The Dodgers and infielder Ronnie Belliard have agreed to a one-year deal worth $825K. Belliard could earn another $250K in incentives tied to plate appearances on this non-guaranteed contract. Though Belliard passed his physical this morning, the Dodgers asked that he weigh no more than 209 pounds at the start of Spring Training.
The 34-year-old Belliard hit .351/.398/.636 for LA after coming over from the Nationals in a mid-season trade, and .277/.325/.451 overall. Mini-Manny (remember that nickname?) is capable of playing first, second, and third, though he doesn't play any of the three positions particularly well.
The Dodgers added Jamey Carroll earlier this offseason, so the team has some nice infield depth.
MLB.com's Ken Gurnick first reported the deal, and Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times added contract details, via Twitter.
Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.
Joseph
HUGE SIGNING!
WATCH OUT REST OF THE NL WEST!!!
Guest 854
Shut up, thanks.
Joseph
shut up? Because Im joking on a forum? Someone must be having a bad day.
Jamie Carroll, Dewitt and Belliard to battle it out for the 2nd base.
ivdown
Carroll was never an option to start. The media is seriously stupid (or should I say ESPN) because I’ve seen many “analysts” say that he was.
It was either going to be Dewitt or someone from a trade or FA.
vtadave
Hard to say it much better than my fellow fan below, but must you act like such a tool at inconsequential signings such as this?
Guest 852
Wow, very solid sign and I am definitely NOT a Dodger fan.
UnknownPoster
huh? why? Arent we going with DeWitt…?
Still, 850K isnt that big of a deal.
Guest 855
I like it a lot actually.. really surprised he only got this much and Carroll got PAID.
true2lablue
What a steal of a deal !!!!!
Belliard was money for us down the stretch
UnknownPoster
until we got to the playoffs where he couldnt take a pitch for his life…
Guest 856
Hey he did hit though.. for what its worth.
UnknownPoster
true, but Id much rather have DeWitt playing everyday than Belliard. Now, they could do a platoon, but what happens when Belliard hit 246 like he did in WSH instead of 351 like he did in LA?
vtadave
…and check out DeWitt’s platoon splits circa 2008. He’s actually quite good vs. LHP.
UnknownPoster
Thats what doesnt make sense. I thought about it a little more, and decided that maybe they wanted to give DeWitt another year(a full year!) in the minors and at 2B. Im sure Belliard didnt get any serious offers and basically crawled back to the Dodgers…
WagsFromLB
My thoughts exactly…I would rather see DeWitt play a full year at AAA just so he will be entirely comfortable at 2B in 2011…Plus playing a full season at ALB should help his stats and his confidence.
Guest 859
I agree with that and really there is no point of having 3 guys who play the same position.. all 3 only play 2nd/3rd.. Hu should get ready for some traveling this year.
vtadave
Thing is, Dewitt has already proven he can hit at the big league level. A .344 OBP for someone with so little experience is quite good, and there’s little reason to think he couldn’t hit 15 homers over a full season. He’s 24, and I just hope he’s given a real chance to win the job this spring. If he doesn’t, let him play every day at 2B in Triple-A and should he hit well there, bring him back full-time instead of jerking him around for another year.
rayking
Very cost-effective signing, imho. Although he could use a little more attention to his training regimen.
corey12345
Does this mean the dodgers are totally giving up on Hu Chin-lung? They have signed 2 new 2Bs this offseason
UnknownPoster
Hu is a shortstop. And we are still seeing if he can hit pitching year in and year out. He is a wiz with the glove, though. My guess is he plays one year in LA after Furcals deal is done if Gordon isnt ready and then is dealt..
Zach
I don’t think Hu will hit MLB pitching anytime soon. He’s not very strong and doesn’t really even have gap power. I wish the Dodgers would have (I doubt they still can) sold high on this guy like they did with Andy Laroche. The Dodgers have had a few guys in recent years that seem like they won’t make it really in the Majors but still have had high regard (ie LaRoche, Joel Guzman, etc…)
UnknownPoster
I hope you are wrong, but I think you are right. However, Hu has hit 325, 295 and 294 in the last 3 years in the minors. I think some team would be willing to trade for him. Hu got one shot in 08 and struggled. Every other time has been in limited action(in the majors). I think he still has some value, especially considering his defense.
