Martin batted a disappointing .250/.352/.329 in 2009, the second consecutive season his OPS has experienced a drop-off.

Spin: Compared to 2007, Martin's home runs dropped from 19 to seven and stolen bases from 21 to 11. Still, he's just 26 and should be considered a borderline top-10 catcher headed into 2010.Sun, Nov 15

Martin has been dealing with an illness this week, though he made it through Wednesday's pre-NLCS workout, the Dodgers' official site reports.

Spin: It'll take a pretty high threshold to remove Martin from the starting lineup.Wed, Oct 14

Ken Gurnick, of MLB.com, reports Los Angeles Dodgers C Russell Martin (flu) and hitting coach Don Mattingly (flu) were both improved from the flu and present at the team's workout Wednesday, Oct. 14.

Loney finished with a .281/.357/.399 line, including 13 homers and 90 RBIs.

Spin: The homers and RBI were identical to the marks Loney recorded in 2008. Four of Loney's home runs came in the month of September, giving us at least some hope of a mini power surge next year.Sun, Nov 15

News: Dodgers 1B James Loney got his first RBI of this postseason when he drove Cole Hamels' 2-1 pitch just over the right-field fence leading off the second inning Thursday in Game 1 of the NLCS against the Phillies, giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. He finished the game 3 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored, but the Dodgers still lost.

Analysis: Despite his size, Loney still has yet to break out as a power hitter, but he showed signs down the stretch, hitting four home runs in September. Because he plays such a deep position, he'll be no more than a middle-to-late rounder on Draft Day 2010

James Loney went 3-for-4 with a homer off Cole Hamels in Thursday's loss to the Phillies. Loney's homer was just his second in Dodger Stadium all year. Including the NLDS, he had gone 13 straight games without driving in a run.

Blake provided some needed stability at third base this season, batting .280/.363/.468 with 18 homers and 79 RBI in 485 at-bats.

Spin: Blake's hamstrings gave him troubles at different points in the season, but then again, he is 36, so these types of ailments should be expected. He's signed through 2011 and will return as the team's starting third baseman again in 2010.Mon, Nov 9

The absence of Manny Ramirez brought out the leader in Blake, who gave owners great bang for their buck before the All-Star break before settling down in the second half. The veteran third baseman always manages to finish each year with respectable numbers, having launched at least 17 homers in each of the last seven seasons, though you have to wonder when age will catch up with him.

News: Dodgers 3B Casey Blake returned to the lineup on Friday against the Colorado Rockies. Blake was dealing with a hamstring injury and missed eight straight games but was back in there Friday. He went 0 for 4 in his return and struck out all four times. His batting average sits at .278.

Analysis: Blake returned for an 8-game absence and promptly struck out four times in four at bats. That isn't a good way to return to the lineup. Consider him an option for deeper mixed leagues when healthy and productive, however. For 2010, he remains a late-round option best left for deeper formats

Furcal finsished with a middling .269/.335/.375 line in 2009, including nine homers and just 12 stolen bases.

Spin: On a brighter note, Furcal did hit .330 after August 31. If he's now truly 100% after the prior-year ankle and back issues, Furcal could be a bit of a sleeper in 2010. It's easy to forget that he's still just 32.Tue, Nov 10

Rafael Furcal shrugged his shoulders to his ears, hoping to lessen the chill from the ice bucket being dumped over his head.Yeah, right.Even after the endless dousings of champagne and beer from teammates, the frigid water left Furcal with a dazed-but-happy look, as if his mind was trying to comprehend what had just happened.The same could be said about his team.Relishing the underdog role all series, the Dodgers made quicker-than-expected work of St.

Rafael Furcal shrugged his shoulders to his ears, hoping to lessen the chill from the ice bucket being dumped over his head.

Manny Ramirez has exercised his $20 million, 2010 player option, making his return to the Dodgers next season official, according to MLB.com.

Our View: The Dodgers knew this was coming, but were probably holding out a sliver of hope he wouldn't. Manny hit .290 with 19 home runs and 63 RBI in 104 games in 2009.

Dylan Hernandez, in a post to his blog for the Los Angeles Times, says that Manny Ramirez is returning to the Dodgers in 2010.…that squelches the “Manny to the Mets” rumors this winter…Hernandez says that Ramirez’s agent, Scott Boras, informed Dodgers GM Ned Colletti that his client will not opt out of the final year [...]

