Zack Greinke and the Dodgers have agreed to a 6-year, $147 million mega-deal, the largest in MLB history for a righty and one that makes him the highest-paid pitcher on an average annual value basis.

Greinke slots in behind Clayton Kershaw in the rotation and gives the Dodgers a formidable 1-2 punch while lengthening the staff. Speaking of Kershaw, he must be thrilled with this deal, as his contract extension is going to be so unbelievably massive now, as in likely north of $200 million.

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The Dodgers followed up the Greinke signing by inking Korean lefty Hyun Jin Ryu to a 6-year, $36 million deal. Chad has more details here.

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Dodgers minor-league outfielder Alfredo Silverio was selected sixth in the 2012 Rule 5 Draft by the Marlins.

The Dodgers will receive $50,000 in compensation and Silverio must remain on the Marlins 25-man roster for the entirety of the 2013 campaign. If the Marlins don’t keep him, they must first offer him back to the Dodgers for $25,000.

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Though the Dodgers passed on selecting anyone during the major-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft, they picked up two guys in the minor-league portion. Elevys Gonzalez, an infielder from the Pirates organization, and Hector Nelo, a righty from the Nationals, will each cost the Blue Crew $12,000.

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Greg Zakwin is the founder of the site Plaschke Thy Sweater Is Argyle. Follow him on Twitter @ArgyledPlaschke.

The Dodgers promoted a number of front office personnel, most notably future GMs (of the Dodgers, I hope) Logan White and De Jon Watson. White will now serve as Vice President Of Scouting, while Watson takes on the role of Vice President Of Player Development.

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Via Eric Stephen, Alfredo Silverio and Ozzie Martinez have signed minor-league contracts and received invites to Spring Training.

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Bill Shaikin reports, per Ned Colletti, that Yasiel Puig will most likely begin the 2013 campaign with AA Chattanooga.

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And now we wait for the moves of the Winter Meetings.

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Greg Zakwin is the founder of the site Plaschke Thy Sweater Is Argyle. Follow him on Twitter @ArgyledPlaschke.

The Dodgers officially announced the hiring of Mark McGwire as hitting coach, replacing Dave Hansen. McGwire spent the past three years with the Cardinals as their hitting coach.

Under his tutelage, the Cards offense was top-five in OBP in each of his seasons at the offensive helm, leading all of baseball last year.

McGwire has stated that his philosophy includes not forcing change upon established sluggers, so Matt Kemp will be allowed to be himself. Hopefully McGwire can rub off on some of the lesser bats in the lineup while aiding Hanley Ramirez and Adrian Gonzalez in regaining some of their previous offensive clout. The willingness McGwire displayed as a player for drawing a walk could also be a great starting point for most of the team, as that aspect of the game can never be emphasized enough.

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As Chad noted yesterday, the Dodgers won the rights to Korean southpaw Hyun Jin Ryu, according to Mike Petriello. The Dodgers are spending money like they have a printing press hidden away in Ned Colletti‘s suite, and this seems like just another example.

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The club has outrighted Alfredo Silverio to AAA Albuquerque, opening up a spot on the 40-man roster. Silverio missed the entire 2012 season while dealing with multiple injuries suffered in a car crash.

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23 minor-leaguers, most notably Ramon Troncoso and Josh Fields, became free agents earlier this week.

If Troncoso were to return, it would just be as AAA roster filler, as the Dodgers possess a plethora of bullpen arms and Ramon has been mediocre at best recently. Fields is your typical AAAA player, and he could be a back of the bench player with some pop, though considering that he didn’t see The Show in 2012, he’s not all that likely to see it in 2013 with the Dodgers.

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Greg Zakwin is the founder of the site Plaschke Thy Sweater Is Argyle. Follow him on Twitter @ArgyledPlaschke.

Matt Kemp left Tuesday’s game in Colorado after smashing into the center field wall, somehow managing to stay in, and soon thereafter diving for a ball and landing awkwardly. If you’re so inclined, GIFs of the collision can be seen here. Tests revealed no concussion or concussion symptoms, and Matt walked away from the incident with nothing more than a bruised left knee. He returned to the lineup a few days after the frightening incident.

