Busy Blue

A day after Mark Loretta retired from the game of baseball after 15 seasons, his last one with the Dodgers this past season, the Blue were busy filling a hole in the infield and filling out their bench, bringing back two of their own free agents, re-signing infielder Ronnie Belliard and catcher Brad Ausmus.

Both players get one-year deals in the $825K to $850K range. Belliard will likely get the bulk of the playing time at second base, though he can play anywhere on the infield. He can earn an additional $250K in incentives based on plate appearances. Ausmus will back-up starter Russell Martin for the second straight season. His deal includes a $1MM mutual option for 2011 with a $150K buyout.

With the addition of Jamey Carroll earlier in the off-season, as well Angel Berroa, and now Belliard re-signing, the team has some nice infield depth. This doesn't bode too well for Blake DeWitt, though he'll fight hard for a job in Spring Training.

The addition of Ausmus also means A.J. Ellis will be headed back to Triple-A Albuquerque for another season.