Old friends in new places: Former Dodgers with non-roster invitations in 2014

Spring training is in full swing all over, and actual games start on Wednesday. Here is a look around camps in both Arizona and Florida at former Dodgers with non-roster invitations to big league camp.

Cactus League

Diamondbacks: Henry Blanco, Nick Evans

Blanco spent nine years in the Dodgers minor league system, and was 2-for-5 in his one cup of coffee in the majors with them in 1997. Blanco was also once traded for Jamey Wright, 14 years ago. Evans was a non-roster invitee with the Dodgers in 2013 but was among the first four cuts.

Cubs: Jonathan Sanchez, John Baker

The Dodgers took a flier on Sanchez last year and he struck out 25.7% of hitters faced in his 14 starts in Triple-A Albuquerque. But he also allowed 117 runners to reach base in 66⅔ innings. Baker was claimed by the Dodgers off waivers from the Padres last June 15, but he hit just .203/.294/.301 in 40 games with the Isotopes.

White Sox: Hector Gimenez

Gimenez made the opening day roster for the Dodgers in 2011 and was 1-for-7 in four games.

Indians: Matt Treanor

Treanor hit .175/.281/.282 in 26 games as the Dodgers backup catcher in 2012, had a dust-up with T.J. Simers, then took 2013 off.

Rockies: Rafael Ynoa

Ynoa left the Dodgers as a free agent after eight years in the system. His peak in the organization came in 2012 when the infielder hit .330/.374/.515 in the Arizona Fall League.

Royals: Cory Wade, Ramon Hernandez, Guillermo Mota, Brad Penny

Kansas City has by far the most old friends among Cactus League teams. Wade was solid for the Dodgers in the bullpen in 2008 but was slowed by injuries the next two years. Mota and Penny were on opposite sides of the Heart & Soul trade that will celebrate its 10th anniversary in July. Hernandez was with the Dodgers for two months last year before getting designated for assignment, and in his last game with Los Angeles had both a home run and a stolen base, and a dropped throw at the plate for a run.

Angels: Ian Stewart

Stewart was rated among the top 57 prospects in baseball for five years running (2004-2008) with the Rockies, and hit .174/.324/.314 in 27 games with Triple-A Albuquerque in 2013.

Brewers: Eugenio Velez

His last 46 major league at-bats have produced zero hits, a record for futility, including 0-for-37 with the 2011 Dodgers. He has hit .295/.376/.459 in 243 games in three Triple-A stops in the last two seasons.

Athletics: Fernando Nieve

A non-roster invitee in Dodgers camp in 2012, the right-hander put up a 5.96 ERA in 25 games, including 24 starts with Triple-A Albuquerque that season.

Mariners: Joe Beimel, Matt Palmer, Randy Wolf

Wolf Grover Clevelanded the Dodgers, pitching for them in two nonconsecutive years in 2007 and 2009. Beimel and his robe was part of the last arbitration hearing the club has taken part in, in 2007. Palmer was a non-roster invitee to Dodgers camp in 2013 and needed surgery after tearing a knee ligament while walking. He was sent to minor league camp one day later.

Grapefruit League

Orioles: Ivan De Jesus, Xavier Paul

De Jesus made the Dodgers opening day roster in 2011, and his most memorable moment as a Dodger was a two-run double in a comeback win in Arizona on May 22, 2012. Paul was drafted by the Dodgers in 2003, two rounds before Matt Kemp, and made his major league debut in 2009 thanks in part to a roster spot created by the 50-game suspension of Manny Ramirez.

Red Sox: John Ely

The former mania subject is on the recovery from Tommy John surgery last season.

Astros: Cesar Izturis, Peter Moylan

Izturis, an All-Star with the Dodgers in 2005, is somehow only 34 years old after being around baseball seemingly forever. Moylan put up a 6.46 ERA in 14 games with the Dodgers last season.

Marlins: Matt Angle, Reed Johnson

Angle patrolled mostly center field for the Isotopes for the last two seasons, hitting a combined .293/.375/.422 in Triple-A. Johnson hit .262/.291/.366 in 102 games as a reserve outfielder for the Dodgers in 2010.

Twins: Matt Guerrier

Guerrier was solid in his first year with the Dodgers but derailed by injuries and ineffectiveness in the last two seasons. He was dealt for Carlos Marmol in July, and had surgery in August to repair a flexor tendon in his left elbow. Guerrier rejoins the Twins, where he spent the first seven years of his big league career, looking to recapture his one-save-per-year magic.

Mets: Dana Eveland*

Eveland technically doesn't count since he's not in big league camp, but worth pointing out since he was traded for left-handed hard thrower Jarret Martin, now on the Dodgers 40-man roster and impressing people in camp.

Phillies: Bobby Abreu, Tony Gwynn Jr.

Both outfielders were, directly and indirectly, designated for assignment by the Dodgers because of Shane Victorino in 2012. Gwynn had a major league contract with the Dodgers in 2013 but spent all year in Albuquerque, hitting .300/.393/.384 in 104 games.

Rays: Jerry Sands, Jeremy Moore, Mark Lowe, Wilson Betemit

Tampa Bay leads the Grapefruit League in old friends with four. Lowe and Moore were non-roster invitees with the Dodgers in 2013. Sands hit .244/.325/.376 in 70 games in parts of two seasons with the Dodgers before getting dealt to Boston in The Punto Trade in 2012, and he hasn't seen time in the majors since. Betemit was limited to six games with the Orioles last year after knee surgery in spring training.

Blue Jays: Andy LaRoche

LaRoche has bounced around to four organizations since getting dealt in the Manny Ramirez deal in 2008. He was 0-for-4 with his one major league game with Toronto in 2013.

Nationals: Jamey Carroll

Carroll, who turned 40 last Tuesday, hit just .250/.319/.296 in the last two seasons combined after leaving the Dodgers.