Zach
I hope other teams still think he has value and are willing to give up someone decent for Hu. I was getting really excited when I heard his name in the Halladay rumors. But regarding Hu’s limited Major league experience, Hu hasn’t really impressed at Spring Training either. I just don’t like his swing particularly. I see Hu’s best comparison to Adam Everett. Good glove, can’t hit. Hu really doesn’t have a spot for the Dodgers anymore with the emergence of Dee Gordon. We’ll just have to wait and see.
UnknownPoster
once again, I hate to agree with you, but I do. For the record, I didnt mean to imply that he deserved more shots, but i was just saying that he hadnt gotten many. And I do think if there is the correct GM, he could be decent trade bait. He has shown he can hit in the minors, and is a wiz with the glove, but has never been able to put it together in the majors.
And I do think he could have a semi-large role with us. Right now, he is the backup SS. If he does well in that role, he is traded, IMO. In the long term, he doesnt have a place. If the prospects pan out, it would be DeWitt at 3B, Gordon at SS, DeJesus at 2B and Loney at 1B. Hu lost his spot to Gordon, agreed.
If I was a betting man, Id bet that he is dealt before July 31
Zach
I hope other teams still think he has value and are willing to give up someone decent for Hu. I was getting really excited when I heard his name in the Halladay rumors. But regarding Hu’s limited Major league experience, Hu hasn’t really impressed at Spring Training either. I just don’t like his swing particularly. I see Hu’s best comparison to Adam Everett. Good glove, can’t hit. Hu really doesn’t have a spot for the Dodgers anymore with the emergence of Dee Gordon. We’ll just have to wait and see.
markjsunz
Hu could not his weight in the major leagues and is going to be 26 years old. not very good prospects for the guy to have much of a major league career, When there are younger guys coming up through the system who will at some point be given there chance.Hu was one of the first guys from Taiwan to play major league baseball which is pretty cool.
UnknownPoster
Im not saying he is anything near a top prospect. However, he has hit well in the minors and has been very strong with the glove. I am 100% sure there will be some GM that will look at his stats, offensively and defensively, in the minors and be interested in him in a deal. Especially if he does go down to the minors and rakes.
Flip U
i think angel berroa will get the SS backup role from Hu at the start of the season. Hu will start at the minors…
ivdown
Hu is a SS. His problem is that he has no bat, but a ridiculous glove. Too bad he’ll never get a shot here, even as the backup. I wonder what kind of value he has left in trades.
Suzysman
Today in the news
The Dodgers give Belly guaranteed 825K up to 1.075 MM for one year off a solid season for a middle infielder
JimmyBoy Hendry gives Nady a guaranteed 3.3 MM and up to 5.3 MM off NO year because of major surgery.
Fire Hendry already!!!
(oh, and great signing Dodgers!)
ivdown
Honestly I was surprised at the low cost for Belliard after what Carroll got. I love this deal for the Dodgers.
gunger69
thanks for bringing him back.
Rays Fan 33
its a very good signing for them i see him as someone like a casey blake type a good veteran who can help the team plus its cheaper than what hudson would have cost no need to complain i see the nl west a 4 team race the giants will be much stronger with huff derosa and the dbacks though traded 2 nice young arms for a good yet inconsistant edwin jackson and unproven ian kennedy but getting laroche helps and the rockies with there solid lineup plus a healthy francis could be intresting seeing betancourt a full year will be a nice stable to the bullpen as for the dodgers they have one of the best core of hitters kemp loney martin either plus vets like ramirez and blake a nice team depending on how the rotation does and avoiding injury they will compete expect a good race 4 well build teams
sammmmm231231231
Carroll and Dewitt will get most of the AB’s.. Belliard signed KNOWING he was a strict 150PA back-up this time… he is NOT a good player..His stretch last year in LA will NEVER happen again….
Suzysman
Belliard is better then both Carroll and Dewitt so not sure what to tell you man.
WagsFromLB
couldn’t agree more…just out of curiosity…since you are a Cub fan..what do you think of the Marlon Byrd signing? love it? hate it? waiting to see?
Suzysman
On Byrd… mixed feelings.
I think Byrd will be average with both the bat and glove in a better case situation, so nothing overly special. He was one of the better options available though, so that is at least a plus. Hendry also didnt give him a horrific dollar amount which is shocking, but gave him way too long of a commitment so it cancels out some.