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Kenley Jansen was unavailable for the series in Colorado after experiencing recurring issues with his heart, which felled him for a month or so in 2011 and earlier in 2012 during Spring Training. These new issues are related to the old ones, reports Dylan Hernandez. The Dodgers and Jansen await test results, as his season could be over.

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Chad Billingsley‘s season also hangs in the balance as he awaits what could be season-ending surgery. These fears were expressed earlier in the week by Stan Kasten. Bills’ right elbow was treated with an injection of platelet-rich plasma in an effort to avoid missing the stretch run. Tommy John surgery seems like a possibility if our worst fears come to fruition.

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Scott Elbert was placed on the 15-day DL once again with left elbow inflammation. Shawn Tolleson was recalled to take his place. Don Mattingly is cautiously optimistic that Elbert could return when the 15-day period concludes.

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Matt Guerrier was activated from the 60-day DL, sending Josh Wall back to AAA and Dee Gordon from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL in the process. Gordon won’t be gone for long though, as he is eligible to return now that rosters have expanded.

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Alfredo Silverio was transferred to the 60-day DL in order to free up a spot on the 40-man roster to allow for John Ely‘s call-up. Silverio is on the DL after suffering multiple injuries in a car crash earlier this year.

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In minor league injury news, Arismendy Ozoria, Luis Vasquez, Mike Antonini, Jarret Martin, Aaron Miller, Greg Wilborn, Casio Grider, Charlie Mirabal, Bobby Coyle, and Tyler Henson were all placed on the 7-day DL, while a host of others – most notably Chris Reed and Bobby Abreu – were activated from the 7-day DL.

We learned last night that Dodgers outfield prospect Alfredo Silverio had Tommy John surgery and will miss the rest of the 2012 season. This marks yet another blow to Silverio that has come as a result of his January car accident.

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Silverio had a breakout 2011 season with the Lookouts, posting a .306/.340/.542 line with 16 home runs, 42 doubles, and a Southern League-leading 18 triples. He was ranked as highly as No. 4 in prospect rankings over the winter (Baseball America). I had him rated as the Dodgers 12th-best prospect when I did my rankings in November and Chad him him at #11 in March.

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The surgery, as Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times tweeted, was related to the car accident. So not only did Silverio have to suffer through concussion symptoms after the accident, but his injuries required Tommy John surgery as well, which explains why the team was so concerned.

Silverio was primed to make an appearance with the Dodgers this season after a strong 2011 showing, but now the timetable for his return after Tommy John surgery sits at around 12 months, barring any further complications. At 25, this is going to be a setback for Silverio — more significant than it would be for a younger player — and it will be interesting to see if he can bounce back and re-establish himself as a legitimate prospect after this ordeal.

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Silverio is the second Dodger outfield prospect to suffer a significant injury, as Angelo Songco had offseason surgery to have a metal rod inserted in his leg. He could be back as early as July.

Luckily for the Dodgers, outfield is the deepest position in the system this side of right-handed pitching. With Scott Van Slyke recalled yesterday, and guys like Alex Castellanos (despite playing 2B), Jerry Sands, and guys in Double-A like Kyle Russell and Blake Smith, the Dodgers should be okay without Silverio.

Regardless, here’s to a speedy recovery for him, because lord knows Silverio’s been through a lot in the last five months.

Chris Withrow, Scott Van Slyke, Alex Castellanos, John Wall, Stephen Fife, Michael Antonini, and Alfredo Silverio were optioned to minor league camp, while Russ Mitchell and Shane Lindsay, both non-roster invitees to camp, were reassigned to the minor league side.

No surprises there.

However, one surprise is third baseman Josh Fields, who apparently now has a good shot at making the roster.

Fields is Mitchell with a history of Major League success, a corner infielder who slugged 23 home runs as a rookie for the Chicago White Sox in 2007, only to have his career get sidetracked by knee and hip surgeries.

His road back to the Major Leagues hasn’t been an easy one and included a detour to Japan last summer. He’s in Dodgers camp on a Minor League contract, but he’s made enough of an early impression that he leaped past Mitchell as an insurance candidate at third base if Juan Uribe should fail again, and at first base behind James Loney.

Fields, Jerry Sands and Justin Sellers are probably fighting for the last roster spot, barring injury.

If that’s true, then Fields is making the team, I think.

