There were some eye-popping performances in the Dodgers minor-league system the last couple weeks, and I got to see three of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes games in person, which was awesome.

There are some guys below folks should keep eyes on this season, as they could establish themselves as legitimate prospects with solid performances in 2013.

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Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes (4-2 & 5-2)

Player Of The Week – 4/22

Scott Van Slyke – 1B

.480/.536/.800/1.336, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 2B, 7 R, 1 SB, 3 BB, 4 K

Van Slyke is absolutely mashing the ball right now. Maybe he has a chip on his shoulder from being designated for assignment in the winter, maybe it’s his improved physique. Whatever it is, he’s doing everything right so far in Triple-A.

Player Of The Week – 4/29

Tim Federowicz – C

.571/.583/1.238/1.821, 3 HR, 3 2B, 1 3B, 8 RBI, 6 R, 2 BB, 4 K

Federowicz was the Pacific Coast League Player Of The Week and posted some ridiculous numbers. Those numbers, coupled with Ramon Hernandez’s struggles, helped Federowicz get recalled to the Dodgers on May 8.

Pitcher Of The Week – 4/22

Chris Withrow – RHP

2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 2 SV

Withrow, a failed starter, is having some success with the Isotopes. While he’s still walking too many hitters (6.4 BB/9), he’s getting strikeouts (12.1 K/9). He’s on the 40-man roster and could get the call if the Dodger bullpen continues to falter.

Pitcher Of The Week – 4/29

Steven Ames – RHP

4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SV

Ames has been decent but unspectacular this season. His strikeout rate is way down (10.2 last season, 5.2 this season) and he’s giving up a lot of hits (15 in 12 innings), but he did spend some time on the disabled list. He’s also on the 40-man roster, so a call-up could be in his future.

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Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts (2-3 & 1-5)

Player Of The Week – 4/22

Blake Smith – OF

.300/.364/.450/.814, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 6 K

Smith has struggled a bit this season in his second go-round in the Southern League. He’s played a lot of left field because of Yasiel Puig‘s presence and prototypical right-field profile.

Player Of The Week – 4/29

Joc Pederson – OF

.300/.323/.533/.856, 2 HR, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 7 K

Pederson is enjoying a fantastic start to his 2013 in the Southern League. There’s some chatter he could be the outfielder the Dodgers recall ahead of Puig, should the situation present itself. I wouldn’t be opposed to that.

Pitcher Of The Week – 4/22

Rob Rasmussen – LHP

5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K

Rasmussen was acquired for John Ely this winter and has done a nice job at the back of the Lookouts’ rotation. He’s not going to overpower hitters, but he’ll get his fair share of outs.

Pitcher Of The Week – 4/29

Rob Rasmussen – LHP

12 1/3 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 10 K

Rasmussen was the pitching star for the Lookouts. He’s small in stature, but he’s off to a great start in the Southern League so far. He’s a player to keep an eye on going forward, especially with Chris Reed and Andres Santiago struggling a little.

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High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-3 & 4-2)

Player Of The Week – 4/22

Jonathan Garcia – RF

.400/.429/.700/1.129, 1 HR, 3 2B, 2 RBI, 4 R, 1 SB, 0 BB, 4 K

Garcia is repeating the California League after a dreadful 2012. So far, he’s handling the league pretty well. He’s spent a lot of time as the team’s No. 3 hitter, but he was recently moved out of that spot. He has some decent raw power, but he swings and misses too much and he’ll need to improve that this season.

Player Of The Week – 4/29

Darnell Sweeney – SS

.333/.379/.556/.935, 2 2B, 2 3B, 2 RBI, 4 R, 3 SB, 2 BB, 7 K

Sweeney has been a nice surprise since being drafted in the 13th round last year. He’s now hitting third in the Quakes’ lineup after hitting leadoff most of the season. His fielding leaves a lot to be desired, though.

Pitcher Of The Week – 4/22

Duke Von Schamann – RHP

7 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

The 2012 15th-rounder is throwing well so far this season. He’s an inning-eating starter a Class-A team desperately needs. And with Ross Stripling being promoted, Von Schamann is the ace of the staff.

Pitcher Of The Week – 4/29

Garrett Gould – RHP

6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K

Gould was named California League Player Of The Week, although this honor could have gone to Jarret Martin (6 IP, 0 ER, 8 K). I actually saw Martin’s start in person, but it’s hard to argue against Gould’s performance.

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Low-A Great Lakes Loons (3-4 & 1-6)

Player Of The Week – 4/22

Corey Seager – SS

.350/.350/.550/.900, 2 3B, 1 RBI, 3 R, 0 BB, 5 K

Seager did most of his damage in a Loons’ doubleheader sweep on April 21, but he did collect seven hits this week. He’s off to a slow start (.236/.323/.364/.687), but he’s a few days shy of his 19th birthday. This is a tough, aggressive assignment for a teenager, and he’ll be just fine going forward.

