The Dodgers made a couple of moves with their outfielder today, as Jay Gibbons has agreed on a one-year deal, while Scott Podsednik has declined his option to become a free agent. Gibbons's deal will be worth $650,000. Podsednik turned down $2 million.
Gibbons was an interesting story last season, as he tore up Triple-A to the tune of a .347 average with 19 home runs. When he was called up in August to the big club, he hit .280 with five homers and 17 RBIs in 37 games mostly in left field.
For this cheap, it's a good sign by the Dodgers. Gibbons showed some signs of having pop left in his bat, and for the Dodgers, they'll take that any way they can get it. Who knows if the Dodgers will make a big splash and sign a slugger, but I can see him getting some time in left field and being a key pinch-hitter.
As for Podsednik, the word is that even with declining his option, he's still talking to the club about coming back. Not too sure how serious those talks are, however. Seems obvious to me that the Dodgers didn't want to pay him $2 million.
If he does sign elsewhere, it's really not a big loss. He's a good source of speed at the top of the order, but he only had a .313 OBP when he came to the Dodgers. That's just not good enough, especially on a team that lacks power. Plus, he was 5-for-8 in stolen base attempts in 39 games, so it's not like he was setting the world on fire. A decent player, but not one they'll miss.
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