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As reported earlier, the Dodgers placed five players on waivers before finishing a sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday. However, the moves on the roster should not be taken as an act of desperation to possibly make the playoffs this season.

The Dodgers are most likely preparing for next season by placing Manny Ramirez, Casey Blake, Scott Podsednik, Hiroki Kuroda, and Jay Gibbons on waivers. Many analysts are speculating the Boys in Blue are preparing to have extra funds next season by cutting a little payroll with aging players. 

Manny Ramirez will clearly be in a Designated Hitter role by next season, if not sooner. There is a possibility that the Dodgers would allow another team to claim him and take over his salary straight across. The Chicago White Sox have been the clear front-runner for his services, and no other National League team has claimed him. 

If another team claims Ramirez, the Dodgers and the team taking him have the option of the new team completely taking over his contract. The differed money owed to the aging slugger would no longer need to be factored in next season.

Casey Blake has been a productive bat in L.A.’s line-up this season, but there is a strong free agent market approaching at third base following the conclusion of the 2010 season. With Rafael Furcal possibly returning to the Dodgers before the end of the season, and the rosters expanding September 1, there is a potential to trade Blake and find a cheaper “patch” solution to fill in until the offseason. Ronnie Belliard is also available to play third base, and he has shown some production in limited at-bats. 

Also, the Dodgers have too many outfielders with Manny still around. Podsednik was likely placed on waivers, ironically, due to his recent production. The Dodgers still have Reed Johnson as their fourth outfielder should Podsednik go and Manny stays. If both Podsednik and Ramirez found new teams before the end of the season, Xavier Paul could fill in starting in September.

Hiroki Kuroda is an attractive option for bubble teams needing to firm up their rotation down the home stretch. However, it would likely take a starter in return to get Kuroda. A theory might be the resurgence and call-up of John Ely to fill the rotation should Kuroda get dealt. Kuroda is the highest paid pitcher on the Dodgers’ roster, and clearing out his contract will provide flexibility for the Dodgers when attempting to acquire a front-of-the-rotation starter in the offseason.

Gibbons was placed on waivers for the same reason Podsednik hit the wires. If one outfielder is dealt, most likely the rest will be pulled back off waivers, regardless of which teams claim them and what they have to offer. Placing several outfielders on waivers provides flexibility and stability during negotiations.

With Manny no longer on the roster, and Kuroda possibly being moved, the Dodgers would have significant payroll for their primary targets in 2011: A power bat and a frontline starting pitcher. 

The waiver picture will become much clearer for the Dodgers and fans on Tuesday, when the waiver period ends for these players and negotiations with teams begin. 

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The Steroid Era has officially left its mark in professional sports while tarnishing the reputation of America’s pastime.

With the recent indictment of legendary hurler Roger Clemens, the next generation will be very confused about which players to look up to.

Players like Roger Clemens have forced parents to lie to their Little Leaguers and young baseball stars by telling them their favorite players are stand-up citizens.

Steroids and PEDs (Performance-Enhancing Drugs) leave fans with a bitter taste in their mouths. Are there any true heroes left? What role models will our children have in the realm of professional sports?

Here are 10 of 10 of the saddest stories of the steroid era in professional baseball, and the destructive wake they have left behind. 

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Preface: This article is not just the best players at each position, no matter the circumstances (payroll, player preferences, owners, etc). The criteria used for the article includes all of the before mentioned attributes and they are factored in to each position.

The 2010 season is over for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Faithful fans are still watching, but the Boys in Blue are really only mathematically in it, not realistically.

As such, many are already looking forward to next season, and what could be for the Dodgers under certain circumstances.

Here are the optimal choices at each position, given payroll expenses and availability. For the sake of structure, only 2011 free agents are considered, although free agents with potential options in their contract are included.

According to mlbtraderumors.com, the Dodgers will still owe $15 million in deferred payments to former outfielders Juan Pierre and Andruw Jones.

The Dodgers will have $40 million to play with right out of the gate, but they’ll have Hiroki Kuroda and Vicente Padilla to resign, and both are expected to ask for higher salaries.

“Andre Ethier, Rafael Furcal, Jonathan Broxton, and Matt Kemp account for the raises.  More increases will be due to arbitration-eligibles: Chad Billingsley, James Loney, and Hong-Chih Kuoenter their second year, Russell Martin his third, and George Sherrill his fourth.”

Sherill will most likely be non-tendered as well due to his poor performance and high $5 million salary. 

When all is said and done, the Dodgers will have a payroll around $100 million-$120 million, with about a $35 million-$50 million allowance.

Of course, all this depends on the status of the divorce between Frank and Jamie McCourt.