Player Of The Week – 4/29

Tyler Ogle – C/DH

.269/.345/.423/.768, 1 HR, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K

There wasn’t much offense in Great Lakes, but Ogle one of the most veteran hitters the Loons have, and he had a decent week. He’s been splitting time with Eric Smith at catcher and DH.

Pitcher Of The Week – 4/22

Lindsey Caughel – RHP

6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K

Caughel has been the most consistent Loons’ pitcher this season. He was recently promoted to Rancho Cucamonga, and it’d be a surprise if he were to pitch in Midland again this season.

Pitcher Of The Week – 4/29

Carlos Frias – RHP

6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K

Frias led the Loons pitching staff and is making his first appearance with Great Lakes in his career. He’s pitched at Ogden and, surprisingly, Rancho Cucamonga. So far, he’s having success in the Midwest League.

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Dustin Nosler is the founder of the site Feelin’ Kinda Blue. He also co-hosts the weekly podcast Dugout Blues. Follow him on Twitter @FeelinKindaBlue or like his site on Facebook.

Chad Billingsley, with his elbow basically hanging by a thread and ready to explode at any moment, has been placed on the 15-day DL with right elbow pain. The move is retroactive to April 16 and it marks his second stint on the DL in the young season.

#Dodgers place RHP Chad Billingsley on 15-day DL (right elbow pain) retroactive to 4/16 and recall RHP Stephen Fife to make today’s start.

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 21, 2013

Billingsley underwent a MRI exam yesterday. Results still haven’t been reviewed by #DrNealElAttrache.

— Dylan Hernandez (@dylanohernandez) April 21, 2013

Billingsley said the feeling in his elbow isn’t the same as last year.This elbow pain didn’t happen on 1 pitch like last year

— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) April 21, 2013

While it was an admirable attempt to help the team, at least in theory, he really should have gotten Tommy John surgery last August/September.

Stephen Fife was recalled to replace Bills and started Sunday in his place.

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Hanley Ramirez continues to progress with his rehab, though Don Mattingly doesn’t foresee a rehab assignment for another week or so.

Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez took live early batting practice at Camden Yards before Friday night’s game and hit with power, but manager Don Mattingly said a Minor League rehab assignment is still at least a week away.

“It’s still a little sore in the joint, three weeks without moving it,” said Ramirez, who appeared ginger on his throws to first base.

“What he’s been able to do has shocked all of us,” said Mattingly. “Taking BP, his swing is like normal. Is he able to do that without the brace? There’s still healing to be done. It seems his throwing, he still has trouble with the feel making all his throws. He asked if he could DH tonight and I couldn’t hardly argue. I wouldn’t mind it.”

The Dodgers are pleased with the power Ramirez has shown in BP, and the fact that he’s healing ahead of schedule bodes well for a team with offensive vortexes at both 3B and SS.

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Chris Capuano hit the 15-day DL with a left calf strain suffered during the Carlos Quentin/Zack Greinke incident two Thursdays ago.

#Dodgers place LHP Chris Capuano on 15-day DL (left calf strain); recall C Tim Federowicz from @abqtopes.

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 17, 2013

Capuano received treatment between the original injury and his spot-start on Tuesday, before re-injuring it during the game while running to cover first base.

The left calf strain that put Dodgers pitcher Chris Capuano on the disabled list on Wednesday originally surfaced on Thursday night during the benches-clearing incident in San Diego that sidelined Zack Greinke.

Capuano said he felt tightness before that game and felt it worsen while sprinting in from the bullpen during the fracas that was triggered when Greinke hit Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin with a pitch.

Capuano said he thought the injury had responded enough to four days of treatment to allow him to start Tuesday night in Greinke’s place, only for the muscle to partially tear when he sprinted off the mound to cover first base in the second inning.

Chris had an MRI and received an injection of platelet-rich plasma in the affected area on Thursday.

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Where is Yasiel Puig? On the DL.

The answer to why Dodgers outfield prospect Yasiel Puig didn’t play for Double-A Chattanooga on Friday night was the simplest of sorts. No, he wasn’t en route to Baltimore to join the Dodgers. Instead, Puig was placed on the seven-day disabled list with a sprained left thumb, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.

While this should serve to blunt the madness surrounding his name, he desperately needs the plate appearances.

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Down on the farm, five Dodgers got healthy and three more hit the DL.

RHP Matt Shelton, C Pratt Maynard, and OF Devin Shines were placed on the 7-day DL, while RHP Steve Ames, RHP Juan Noriega, C Jan Vazquez, SS Ozzie Martinez, and OF Pat Stover were reinstated from the DL.

