Not sure how many of you have ESPN Insider packages, but Keith Law released his Top 100 prospects list, which for the time being is offered as part of a "free preview."  I'd try to read fast.  Positive results for the Blue, who placed five in the top 100, tied for third with the Red Sox, and behind Texas (six) and Tampa Bay (nine, but somehow they'll still suck in five years). 

For L.A., it reads thusly:  Clayton Kershaw (6), Andy Laroche (25), Chin-Lung Hu (50), James MacDonald (52), and Chris Withrow (86).  The Blue still have some quality left off the list, too, in Scott Elbert (fingers crossed for good health), Jon Meloan, Blake DeWitt, Greg Miller (fingers crossed for good health and good control).  That's some cheery news for Thursday afternoon, I'd say.

Click below for Law's evaulations.

BK

So it turns out the king's ransom required to land Johan Santana from the Twins wasn't quite all it was cracked up to be.  Yeah, the price was steep for the Mets (four solid prospects), but New York didn't have to surrender two of their top prospects, according to folks who keep track of this sort of thing, in pitcher Mike Pelfrey and OF Fernando Martinez.  They did lose prospects 2,3,4 and 7 according to Baseball America, including young OF Carlos Gomez, who in the limited amounts I saw him play last year (that would be the three game set NY played at the Ravine last June, plus some scattered games on the telly) looked like the fastest human on the planet.  I'm talking comic book fast.  So call it a prince's ransom.  Maybe a duke's.  The point is that NY, assuming they can iron out Santana's extension, nabbed him without giving up any current Major League talent of significance.

Which leads me to today's QOTD: Should the Dodgers have made a move?   Could they have?  In BA's recent assessment of their top 10 prospects, completed in December, numbers 2,3,4, and 7 were Andy LaRoche, Chin-Lung Hu, Scott Elbert, and James MacDonald.  Obviously, the Twins might have asked for/insisted on some of LA's big league young 'uns, so a direct comparison can't be made.  But assuming this sort of thing is what Minnesota was reduced to, would you pull the trigger on that deal to get quite possibly the best pitcher in baseball in return?   Did the Dodgers miss the boat?  Do you think the monster deal Santana and the Mets are negotiating- almost assuredly north of $100 mil, very likely well north- was the sticking point more than the prospects? 

As always, it's not my money, but if that was the holdup, that's a bummer.  I tend to agree with Jon Weisman over at Dodger Thoughts that the Blue didn't necessarily need Santana, but if there's a hurler on the planet worthy of that kind of money/risk, it's him. Santana won't be 29 until March, and has been very durable over his career.  Last year's 3.33 ERA, 219 IP, 15 win season was something of an off year, based on his history. Dude's that filthy.  The Dodgers have a very good rotation.  Santana would have guaranteed them, assuming good health, the best, for at least a couple years.

I doubt Ned Colletti is planning on revealing, at least to me, how deeply the Blue got involved in the revised Santana talks.  But if the cost in Major League/near Major League talent would have been LaRoche, Hu, Elbert, and MacDonald?  Or some similar combo?  Plus a small nation's GDP in cash? 

It's all extremely hypothetical of course, but I'd have done that. 

BK

Fun chat on ESPN.com from Tim Kurkijan, talking about the local baseball squads, and which has the brighter future.  Kurkijan seems to give the edge to the Halos, but has kind words for both franchises.  I was hoping when I saw it to set up a little point/counterpoint, but it turns out he's pretty much on point with most Blue issues. 

Some excerpts below:

Hey y'all. We have a few more pieces of audio left from mini-camp that were accidentally overlooked in the posting order, but they're definitely worth a listen.  First, uber-prospect Clayton Kershaw, then Andy LaRoche and James MacDonald.  Only one (LaRoche) is likely to start with the big club, but all three are worth a listen.  I think Dodgers fans will be encouraged by the approach both Kershaw and MacDonald have, despite their youth.  I had met Kershaw before, and knew he was a good kid with his head on straight.  It was my first time speaking with MacDonald, and I was impressed by his desire to improve and willingness to listen and internalize instruction. 