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The official deadline for draft pick signings around Major League Baseball has come and gone. The Washington Nationals got their number one pick, and shockingly, the Los Angeles Dodgers got theirs too.

This year’s draft class brings a small glimmer of hope to an emotionally depleted Dodgers organization and its legion of faithful fans.

While the Dodgers are finding new ways to lose at the last moment, they may just be winners with this year’s draft class signings….

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As the Dodgers’ season appears to be slowly fading into a dismal abyss of disappointments and shortcomings, a welcomed break to the negativity is…well…the hot significant others of current and former Dodgers. 

While the Dodgers may be in disarray, one thing they have going for them is gorgeous women by their side cheering them up. Check out these shots of Dodgers wives, girlfriends, and ex’s past and present.

Also check out my article of The Top 10 Hottest Celebs in Dodger Blue of The Last Decade

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The last we heard of Jay Gibbons was in 2007 while a member of the Baltimore Orioles. Three years later, Gibbons has finally made it back to the Majors, and thus far, he is making it count.

Jay Jonathan Gibbons was born in 1977 in Rochester, Mich. However, he spent the majority of his childhood in California, graduating from Mayfair High School in Lakewood. Following high school, Gibbons was a standout at UCLA. 

The 6-foot, 205-pound outfielder was drafted in the 14th round of the 1998 amateur draft by the Toronto Blue Jays.

Gibbons immediately began making an impact, becoming the Triple Crown champion of the Pioneer League, with 19 home runs and 98 RBI while carrying a .397 batting average.

Following the 2000 season, the Baltimore Orioles claimed him in the Rule 5 draft. He made his major league debut on April 6, 2001. Gibbons rookie season with the Orioles in 2001 was off to a great start.

The young slugger had 15 home runs and 36 RBIs in 73 games before becoming hampered by a hand injury.

The following season, 2002, was a career-best for Gibbons. That season he hit 28 home runs for the Orioles,

In 2003, he followed up that performance with career highs in batting average (.277) and RBI (100). He was voted team MVP and many considered 2003 his break out season.

However, in 2004, the injury bug once again bit Gibbons. He appeared in just 97 games, a great reduction compared to the 160 games the year before. Gibbons collected just 47 RBIs while striking out 64 times.

The Orioles were convinced his declining numbers weren’t due to just injuries. In his shortened playing time, he also struggled at the plate while not complaining of physical discomfort.

The lefty had LASIK eye surgery following the 2004 season, and his numbers improved immediately in 2005. 

Gibbons smashed 135 hits in 139 games, re-emerging on the scene as a legitimate force at the plate. But it was short-lived.

The 2006 and 2007 seasons were once again plagued with injuries. Gibbons didn’t play over 100 games in either season.

To add insult to injuries, Gibbons was named by pitcher Jason Grimsley as an anabolic steroid user in a September 2006 report by the Los Angeles Times.

He was also named in the infamous Mitchell Report  in late 2007 as a steroid user and was eventually released by Baltimore on March 29, 2008. 

Left without a team and on the outside of the fringe having been linked to steroids, Gibbons spent four months from late March to late July as a free agent, before being given another shot by the Milwaukee Brewers.

However, he never appeared in a major league game for the franchise, and was again released in November. 

Gibbons was signed in January 2009 by the Florida Marlins, but spent less time with them than he did with the Brewers, and was released in March of the same year.

The outfielder found himself signing a deal to play for the Newark Bears of the Atlantic League.

Finally, in 2010, Gibbons impressed the Dodgers enough to be given an invitation to Spring Training. Gibbons took the invitation to heart, determined to reach the majors again to prove he could still compete.

While with the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes, Gibbons batted .347 in 94 games while hitting 19 home runs.  

Injuries to Manny Ramirez and Reed Johnson, coupled with the consistent underachievement of veteran Garret Anderson, prompted the Dodgers to promote Gibbons to the 25-man major league roster.

Thus far, you’d never guess Gibbons hasn’t played in the majors since 2007, as he has found his way into two Dodger games, and it would be difficult for Gibbons to perform any better. He is 4-for-5 with a home run and four RBI (Gibbons’ RBI single).

His current performance leaves Dodger fans pondering two questions: What took so long for the team to promote him? What would the season look like had he been called up much earlier?

In any event, the hometown kid may be here to stay, and is certainly making his case to cement a roster spot for the remainder of the season, and possibly into the future.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers are fading fast, and are already eying the San Francisco Giants with a fleeting hope of making a remarkable comeback and a wild-card berth.

Realistically, the Dodgers are most likely turning their focus to 2011, and the uncertainty that lies on the horizon.