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

Hanley Ramirez has resumed baseball activities, including hitting off of a tee and light toss. He plans to return earlier than the timetable originally given, but the Dodgers aren’t getting ahead of themselves.

Ramirez told reporters Tuesday he would be back ‘way sooner’ than May 17, and that “everybody is going to be shocked” at how quickly he returns.

Manager Don Mattingly was similarly excited but less specific than Ramirez.

“He was in there swinging, and he looks good. Hanley’s moving forward, that’s for sure,” Mattingly said. “I’m going out on a limb and saying it’s not going to be eight weeks.”

So basically he’s declaring himself a miracle, which is fine with me considering the infield situation on the left side.

The sooner he gets back, the better.

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Zack Greinke underwent surgery on his broken left collarbone, and the procedure went as expected.

Dodgers right-handed pitcher Zack Greinke had successful surgery to repair a broken left collarbone on Saturday in Los Angeles, the team announced. As previously thought, Greinke is expected to miss eight weeks after the procedure.

The surgery was performed on Saturday by Dr. John Itamura and Dr. Neal ElAttrache at White Memorial Hospital in Los Angeles. The 90-minute procedure fixed the fracture of Greinke’s left clavicle, and involved the placement of a metal plate to stabilize the fracture.

The timetable for Zack’s return is eight weeks, which is about as good as the team could have hoped for.

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Ted Lilly agreed to make yet another minor-league rehab start.

It appears that left-handed pitcher Ted Lilly and the Dodgers have agreed to extend their inconvenient arrangement a little while longer. Lilly has agreed to make another minor league start on his rehabilitation assignment, a change from his weekend stance.

“It’s really been above me, what’s going on. They’ve been working it out,” Mattingly said. “We just give our baseball opinion, on what we felt like he needed, and they worked it out.”

Then he made it and impressed Ken Howell.

If and when the Dodgers need a replacement for the injured Chris Capuano, Ted Lilly is ready, assistant pitching coach Ken Howell said Tuesday night.

“He looked tonight like a Major League pitcher,” said Howell. “He managed the game, his pitches were crisper, he competed better. That’s what I was looking for. He pitched better than the numbers indicate.”

Looks more and more likely that he’ll have to be ready, due to a sudden lack of rotation depth.

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Speaking of the devil, Chris Capuano, filling in for an injured Greinke, left Tuesday’s game with a left calf strain. He’s headed for an MRI on Friday, according to Don Mattingly.

Oh, this start to the season just keeps getting better and better.

—–

The recently called-up Shawn Tolleson made one appearance before hitting the 15-day DL with a lower back strain.

Tolleson was recalled on Friday when Zack Greinke went on the disabled list, and pitched in the series opener against the Diamondbacks. Tolleson came in with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth inning with the Dodgers trailing 1-0, but he walked both hitters he faced to force in two inherited runs.

The move is retroactive to April 13, so Tolleson can be activated April 28 if he’s healthy.

As far as his recovery goes, Tolleson has been shut down from throwing for the next week, and he actually felt something before stepping onto the field, but he didn’t address the issue until after putting himself at further risk.

He thinks the travel may have affected his back, but for whatever reason he felt tightness before the his appearance on Friday.

“It was kind of tight all day, and tight when I was warming up. I wasn’t worried about it when I was pitching, I was just trying to throw strikes,” Tolleson said. “But when I came out of the game it just really tightened up on me.”

Sounds iffy as to whether or not he’ll be back after his 15 days are up.

—–

In better news, Carl Crawford has been cleared to resume throwing normally.

Dodgers outfielder Carl Crawford continues to build arm strength following offseason Tommy John Surgery, enough for Dodgers trainers to give him the green light to bypass his cutoff man and throw to the bag when the situation calls for it.

“I’m glad to hear that, actually, because I think as much as anything, he’s been throwing the ball pretty good,” manager Don Mattingly said before Tuesday’s game against the Padres. “I just don’t think he’s been feeling like he should be letting it go. So when the trainers tell him it’s OK, I think it makes you feel better as a player. You can turn it loose.”

Guys have been taking advantage of his throwing arm, but I’m not sure how much of that is due to the surgery and how much of that is just normal for him.

Either way, he’s playing well enough overall for it not to matter.

—–

Scott Elbert, on the shelf following left elbow surgery, is progressing in his rehab and responding well to plasma-rich platelet injections.

After two offseason elbow operations, Elbert experienced a setback midway through Spring Training, received a PRP injection and has rebounded steadily since. He has been throwing hard on flat ground this weekend and could be pitching off a mound in a week or two.

“I’m definitely a lot better, either from the PRP or the shoulder exercises, which also help the elbow because everything is incorporated,” said Elbert. “I wasn’t able to throw more than 75 feet in Spring Training, but I’m up to 90 feet now and my mechanics are a lot better.”

