who hurt his heel in Friday’s game and didn’t play yesterday, would appear to be a candidate for trade.

Personally, I’d rather go after Glaus instead of continuing our accumulation of 2003 World Series Marlins. Unless of course we’re talking Miguel Cabrera. ;)

(Previously: “Santa Glaus coming to town?”)

Well, technically, Tim Hudson did not get rocked by the Dodgers, who saved most of their fireworks for the innings after the Braves starter had left the game, but it was either Rock Hudson or an elaborate and ill-advised Hudson Hawk pun.

I’m a little loopy, you see, because Wilson Betemit pinch-hit a solo “homer” today. This so-called “home run” is a little-known MLB rule where you apparently get to go all the way around the bases and back “home” if you can hit the ball over the outfield wall. Who knew?! Seems a little unfair to the other team, but the rules are the rules.

No matter what, though, a great game today for the Dodgers, taking down the Braves, 6-3. Some highlights:

• Jonathan Broxton burning out the Turner Field radar gun with a hailstorm of 100ish MPH pitches.
• Derek Lowe going a strong 7 innings.
• Betemit’s 8th-inning blast and the subsequent smile on his face. Let’s hope both aren’t rarities in the days to come.
• That three-run ninth inning with seemingly the whole lineup getting a hit.
• Only three Dodgers LOB, versus yesterday’s 11.

Looks like my pondering about the Dodgers picking up Nomar’s brother Michael was merely that, as Diamond Leung at the Press-Enterprise points out in the latest Dodgers Notebook:

Michael Garciaparra, Nomar’s younger brother, attended the game. The former Inland Empire 66er was claimed off waivers by the Phillies after being designated for assignment by Seattle. He was assigned to Class AA.

That means the Reading Phillies, and he has shown up on their roster.