Dodgers web doings: Whither Ramon Troncoso?

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The focus supposedly has been on a starting pitcher -- particularly an ace -- for the Dodgers as they approach the July 31 trading deadline.

It’s clear and obvious, and at this point given the Dodgers unannounced financial restraints, pretty unlikely.

Yet middle relief has also become an expectedly thorny issue, with George Sherrill and Ramon Troncoso the palest of shadows of their 2009 selves.

Ken Gurnick of mlb.com examined the struggles of Troncoso, the right-hander who in his first full season last year appeared in 73 games, going 5-4 with a 2.72 ERA.

After a strong start this year, however, Troncoso is about as reliable as BP’s latest oil cleanup plan. Right now, he’s 1-2 with a 5.45 ERA and still heading the wrong direction.

Troncoso appeared in a lot of games last season and in 15 of their Dodgers’ first 22 games this season.

Yet he tells Gurnick his arm eels great.

``I feel perfect, I feel brand new, like a baby with a new toy,’’ Troncoso said.

Also on the net:

-- ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (via Insider) polled 12 general manager and asked them to rate their peers.

Dodgers GM Ned Colletti came in second in the ``toughest GM to make a deal with.’’

Said one GM: ``When you’re talking to him, it feels like you’re dealing with five different people, and you don’t know whether it’s the owner, the scouting director or the manager who really holds the power.’’

-- The Los Angeles Times’ Dylan Hernandez has feature on Hiroki Kuroda and how he hasn’t completely shaken getting hit in the head with a ball off the bat of Arizona’s Rusty Ryal.

-- Also from The Times’ Hernandez, he confirms an earlier mlb.com report that part of the reason Matt Kemp was benched was because he got into it with a coach in the dugout Saturday.

-- Foxsports.com’s Jon Paul Morosi has a piece on the consistency of the under-the-radar James Loney.

In the blogosphere:

-- Mikesciosciastragicillness.com examined Thursday’s off-day news, including speculation the Red Sox might be interested in Russell Martin after losing Jason Varitek to a broken foot and already having Victor Martinez on the DL with a broken finger.

-- Eric Stephen of Truebluela.com previews the Dodgers-Diamondback series by looking at how the Arizona pitching has struggled against L.A. this season.

-- Feelingdodgerblue.com thinks it’s time the Dodgers traded Martin, and should ready to trade Kemp.

-- Steve Dilbeck