Even if he’s behind two other lefties right now, with the way the season is going, the depth would be nice to have.

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Steven Ames was placed on the minor-league 7-day DL.

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

The Dodgers have sent Matt Magill, Steven Ames, and Matt Palmer to minor-league camp, removing them from contention for a 25-man roster spot.

Not surprising for any of the three, as Magill and Ames are still a year-plus away from being legitimate roster contenders – especially considering the depth of the Dodgers staff and pen – and Palmer recently underwent knee surgery and was never a true threat to begin with.

Additionally, Brian Barden, Hector Luna, and Jeremy Moore all got their tickets to minor-league camp as well. Like the other trio, all three were slated to be in Albuquerque in 2013.

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In addition to the cuts, the team released left-handed pitchers Victor Garate and Wilmin Rodriguez, along with catcher Angelo Ponte and right-handed pitcher Hector Correa.

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The team inked right-hander Pablo Gonzalez and outfielder Robbie Garvey, presumably to minor-league deals.

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Shocker of all shockers: Don Mattingly doesn’t consider Yasiel Puig a candidate to make the big-league squad out of Spring Training.

Is Yasiel Puig a candidate for opening day roster? “Not really in my mind,” said Don Mattingly

Anyone who thought a guy with just 23 games and 95 plate appearances of professional ball – none above high-A, to boot – was a real threat to start the season in the bigs was just kidding themselves and focused on Puig’s freakish physique.

“It’s probably not the best thing for him. People probably don’t want to hear that, but realistically it’s not the best thing for him,” said manager Don Mattingly. “I don’t think our organization thinks it would be the best thing for a guy with as few at-bats as he’s gotten.”

He should be good, but he needs time in the minors to learn and grow like anybody else.

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Speaking of roster decisions, Tim Federowicz appears to have the inside track on the backup catcher job, which is what the team was probably hoping for all along.

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Watch Kenley Jansen in the World Baseball Classic tomorrow against the Dominican Republic, as he was called up to the Netherlands squad for the semi-finals.

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Dylan Hernandez relays the 2013 salaries of Dodgers with under three years of major-league service time. The salaries apply only when these players are up in The Show, as they make significantly less if sent down to the minors.

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

The 2013 projection for the Dodgers from Dan Szymborski‘s ZiPS system was released last week, and given that it’s probably my favorite forecasting tool, it’s worth a look to see how the team fared.

Forecasting is not a complete science, obviously, and I’ll address some of the potential pitfalls as we go along, but it’s better to use objective tools like these than the hopes/dreams of fans or the bitterness/wishes of haters.

To start us off, how does the team fare, generally speaking? A solid playoff contender, for sure, but a super team? Doesn’t seem likely.

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The Field Players

Despite all the hype over the recent acquisitions, the key cogs in this machine are still Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp. It’s a promising sign then, that Kemp projects at a 144 OPS+ and the system has confidence in him continuing to put up offensive numbers in the ~.900 OPS range. His defense in center still lags below average, but his bat more than makes up for it. His playing time projection has dropped due to his injury woes last season, and quite frankly, it’s hard to fault it for that. Regardless, he still figures to be the most valuable field player on the team.

Adrian Gonzalez is slated to be another bright spot, as ZiPS pegs him to bounceback a bit, though not as much as some want, clocking in at an ~.830 OPS/128 OPS+. That would still be his lowest OPS+ since 2008 (besides 2012, of course), but it’s a marked improvement considering his age and negatively trending skills. A-Gon compensates for that lagging bat a bit by putting up plus defense almost worth a win by itself. Hanley Ramirez factors in as yet another bounceback candidate, projecting at a 115 OPS+, which is an upgrade over last year’s 106 and is closer to his pre-2011 production. Defensively, even his horribad -8 run defensive rating is optimistic to me, as he was truly terrible with the glove last year. Given that I already wanted to barf seeing him trying to turn a double play in 2012, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see him put up horrid defensive numbers after basically not playing the position all of spring.

Unfortunately, that’s where a lot of the offensive optimism ends. Luis Cruz checks in at 84 OPS+ (106 last year), which will anger many fans, but is completely reasonable given the track record. He remains valuable through plus defense, though given the sample size, there’s reason to be skeptical there as well. A.J. Ellis at 96 OPS+ (118) is another depressing but completely logical projection, as evidenced by everybody’s surprise in 2012 at his potent bat. Andre Ethier at 112 OPS+ (123) is hard to figure for me, because he has been consistently putting up ~120 OPS+ seasons even if it has come down from the ~130 OPS+ range two years ago. I suppose the projection system thinks he’ll get old in a hurry … or maybe it just thinks he’ll face an inordinately high amount of lefties. Mark Ellis at 81 OPS+ (93) shouldn’t be much of a surprise considering he’s 36 and put up an 80 OPS+ at Coors Field in 2011.

