10:01pm: The deal would guarantee Rivera approximately $4MM, according to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick.
7:59pm: Juan Rivera and the Dodgers are closing in on a one-year contract that would include a team option for 2013, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times. The deal could be completed later in the week.
Rivera joined the Dodgers when the Blue Jays sent him to Los Angeles for a player to be named later in July. The 33-year-old posted a combined line of .258/.319/.382 with 11 homers and 23 doubles for the Blue Jays and Dodgers in 2011, his 11th season in the Major Leagues. SFX represents Rivera, as our Agency Database shows.
Rivera has produced against left-handed pitching over the course of his career (.830 OPS) and 2011 was no exception (.805 OPS). He played left field, right field and first base for the Dodgers and will likely play a similar role in 2012. He was not a ranked free agent, so the Dodgers could not have obtained compensation for losing him via free agency.
Dodgers owner Frank McCourt may sell the Dodgers this winter. Click here for Tim Dierkes' offseason outlook for the club.
CaseyBlakeDeWitt
No! Don’t do it Colleti! It’s a trap!
EdinsonPickle
Our starships can’t repel firepower of that magnitude!
CaseyBlakeDeWitt
The single greatest line that is 100% pointless to ever be put into a movie.
FrankTheFunkasaurusRex
Why.
rfffr
was that player ever named?
Jonathan
no, and the article is incomplete. It was actually a ptbnl or cash. Seeing as how the was no ptbnl, I’m guessing the blue jays took the cash.
John 87
OG in my swisher so blunt taste flavor.
Michael Mulligan
Our first signing of the winter.
Table
Juan Rivera…….RBI…..both so overrated by Ned Colletii. This deal is probably going to be for like 3-4 mill. I would have preferred Jaime Hoffman or Scott Hairston for about 1 mill. Or Cody Ross for 5 mill.
John 87
There’s a reason you’re not a GM.
MetsMagic
To be fair, neither is Ned Coletti.
John 87
To be fair Coletti is a gm
MetsMagic
To be fair, neither is Ned Coletti.
Table
Juan Rivera suks.
Cam Hodgson-Dwyer
‘To be fair Colletti is a gm”
Colletti to GM is like Paris Hilton to actress, or Kim Kardashian to singer. Technically yes, but no.
Table
Juan Rivera suks.
Table
For their careers, Juan Rivera, Cody Ross, Scott Hairston, and Jonny Gomes have been nearly identical offensively. They are all 31 years old except Rivera who is 34. They are all right handed, and they are all free agents. Who Choose Rivera? Gomes has terrible defense, so I get not wanting him, but Ross and Hairston are younger and better than Rivera at this point, they would have made more sense for the Dodgers.
John 87
So what if they’re younger they are only signing a 1 year deal
Table
They are closer to the good part of their careers whilst Rivera is already in decline and likely to get worse. Being younger often means being healthier.
Table
For their careers, Juan Rivera, Cody Ross, Scott Hairston, and Jonny Gomes have been nearly identical offensively. They are all 31 years old except Rivera who is 34. They are all right handed, and they are all free agents. Who Choose Rivera? Gomes has terrible defense, so I get not wanting him, but Ross and Hairston are younger and better than Rivera at this point, they would have made more sense for the Dodgers.
Table
As for Jaime Hoffman, while he might not be able to replicate Rivera’s .258 .319 .382 line, he could get close whilst providing far superior defense. He is also much younger and cheaper. Easy move in my opinion.
Ken In Sac
You should lose your ability to post.
Lunchbox45
watching Juan Rivera play baseball, made me hate baseball
John 87
People like you that think they know everything about the sport make me hate baseball
Table
People that hate Baseball just because not every fan thinks the same as them, they are rather simple minded no?
Lunchbox45
Juan is that you? Sorry that I insulted you, you’re just so out of shape and lazy, it made me sick.
Sammy Scaglione
Doesn’t anyone remember how sorely in-need we were of a bat, and once Juan Rivera came over, the line-up became more balanced. His Defense isn’t horrible either. As long as this does’t prevent other signings as far as cost, why not let him return. He liked playing in Dodger blue, and we always have Jerry Sands who we all hope to return from a productive offseason.
Table
It was nice while it lasted, but it did not last. You pay in free agency for future performance, not past performance. It’s difficult to project Rivera being very good in the future.
Erick F. Pacheco
i dont think Juan Rivera will have the same role as he did last year with the Dodgers, so lets relax. He is most likely going to be a backup outfielder/ pinch hitter. That bench needs some major upgrades so I don’t mind this signing.
Erick F. Pacheco
i dont think Juan Rivera will have the same role as he did last year with the Dodgers, so lets relax. He is most likely going to be a backup outfielder/ pinch hitter. That bench needs some major upgrades so I don’t mind this signing.
Jay
The Dodgers are showing they wanna spend money
Chase Wybenga
I like the signing as long as it isnt for more then 1.5 million. in the world of baseball that is chump change. its worth the rick at a small price tag. i say go for it if the price is right.