It is becoming more possible that the McCourts, Frank and Jamie, will be ordered to sell the team while they can’t settle marital differences. A new owner would likely provide some financial stability.

Several Dodgers will be free agents at the end of the 2010 season, including James Loney, Hiroki Kuroda, Manny Ramirez, and Vicente Padilla.

In addition to the potential loss of key players, the Dodgers will still be paying estranged outfielders Juan Pierre and Andruw Jones.

With all the turmoil of under-performing players along with injuries and soap-opera drama in the front office, there is a brighter outlook for devoted fans…

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It would have been nice to be the first to report this idea, but they’re the L.A. Times, so whattaya gonna do?

Still, it’s nice to examine the possibility, as there are chances the Los Angeles Dodgers and their legion of loyal fans could see the team come under new ownership by a man determined to be a champion.

Looking at the dollar figure Mark Cuban put on the auction table, a cool $598 million (Yes, that’s 598 followed by six zeros), Dodgers fans have confidence Cuban has the cash.

That’s currently concern No. 1 for the Dodgers organization, as it appears their allowance is tied up in deciding who gets the frequent flyer miles.

In addition to recent reports of how much money Cuban is willing to invest to own an MLB team, there have been reports that the judge hearing Frank and Jamie McCourt’s case may force Frank to sell the team if they can’t settle their squabble soon.

Thus far, putting the Boys in Blue up for sale seems more and more like a feasible situation.

Other reports have leaked information on the McCourts’ spending habits, including therapy sessions and lavish vacations spent apart. The McCourts have even employed a kind of palm reader in efforts to reconcile their differences.  

If Cuban were to enter into the bidding for the Dodgers, it would be the third team in Major League Baseball he has tried to snag.

The tenacious owner of the Dallas Mavericks first tried to buy the Chicago Cubs, but the Ricketts family beat him to the punch.

Recently, it was the Texas Rangers that caught Cuban’s eye, and this time he even put in a higher bid, but was foiled by former Ranger Nolan Ryan and business partner Chuck Greenberg.

However, Cuban didn’t seem at all distraught about losing out again, which may indicate his plans to keep trying as long as the fish stays on the hook.

Cuban would bring a fiery, winning attitude to Los Angeles, along with guaranteed financial stability, free from drama and angry estranged wives attempting to take him for all he’s worth.

Having come in second place for the Rangers, it would appear Cuban no longer has fierce competition. 

So now Dodgers fans play the waiting game while being tortured by one shutout loss after another. General manager Ned Colletti saw his allowance cut significantly, but did what he could before the deadline. The Dodgers remain without a power bat in the lineup, and no money or trade bait to work with.

The certainty: Things won’t get better any time soon, but the oasis of a championship run may be a shorter trek across the desert if the Dodgers receive an owner like Mark Cuban.

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This season’s trade deadline held no surprises for the Dodgers and General Manager Ned Colletti.

As per usual, the tenacious GM pulled off some big moves in the 11th hour, acquiring best-of-the-remaining starters Ted Lilly, a reliable infielder and everyday starter in Ryan Theriot, a seasoned veteran fireballer in Octavio Dotel, and stability and speed in the outfield with Scott Podsednik.

However, there are still several players on the Dodgers’ roster that should have been shipped out in the process.

It is certainly considered a victory when a team can pick up established stars for little more than prospects and cash, but Los Angeles has expendable players to move to make room for the regular starters to have a place on the active 25-man roster.

Here are five players squatting on the Dodgers’ roster that should have found new homes.

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According to the MLB Network and ESPN.go.com, the Dodgers have acquired OF Scott Podsednik from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for minor league catcher Lucas May and minor league pitcher Elisaul Pimental. The Dodgers will pay the remaining $650,000 on Podsednik’s contract. 

Podsednik adds depth in an injured outfield while becoming the fourth outfielder for the Dodgers. Podsednik provides experience, leadership and speed to the Dodgers, and he is also currently hitting .309 while collecting 30 steals.

The move comes just hours after rumors surfaced that the Dodgers had dropped out of the races for Marlin’s outfielder Cody Ross.

Podsednik comes to the Dodgers as a bargain, and the prospects the Dodgers surrendered didn’t seem to factor in to the near future. Lucas May has seen success in the organization as other catchers were injured, but with a healthy Brad Ausmus, it seemed as though May was going to finish the season in the minor league system. 

The Royals had their eye on Elisaul Pimental, and the Dodgers obliged. From a Dodgers perspective, they didn’t give up much to get a veteran outfielder who will provide depth at a great price.

The Dodgers expect Podsednik to be available in the final game of the series against the Padres on Thursday night.

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