The last guy of the starters is Carl Crawford, who is the enigma of the 2013 season. He checks in at 104, which is notable because it’s basically his career OPS+ and it’s about what he did in limited time in 2012 over in Boston. That’s of particular note for me, because what he did in Boston in 2012 can be attributed to a mechanical fix that I pointed out in an article for Baseball Prospectus. Understandably, his playing time checks in low, but if he can produce like he did in 2012 but over a whole season, the Dodgers will be much better for it.

Overall, after fixing the playing time of A.J., adjusting Ethier’s offense up a bit, and adjusting Hanley’s defense down a bit, the starting lineup totaled about 22 WAR.

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The Bench & The Prospects

Assuming a bench of Tim Federowicz, Scott Van Slyke or Alex Castellanos, Jerry Hairston Jr., Nick Punto, and Skip Schumaker, we’re looking at around 3 WAR here after playing time is adjusted back to realistic bench levels. I’m guessing Alfredo Amezaga or Tony Gwynn Jr. work their way in somehow, but a five-man bench seems likely initially if the Dodgers can’t deal multiple pitchers before the season starts. Neither player would affect the WAR projection much though.

Honestly? I have to hope the Dodgers do something to improve the bench, because the current configuration looks rather mediocre, and the other options are keeping Juan Uribe and/or Elian Herrera. Yuck.

The good news is that Joc Pederson, T-Fed, SVS, and Castle are projected to be solid at the MLB level, though it sees Dee Gordon basically languishing behind.

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The Rotation

Clayton Kershaw is simply a beast, and he figures to check in with a 75 FIP-. This might seem high considering his 2011 and 2012 ERA- figures of 63 and 67, respectively, but when you consider that Felix Hernandez clocks in at 78 FIP- for 2013, you get the picture.

What might surprise is how close new acquisition Zack Greinke comes in behind him, as he figures to put up an FIP- of 81. Granted, he has always projected favorably, as his career FIP- is 80, while his career ERA- is 88, but even adjusting slightly for that, there’s a definite case there for the best 1-2 punch in the majors.

Unfortunately, this is where it gets murky, as Chad Billingsley has the stuff to be the #3, but if I were a betting man, I would bet his elbow implodes before July. He projects at 92 FIP-, which would put him around last year’s performance, which was his arguably his best season since 2008. However, given the nature of his injury and its history in the league, you can basically never rely on him to stay healthy again until he has Tommy John surgery.

Next in the pecking order are Josh Beckett, who comes in below-average at 103, and foreign import Hyun Jin Ryu, who comes in well below-average at 116. As mentioned before, the scouting reports for Beckett match this projection, as he’s no longer a front-line starter due to his decrease in velocity. However, if he can manage to learn to pitch a bit more, he still has the curve to perhaps slot in as a #3 more than a #4. Ryu is a case where I would take any projection with a mound of salt, because there’s hardly anything to base objective projections on. Personally, I don’t think Ryu has the stuff to be a #2, nor do I think he’ll be a #3 on a team with a $250 million payroll, but he should slot in comfortably in the back-end of the rotation for years. I would project something slightly below-average for 2013 and then hope for better.

The rotation is a strong point because it has both arguably the best 1-2 punch in the majors and depth, with Chris Capuano (108 FIP-) and Aaron Harang (114 FIP) presumably traded for upgrades (or maybe kept somehow?), and it checks in at about 17 WAR.

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The Bullpen & The Prospects

As of right now, I’m assuming a bullpen of Brandon League, Kenley Jansen, Ronald Belisario, Javy Guerra, Matt Guerrier, J.P. Howell, and Ted Lilly.

Jansen is the best of the bunch (63 FIP-) and League projects a distant second (92 FIP-), but Belisario has the most upside in these projections (101 FIP-). After that, Guerra, Guerrier, and Howell are all around replacement level. Lilly projects as a league-average pitcher, assuming he’s healthy, which would be a boon to a team that has a ticking time bomb in the rotation.

As far as prospects go, ZiPS thinks Chris Reed could be a replacement-level fill-in right now, but Zach Lee, Matt Magill, and Garrett Gould need more seasoning. And for all of you who have Stephen Fife wet dreams (yes, you’re out there), he projects at a 4.91 FIP, so keep it in your pants.

Speaking of replacement level, that especially applies to the Dodgers bullpen because of Shawn Tolleson, Scott Elbert, Steven Ames, and Paco Rodriguez, so the 4 WAR projection for this pen figures to be solid.