Table
Rod Barajas resigned for 3.5 mill last year, I can’t help but think Rivera will get the same
Chase Wybenga
like i said for 1.5million i am ok with that. 2.5 million is more then i would value him at. with jerry sands most likely on the 2012 roster and the return on rivera and possible even tony gywnn jr(projected at 1.1million) does this all point to a possible more of andre either???? moving either might be one of the only logical ways of freeing up movie for a big player like price fielder? JUST A THOUGH
BruinPirateAnteater
I like the move, except this might rule out James Loney moving to left if we can acquire Prince (thus indicating Loney is going to be non-tendered). It also might mean less playing time for Jerry Sands, and maybe Gwynn Jr not coming back (I love his glove, and he was very descent with the bat this season).
Of course, this could also be setting up an Ethier trade, which could free up some money and be used to acquire Prince. I wouldn’t mind that. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Ethier does not want to be a Dodger, so why keep his “quirky” attitude around? And please, don’t start saying “Well remember Kemp was off in 2010 and look what he did this season, everyone was calling for him to be traded because of attitude.” That might be so, but I was NOT one of the people who were calling for him to be traded, I always knew Kemp would be the best player in the game, it just happened 1 season later than I thought it would. Even when he was thrown under the bus by Ned over a year and a half ago, Kemp never publicly spoke out about wanting to be traded. I had some doubts when he was colliding with the coaching staff, but he kept his frustrations private. As soon as the Dodgers hired Davey Lopes-knowing they hired him SPECIFICALLY to work with Kemp (though all parties deny it, I always knew this was the case), I knew everything would be just fine with Kemp and I knew he would become the player he is today. So the “Well Kemp had an offseason…” argument doesn’t hold for me.
Let’s put it this way, I wouldn’t want an Ethier extension to impact the possibility of signing Fielder. So I wouldn’t mind seeing Ethier traded, have Loney play right (or left), Sands/Rivera play left (or right), and have T.Gwynn Jr be the back up to both….and of course, have Fielder man first, either land Kelly Johnson to play second or have Sellers play second, Gordon short, and Miles/Uribe play 3rd (maybe have Casey Blake back on the bench if Uribe sucks again or is hurt again). I would definitely resign Barrajas (he provided plenty of home runs, and our pitchers love him and he wants to be here; hes proven…I am not sold on Fed, granted, I have it out for him because I resent the trade of Trayvon, and I do like Ellis as a full time back up).
Table
This indicates nothing, Rivera is not going to be a starter.
BruinPirateAnteater
Well now that I see what we paid for him ($4 mill), I think he is gonna be expected to start. $4mill is an expensive bench player…
Table
Expensive bench pieces are Ned’s specialty! Juan Pierre, Andruw Jones, Nomar, and probably Uribe are some of his past successes!!
Chase Wybenga
i will say that i actually think that alex castellanos, minor league out fielder we recieved for furcal, could be better then trayon robinson. castellanos or sands could provide a strong replacement for eithe down the road. i agree trade him if it means getting prince.
Table
Ned is so dumb, this is an overpay as usual
Erick F. Pacheco
So with Juan Rivera being signed this brings up a lot of scenarios. First thing is first I still see Rivera as a bench player. With Sands being the starter. Either we non-tender James Loney or trader Ethier. I like the idea of trading Ethier for possibly a starter, moving Loney to the outfield and platooning him with either Rivera or Sands, the one who is struggling the most. This also means that Tony Gywnn will not be coming back.
BlueSkyLA
No, no, no. Turn Loney into a relief pitcher. He must have done it at least once.
ateam043
1 year /4.5 Million??!?!?!?!?!?! I hope the first move by the new Dodgers owner is to get rid of Colleti.
Pavilionbum
It will be. Hopefully they keep Watson and White around.
CAD_Monkey
So Coletti didn’t learn from Belliard, Gibbons…?
CaseyBlakeDeWitt
Seriously.
“You played good half season for us? You get new contract! Yay!”
BlueSkyLA
His good half season with the Dodgers was right around his career averages.
Table
Jose Cruz JR, Marlon Anderson, Ronnie Belliard, Rod Barajas, Jay Gibbons, Juan Rivera……just another in the long line of flash in the pan Dodger pick ups that get extended foolishly
Pavilionbum
Classic Colletti.
Right idea, but paid too much.
BlueSkyLA
All I care about is the idea. I don’t get why any fan would give a flying fig how much he’s being paid.
Table
because later the team will complain that it doesn’t have enough money left on it’s budget to make meaningful signings/trades
BlueSkyLA
No, you will complain. It’s what you do. Constantly.
whatever
Are you serious? Spending could be even lower now that the team is being put up for sale.
FYI Juan Rivera sucks and is getting paid to be the starting LF next season.. or hes the 4th OF.. getting paid 4 million dollars
Shut up
BlueSkyLA
Career line of .277/.327/.449/.776. Yeah that really sucks.
So no thanks. Silly opinions deserve to be refuted.
whatever
Umm yeah thats pretty bad for a Left fielder.. That and hes a terrible defender.
A career OBP of less than .330.. LMAO, yeah hes good. Lemme guess those 40 RBI he had made all the difference?
BlueSkyLA
I’d expect him to play left, right and first, and pitch hit. But whatever, whatever.
whatever
spread the suck around. smart plan.
silly opinions deserved to refuted
Moseyah
its cheap, i guess its a good signing. i hate his defense though. he is slow as heck and i guess he cant be worse than manny but at least manny had major star power. dodgers need a star bat to compliment kemp, healthy ethier. hopefully a loney/great farm guys for fielder or PUJOLS and dodgers going up! especially with that loser mccourt out of the way.