Mailbag: What will Baez's role be?
01/23/2006I read that Danys Baez will be a free agent after this season. Doesn't he have one more year of team controlled arbitration eligibility left?--Andrew S., Los Angeles
At the end of the 2006 season, Baez will have five years and 102 days of Major League service. Under ordinary circumstances, he would not qualify for free agency. However, after being released by Cleveland following the 2003 season, without even enough service time to qualify for arbitration he signed an unusual free agent contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays that guaranteed him $6 million for two years with a club option for 2006 at $4 million. The contract also allowed Baez to declare free agency after the 2006 season if the Devil Rays picked up the option, which they did. So, unless the Dodgers agree to an extension, Baez will be a free agent after the season.
Does the trade for Baez spell the end of Eric Gagne as a Dodger after this season?--Abel M., Riverside, Calif.
Gagne's Dodgers future will depend on his health and his financial demands. Baez was acquired to be Gagne's primary setup man this year and, if Gagne is hurt or unable to close, to save games. Baez can opt for free agency at the end of the season as well. Gagne will receive $10 million this year and Baez $4 million. If management gets its wish from a financial standpoint, it would probably prefer to turn over the closing job in 2007 to a Jonathan Broxton or Yhency Brazoban and save millions. If Gagne does rebound physically, however, his status as one of the most popular players in recent Dodgers history will undoubtedly become a key issue in the club's decision. But first, he must show he is healthy.
How do the Dodgers Minor League teams and prospects compare to other top programs?--Sean A., Chico, Calif.
Each April, Baseball America ranks each organization's Minor League talent. Entering the 2005 season, the publication rated the Dodgers No. 2 in baseball, behind only the Angels and followed by the Milwaukee Brewers. The St. Louis Cardinals were rated 30th. Among the publication's comments: "While other teams have focused more on collegians, [Dodgers scouting director Logan] White has succeeded taking preps such as right-hander Chad Billingsley and first baseman James Loney and juco players such as third baseman Andy LaRoche and catcher Russell Martin ... they put seven players and signed eight on our Top 100 Prospects List, more than any organization."
Are the Dodgers still looking for a left-handed reliever or did they answer that need?--Tyrone P., Yuma, Ariz.
A little of both. They made no major acquisition. Kelly Wunsch, who held the job until undergoing ankle and hip surgery during the season, was invited back as a non-roster player and is probably the favorite if he's healthy. Hong-Chih Kuo, the 24-year-old with the two Tommy John operations who struck out 10 in 5 1/3 innings during his September promotion from Double-A, is back and probably has the highest ceiling. In the Jae Seo trade with the Mets, the Dodgers also acquired Tim Hamulack, a journeyman Minor Leaguer who was whacked in a brief September trial. Eric Stults, another Tommy John surgery recipient, is the only other left-hander invited to big-league camp, but he's been a starter.
In regards to Cesar Izturis, what really is Tommy John surgery?--Luke M., Pine Grove, Pa.
It was invented by Dodgers medical director Dr. Frank Jobe, first performed on pitcher Tommy John in 1974 and is required when the ulnarcollateral ligament that stabilizes the elbow tears and cannot be repaired. Urged to experiment by John, Jobe harvested an extraneous tendon (from John's calf, now sometimes taken from the opposite forearm) and reconstructed the ligament by drilling holes into both sides of the elbow and weaving the transplanted tendon through the holes to form a new ligament. John returned to win more than 164 games and the operation, named after the left-hander, now is commonplace. Pitchers are the most common patients. Izturis is an infielder and his injury is somewhat different in that it is a side effect of an arthritic condition on the opposite side of the elbow. Compensating for the pain from the arthritis, Izturis put undue strain on the ligament and it stretched out of shape. Because of the arthritis component, and because arthritis is generally permanent, it is not clear to what degree Izturis will recover.
Where does Grady Little stand on running-game strategy?--John J., Steamboat Springs, Colo.
Although Little managed in the American League, he also trained managing in the Atlanta Braves farm system. Here's what he said in a recent dodgers.com chat when asked about the running game: "I manage a ballclub according to the talent on the field and we try to use good common sense with our judgments on when to do certain things. A lot of times, a stolen base is as effective as a hit and run, so sometimes we'll do that. I do like to hit and run if the personnel are the right people in order. I like action."
Source: http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/
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