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Team Projection

A replacement-level team figures to win 43 games, and the team with the lowest amount of wins to get into the playoffs last year was the Cardinals at 88 wins, so 42 WAR puts you in the contender range and 45 WAR makes you viable, while 50 WAR will generally make a team a safe bet to be in the postseason. The Dodgers total 46 WAR, which puts them well within the playoff hunt: good but not great.

The Dodgers basically project neck-and-neck with the rival Giants, while the D-Backs lag behind a bit by maybe a half dozen wins or so, but they’re well within striking distance as well.

So make no mistake, the Dodgers recent spending habits did not make them an elite team, as the money simply duct-taped over both a flawed team and farm system depleted by Frank McCourt‘s ownership and Ned Colletti‘s questionable decisions. But that’s not to denigrate the job the new owners have done, as they turned the franchise into a legitimate playoff contender seemingly overnight, which is still saying a lot about what money can do.

Granted, “we gave you a team that has the chance to make the playoffs” is not what fans want to hear, but it’s an acceptable scenario as they lay the foundation to rebuild the franchise the correct way in their own minds. The 2013 projections might not reflect world-beaters like most seem to expect, but it’s a projection based on historical trends rather than hopes and dreams.

The 2013 Dodgers are indeed a team with a lot of upside, and if everything breaks correctly, they could very well end up being one of the best teams in the league, but they also carry a ton of inherent age and injury risk, which is why the projections come in understandably conservative. Either way, if nothing else, this team figures to be never boring.

The Dodgers have invited 12 players to their Winter Development Camp, which, after operating for its first five years of existence at Dodger Stadium, will move to Camelback Ranch due to construction at Chavez Ravine.

Zach Lee, Joc Pederson, Chris Reed, Onelki Garcia, Paco Rodriguez, Chris Withrow, Steven Ames, Matt Magill, Tim Federowicz, Matt Wallach, and newcomers Jeremy Moore and Rob Rasmussen makeup the 12 players selected by the organization.

Though Yasiel Puig was originally scheduled to participate in the camp, the Dodgers have opted to leave him with his Puerto Rican Winter League team, which is in the midst of a playoff run.

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The Dodgers signed former Rays lefty J.P. Howell to a one-year, $2.75 million deal with incentives. Chad has details and analysis here.

I’m just glad the deal is for one year, especially given Ned Colletti‘s proclivity to give veteran bullpen guys long-term deals.

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Jeremy Moore is one of five players to recently sign a minor-league deal with the club. Fabio Castro, Wilmin Rodriguez, Omar Luna, and Rusty Ryal round out the signings. Also, Scott Van Slyke was re-signed after being outrighted.

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Alfredo Amezaga has signed his second minor-league deal with the Dodgers and has been invited to Spring Training. He was an NRI to Spring Training in 2010 as well.

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

The Dodgers announced their full coaching staff for 2013:

Don Mattingly – Manager (3rd Season)
Chuck Crim – Bullpen Coach (1st Season)
Trey Hillman – Bench Coach (3rd Season)
Rick Honeycutt – Pitching Coach (8th Season)
Davey Lopes – First Base Coach (3rd Season)
Mark McGwire – Hitting Coach (1st Season)
Tim Wallach – Third Base Coach (3rd Season)
Ken Howell – Assistant Pitching Coach (1st Season, 6th On Staff)
John Valentin – Assistant Hitting Coach (1st Season)
Manny Mota – Coach (34th Season)
Steve Yeager – Coach (2nd Season)

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As Chad noted, the Dodgers recently hired a slew of international scouts. Credit to the new ownership group for their renewed emphasis on building a farm system that includes international players.

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Matt Magill and Steven Ames were added to the 40-man roster, bringing the total for the club to 38.

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The Dodgers signed former Mets first/third baseman Nick Evans to a minor-league contract with an invitation to Spring Training, as reported first by Chris Jackson. Evans will likely be stationed in AAA, as Jackson notes, but could feasibly find himself at the back of the bench with a monster Spring or if an injury arises.

Additionally, the Dodgers added RHP Juan Abreu, RHP Hector Correa, RHP Greg Infante, LHP Kelvin De La Cruz, LHP Thomas Melgarejo, C Wilkin Castillo, and SS Miguel Rojas on minor-league deals. Also, 3B C.J. Retherford was re-signed.

Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness: Mike Petriello has a list of the players up for the Rule 5 Draft along with who he thinks will be protected on the 40-man roster.

True Blue LA: Brandon Lennox has basically the same thing but from his perspective.

Both are interesting reads, and I was considering doing one myself, but this off-season has been/will be a mess, so I’m not entirely sure how this will go down or how many spots are even available in reality. I mean, at this rate, some guys who get put on the 40-man might need to be designated or traded later anyway.

