Ronnie Belliard has been designated for assignment by the Dodgers. It was mostly done to clear room on the 40-man roster for outfielder Trent Oeltjen. It was also an acknowledgment that resigning Belliard just never worked out they way they had hoped.
Belliard came aboard to L.A. and played in 24 games at the end of the 2009 season, and he made his impact felt. He hit .351 with five homers and 17 RBIs, giving the Dodgers a great jolt. In fact, he was so good that he took over the second base spot from Gold Glove winner Orlando Hudson during the playoffs. The Dodgers lost in the NLCS, but Belliard hit .300 in eight games.
I was happy to see the Dodgers get him back for this season, but it clearly never panned out. Reduced to mainly a pinch-hitting role with a start here and there, he hit a terrible .216 with two homers and 19 RBIs in 82 appearances. Simply put, he looked lost and took way too many strikeouts to be effective.
It's never good to see someone get released, but if the Dodgers are trying to build a better team for next season, this was a good move. Belliard just wasn't getting it done anymore, so it's time to move on.
Showing posts with label Belliard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Belliard. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Interesting note on Belliard's deal
After reading a little more about Ronnie Belliard's new one-year deal with the Dodgers, I came across a pretty interesting detail.
Belliard must report to spring training at 209 pounds or less for the deal to become guaranteed. If he fails to do so, he can be released and only owed termination pay.
Who knows what he's weighing in at right now, but it's obviously a concern. If you look at video of him last season, it was also obvious that he wasnt' exactly spending much time on a treadmill. Even with that, he still managed to swing the bat very well.
I can't imagine he'd show up in spring training overweight, so we'll just assume this was for precautionary reasons. Now I hope I'm not wrong, because he's a good addition to the infield.
Unless he's fat, then it won't matter.
Belliard must report to spring training at 209 pounds or less for the deal to become guaranteed. If he fails to do so, he can be released and only owed termination pay.
Who knows what he's weighing in at right now, but it's obviously a concern. If you look at video of him last season, it was also obvious that he wasnt' exactly spending much time on a treadmill. Even with that, he still managed to swing the bat very well.
I can't imagine he'd show up in spring training overweight, so we'll just assume this was for precautionary reasons. Now I hope I'm not wrong, because he's a good addition to the infield.
Unless he's fat, then it won't matter.
Belliard and Ausmus on their way back
The Dodgers strengthened their infield even more today by agreeing to contracts with Ronnie Belliard and Brad Ausmus. Belliard will compete for the starting job at second base, and Ausmus resumes his role as Russell Martin's backup behind the plate.
Belliard signed a one-year deal for $825,000 plus incentives. Ausmus' deal is also for one-year and worth $850,000. He'll have a $1 million option for 2011 with a $150,000 buyout if he chooses to move on.
Right before the trade deadline on August 30 of last season, Belliard was acquired for a couple of minor league pitchers. The deal didn't look like a big move at the time, but then he started swinging a hot bat and took off. In 24 games with the Dodgers, he hit a terrific .351 with five homers and 17 RBIs. In the playoffs, he got a hit in all eight games for a .300 average.
Blake DeWitt must be feeling like the odd man out. He looked to be the starting second baseman at the start of the winter, then Jamey Carroll was acquired. Now with Belliard aboard, DeWitt could go from starter to fighting for a pinch-hitting/defensive replacement role late in games.
If second base doesn't work out for Belliard, he can be a key backup for Casey Blake at third. Belliard also has experience at first base, so the Dodgers basically have three guys in Carroll, DeWitt, and Belliard that can play most infield spots. Nick Green has a shot at Rafael Furcal's backup at short.
The resigning of Ausmus is a quiet move, but a very good one. I'm not sure many people realized that he hit .295 in 36 games last season. I doubt he'll hit that again, but he's most valuable for his defense and clubhouse leadership anyway. At 41 years of age, I'm glad he held off retirement.
The most important stat for Ausmus? In 17 big league seasons, he's never been on the DL. Now that's amazing.
Belliard signed a one-year deal for $825,000 plus incentives. Ausmus' deal is also for one-year and worth $850,000. He'll have a $1 million option for 2011 with a $150,000 buyout if he chooses to move on.