Now I’ve basically come to terms with the fact that the Dodgers won’t be keeping Jerry Sands, because … Dodgers. Plus, carrying Justin Sellers would mean taking eleventy trillion utility infielders on the roster, so I’m pretty sure Fields ends up as the odd man in.

While I guess that’s a nice story, let’s get one thing straight here: Fields has a career rWAR of -1.3 and a career fWAR of -0.1. To say the reason his career is currently on the brink is due to injuries is asinine because even in that breakout season he was worth 0.9 rWAR and 0.6 fWAR.

My point is that people should stop pretending like he has a ton of upside because it isn’t true, and he’s far more likely to end up as the 2010 Garret Anderson than 2006 Olmedo Saenz.

I wish I was joking.

Dodgers outfielder Alfredo Silverio, who is in camp but has not participated in any Spring Training drills, will be sidelined indefinitely with aftereffects from a January auto accident in his native Dominican Republic.

The most serious of his injuries is a concussion, which still has him woozy. He also suffered bruises to his neck, elbow and shoulder.

What caused the injuries? Tony Jackson of ESPN Los Angeles says he drove off the road.

In short, the kid is lucky. From talking to various people (still haven’t been able to talk to Silverio), this is what I have been able to cull: the accident happened on a stretch of road called Curva de la Muerte, which translates to Curve of Death. Apparently, he was going about 60 mph and lost control, the car going off the road and flipping several times. He temporarily lost consciousness, and the car was demolished.

Maybe it was just a regular curve on a regular road, but it reminds me of those driving shows that give me nightmares about tumbling down a mountain.

Going 60 mph on something called the “Curve Of Death” though? Yeah, sounds like a wonderful idea.

Silverio’s seriously lucky he’s not dead, so here’s hoping for a quick recovery, but it’s not that simple.

“There isn’t even a timeline right now,” Mattingly said. “He’s still having the concussion symptoms. Nowadays, nobody messes with that. It’s definitely good to get him with our [medical] people, get him in our hands and start the [rehab] process. This way, we can keep an eye on him and monitor what he’s doing.

The concussion symptoms are by far the most worrying thing. Bones and muscles will heal, but the brain? Could be a day or end a career.

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In related terrible news, Angelo Songco had a rod inserted into his leg.

Anyway, another highly regarded prospect, outfielder-first baseman Angelo Songco, is expected to miss the next two to three months after having a rod inserted into his lower right leg. Songco was hit by a pitch late last season at high Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, where he hit .313 with 48 doubles, 29 homers, 114 RBI and a .367 on-base percentage, causing a stress fracture he was able to play through for the rest of the season. But when he started feeling intensified pain in the leg a few weeks ago, he was sent for an X-ray that showed it had turned into a full-blown fracture.

Not a wonderful start.

Prospect Rankings Thoughts

Zach Lee has the projection to eventually be a #1/#2, but his stuff right now definitely resembles more of a #2/#3. Hence his production in low-A.

I liked both Webster and Eovaldi as sleepers a while ago, but I gave the edge to Allen Webster over Nate Eovaldi because although there’s more risk to Webster, I think there’s more upside as well. Eovaldi can improve his breaking pitches, but not enough to be more than a #3 starter, and I think ending up as a reliever is a definite possibility.

I have Joc Pederson higher than most, and I acknowledge the risk, but I liked his swing, his plate discipline, and he’s probably going to be good defensively. If the power projection comes through, he’ll end up as a solid regular.

Angel Sanchez is currently what everybody assumes Chris Reed will be. Both can pitch in the mid-90s, have good secondary pitches, and possess a solid tertiary offering. They are basically the same to me, but Sanchez actually accomplished something as a professional, so he gets the edge. It’s odd that people bag on Sanchez because he might be a reliever down the road but don’t pay any attention to the fact that while Reed has the pitches, he hasn’t even made the transition from reliever to starter yet.

Garrett Gould is a solid prospect that does everything well but has concerns about how his stuff will play against advanced bats.

Even though he’s a reliever, Josh Lindblom clocks in so high because it’s rare to have a guy on a prospect list that has posted a 2.73 ERA and 2.35 FIP in 29.2 innings over 27 appearances at the MLB level.

Chris Withrow has a ton of potential, but he’s going to be 23 and I have a hard time believing his control with improve drastically. However, it just needs to get a bit better for him to be MLB useful.