I’m not sure how many eligible minor-leaguers are actual threats to stick the whole season with an MLB club. Steven Ames and Tony Gwynn Jr. and … that’s about it?

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Plaschke Thy Sweater Is Argyle: Greg Zakwin‘s IBWAA ballot.

Feelin’ Kinda Blue: Dustin Nosler‘s IBWAA ballot.

In case you missed it, I posted mine here, along with the 2012 results.

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Plaschke Thy Sweater Is Argyle: Greg Zakwin questions whether or not the Dodgers moves to this point have been primarily public relations based.

The Dodgers will be well represented in three different minor league All-Star games to be played later this month.

The only All-Stars yet to be announced are the AAA All-Stars because that game, like the MLB All-Star Game and Futures Game, will be played in July.

Here’s a breakdown by minor league level.

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Double-A (Southern League) – 7

RHP Steven Ames
3B Pedro Baez – Starter
RHP Matt Magill
RHP Ethan Martin
RHP Red Patterson
OF Blake Smith – Starter
C/1B J.T. Wise

Snubs: None

For a team with a losing record (32-36), the Chattanooga Lookouts boast more All-Stars than Rancho Cucamonga and Great Lakes combined. Baez and Smith will be starting (hitting seventh and eighth, respectively) for the North Division. Ames and Patterson were injury replacements, but they’ve been the two best relievers for the Lookouts this season (save Shawn Tolleson).

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High-A (California League) – 2

OF Leon Landry
3B C.J. Retherford

Snubs: Zach Lee, Scott McGough, Michael Pericht

The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes are riding a hot streak and are one game away from clinching the first-half division title and a playoff spot thanks in large part to Retherford and some good pitching. Landry was an injury replacement.

Despite his injury, Lee is having a fantastic season. His ERA (4.30) might not look great, but it’s better than league average and doesn’t tell the entire story. His peripherals alone should have gotten him into the game, and maybe he’ll make an appearance in Kansas City at the Futures Game. Pericht is limited by his lack of playing time, but he has better overall numbers than the backup catcher Raywilly Gomez (no BS, that’s his name). McGough has been good, but there are a lot of solid pitchers on the squad.

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Low-A (Midwest League) – 3

1B/DH O’Koyea Dickson
LHP Jarret Martin
OF/1B Joe Winker

Snubs: Ryan O’Sullivan

Despite missing 30 games, Dickson earns a spot on the team (as an injury replacement). He’s absolutely mashing for the Great Lakes Loons and should get a promotion soon after the midway point. Martin started off great but has scuffled a bit since the middle of May. Winker has also struggled of late, but O’Sullivan, on the other hand, has been pitching great and probably deserves a spot on the team.

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

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Today I continue my off-season recap of the Los Angeles Dodgers minor league affiliates, moving on to the pitchers of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.

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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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Jon Michael Redding – 23 – RHP

Jon Michael Redding Statistics

Way older than his competition in the California League, Redding turned in a solid season, posting a 3.66 ERA and a 3.53 FIP. Seemingly average numbers, but made all the better when considering league average was a 4.90 ERA and a 4.13 FIP.

He missed bats and prevented walks at league average rates, so it’s not like he set the world on fire, but he could be solid AAA rotation depth, much like Jesus Castillo was for the Dodgers a couple years ago. A solid frame, a low-90s fastball, and a sharp slider also make him a candidate for relief, but the Dodgers are stock full of those types with superior stuff.

He’ll need to prove himself at AA in 2012 to have a shot.

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Allen Webster – 21 – RHP

Allen Webster Statistics

Posting a 2.33 ERA and 2.77 FIP in high-A, Webster struck out 27.2% of batters (League Average=20.0%) and issued free passes to 9.2% (League Average=8.9%). Based on his stuff and his performance there alone, I would have felt comfortable putting him in the same league as Zach Lee. Unfortunately, that’s not the whole story for Webster, as he struggled in AA, posting a 5.04 ERA. However, he was nowhere near that bad, with an FIP clocking in at 3.98.

Normally that’s enough of a disparity for me to dismiss, and his control was about the same as ever, but the area of concern is that his strikeout rate dipped to 17.9%, almost 10% lower than in high-A. I hate that number because it gives me pause as to whether or not his stuff is good enough to dominate advanced hitters.

It’s an odd question to ask considering Webster’s fastball sits 92-93, touches 96, and has both sink and tail. A rarity in the Dodgers system, Webster’s changeup is probably his best off-speed offering, whereas his slurve/slider struggles to find two-plane depth.

Webster has come a long way since I first saw him in 2009. I loved him then and I still do. Webster doesn’t have the projection and potential that Lee does, but in their respective current states, I don’t think they’re that far apart despite Lee being infinitely more touted. Webster will have to prove he can handle advanced bats in 2012 to ease concerns, but if he does so, he could be fighting for a September call.