Overall, dont like Byrd but dont completely hate him, dont hate the amount, hate the length and wish we would have rather got Crisp at 1/5MM (who would have fit the club better and likely would have provided better results) but really pleased we didnt get stuck with someone like Pods or Ankeil.
UnknownPoster
Than Carroll, yes. Than DeWitt? hell no. DeWitt is a lefty who has elite 3b defense and is learning 2B. He has a linedrive bat that is projected at ~280 with 15-20Hrs. He is much better than Belliard and Carroll.
Now, maybe they felt that DeWitt wasnt ready and that was the reason we signed Belliard. However, DeWitt is the better player
eldiablo505
DeWitt has very good defense, that much is true. However you’re really looking at things with rose-blue colored glasses if you think that he’ll either hit .280 or (especially) knock 15-20 HR. He hit .256 with 7 HR in 352 ABs in one of the most hitting friendly ballparks in all of the minor leagues in 2009. He’s gotten a good rep amongst Dodger fans for his blazing start out of the gate in his big league debut, but he’s neither a good hitter nor an elite prospect. He may have a future as a Jamey Carroll (utility IF) if he can be a little more consistent.
UnknownPoster
How can you expect a guy who was called up and down 7 times in one season to do well? One of the biggest difficulties for a player is becoming comfortable at the plate. How can you do that when you are sent up and down 7 times?
And everyone knows that DeWitt isnt an elite prospect. He isnt going to hit 320 with 40 bombs and an ungodly OPS. He is not that type of player. He is a patient hitter who has a line drive swing. As players get older, those line drives go over the wall.
You want an example of power from DeWitt? Off the bench in NY last year, he hits a moonshot in Citi Field that smacks off the Subway sign. And it was a sweet, fluent swing.
I know that no one outside of LA is that high on DeWitt. IMO, it has a lot to do with the fact that he never had time to establish himself as a prospect. When he came into the majors in 08, he was 2 years ahead of where the Dodgers wanted him. However, we had no one ahead of him that could play 3B. He lost his rookie status in 08, so I dont believe has ever appeared on any prospect list. I said this a few months ago and I’ll say it again, I dont mind if people dont believe in these guys to produce. Hell, John Sickles(owner of minorleagueball.com, writes a prospect handbook every year) believed that Matt Kemp wasnt going to be a good major leaguer. Guys out west seem to fly under the radar(generally, not all the time), and that’s ok… we will wait and see how DeWitt does
eldiablo505
DeWitt has very good defense, that much is true. However you’re really looking at things with rose-blue colored glasses if you think that he’ll either hit .280 or (especially) knock 15-20 HR. He hit .256 with 7 HR in 352 ABs in one of the most hitting friendly ballparks in all of the minor leagues in 2009. He’s gotten a good rep amongst Dodger fans for his blazing start out of the gate in his big league debut, but he’s neither a good hitter nor an elite prospect. He may have a future as a Jamey Carroll (utility IF) if he can be a little more consistent.
Suzysman
The least three seasons Belliard has posted .332-.369 wOBA’s for an average of .344. In Dewitts career he sports a AAA wOBA of .345 with a AA mark of .285 for a .324 career high-minors line. That .324 also matches up fairly well to the .313 major league line for Blake. (that .313 is a little high, but we will give him the benefit of this doubt)
Over 400 PA, that is about +5 Runs for Belliard or about -6 Runs for Dewitt. Assuming the same amount of playing time for each – Belliard being roughly a neutral fielding 2B, DeWitt would need to post a +11 UZR to be worth more. That is something only one player was able to do last season, and it took him a full 151 games to do it. (although Utley came close, but needed 155 games)
Also, so you know, Dewitt hasnt shown 15-20 HR potential since A ball and struggled to even hit .280 in the minors with an overall career .277 minor league batting average to go with the below average 7.8 BB%. That generally translates to about .240-.250/.300-.310, and not about .280.
R_y_a_n
Excellent post.
vtadave
And yet DeWitt hit nine HRs in 368 at-bats with the Dodgers in 2008. Project that total over 550 at-bats and you get 13.5 homers. Figure he adjusts to big league pitching and gets stronger, and I see little reason why 15-20 homers can’t be in his future.