Gorman Erickson might be a surprise this high, but there’s a lot to like from big switch hitting catchers with pop, plate discipline, consistent contact, and decent defensive skills. A worry of mine is that the Dodgers don’t seem to like him, as they favor defensive catchers who can’t hit, but hopefully he hits enough in 2012 to change their minds.

Alfredo Silverio and Alex Castellanos both have the tools to succeed, but you’ll have to excuse me for not being excited about their plate discipline, and the strikeout rate of Castellanos is scary. Silverio has made me believe he can be a major leaguer, but I don’t know if he’ll ever be regular. Similarly, I think Castellanos’ bat only plays at second, so it’s important to me that he can stay at the position.

Shawn Tolleson could be better than Lindblom, but there are more question marks there with him, including experience and his almost dangerous throwing motion.

James Baldwin and Scott Barlow are the upside guys. Both could be out of the top 25 by November or be in the top 10, depending on how their 2012 goes. Following them are Tim Federowicz and Steven Ames, both of whom aren’t impact players but look to be a solid bet to be contributors.

Blake Smith and Angelo Songco are one to two years behind where most regulars are at this stage in their careers (well Songco isn’t that bad, but he lacks the raw tools), so they will always have questions about competition level until they hit at the MLB level. Speaking of that, it’ll be interesting to see if Scott Van Slyke ever gets a chance. I think he can hit, but he’s gonna have to hit a ton to be relevant.

Aaron Miller and Ethan Martin both need breakout 2012 seasons in a bad way. Miller simply needs to regain his old stuff and stay healthy. Martin needs to find his mechanics and the strike zone. Upside will only take them so far as they age.

Jonathan Garcia has always been an underdog favorite of mine. He wrecked the Midwest League early on but got exposed later by breaking balls. Realistically, he’ll have to hit a lot because he has little else of value, but he has surprising pop and a solid swing. O’Koyea Dickson is another prospect that will have to be rushed because of his age, but if he hits like he’s capable, he could reach high-A in 2012. I really like his swing and I think he has good pop, but he’s not tall and is stuck at first base, so there’s a ton of pressure on his bat.

Much like Webster and Eovaldi, Matt Magill was a favorite of mine from before, but unlike them, his stuff hasn’t exploded quite the same. Still, he has above average velocity and can miss bats with his off-speed stuff, but he’ll have to perform at AA to gain any respect. I’m interested to see if he progresses at that stage or becomes Tim Sexton.

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Honestly, I thought it would be a lot worse than this. Fortunately though, the Dodgers have a ton of potential contributors, even if most of them are clocking in on the pitching side of the ledger.

The top 10 is quite solid from my view, even if it does lack huge upside. However, after that the Dodgers are stuck with a bunch of guys who are more likely to end up as part-timers or utility players than regulars. My hope is that one out of the seven or eight bats that are too old for their level but still produce in the minor leagues eventually becomes a regular.

No, there’s not a ton of star potential, but given the budget restraints, the complete lack of care in the international market, and the mass graduation of talent in 2011, it could have been a ton worse.

Dominican Summer League Dodgers: Pitchers
Dominican Summer League Dodgers: Hitters
Arizona League Dodgers: Pitchers
Arizona League Dodgers: Hitters
Ogden Raptors: Pitchers
Ogden Raptors: Hitters
Great Lakes Loons: Pitchers
Great Lakes Loons: Hitters
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes: Pitchers
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes: Hitters
Chattanooga Lookouts: Pitchers

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Today I continue my off-season recap of the Los Angeles Dodgers minor league affiliates, moving on to the hitters of the Chattanooga Lookouts.

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I’ll be picking the prospects for the 2012 Prospective Prospect Profiles list from these reviews, so it might be worth reading. Or not.

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Scott Van Slyke – LF/1B – 24

Scott Van Slyke Statistics

Van Slyke absolutely lit up AA, posting a .348/.427/.595/1.022 line while somehow striking out at the league average rate (18.7%). Granted, the batting average was primarily powered by a .405 BABIP, which is utterly unsustainable, but his secondary skills were enough to make his season a successful one regardless, including a 12.3% walk rate.

Unfortunately, there’s a reason skepticism exists, and I don’t think any of it will evaporate unless he starts hitting major league pitching. He’s not a good defender and he’s limited to first base, so he’ll have to mash, and there are legitimate questions as to whether his contact rate and plate discipline can hold up against major league pitching because of concerns about his long swing.

