Here's a brief rundown of the 2010 minor league deals signed by the Dodgers:
Pitchers
Luis Ayala RHP
2010 Age: 32
Per Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times, Ayala will earn $750,000 if in the majors with a potential for $100,000 in incentives based on appearances.
Ayala was reassigned to minor league camp on April 2.
Scott Dohmann RHP
2010 Age: 32
Dohmann has pitched as a reliever for the Rockies, Royals, and Rays in his career, but did not pitch in the major leagues in 2009. He started the season in Hiroshima, but was released, then ended up with a 6.75 ERA in 14 games with Triple A Reno in the D-Backs system.
Dohmann was reassigned to minor league camp on March 15.
Francisco Felix RHP
2010 Age: 26
Felix was in the Dodger organization since 2006, but became a minor league free agent in November.
Felix was reassigned to minor league camp on March 14.
Eric Gagne RHP
2010 Age: 34
Gagne signed a minor league deal worth $500,000 "with a chance to make another $500,000 for games and games finished", per Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports. Gagne battled injuries in 2005 and 2006 with the Dodgers, then pitched for two years with Texas, Milwaukee and Boston. In 2009, Gagne pitched for Quebec in the Can-Am League, an independent league, after recovering from a slight rotator cuff tear.
Gagne was reassigned to minor league camp on March 15. He asked for, and was granted his release on March 21.
John Koronka LHP
2010 Age: 29
Koronka, who was not given an invite to major league camp, has plied his trade in some of the worst pitching environments in baseball: six years in the PCL, plus the bulk of his major league time with the Rangers. In 158.1 major league innings, Koronka has allowed 258 baserunners, and he hasn't had a WHIP lower than 1.5 in the minors since 2006.
Justin Miller RHP
2010 Age: 32
Per Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times, Miller will earn $850,000 if in the majors with a potential for $50,000 in incentives.
Miller was reassigned to minor league camp on April 2.
Ramon Ortiz RHP
2010 Age: 37
Ortiz was with the Angels forever, but last pitched in the majors for Colorado in 2007. As Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reported, Ortiz pitched in Japan in 2008, and for the Giants' Triple A affiliate in Fresno in 2009. Putting up a 3.05 ERA, with solid peripherals, in the PCL is pretty good, and likely the reason he's getting a look this spring. According to Dylan Hernandez (here, here and here), Ramon Ortiz will earn $1M if he's in the majors, with a potential for $1.05M based on games started, and can opt for free agency if he doesn't make the team out of Spring Training.
I don't think I would have believed you if you told me Ramon Ortiz was older than...
Russ Ortiz RHP
2010 Age: 36
Ortiz put up a 5.57 ERA with the Astros in 2009, but his peripherals were marginally better (4.61 FIP, 4.64 x-FIP). From 2005-2009, Ortiz has the worst ERA (6.56), ERA+ (67), and opponents' OPS (.916) in baseball.
Per Dylan Hernandez and Bill Shaikin of the LA Times, Ortiz will earn "$650,000 base salary in the majors. He can earn an additional $1.05 million in incentives based on number of games started and $150,000 based on relief appearances."
Juan Perez LHP
2010 Age: 31
Perez pitched for the Pirates in parts of 2006 & 2007. He played in the Braves' organization in 2009, putting up a 3.47 ERA for Triple A Gwinnett, walking 5.7 batters and striking out 9.3 batters per nine innings.
Perez was reassigned to minor league camp on March 17.
Josh Towers RHP
2010 Age: 33
Per the Associated Press, Towers will earn $700,000 if in the majors or $100,000 if in the minors.
Towers was reassigned to minor league camp on April 1.
Jeff Weaver RHP
2010 Age: 33
Just like last year, Weaver secured a minor league deal with the Dodgers, that will pay him $800,000 if in the majors, plus up to $100,000 in performance incentives, per Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times. However, unlike last year, Weaver is coming off a solid season as a swing man for the Dodgers, and figures to occupy the same role for 2010.
Hitters
J.D. Closser C
2010 Age: 30
Closser spent 2009 in the Dodgers' minor league system, splitting time with Double A Chattanooga and Triple A Albuquerque. Closser last appeared in the majors with Colorado in 2006, and has a lifetime major league batting line of .239/.320/.367 in 508 plate appearances.
Closser was reassigned to minor league camp on April 2.
Gabriel Gutierrez C
2010 Age: 26
Gutierrez split 2009 between Double A Chattanooga and the Mexican League, and has seven home runs in 1,102 minor league plate appearances over five seasons.
Gutierrez was reassigned to minor league camp on March 14.
Justin Knoedler C
2010 Age: 29
Knoedler last appeared in the majors in 2006, with the Giants. He appeared in parts of three seasons with San Francisco, amassing two hits in 18 career at bats. For the last three seasons, Knoedler has played in Triple A for four organizations: San Francisco, Oakland, Florida, and the White Sox.
Knoedler was reassigned to minor league camp on March 31.
John Lindsey 1B
2010 Age: 33
Lindsey is a veteran of 15 minor league seasons with nary a major league at-bat. He was in the Dodger system in 2007 & 2008.
Lindsey was reassigned to minor league camp on March 15.
Doug Mientkiewicz 1B
2010 Age: 36
Mientkiewicz, who spent most of 2009 on the disabled list, has a good shot to make the team. If not, he can always become sliding instructor.
Per Dylan Hernandez and Bill Shaikin of the LA Times, Mientkiewicz will make $550,000 if in the majors, plus up to an additional $200,000 in incentives based on PA. Here is a breakdown of the incentives:
$25,000 for 150 plate appearances
$25,000 for 200 PA
$50,000 for 250 PA
$50,000 for 300 PA
$50,000 for 350 PA
Mientkiewicz left camp on March 26 after being told he wouldn't make the club, but no official move has been made yet.