Suzysman
with 5 of the 9 being lucky or just enough shots. But to give you a better idea, the average distance of HR hit in 08 was 397. The average distance of a DeWitt HR that season was 379 and only 1 of his 9 went as far as the games average. Anyway, anything is possible; but to expect DeWitt to hit 15-20 HR (especially over multiple seasons) is questionable. When you base the idea off his being on a 13.5 HR pace over a half a season which saw 56% of his HR being lucky shots, well it becomes even more questionable. That said, if you just want 15-20 HR and a 280 BA, then Belly is your man! The last two seasons he has been on a 20+ HR pace if given the 550 AB you allotted for, and it has been 8 years since he last hit under .275. Belliard also has a slightly better walk rate then DeWitt has shown in the minors, and is good for a couple steals.So overall, the ML Ronnie has outproduced the minor league numbers of Dewitt and he is pretty much the hitter Dodger fans are trying to stretch DeWitts ideal potential into. Which makes you wonder why you all would question Belliard and try to talk up DeWitt into a Belliard like player – why not just happy with the production you are clamoring for in the form of Ronnie instead of crossing your fingers hoping upon hope that DeWitt eventually reaches that level despite his actual stats saying its unlikly? One last thing because it was mentioned earlier about Dewitts Defense. Of course they dont keep UZR for the minors, and these arent exactly the end all, be all stats – but looking at his old school numbers at 3B for a minute.933 Fld% and 2.44 RF/G – DeWitt at 3B in the minors.937 Fld% and 2.39 RF/G – Edwin “E5” Encarnacion at 3B over his career.952 Fld% and 2.62 RF/G – Mark Teahen at 3B While reports I see say stuff like “He’s a decent third baseman who makes the plays he gets to.” So where exactly did the whole “has elite 3b defense” stuff come from?
eldiablo505
Surely you know that minor league numbers don’t correlate exactly with expected major league numbers. There is a major league equivalency calculator available out there. Try and plug DeWitt’s 2009 AAA numbers in there — it ain’t pretty:
352 AB, 5 HR, 31 RBI, 42 Runs, 2 SB, .198/.270/.324
Feel free to project that over 550 ABs, lol.
Suzysman
The least three seasons Belliard has posted .332-.369 wOBA’s for an average of .344. In Dewitts career he sports a AAA wOBA of .345 with a AA mark of .285 for a .324 career high-minors line. That .324 also matches up fairly well to the .313 major league line for Blake. (that .313 is a little high, but we will give him the benefit of this doubt)
Over 400 PA, that is about +5 Runs for Belliard or about -6 Runs for Dewitt. Assuming the same amount of playing time for each – Belliard being roughly a neutral fielding 2B, DeWitt would need to post a +11 UZR to be worth more. That is something only one player was able to do last season, and it took him a full 151 games to do it. (although Utley came close, but needed 155 games)
Also, so you know, Dewitt hasnt shown 15-20 HR potential since A ball and struggled to even hit .280 in the minors with an overall career .277 minor league batting average to go with the below average 7.8 BB%. That generally translates to about .240-.250/.300-.310, and not about .280.
markjsunz
Torre always goes with the hot hand. When Hudson stopped hitting he used Belliard last year, he did the same with the yankees. Let one of them earn the job. None of them look to be great solutions. If DeWitt can play second base it is time to see if he is a major leaguer or not.
ThinkBlue10
to me, as a dodger fan, this signing makes no sense at all. I wouldve gone with anyone but belliard. felipe lopez? adam kennedy? anyone else?
coolstorybro222
those other guys suck. Billard is actually a decent infielder.
ThinkBlue10
to me, as a dodger fan, this signing makes no sense at all. I wouldve gone with anyone but belliard. felipe lopez? adam kennedy? anyone else?
bleedblueking
im sure itll be a platoon effort at both 2B and SS, i think furcal needs more time off during the season while he gets back to his old form. Id actually like to see Dewitt take over at 3B where blake although solid defensively has struggled with the bat especially in the post-season
Fidel Luna
This is a good signing Ronnie played really good for a short time and let them fight to see who is better for the starting job at second, you just can’t give it to anybody, Furcal and Blake need more time off and now the team has a deep infield, Dewitt is young and hopefully will develope into a really good second basemen plus he also plays third really good.
bmcourt
Am I the only one who finds his weight caveat to be hilarious…
It seems like they don’t want to make the same mistake as with Andruw Jones, but it’s a bit too little (as in millions less are at stake) and too late.