For you Rosterfarians

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We’re within two weeks of Opening Day. Here’s the latest on the projected 25-man roster …

Starting pitchers (5):
On track: Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley and Aaron Harang.
Any reservations? Ted Lilly missed a bullpen session today with neck stiffness, and Chris Capuano had a hamstring twinge in today’s start, but neither is expected to affect their roster status. If anything worsens.
Next in line: Nathan Eovaldi, with a 0.84 ERA and 12 baserunners in 10 2/3 spring innings, would step up.  Keep in mind the Dodgers won’t use a fifth starter until April 14.

Relief pitchers (7):
On track: Kenley Jansen, Javy Guerra, Todd Coffey and Scott Elbert.
Any reservations? Mike MacDougal has allowed six runs, six hits and seven walks in five innings with one strikeout in March. Matt Guerrier has thrown only two innings so far this spring.
Next in line: There’s at least one spot that’s open, and it will probably go to veteran Jamey Wright, because Josh Lindblom has minor-league options. But in addition to those two, John Grabow and Scott Rice are still alive. Don’t be surprised if Guerrier ends up on the disabled list to buy the Dodgers more decision time on this group.

Catchers (2):
On track: A.J. Ellis and Matt Treanor.

Infielders (6):
On track: James Loney, Mark Ellis, Dee Gordon, Juan Uribe, Adam Kennedy
Any reservations? Jerry Hairston Jr. is battling shoulder inflammation apparently related to an October 2011 injury, as Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A. and Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com note.
Next in line: Justin Sellers, already a candidate to be the team’s 25th man, would move up a spot in the pecking order if Hairston can’t make it – assuming Sellers himself can stay healthy.  Corner infielder Josh Fields continues to make a case with some power in his past and a .937 spring OPS. And making a late bid, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, is Luis Cruz, 7 for 20 with a triple and home run this spring. However, Cruz only has a .535 OPS in 169 career major-league plate appearances and a .301 OBP in Triple-A last year.

Outfielders (4):
On track: Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, Juan Rivera, Tony Gwynn Jr.

25th man
In addition to the folks mentioned above, there’s Trent Oeltjen, who held the spot throughout the second half of 2011 and is out of options. Some feel Cory Sullivan is in the running. One guy you can forget about is Jerry Sands, who has combined his remaining minor-league options with a terrible March.

And then after the season begins, the roulette wheel spins agaon.

  • Anonymous

    Initially I thought the reserve outfielder would be Sullivan and RP would be Lindblom.  I think that  Wright will get the job now.

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

    A little research discovery: In 1924, Dazzy Vance of the Dodgers made 34 starts and averaged 9.03 innings per start.

    • http://www.linkmeister.com/wordpress/ Linkmeister

      Huh? I can see how it’s possible, and they sure didn’t care about pitch counts back then, but still…

      Edited: EEK! You left off the “indispensable” links including Baseball-Reference.com when you built the link sidebar! ;)

    • Anonymous

      In 1924, both the AL and NL pennant races weren’t decided until the next to last day of the season. And then the World Series went seven games. And Game 7 went to extra innings.

      However, the AL and NL ended their seasons on different dates that year.

      Because that’s just how they rolled back then.

    • Anonymous

      Get outta here!

  • http://twitter.com/Derek_TC Derek TC

    gotta say that 25 man looks like a triple a team when a couple of the pros are returning from injury and need some PT in the minors.

  • Anonymous

    In 1930, the NL League ERA was 4.97 (the Phillies were 6.71). 

    Dazzy Vance had an ERA of 2.61. The next closest qualifier was Carl Hubbell at 3.87.

    • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

       And Vance was 39 that year.

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

    Was Vance more impressive than Wilt averaging more than 48 minutes per game in a single season?

    • Anonymous

      Back of envelope, I would guess Wilt.  Vance had an ERA+ of 189, whereas Wilt scored at 1.73 relative to the fifth highest scorer in the leaugue that year, Jerry West.

  • http://twitter.com/Derek_TC Derek TC

    yall amaze me with your awesomeness.

  • http://underdog.typepad.com/ underdog

    Get up, stand up, stand up for your roster! 
    The harder they’re cut, they harder they fall, one and all.

  • http://underdog.typepad.com/ underdog

    I would imagine that Fields has a good shot, though as you say Sellers may have inside track especially if Hairston is a little wounded (even if not on the opening DL).  Sands could start year in AAA easily (and hasnt done much in ST, alas, to make much of a case for otherwise)…

  • Anonymous

    Who is the back, back-up catcher this year?  Don’t say Kenley.

    • Anonymous

       Tim Federowicz

      • Anonymous

        I meant, like our Lenn Sakata.

        • Anonymous

          Probably Hairston. Just a guess.

          • http://www.facebook.com/people/Dave-Pomerantz/3608376 Dave Pomerantz

            I asked Mattingly that question 2 weeks ago. His response was “Emergency catcher? Nah, only 2 catchers. Wait, I should probably think about that. Maybe Hairston?”

  • Anonymous

    I would rather see Sellers and Sands(despite his spring) on the roster than several of the old timers.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/SPCTCSMLGSAQ3O2TXLTP4EUF4A Ramon

    I think Sellers gets the call because of his versatility and SS experience.  We really don’t need another OF backup with Hairston & Gwynn on the bench. Fields will hopefully accept a ticket to AAA and will be the first one up if Uribe fails.  Does Fields have an opt-out? 

    • Anonymous

      Uribe has already failed, hasn’t he?

  • Anonymous

    The Royals traded OF Greg Golson to the White Sox today. In a very odd connection to the Dodgers, he was announced (or at least listed on the scoreboard) as the batter with one out in the 9th inning on June 27, 2010. The Dodgers were leading the Yankees 6-5 at the time. The Yankees had runners on first and third.
    However, it wasn’t Golson, but rather Colin Curtis, both of whom wore 27 that season for the Yankees. 

    Curtis hit a grounder to James Loney at first and …

    Then my scorecard became a mess. Both from trying to get the proper names in. And also because of my tears.

    Another thing people might forget about that game was that Joe Torre had benched Matt Kemp for the game and almost ended his consecutive games played streak. However, Garret Anderson got kicked out of the game in the bottom of the 9th and the Dodgers were out of outfielders.

    • Anonymous

      All interesting, but who was sitting behind home plate, Jane Seymour or Mary Hart for that game?

  • http://underdog.typepad.com/ underdog

    Nice little pice on Dodger catching prospect Gorman “Griff” Erickson: http://mlblogstopesblog.wordpress.com/2012/03/25/potential-tope-griff-erickson-any-chance-is-a-good-chance/

  • Anonymous

    Double-barrelled takeout of old friends by the Cardinals, who released Alex Cora AND Koyie Hill.

    • Anonymous

      Such is baseball, I remember Koyie Hill was the hot catching prospect a while back, then came Russell Martin…

  • Anonymous

    I’m not a huge fan of T.J. Simers but he has a great write up on Derrick Hall http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-simers-20120325,0,3090309.column. It just gives you hope that there’s good people out there in the business sector…

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

    NPUT