Anyway, enjoy. 

BK

Download clayton_kershaw_1.17.mp3
Download andy_laroche_1.17.mp3
Download james_macdonald_1.17.mp3

Apparently, the sight of father and son working out swing mechanics together at the Ravine isn't in the future cards.  Don Mattingly, Pops to Dodger farm system resident Preston, has stepped down just two months after being hired as the Blue batting coach.  Mattingly wanted to spend more time with his family in Indiana, so lumber improvement will now be overseen by Mike Easler, who's getting a bump up from his former position in Vegas.

What does this have to do with Nomar's chances of starting at third?  Absolutely zip, but I figured you'd still be interested in opinions on this and other issues from MLB.com's Ken Gurnick.

AK

One down, one to go, so to speak.  While set up-to-the-set up-man Joe Beimel remains an arbitration issue, righty Scott Proctor and the Dodgers found a price to the liking of both parties.  No word as to whether the newly millionaired hurler will be among those players selected to compete in China, but the excursion itself is a done deal.

To the best of my knowledge, only Matt Kemp has flat out volunteered to be on the plane.  I know some players, particularly, will likely grouse at the notion of schlepping overseas, but were a member of the Blue, I'd be all over it.  Free trip to China.  A charter plane that allows one to sleep comfortably and cut down on the typical jet lag.  The chance to cultivate a brand new fan base for foreign endorsement deals.  Seriously, what's the problem? 

Well, in my particular case, a passport that expired in 2002, but aside from that, what's the problem?

AK

In 2007, Matt Kemp was the recipient of all sorts of attention.  Some of it very good (accolades for hitting .342, with 10 homers and 42 RBIs in under 300 ABs) some of it... well, not so much (serious questions about his attitude).  My position on Kemp has been made pretty clear- that he has a lot of room to grow, but I don't see his "issues" as anything all that unusual for your average 23 year old pro athlete.  The bulb doesn't light up for every player at a young age, like it did for Russell Martin or James Loney, who also has excellent work habits.  For some, it doesn't reach the same wattage, either.  But the issue isn't whether Kemp becomes some sort of clubhouse uber-leader and perfect model citizen.  If he learns to work hard, play hard, and maximize his talent and isn't a clubhouse distraction, that'll do just fine.  Currently, I see no reason why that can't happen.

The good news is that Kemp has spent much of the summer working out in Arizona, and is in better shape.   

Click below for the audio, and some quote pulls.  Kemp, as you might suspect, stays away from the controversy of last season, but touches on other issues, from his offseason training (he's dropped about 15 pounds), the value of guys getting a chance to work out on a big league field, what he learned last season, the excitement of playing for Joe Torre, and his excitement at the prospect of playing in China during Spring Training.

BK

This whole Joe Torre thing is still new enough that when he makes a public appearance, it's a big, big deal.  Lots of cameras, lots of scribes, lots of bloggers.  Well, at least two bloggers.  But when Joe speaks, we bring you what he says.  Well, the parts we're allowed to record, at least.  At Thursday's minicamp, Torre spoke at length to the media on a wide range of topics, from his history as a player (going back to his pre-pro days) to the personnel he's inherited. 

CLIP ONE: (Download joe_torre_1.17 1.mp3) Torre covers a range of things (remember, it's a big media scrum, so there's not necessarily any rhyme or reason to the order of questions), ranging from his exposure to the big leagues as a kid through his brother Frank, to the young players, to the situation in the outfield.  Some highlights:

On the OF situation: "We obviously know we have more bodies than positions.  As a manager it's much nicer to have that situation.  The only thing you need to have the players understand is we're going to do what seems to fit best.  I've had a conversation with Juan Pierre, and one thing about him is he's a team player, obviously plays his butt off, plays everyday.  He didn't necessarily ask what the situation was for him, but he was curious and you could tell by the conversation. I basically said to him what I said to Bernie Williams when we signed Kenny Lofton (in New York), that we're going to do what's best for the team, and we're going to leave Spring Training with the three guys playing the outfield that I think we all agree would (give us) the best shot... I have a sense that there's a lot of curiosity out there, with bringing Andrew (Jones) on board, but hopefully we have everybody understanding what we're trying to do."

