Ramon Troncoso among 23 Dodgers minor league free agents

Relief pitcher Ramon Troncoso is now a free agent, one of 23 Dodgers minor leaguers who were granted free agency on Saturday, five days after the World Series ended.

Troncoso, who turns 30 in February, posted a 6.67 ERA with Triple-A Albuquerque in 2012, with 40 strikeouts and 26 walks in 59⅓ innings. It continued a long, downhill descent for the right-hander who was an unexpected key contributor to an effective Dodgers bullpen in 2009.

Troncoso made his major league debut in 2008 and struck out 38 batters in 38 innings, and quickly became one of manager Joe Torre's most trusted options out of the bullpen. In 2009 Troncoso tied Jonathan Broxton for the team lead with 73 appearances, and put up a 2.72 ERA with 55 strikeouts and 34 walks. He was 5-4 with six saves, including a four-inning save on Apr. 25 at Coors Field to preserve a one-run victory.

The next season Troncoso was such an attractive option to Torre that the manager called his number 14 times in a 21-day span. Troncoso simply hasn't been the same since that 21-day period in April 2010. In 64⅓ major league innings Troncoso has allowed 11 home runs and put up a 5.32 ERA. In the minors during that time, Troncoso put up a 5.86 ERA in 138⅓ innings, with 19 home runs allowed.

Troncoso began the year on the 40-man roster for the Dodgers, but was outrighted to Triple-A Albuquerque on Mar. 22 to make room on the 40-man roster for Ronald Belisario, who was reinstated from the restricted list. Troncoso has two years, 143 days of major league service time, just 29 days shy of arbitration eligibility.

Baseball America has the full list of all 549 minor league free agents. Here are the Dodgers' free agents:

RHP: Lorenzo Barcelo (AAA), Danny Carela (LoA), Tim Corcoran (AAA), Amalio Diaz (LoA), Francisco Felix (AAA), Angel Guzman (AAA), Fernando Nieve (AAA), Sean O'Connell (R), Mike Parisi (AAA), Eammon Portice (HiA), Wes Roemer (AA), Will Savage (AAA), Ramon Troncoso (AAA)

LHP: Derrick Loop (AAA), Scott Rice (AAA), Erick Threets (AAA)

2B: Luis Nunez (AA), Gabe Suarez (HiA)

3B: Josh Fields (AAA), C.J. Retherford (AA)

OF: Tyler Henson (AA), Brahiam Maldonado (AA), Roman Pena (LoA)

Felix, Guzman, Nieve, Savage, Rice, and Fields were all in major league camp as non-roster invitees with the Dodgers to begin spring training in 2012.