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Matt Magill – 21 – RHP

Matt Magill Statistics

Solid but not spectacular, Magill posted league average strikeout and walk rates while scoring a 4.33 ERA and 3.93 FIP.

I observed that his stuff took an uptick last year, following through on his projectability, moving from 87-89 up to 89-91 or so. I was hoping that the progress continued, but his stuff stalled a bit, and if he doesn’t continue to develop, he could be in the same boat as Jon Michael Redding. Neither his slider nor change are knockout pitches against advanced bats, and with only an average fastball, I’m curious to see how he performs in 2012 if the Dodgers move him up to AA.

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Aaron Miller – 23 – LHP

Aaron Miller Statistics

Unfortunately, there’s not much to say here because he only threw 36 innings on the year (3.97 ERA/3.88 FIP) due to a groin injury.

That’s not the worst part though, as his stuff took yet another step backwards, going from 91-94 in college to 89-92 in 2010 to 87-90 in 2011. Due to injury? Perhaps, but it’s certainly not a positive.

He’s going to be 24 next year and he still doesn’t have a ton of experience on the mound, so he might be one of those late bloomers. However, he’ll have to actually stay healthy, regain his stuff of old, and show well in high-A at the minimum, if not moving up to AA.

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Ethan Martin – 22 – RHP

Ethan Martin Statistics

It’s never a good thing when a former first rounder has to move to the bullpen just to find the plate, but Martin found himself shifting roles in 2011, a sign the Dodgers don’t quite know what to do with him anymore.

In 95.3 innings between high-A and AA, Martin put up a 5.95 ERA and 4.75 FIP. The stuff is still there, the 23.5% strikeout rate shows that, but the problem remains his terrible 14.9% walk rate, which the Dodgers coaches can’t seem to solve.

Will he try starting again in 2012 or will the Dodgers convert him to relief? I’m not sure which they choose, but finding a role won’t matter if he can’t find his release point.

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Steven Ames – 23 – RHP

Steven Ames Statistics

Put up a 1.17 ERA and 0.59 FIP in high-A before moving up to AA and still doing work with a 2.48 ERA and 2.53 FIP. Given those numbers, it shouldn’t surprise that he had a 34.8% strikeout rate and a 6.6% walk rate between levels.

His velocity took a tick upwards from what I had last year when he sat around 89-91, as he was generally around 91-93 this year. His secondary pitches are a slider and a change, but both suffer due to his tendency to fly out with his lead shoulder. The slider is his strikeout pitch but it has inconsistent sharpness. He doesn’t use his change in the game often, but it flashes solid fading movement.

I expected him to have more dominating stuff after looking at the numbers, but he has solid command and isn’t afraid of mixing sequences. Should be interesting to see where the Dodgers put him to begin 2012, as he could be at AAA to start the year and a candidate for the Dodgers squad if he gets off the mark quickly.

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Chris Reed – 21 – LHP

Chris Reed Statistics

Reed only threw seven innings as a professional, so his performance isn’t worth noting. However, his stuff is enough to make him a good prospect alone, as he has a low-90s fastball, a slider, and a change for three legitimate pitches.

The Dodgers seem confident that his stuff will translate to his new role as a starter after being a closer in college, but it’s no sure thing. Needless to say, he’ll be one to monitor closely as 2012 progresses, and his immediate results probably won’t be as important as how his stuff grades out.

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Javier Solano – 21 – RHP

Javier Solano Statistics

Solano’s ERA in high-A was a mediocre 4.09, but his FIP was 2.59 on the strength of a 23.8 K% and 4.8 BB%. He also proved his mettle in AA, putting up a 3.03 ERA and 3.23 FIP. However, his peripherals sunk to 19.7 K% and 11.7 BB%, not doing much to allay fears that his prospect potential was built on good statistics but a shaky foundation of tools.

From my view though, it’s hard to complain too much, and he at least deserves to be in the conversation with the rest of the relief prospects considering he held his own at AA at 21. Solano sits 89-92 with a solid breaking ball and controls the strike zone well, so it’s not as if he doesn’t have potential major league grade stuff either.

2012 will be a big year for him as far as proving his prospect status, as he’ll likely tackle AA.

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Carlos Frias – 21 – RHP

Carlos Frias Statistics

Once dubbed a sleeper prospect with the potential to breakthrough into the top 25 or even top 10, Frias posted a 6.19 ERA with a 7.45 FIP thanks to an unbelievably terrible 14.5 K% and 22.4 BB% ratio.

That’s two years of cringe worthy performances in a row with serious peripheral regression in 2011, so it’s going to take a good 2012 just to keep him relevant. Throwing in the mid-90s can only take one so far.