(more below the jump)

We'll have lots of audio from Day Two of media access to L.A.'s winter mini camp later today, but in the meantime, here are some of the newsy highlights of the afternoon.  The first, at least judging by the throng of photographers and video cameras following him around, was the appearance of Joe Torre (he's the new manager, for those who haven't really been paying attention).  The skip had a chance to meet some of the team's touted prospects- albeit briefly- before giving the media a lot of face time.  He broke down a variety of positional issues, ranging from the crowded outfield to the battle for third base.  Torre has a lot of issues to work out as he familiarizes himself with his new team, but has already started talking to some players whose roles and/or playing time could be in question.  The most significant, at least for many Dodger fans, is the Juan Pierre Question.  Torre understands he has one more outfielder than he does spots to play them, and while he gave respect to what Pierre's consecutive game streak means, he also made it clear it wouldn't necessarily keep Pierre in the lineup every day. 

In other news, the Blue and Jason Repko agreed on a one-year deal.  And for those who missed it, Mark Hendrickson signed with the Marlins.  Another former Dodger, Willy Aybar, is also on the move.

Without the s'mores, canoe trips or panty raids, of course. 

The Dodgers' winter camp is underway at the Ravine and seeing the troops young, old and "trying to make the squad" brings about visions of the 2008 season to come.  Along with questions.  For starters, will last season's splashy signing (and training room fixture) Jason Schmidt regain the form that made him one of baseball's best hurlers?  So far, so good, in terms of the righty's rehab, and Smitty's now tossing off a mound.  But it's still no given at this point that he'll be ready for spring training.  Other issues unsettled include who's manning the hot corner on a regular basis (although Andy LaRoche is looking to make this year finally "his" year) and the three folks destined to become outfield mainstays.  Some have wondered if Juan Pierre's large contract would play a role in keeping in left and creating an Andre Ethier/Matt Kemp in platoon in right, but as Joe Torre made clear yesterday, an Ethier-Andruw Jones-Kemp configuration ain't out of the question.

What is known before February even breaks?  A Raffy Furcal-Jeff Kent middle infield is basically set in stone and Yhency Brazoban is back in the fold, arbitration yap being successfully avoided.  Similar talks with Mark Sweeney and Rudy Seanez haven't resolved in similar fashion.

Johnny Podres, who was the World Series hero for the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers, passed away on Sunday at the age of 75.  The lefty wasn't dominant during that special season, but won a critical Game Three, then repeated the feat in a decisive Game Seven as Brooklyn finally managed to beat the Yankees.  He was 23 at the time, and felt there wasn't that much pressure on him- after all, the Yankees were supposed to beat him.  Over the course of his career, Podres would make four All Star teams. 

The Dodgers released a statement on his passing, including comments from some of his teammates.  Click below for that.

BK

These days, you have to be clear about this sort of thing. 

But in talking to TJ Simers for his latest column, Kent floats a proposal that has been kicked around at length by fans and some members of the media, but not often enough by players:

"I'd like to see every player take a blood test and have the samples frozen," Kent says, then waiting for the day when there's a foolproof HGH test to identify the cheaters.

"Not everyone in the game is using HGH, but I would bet it still is being abused," he says. "Why not have blood tests? If ultimately you want a clean game, then it needs to happen.

"They ought to be testing for drugs in the playoffs too. They never do that."

Yes, the rivalry is heated.  Yes, smack talking is expected and even encouraged.  But it's still never cool to throw down over your teams in the Ravine parking lot.  Never.  Especially when doing so leaves a woman legally blind in one eye.  Said victim is alleging that stadium security didn't do its part to keep the brouhaha from escalating, thus a lawsuit now in play.  The plaintiff's are asking for a mil in damages.  We'll see how this shakes out.

