Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors reported late on December 14th that the Cubs and Dodgers were both interested in having Coco Crisp play left field for them in 2012.

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The revelation is surprising for the Dodgers, as the team already has five outfielders it can start the season with in Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Juan Rivera, Tony Gwynn Jr., and Jerry Sands. Additionally, the team has 39 of 40 roster spots occupied, and it was widely assumed that the last spot was reserved for a veteran reliever.

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As for Crisp, since leaving the Red Sox in 2009 he has put up a .262/.326/.396/.722 line and has played solid defense in center field. It’s not that Crisp is a terrible player to have on a roster, it’s that he made almost $6 million last year and he’s not the type of player you usually want to invest in when you already have five MLB ready outfielders.

As such, I’m left to assume this is a clear indication that Ned Colletti does not want Sands on the roster to begin the season, thus proving that even with a limited budget, he will do everything in his power to not use a prospect while teams in far better situations do so regularly as a way to maximize value.

Just a weird story that came out of left field (no pun).