Manny Ramirez is coming back to the Dodgers next season.The team said Friday that the slugger exercised his $20 million contract option for 2010. His agent Scott Boras informed Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti of the decision.Ramirez hit .290 with 19 home runs and 63 RBIs in 104 regular season games. He missed 50 games while suspended for violating baseball's drug policy.In the NL division series against St. Louis, Ramirez batted .308 with no homers and two RBI.

Joe Torre is in discussions to manage the Dodgers beyond 2010, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports. "I had some discussion about possibly extending another year, but that's still discussion now," said Torre at a charity event on Friday night in New York. "In fact, I talked to Ned [Colletti, general manager] today. I just told him I wanted a couple of weeks to think more about it." Next season is the final year of Torre's three-year contract with the Dodgers.Source: MLB.com

Kemp had another solid season, batting .297/.352/.490 with 26 home runs, 101 RBI and 34 stolen bases.

Spin: That's good enough for top-5 fantasy outfielder status headed into 2010, and at 25, it's likely Kemp's best years are ahead of him. To top things off, Kemp also won his first Gold Glove this year. Apparently he can play center field after all.Thu, Nov 12

Kemp had another solid season, batting .297/.352/.490 with 26 home runs, 101 RBI, and 34 stolen bases.

Spin: That's good enough for top-5 fantasy outfielder status headed into 2010, and at 25, it's likely Kemp's best years are ahead of him. To top things off, Kemp also won his first Gold Glove this year. Apparently he can play center field after all.Thu, Nov 12

Paul (leg) has been activated from the 60-day DL.

Spin: In the best-case scenario, Paul will be a fifth outfielder for the Dodgers in 2010. Look elsewhere if you're trying to scrape up at-bats from an outfield option on draft day.Fri, Nov 20

News: From The Sports Xchange: OF Xavier Paul (staph infection) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 21, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on July 27. His recovery was slowed in July by a microfracture in his left ankle.

Analysis: Paul is out for the season and can be ignored in all leagues. Long term, he might be nothing more than organizational depth in his career

CBSSports.com reports the Los Angeles Dodgers moved OF Xavier Paul (knee) to the 60-day disabled list Monday, July 27.

Repko was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque on Tuesday, the Dodgers' official site reports.

Spin: Repko should be nothing more than a pinch-runner, defensive replacement, and occasional pinch-hitter. No fantasy value here.Tue, Sep 1

News: The Dodgers called up catcher A.J. Ellis, reliever Scott Elbert and outfielder Jason Repko from the minors Tuesday.

Analysis: This trio is nothing more than bench depth for the Dodgers down the stretch and won't make much of a Fantasy dent, if anything. Ignore them outside of the deepest of NL-only leagues right now

CBSSports.com reports the Los Angeles Dodgers recalled OF Jason Repko from the minors Tuesday, Sept. 1.

In his first full season, Kershaw finished 8-8 with a 2.79 ERA and 185 strikeouts in 171 innings.

Spin: Kershaw was also fourth in the league in walks with 91, so he's not yet a finished product, but a sub-3.00 ERA and 9.7 K/9 at age 21 is pretty special. Look for more wins and further progress in 2010.Thu, Nov 12

General manager Ned Colletti attempted to rein in expectations that he will acquire an ace pitcher over the offseason. "Every club needs an ace and we're not unlike any club," said Colletti. "We might have one or two in the making [referring to Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley]. But the likelihood of an ace becoming available by trade is very slim. And this [free-agent] class doesn't have that type of allure to it." Ned, meet Roy Halladay. Colletti is surely bluffing, since the team's need for an ace is abundantly clear. As of now, only Kershaw, Billingsley and Hiroki Kuroda are expected to return in 2010. Jon Garland, Vicente Padilla and Randy Wolf are all eligible for free agency.Source: MLB.com

News: Dodgers SP Clayton Kershaw, who started and lost Game 1 of the NLCS, made a relief appearance in the deciding Game 5 at Philadelphia on Wednesday. He allowed two runs on one hit and one walk in two innings, recording three strikeouts.

Analysis: Kershaw had only an 8-8 record during the regular season, but mostly because of bad luck. He was normally dominant, striking out more than a batter per inning and posting a 2.79 ERA. This early postseason exit should work to his advantage since it'll keep his innings down. He could emerge as a Fantasy ace in 2010, especially since the Dodgers will probably contend again. You can wait to draft him as a No. 2 Fantasy SP, though

News: James McDonald (5-4) struck out the side in the seventh for the victory Tuesday.

