NEWS/RUMORS/DISCUSSION Thread

fwiw...

 

Brooks Brown shut down with shoulder discomfort
by Matthew Moreno | Dodger Blue — 4 hours ago

True to what’s become the norm under Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, the club tinkered with the fringes of the 40-man roster last October by claiming Brooks Brown off waivers from the Colorado Rockies.

The roster move came on the eve of Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the New York Mets, and ended Jim Johnson’s brief tenure with the Dodgers as he was designated for assignment to clear room for Brown.

Johnson had already been sent home as he was left off the Dodgers’ NLDS roster and barring injury, was not a candidate to be included in their postseason run in the event they reached the NL Championship Series or World Series.

Brown battled shoulder inflammation throughout last season and appeared in 36 games, going a 1-4 record with a 3.97 ERA, 4.26 FIP, and 1.46 WHIP.

According to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, the 30-year-old reliever has been shut down as he continues to deal with shoulder trouble:

Ken Gurnick ✔ ‎@kengurnick
P Brooks Brown shut down a few days with lingering shoulder discomfort from last season.
9:05 AM - 20 Feb 2016​

The Dodgers sent Brown outright to Triple-A Oklahoma City last December after he cleared waivers. The right-hander made his Major League debut with the Rockies in 2014, posting a 2.77 ERA, 3.71 FIP and 0.96 WHIP in 28 games.

Brown has spent parts of 10 seasons pitching in the Minors for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh Pirates and Rockies. Over that time, he’s a combined 50-65 with a 4.31 ERA and 1.42 WHIP.

Brown averaged 6.6 strikeouts per nine innings during his time in the Minors, which is on par with his 6.3 average in games for Colorado.

This is the second relatively minor injury of the spring for the Dodgers, with the first being Micah Johnson required stitches in his finger after cutting himself while removing an avocado pit.

 

Seager, Puig report early for spring training
by Matthew Moreno | Dodger Blue — 2 hours ago

Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers and catchers reported to Camelback Ranch on Friday for the start of Spring Training without a hitch. Then on Saturday, the group held their first workout — composed of bullpen sessions and bunting work for pitchers, and defensive work for catchers.

On top of this spring being the first in the past five years without Don Mattingly as manager, it’s also the first time the Dodgers are without Zack Greinke since 2013. In his place, Los Angeles signed Scott Kazmir and Kenta Maeda to offset the production lost and lengthen the club’s starting rotation.

For Kazmir, camp provides his first opportunity to get acclimated to life in the National League, while Maeda must adjust to the rigors of pitching more frequently in the Majors when compared to the Japanese League.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman acknowledged it will take Maeda some time to find the routine(s) that suit him best.

While much of the focus is currently on pitchers and catchers, a handful of position players are already in camp. Justin Turner has been a regular at Camelback Ranch as he continues to rehab from microfracture knee surgery, and Kiké Hernandez and Corey Seager were on hand on Friday.

According to Andy McCullough of the LA Times, Yasiel Puig reported on Saturday:

The official date for position players to be in camp is Wednesday, Feb. 24. The Dodgers’ first full-squad workout is scheduled for the following day. Puig is looking to rebound from a down 2015 season in which multiple hamstring injuries limited him to a career-low 79 games.

He spent the offseason shedding weight, at Friedman’s request, and is expected to be a significant contributor this season. The Dodgers’ faith in Puig led to the club refusing to entertain trade calls on the dynamic outfielder over the winter.

 

Mattingly believes Marlins can win with small payroll
by Steven Wine | Associated Press Sports — 11 hours ago

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) -- Even after 25 years in a major league uniform, Don Mattingly still gets butterflies.

He had them Friday because he had to give a speech. The new Miami Marlins manager welcomed pitchers and catchers on the first day of spring training, and said he sweated the preparation.

''That first day, those talks are not that much fun,'' Mattingly said. ''There was a lot of paper in my trash can - 'I don't want to say that,' or 'That's too much.' And then you wake up the next morning and go, 'That sounds so stupid. What are you doing?' And you start all over.''



Mattingly made it through his speech, but that doesn't mean his job now gets easier. He's taking over a team that is on its seventh manager since June 2010 and hasn't been to the playoffs since 2003.

But Marlins camp is just like the 29 others in one regard: Expectations are high.

''If you put our roster next to the Royals roster or the Cardinals roster, those teams that are there every year, at each position we're better or as good,'' pitcher Jarred Cosart said. ''It's a matter of putting it together.''

Mattingly, who led the Dodgers to the playoffs each of the past three seasons, said he wouldn't have accepted the job with the Marlins if he didn't think they could win. He's optimistic even with their perennially modest payroll of less than $80 million, compared with the Dodgers' $270 million last year.



''I'm excited to be here with this club, and looking forward to seeing what we can become,'' Mattingly said. ''We're pretty proud of our guys, honestly, and we'll see if there's a reason for that.''

The starting lineup returns intact for a team that won only 71 games in 2015 and ranked next to last in the majors in runs. But there's considerable potential with slugger Giancarlo Stanton, NL batting champion Dee Gordon, Christian Yelich and two players who showed promise as rookies, Justin Bour and J.T. Realmuto.

Most of Mattingly's decisions in spring training will involve the pitching staff. Ace Jose Fernandez, newcomer Wei-Yin Chen and Tom Koehler are slated to start, but at least five pitchers will battle for the other two spots in the rotation. The best competition may be between hard-throwing Carter Capps and incumbent A.J. Ramos for the closer's job.

Spring also will be a time for players to get comfortable with Mattingly and his staff, which includes steroids-tainted home run king Barry Bonds, who is beginning his first season as a hitting coach.

Mattingly said his locker room speech - which he'll expand upon before the first full-squad workout Tuesday - focused on his expectations.

''I want them to trust me,'' he said. ''I'll have their back as long as they work. It's hard to back a guy who doesn't work.''

That sounded good to Koehler, but it's just a start.

''The meeting today was great - very positive,'' Koehler said. ''We all have a respect for Don as the player he was. Now we have to learn Donnie the manager, and that's going to take time.''

Mattingly said his celebrity as a former first baseman for the New York Yankees won't carry much cache with his players, because he figures most don't even know he was an accomplished player. But he may be selling his reputation short.

Fernandez, who was 3 years old and living in Cuba when Mattingly retired in 1995, is nonetheless impressed to be playing for a six-time All-Star.

''It's incredible,'' Fernandez said. ''He was a great player. We all know that. And so far he's a great guy. I feel like I have a friend there. It's a great feeling to play for somebody you look up to.''

 

Marlins have a premiere hitter and they have an ace.
Sometimes thats all you need to win a WS.

 

sometimes

 

... all i need is the air that i breathe