Right before the trade deadline on August 30 of last season, Belliard was acquired for a couple of minor league pitchers. The deal didn't look like a big move at the time, but then he started swinging a hot bat and took off. In 24 games with the Dodgers, he hit a terrific .351 with five homers and 17 RBIs. In the playoffs, he got a hit in all eight games for a .300 average.
Blake DeWitt must be feeling like the odd man out. He looked to be the starting second baseman at the start of the winter, then Jamey Carroll was acquired. Now with Belliard aboard, DeWitt could go from starter to fighting for a pinch-hitting/defensive replacement role late in games.
If second base doesn't work out for Belliard, he can be a key backup for Casey Blake at third. Belliard also has experience at first base, so the Dodgers basically have three guys in Carroll, DeWitt, and Belliard that can play most infield spots. Nick Green has a shot at Rafael Furcal's backup at short.
The resigning of Ausmus is a quiet move, but a very good one. I'm not sure many people realized that he hit .295 in 36 games last season. I doubt he'll hit that again, but he's most valuable for his defense and clubhouse leadership anyway. At 41 years of age, I'm glad he held off retirement.
The most important stat for Ausmus? In 17 big league seasons, he's never been on the DL. Now that's amazing.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
More second base talk
I've run down a few different second basemen the Dodgers thought about trading for in a previous post (Dan Uggla, Alberto Callaspo, and Brandon Phillips). Today comes talk of a few free agents that are on the radar. Here we go:
Ronnie Belliard - Belliard was quietly brought in last season and made a big impact. In 24 games, he hit a whopping .351 with 5 homers and 17 RBIs. He also hit .300 in the playoffs, picking up a hit in all seven games.
He also supplanted Orlando Hudson in the playoffs because of his hot bat. Granted, Hudson didn't help his own cause, hitting .237 in September. Still, to completely take over for a guy that won a Gold Glove this season speaks volumes to how well Belliard played.
He's not the slick defender that O-Dog is (not many people are), but he's capable of hitting around .290. I would very much like it for him to be brought back.
Juan Uribe - Uribe is coming off a very solid season by hitting .289 with 16 home runs and 55 RBIs for the Giants. The average was a big bounce back after three seasons of hitting in the .230's and .240's.
He's hit 20 homers in the past, so the power is there if that's what you covet from an infielder. Defensively, he's a stud at second base. Last season in 38 games there, he had a .993 fielding %. The season before with the White Sox, he had a .996 fielding % in 52 games.
While he hasn't played full time at second in his career (shortstop is his natural position), he's shown that he can get it done if given the chance.
Craig Counsell - Like Uribe, Counsell had a rebound season at the plate with the Brewers. He won't give you any power, but hit .285 with 22 doubles. He's a career .258 hitter, so maybe he found the fountain of youth for one season anyway.
He appeared in 44 games at second base, and guess what? He was flawless, recording a 1.000 fielding %. He played short and third as well, giving the Brewers a lift wherever needed. It's easy to see why teams are interested despite turning 40 next season.
If he is brought in, it will be to split time with Blake DeWitt. I look at him more as a utility guy, so I think the Dodgers can do better.
Jamey Carroll - Carroll has been a model of consistency the last two seasons for the Indians in that he'll give you decent hitting, no power, and a good glove at second. He hit .276 last season compared to .277 two seasons ago. In both years, he registered a .355 OBP.
He's another guy who's played many positions, but when he's played second, he's been good. In 56 games, he had a .996 fielding %. He also appeared at third, right, and left. I've seen his name pop up a few times simply because of his versatility.
I look at him like Counsell. He's wouldn't be a bad addition by any means, but not much of an impact player at the plate.
In my opinion, the Dodgers should try to retain Belliard or go after Uribe. Of course, this is all assuming they can't swing a trade for someone. Both players can get it done at the plate, which they showed last season. Uribe's the better fielder, but Belliard isn't that bad. Most importantly, I think they can be full-time guys.
DeWitt is still a wild card in all of this. If he shows he can handle the job himself, Ned Colletti will look to get someone to share some of the time. DeWitt's played well before, but he needs to really make an impression if he wants an everyday gig.
