:: Los Angeles Dodgers Update ::

Either I enjoy gossip and rumors then investigating them further or the possibility of the Dodgers strengthening their roster makes me a giddy little baseball fan considering they've consistently lost to the Philles when it mattered the most.

Possibility #1: 4th Outfielder May Soon Be Finalized

So first up as of yesterday and seems to be getting closer to the final shabang - Former Chicago Cub, Reed Johnson looks to be finalizing a deal with the True Blue Squad for a $800k contract for one year (pending a physical). According to ESPN Chicago mixed with other sites including the Los Angeles Dodgers News site, the Cal State Fullerton Alumnus will be the 4th outfielder on the squad just beating out So.Cal favorite and now an Atlanta Brave, Garret Anderson as well as Brian Giles (San Diego Padres), and Gabe Gross who as of today signed a 1-year deal with the Oakland A's.


This Catch just pumps be up for the Season!


The 4th spot would fill Juan Pierre's spot when he was traded to the Chicago White Sox in December. Pierre's socks as well as the Jay-Z Song will always be missed in Dodgers Stadium as he takes on new endeavors in good ole Chi-town.



Funny enough and perhaps not as funny for Johnson's pocket, he had asked the Cubs for almost three times what he may get from the Dodgers. Although Johnson became a fan favorite, when the Cubs signed Xavier Nady they forgot who was that other guy. Word on the street has it though, if Johnson would had asked the Cubs for the same deal that he reportedly will sign with the Dodgers, they would have agreed on a deal two months ago. Hmm.. is this where you shrug your shoulders and pretend to speak French? ... "C'est La Vie" ... Well, good thing he loves the game.



There does seem to be some promise for the Dodgers 4th string of sorts, but hopefully he'll remember all of those acrobatics he had no problem doing in Chicago. After hitting .303 with the Cubs in 2008, injuries limited Johnson to 65 games and a .255 average in 2009. The 7-year veteran outfielder missed time with a broken foot and back spasms. Back problems have been an ongoing condition for Johnson the last three seasons.



Possibility #2: An East Coast Reunion of Sorts

According to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports, the Los Angeles Dodgers are interested in pitcher Chien-Ming Wang.

The Dodgers will happen to be in Taiwan for two exhibition games in March and are looking for some Wang (to join them on the pitchers mound). The True Blue squad are interested in Wang, major-league sources say, but not because of their scheduled spring-training trip to his native land. Wang may be worth the risk as a number five starter if he comes cheap. He has a 55-26 record with a 4.16 ERA over 5 seasons with the Yankees. However, Taiwan's baseball stud is just coming off a season-ending shoulder surgery last July 30, and is not expected to be ready before May 1. The Mets and other teams also are monitoring his rehabilitation.



Manager Joe Torre has experience managing Wang with the Yankees, and the Dodgers are still looking for another starting pitcher.