There’s no reason not to expect him to put up monster numbers at AAA, and he’s not getting any younger, so whether he actually even gets a shot in the majors on a full-time basis is dubious.

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Alfredo Silverio – OF – 24

Alfredo Silverio Statistics

Silverio continued his coming out tour by posting a .304/.339/.534/.873 line in AA. His strikeout rate was actually below average, but his walk rate was almost half of the league average, which basically spells out my concerns with him.

Even before last year, I recognized that he did have tools, but he never had put it together into a productive season. However, when he did, I was admittedly still skeptical because he didn’t do a lot of things that I believe are required to be a productive regular. He’ll likely be limited to a corner outfield role, so he’ll have to be productive with the bat, and I haven’t seen a ton to indicate that he’ll be able to learn the plate discipline necessary to be a solid contributor there. Keep in mind that despite his breakout, he’s not young, so while he’s certainly on the upswing, I don’t understand the current hype about him besides the fact that he’s the rare hitting prospect in the Dodgers system.

Like with most at AAA, he should have a monster season there because of the altitude, but like with Van Slyke, the real indicator will be how he hits at the major league level, if he ever gets the chance to prove it.

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Kyle Russell – RF – 25

Kyle Russell Statistics

Most impressive part about his season at AA? He didn’t strike out 200 times. Far from it in fact, as he actually managed to keep the swings and misses about the same as 2010. The problem? It was still 32.4% of the time, which is atrocious. Furthermore, he no longer put up the monster lines that could possibly excuse it, posting a solid but not spectacular .258/.340/.497/.837.

If only he could make contact, he would be a hell of a right field prospect, as he has all the tools for the position. Unfortunately, I cringe to think what his strikeout rate might be in the majors, and he’s already 25.

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Brian Cavazos Galvez – 1B/LF – 24

Brian Cavazos Galvez Statistics

24, limited to left field or first base, and putting up a .277/.311/.470/.781 in AA does not a prospect make. While his 14.3 K% shows the ability to make contact, his 2.7 BB% shows a complete disregard for walks.

Despite some that may like him or still find him relevant, he’s made me go from skeptical to ignore worthy with his 2011.

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Alex Castellanos – RF/2B – 24

Alex Castellanos Statistics

Coming over in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals for Rafael Furcal, Castellanos put up monster numbers at AA between both systems, clocking in at .322/.388/.576/.964. He struck out at an above average rate of 22.0%, but his power justifies it.

My primary concern is with his walk rate, which checks in at a below average 7.3%, and that just backs up what you see in his aggressive approach and swing-happy tendencies. It’s hard to blame him since he does have a nice fluid stroke, but you’d like to see better out of an older prospect. I don’t think that quality plays if he’s stuck in a corner outfield position, but with his power, I think he can get by if he can play a competent second base.

Castellanos is not young, so he should be pressed into big league action when a position opens up in 2012.

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Jaime Pedroza – 2B – 24

Jaime Pedroza Statistics

Between high-A and AA, he posted a .260/.366/.424/.790 line, boasting good plate discipline, good pop, and contact woes. Given that he’s a solid defender at second base, he would seem like an ideal prospect for the position. However, his hit tool lags and it’ll likely end up costing him any major league ambitions in the end.

The bottom line is that swing path is still more suited for a power hitter, and it leads to his bat not staying in the zone for long. Maybe there’s a utility infield spot for him in the future, but that’s it.

MSTI: Mike Petriello puts together an off-season plan for the 2012 Dodgers.

Personally, I don’t even think I’m attempting it this year.

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Dodger Thoughts: Jon Weisman recaps the history of early worries regarding the ownership of Frank McCourt.

Dodger Thoughts: A checklist for the new owner? Sounds good.

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MLB: Alfredo Silverio and Scott Van Slyke were added to the Dodgers 40-man roster.

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MLB: Clayton Kershaw, Matt Kemp, and Andre Ethier all won Gold Gloves. I was going to make a post about it, but then I realized it’s a meaningless award and it doesn’t deserve the time.

MLB: Matt Kemp won a Silver Slugger Award, which he did deserve.

MLB: At the Players Choice Awards, Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw win NL Outstanding Player and NL Outstanding Pitcher, respectively.