Alfredo Amezaga (Everywhere)
2010 Age: 32
Per Joe Frisaro of MLB.com and Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, Amezaga will earn $650,000 if he makes the team, plus an extra $800,000 in potential incentives. Here is the breakdown of the incentives:
$50,000 for 150 plate appearances
$50,000 for 200 PA
$75,000 for 250 PA
$100,000 for 300 PA
$125,000 for 350 PA
$150,000for 400 PA
$150,000for 450 PA
$50,000 for 90 games played
$50,000 for 120 G
Check out this awesome play by Amezaga while in the Mexican League a few years back:
Amezaga was reassigned to minor league camp on March 21.
Angel Berroa SS
2010 Age: 32
Per Sports Illustrated, Berroa will earn $600,000 if in the majors or $81,000 if in the minors. Despite having a .291 OBP since the beginning of 2004, Berroa might just make the team in order to create comedy gold with Manny Ramirez like this:
Berroa was released on March 22.
Nick Green SS
2010 Age: 31
Green, who is recovering from back surgery last September, hit .236/.303/.366 with the Red Sox in 2009, similar to his career line of .239/.307/.352. UZR has him as an above average defender at shortstop (+12.1 UZR/150 career), as does Baseball Prospectus (five fielding runs above average career), but Dewan's plus/minus system rates Green as average in the field. Either way, he is likely to be better than Angel Berroa, or even 2009 Juan Castro. The real question is, will Green be better than Hu?
Per Dylan Hernandez and Bill Shaikin of the LA Times, Green will earn $550,000 if he makes the majors, with a possibility of another $100,000 in incentives based on plate appearances.
Argenis Reyes 2B/SS
2010 Age: 27
Reyes spent the last two seasons in the Mets' system, shuffling between Triple A and New York. He has a career minor league batting line of .285/.331/.349. He's a glove man first and foremost though, and here are some defensive highlights compiled by a Mets' fan:
Reyes was reassigned to minor league camp on March 15.
Garret Anderson OF
2010 Age: 38
Anderson, the long-time Angel and Kennedy High alum, signed a minor league deal on March 3. Anderson will make $550,000 if he makes the club, and can ask for his release if he isn't added to the roster by April 1 (per Associated Press). Anderson struggled in 2009, his one season in the National League, hitting .268/.303/.401 for Atlanta. His .305 wOBA ranked 61st among 62 qualifying outfielders in baseball.
Brian Barton OF
2010 Age: 28
Barton put up a 97 OPS+ in 82 games as a Rule 5 pick for the 2008 Cardinals, and spent last season in the Braves organization. Barton did appear in one game for the Braves in 2009, as a pinch runner, but was thrown out trying to steal. Barton has an aerospace engineering degree from the University of Miami, and it's hard not to root for a guy who once had this quote (from Jeff Passan on Yahoo in 2008):
I like to invest in knowledge. Anything that can help me learn about different people, different things. That’s what drives a lot of what I do and why people may think things I do are out of the ordinary. You can’t take away things you know.
Barton was reassigned to minor league camp on March 14.
Jay Gibbons OF
2010 Age: 32
Gibbons was signed to a minor league deal, but not invited to big league camp; he will start spring training on the minor league side of camp. Gibbons, who was linked to the use of performance enhancing drugs by Jason Grimsley, last appeared in the majors in 2007. He spent 2008 in the minors, and 2009 with the Independent League Newark Bears. Also, his wife was once hit by a foul ball off his bat at an Orioles game in 2006.
Brian Giles OF
2010 Age: 39
Per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, the Dodgers signed Giles to a minor league deal on February 6. Giles had microfracture surgery on his right knee in 2009, prematurely ending his season with the Padres. From 2007-2009, Giles hit .253/.359/.353 at Petco Park, but .290/.366/.458 on the road. Giles will make $550,000 if he makes the club, with up to $200,000 in incentives:
$25,000 for 150 plate appearances
$25,000 for 200 PA
$50,000 for 250 PA
$50,000 for 300 PA
$50,000 for 350 PA
Giles announced his retirement on March 11 (per Dylan Hernandez)
Timo Perez OF
2010 Age: 35
Perez, who led off for the Mets in four of the five games of the 2000 World Series, last appeared int he major leagues in 2007, with the Tigers. He spent 2009 with Veracruz in the Mexican League. Perez also led the Dominican Winter League this year with a .356 batting average for Licey, where he was teammates with James McDonald, Ronnie Belliard, and Blake DeWitt. Perez was not given an invite to major league camp. While he was on the Toledo Mudhens in 2008 (Tigers affiliate), someone thought highly enough of Timo to make a highlight video:
Prentice Redman OF
2010 Age: 30
Here's a 2008 video of Redman and Josh Womack with some insane bat spinning tricks:
Redman was reassigned to minor league camp on March 17.
Michael Restovich OF
2010 Age: 31
Restovich hasn't played in the majors since 2007. He spent 2008 with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan, and played in Triple A for Charlotte (White Sox organization) in 2009, hitting .290/.366/.505 in the International League.
Retovich was reassigned to minor league camp on March 15.
Also invited to big league camp: prospects P Josh Lindblom and INF Russell Mitchell. Mitchell was reassigned to minor league camp on March 17. Lindblom was reassigned to minor league camp on March 31.
NRI Count: 26 25 22 17 14 12 11 10 9 8 5