As for Dodger matters limited strictly to the field, mlb.com's Ken Gurnick breaks down the upcoming season when it comes to first and third base.  I won't reveal which corner feels more solidified, but let's just say job security isn't among James Loney's bigger worries these days.

-AK

Luis Gonzalez instead spoke to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick about his desire to play in 2008.  Presumably with another club, since I'm likely a safer bet to wear Dodger blue next season. 

It'll be interesting to see how this quest shakes out for Gonzalez, assuming there's a "shake" in development.  Which teams can use Gonzalez?  And more importantly, what role will make him happy?  If you believe Gonzalez, the notion that he MUST play every day is false.  Agent Gregg Clifton says his client is "just looking for an opportunity to play on a regular basis -- whatever that is -- and get back to the World Series again." Should being a fourth outfielder wind up part of a championship route, no worries.  However, if you believe Gonzalez's body language and obvious displeasure down the 2007 stretch while being merely a part-time fourth outfielder, it's harder to picture the guy remaining happy  after two or three series without a start.  Between his rep's mixed message (the difference between playing on a "regular basis" and "every day" may be semantical at best) and Gonzo's insistence that the tank is hardly running on fumes, if I had to guess whether a role like last August and September's would make him happy or not, I'm leaning towards "not."  Obviously, a different scenario might change his opinion of that job description, but were I a GM, unless certain I could offer Gonzo an inked spot in left (assuming he's the guy I want there), I wouldn't take a flyer.

Resisting the urge to dive into the Roger Clemens mess, I think it could be a good day to turn to the Hall of Fame, where Tuesday we'll all find out who will be having his face cast in metal and slapped on a plaque.  Jayson Stark of ESPN.com voted for eight guys, including a few he thinks have been unfairly forgotten over the years. (He includes Andre Dawson, a dude I absolutely believe is HOF worthy- love The Hawk!).   No Dodgers appear on his list, but it got me thinking (never a good thing) which leads me to this QOTD:

What former Dodger (with, let's say... at least two years in Blue) isn't enshrined in the Hall that you think should be there?  If you don't have a Hall-worthy selection, is there a player you feel has been more generally deprived of a lofty place in baseball lore?

BK

With the holidays and Blue Rose Parade floats behind us (and KTLA bricking its Dodger-centric coverage of said parade, in the opinion of third hand gossip), Ravine enthusiasts can officially begin their examination of the impending season.  An opening day that can hopefully compete with the excitement generated by celebrated author Jose Canseco dropping another opus. Those counting on a World Series title coming courtesy of a Chin-Hui Tsao will curse the front office aggression of K.C., but such developments aside, the Dodgers have been praised of late for their latest seasonal blueprint.   We've already broached the "Do you like the offseason moves" or "where do you think it's all heading" topics on more than one occasion (and fielding related questions when MLB.com's Ken Gurnick isn't carrying the load), so it's silly to spark another identical conversation.  But here's something y'all can discuss a bit. 

With 362 days remaining in 2008, the months are still very young and capable of shaping.  Thus, if you could pick New Year's resolutions for Dodger players, coaches or front office, what would they be?

Off the top of my head, I got a few.

The Dodgers haven't been a flurry of activity this offseason, as Ned Colletti has resisted the urge to send players- presumably young ones- out of town for some of the bigger names on the trade market.  On the other hand, where the Blue have chosen to toss a pot on the hot stove, they've made some big splashes.  Andrew Jones (fingers crossed) addresses needs the Blue have both offensively and defensively, while Hiroki Kuroda (fingers crossed) fills a big hole in the starting staff.  Gary Bennett?  Well, somebody's got to be the backup catcher, right? 

But their NL West rivals haven't been sitting idly by, watching them improve.  Well, not all of them, at least.  As we kick off the new year, obviously things can still change, but it's as good a time as any to do a quick check on what the neighbors have been up to. Are the Joneses getting better or worse?  Early indications are that the NL West once again has the chance to be baseball's most competitive division, top to bottom. Should make for a fun season.