The Dodgers cleared a spot on their 40-man roster for reliever Matt Guerrier on Tuesday when pitcher Brent Leach was designated for assignment, per Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times. This comes a day after a report from NPB Tracker that Leach signed with the Yokohama BayStars of the Japanese Central League. This is presumably similar to the situation with Eric Stults, who was sold to the Hiroshima Carp for $400,000 at the end of spring training earlier this year.
Leach is a 28-year old lefty who filled in for a few months in the 2009 Dodgers bullpen, putting up a 5.75 ERA in 38 games, mostly as a left-handed specialist. In 2010, Leach, who had pitched in relief for the better part of four years, converted back to a starter in Double A. He was 7-3 with a 4.57 ERA in 13 starts for Chattanooga in 2010.
Here is a look at the current Dodgers 40-man roster:
| Dodgers 40-Man Roster | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pitchers (20) | |||||
| Player | 2011 Age* | Service Time | Options Used | Options Left | 2011 Salary |
| Ronald Belisario | 28 | 1.133 | 2004,2005,2008 | none | team control |
| Chad Billingsley | 26 | 4.110 | n/a | n/a | arb eligible |
| Jonathan Broxton | 27 | 5.020 | n/a | n/a | $7,000,000 |
| Scott Elbert | 25 | 0.100 | 2009,2010 | 1 | team control |
| John Ely | 25 | 0.101 | 2010 | 2 | team control |
| Matt Guerrier | 32 | 6.056 | n/a | n/a | $1,500,000 |
| Blake Hawksworth | 28 | 1.108 | 2007,2008,2009 | none | team control |
| Jon Garland | 31 | 10.071 | n/a | n/a | $3,500,000 |
| Javy Guerra | 25 | 0.000 | 2010 | 2 | team control |
| Kenley Jansen | 23 | 0.073 | 2010 | 2 | team control |
| Clayton Kershaw | 23 | 2.105 | 2008 | yeah right | team control |
| Hong-Chih Kuo | 29 | 4.114 | n/a | n/a | arb eligible |
| Hiroki Kuroda | 36 | 3.000 | n/a | n/a | $8,000,000 |
| Ted Lilly | 35 | 10.102 | n/a | n/a | $7,500,000 |
| Jon Link | 27 | 0.047 | 2009,2010 | 1 | team control |
| Carlos Monasterios | 25 | 1.000 | none | 3 | team control |
| Vicente Padilla | 33 | 10.105 | n/a | n/a | $3,000,000 |
| Travis Schlichting | 26 | 0.143 | 2009,2010 | 1 | team control |
| Ramon Troncoso | 28 | 2.080 | 2008,2010 | 1 | team control |
| Luis Vasquez |
25 | 0.000 | none | 3 | team control |
| Catchers (4) | |||||
| Player | 2011 Age* | Service Time | Options Used | Options Left | 2011 Salary |
| Rod Barajas | 35 | 10.000 | n/a | n/a | $3,250,000 |
| A.J. Ellis | 30 | 1.062 | 2009,2010 | 1 | team control |
|
Hector Gimenez |
28 | 1.016 | 2004,2005,2006 | none | team control |
| Dioner Navarro | 27 | 5.045 | 2005,2010 | 1 | $1,000,000 |
| Infielders (9) | |||||
| Player | 2011 Age* | Service Time | Options Used | Options Left | 2011 Salary |
| Casey Blake | 37 | 8.138 | n/a | n/a | $5,250,000 |
| Jamey Carroll | 37 | 8.020 | n/a | n/a | $2,500,000 |
| Ivan DeJesus | 24 | 0.000 | 2010 | 2 | team control |
| Rafael Furcal | 33 | 11.000 | n/a | n/a | $12,000,000 |
| Chin-lung Hu | 27 | 1.016 | 2008,2009,2010 | none | team control |
| John Lindsey | 34 | 0.028 | none | 3 | team control |
| James Loney | 27 | 4.012 | n/a | n/a | arb eligible |
| Russ Mitchell | 26 | 0.028 | none | 3 | team control |
| Juan Uribe | 31 | 9.090 | n/a | n/a | $5,000,000 |
| Outfielders (7) | |||||
| Player | 2011 Age* | Service Time | Options Used | Options Left | 2011 Salary |
| Andre Ethier | 29 | 4.153 | n/a | n/a | $9,250,000 |
| Jay Gibbons | 34 | 7.057 | n/a | n/a | $650,000 |
| Tony Gwynn Jr. | 28 | 3.044 | 2006,2007,2008 | none | $675,000 |
| Jamie Hoffmann | 26 | 0.025 | 2009 | 2 | team control |
| Matt Kemp | 26 | 4.049 | n/a | n/a | $7,100,000 |
| Xavier Paul | 26 | 1.041 | 2008,2009,2010 | none | team control |
| Trayvon Robinson | 23 | 0.000 | 2010 | 2 | team control |
| *age is as of June 30, 2011 | |||||
I included the options for the applicable players. Some players, like Broxton, Kemp, Ethier, and Billingsley, for instance, have options remaining but it has been more than three years since their MLB debut. They would have to be exposed to waivers before being optioned, so in the extremely unlikely event they would be optioned, they would be claimed by several teams anyway, so it's a moot point.
Players with five years of service time have the right to refuse assignment to the minors, so in the event that the Dodgers would want to demote Dioner Navarro, he would have to approve the move.