Ronnie Belliard - Belliard was quietly brought in last season and made a big impact. In 24 games, he hit a whopping .351 with 5 homers and 17 RBIs. He also hit .300 in the playoffs, picking up a hit in all seven games.
He also supplanted Orlando Hudson in the playoffs because of his hot bat. Granted, Hudson didn't help his own cause, hitting .237 in September. Still, to completely take over for a guy that won a Gold Glove this season speaks volumes to how well Belliard played.
He's not the slick defender that O-Dog is (not many people are), but he's capable of hitting around .290. I would very much like it for him to be brought back.
Juan Uribe - Uribe is coming off a very solid season by hitting .289 with 16 home runs and 55 RBIs for the Giants. The average was a big bounce back after three seasons of hitting in the .230's and .240's.
He's hit 20 homers in the past, so the power is there if that's what you covet from an infielder. Defensively, he's a stud at second base. Last season in 38 games there, he had a .993 fielding %. The season before with the White Sox, he had a .996 fielding % in 52 games.
While he hasn't played full time at second in his career (shortstop is his natural position), he's shown that he can get it done if given the chance.
Craig Counsell - Like Uribe, Counsell had a rebound season at the plate with the Brewers. He won't give you any power, but hit .285 with 22 doubles. He's a career .258 hitter, so maybe he found the fountain of youth for one season anyway.
He appeared in 44 games at second base, and guess what? He was flawless, recording a 1.000 fielding %. He played short and third as well, giving the Brewers a lift wherever needed. It's easy to see why teams are interested despite turning 40 next season.
If he is brought in, it will be to split time with Blake DeWitt. I look at him more as a utility guy, so I think the Dodgers can do better.
Jamey Carroll - Carroll has been a model of consistency the last two seasons for the Indians in that he'll give you decent hitting, no power, and a good glove at second. He hit .276 last season compared to .277 two seasons ago. In both years, he registered a .355 OBP.
He's another guy who's played many positions, but when he's played second, he's been good. In 56 games, he had a .996 fielding %. He also appeared at third, right, and left. I've seen his name pop up a few times simply because of his versatility.
I look at him like Counsell. He's wouldn't be a bad addition by any means, but not much of an impact player at the plate.
In my opinion, the Dodgers should try to retain Belliard or go after Uribe. Of course, this is all assuming they can't swing a trade for someone. Both players can get it done at the plate, which they showed last season. Uribe's the better fielder, but Belliard isn't that bad. Most importantly, I think they can be full-time guys.
DeWitt is still a wild card in all of this. If he shows he can handle the job himself, Ned Colletti will look to get someone to share some of the time. DeWitt's played well before, but he needs to really make an impression if he wants an everyday gig.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Dodgers acquire Ronnie Belliard
The Dodgers made a move to strengthen their bench by trading for infielder Ronnie Belliard from the Nationals. He should be in L.A. in time for Monday's game against the Diamondbacks.
Belliard is a right-handed hitter in his 12th year in the majors. He's a career .274 hitter with 107 home runs. This season his numbers have dipped, as he's hitting .246 with 5 homers and 22 RBIs in 86 games (187 at-bats).
My guess is that he's probably thrilled to get out of Washington and onto a contender. This isn't an earth-shattering move by any means, but it could give the Dodgers another decent option off the bench.
As for the bench, they now have Mark Loretta, Brad Ausmus, and Juan Castro as righties and Juan Pierre as a lefty. So there's some pretty good, veteran options to turn to late in games.
One thing I believe the Dodgers have done very well this season is just that - great bench play. Belliard can only help that.
Belliard is a right-handed hitter in his 12th year in the majors. He's a career .274 hitter with 107 home runs. This season his numbers have dipped, as he's hitting .246 with 5 homers and 22 RBIs in 86 games (187 at-bats).
My guess is that he's probably thrilled to get out of Washington and onto a contender. This isn't an earth-shattering move by any means, but it could give the Dodgers another decent option off the bench.
As for the bench, they now have Mark Loretta, Brad Ausmus, and Juan Castro as righties and Juan Pierre as a lefty. So there's some pretty good, veteran options to turn to late in games.
One thing I believe the Dodgers have done very well this season is just that - great bench play. Belliard can only help that.
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