Analysis: McDonald has long-term potential as a starter or late-inning reliever, but he is nothing more than a low-end middle reliever for the deepest of leagues that use true middle men down the stretch. His Fantasy value is limited by his role

News: James McDonald (4-4) took the loss Monday, allowing two runs and two hits in one inning. He struck out one and walked two, including a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the 10th.

Analysis: McDonald has long-term potential as a starter or late-inning reliever, but he is nothing more than a low-end middle reliever for the deepest of leagues that use true middle men down the stretch. His Fantasy value is limited by his role

Troy Tulowitzki lined a fastball into center field off James McDonald with one out and the bases loaded in the 10th to give the Colorado Rockies a wild, 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the opener of a crucial three-game series Tuesday night.

MLB.com reports that Dodgers manager Joe Torre will still use closer Jonathan Broxton in any save situations moving forward.

Our View: The Dodgers are on their last leg, but it appears Torre still has faith in his closer. LA has a deep bullpen, so they could go with a closer by committee or hand the ball to former Baltimore George Sherrill, but it appears that won't be the case. The final three outs will once again be Broxton's to get, despite the fact that he blew a one-run lead with two outs in the ninth of Game 4 that gave the Phillies a 3-1 series lead.

Los Angeles Dodgers RP George Sherrill allowed one hit and one walk over one-third of an inning Saturday, Sept. 26, against the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to The Associated Press. He was credited with the victory, improving his record to 1-1.

The Los Angeles Times reports Los Angeles Dodgers RP George Sherrill had given up only one run in 23 appearances with the Dodgers for an earned-run average of 0.42 prior to the Sunday, Sept. 20, game against the San Francisco Giants.

Kuo missed nearly three months of the season with elbow problems, but upon returning in late-July, posted a 2.19 ERA the rest of the way to finish with a 3.00 mark in 30 innings.

Spin: Same old story. When healthy, Kuo is among the elite left-handed relievers in the game. The Dodgers will cross their fingers that his elbow holds together in 2010.Thu, Nov 12

The Associated Press reports Los Angeles Dodgers RP Hong-Chih Kuo picked up the victory in relief during Game 2 of the National League Championship Series Friday, Oct. 16, as the Dodgers scored a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Ben Bolch, of The Los Angeles Times, reports Los Angeles Dodgers RP Hong-Chih Kuo isn't seeing clearly because he is not wearing contact lenses this year. "I just don't feel very comfortable with them," Kuo said. Kuo explained that his lenses often dried up on him while he sat in the bullpen last season. The Dodgers have made some small adjustments to accommodate Kuo, who recently ended a three-month stint on the disabled list.

Belisario was a pleasant surprise for the Dodgers in 2009, tossing 70.2 innings with a 2.04 ERA and 64:29 K:BB.

Spin: Belisario essentially replaced the injured and ineffective Cory Wade as Torre's top eighth inning option. He'll return to setting up Jonathan Broxton again in 2010.Mon, Nov 9

News: Ronald Belisario (3-0) earned the victory Tuesday, allowing one hit in 1 1/3 innings.

Analysis: Belisario is nothing more than a low-end middle reliever for the deepest of leagues that use true middle men down the stretch. The Dodgers make him a candidate for relief victories, though

Ronald Belisario pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor drunken driving charges Thursday in a Los Angeles court. Belisario, a 26-year-old right-hander, was arrested in late June and has another court date set for October. He's enjoying a breakout season, with a 2.30 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 51 relief appearances.Source: Los Angeles Times

News: From The Sports Xchange: LHP Travis Schlichting (back) was called up from the minors and placed on the 60-day DL on Sept. 1.

Analysis: Schlichting is nothing more than organizational depth at this point in his career. Ignore him in all Fantasy leagues right now

CBSSports.com reports the Los Angeles Dodgers optioned P Travis Schlichting to the minors Friday, June 19.

Dodgers optioned RHP Travis Schlicting to Triple-A Reno. Schlicting was recalled at the end of May, but only saw action in two games. He had a 3.38 ERA with two strikeouts and five walks in just 2 2/3 innings. He was replaced on the roster by James McDonald.