Russell Martin

Due to the financial disarray created by the McCourt divorce, Russell Martin may be growing too expensive for the Los Angeles Dodgers to retain beyond this season, and the Boston Red Sox could try to "make a run" at the All-Star catcher, according to NESN analyst Peter Gammons.

While the Dodgers have indicated they are willing to spend at this year's trade deadline, their sincerity and ability must be questioned due to the financial gridlock caused by ownership's protracted divorce proceedings.

Well, there are thousands of new skeptics-turned-experts out there. The controversy surrounding Torre's decision to tab Vicente Padilla as the Dodgers' Opening Day starter over the youngster Clayton Kershaw culminated in the struggle of Padilla to hit his spots in the early innings.

The Los Angeles Dodgers certainly have weapons on their roster and thus far this Spring, those weapons have been on display. The Dodgers arsenal gives them an edge entering the regular season and a foundation to campaign for a playoff spot. Five essential strengths have to be met in order for a major league club to succeed:

Effective pitching is key. Pitching that keeps the other team from scoring provides an easy-street to wins.

A productive 3-4-5 in the line-up to drive in runs ensures plenty of offense to back up effective pitching.

DEFENSE.

With Spring Training in full swing, the Dodgers injuries are starting to tally. However, fans shouldn't panic—this sounds like the same record we have listened to for years. For the past decade, the Dodgers have had preseason injuries that make the news, and most often they make the news simply because it's Spring Training, and nothing else is going on.

Russell Martin, Casey Blake, and Cory Wade are already making headlines with reported injuries, but the Dodgers organization and the players don't seem concerned.

What I’m Reading

• Uh-oh. Looks like “Broken” Brandon Webb might be starting the year on the DL. Yes, even after spending the past year on the DL.

• And how about Joe Nathan? Might be too early to tell, but this isn’t a good sign for the hopeful Twins.

Whenever your star closer breaks camp to have his surgically-repaired elbow looked at, all the excitement surrounding the start of a new year comes to a screeching halt.

The joy of finally having outdoor baseball in Minnesota again is replaced with the fear that they will suffer a similar fate as the Mets in their new ballpark. 

Fantasy owners may have seen Russell Martin as a top three catcher heading into last season, but after an extremely disappointing 2009 his value has taken a big hit. A deflated value on draft day 2010 will be tantalizing for owners looking for a bargain. Will they find a bargain in Martin?

Despite a regression in counting stats, there are several factors that point to 2010 as being a comeback season from this former top tier catcher.

As the Los Angeles Dodgers finished their three-game sweep of the Cardinals, it occurred to me that this is one club whose success has seemed to be taken for granted.

Last year, as the Dodgers did the same to my Cubbies, most everything that was talked about and written seemed to focus on how poorly the Cubs played and very little, if any, respect was accorded the Dodgers for winning the series.

Beginning tonight at 9:37 PM Eastern time, the Los Angeles Dodgers will take on the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodgers Stadium. Both teams are tremendously talented and lead their respective leagues in several categories.

Both the Dodgers and the Cardinals have strong pitching and stacked hitting lineups. The question is, who has the advantage at each position?

This slideshow breaks down the projected lineup each team will put out on the field during this NLDS, of course I my lineups may not be completely accurate but I am going by what they most likely will be.

The Los Angeles Dodgers welcomed Manny Ramirez back into the starting lineup, at a sold-out Petco Park in San Diego.

Dodger fans made the trip south en masse, at times out-vocalizing the home town Padre fans, to welcome back their slugging outfielder from his 50-game banishment for violating baseball's PED rules.

In his first at bat, Manny drew a walk in the middle of a Dodger five-run outburst, which pretty much ended the game as soon as it started.