Joe Torre on the Dodgers’ off-season: “Everything’s quiet”

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Dodgers Manager Joe Torre is spending this winter in Los Angeles and said General Manager Ned Colletti is informing him of everything he’s doing to assemble next year’s team.

So far, Torre said, there’s nothing to report.

“Everything’s quiet,” Torre said at the Beverly Wilshire hotel, where he received a humanitarian award at the Southern California Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation’s award gala tonight. “We’re not even close to doing anything at this point.”

Though Torre called Manny Ramirez “the flavor of the day” and said he wanted him back next year, he stressed the importance of re-signing shortstop Rafael Furcal.

“Raffy can’t take a back seat to anyone, as far as I’m concerned,” Torre said.

Torre said that at the end of the season, he told Furcal that he wanted to see him in a Dodgers uniform again and that Furcal replied by saying that the sentiment was mutual. Torre hinted that Furcal’s surgically repaired back could be an issue in the negotiations. (Furcal’s agent, Paul Kinzer, has said that his client has been medically cleared and that his back shouldn’t affect the kind of contract he gets.)

“If we sign him, we certainly want him on the field,” Torre said.

Torre said the Dodgers needed a top-of-the-rotation arm. Of CC Sabathia, he said, “We certainly know what Sabathia did for Milwaukee and Cleveland.”

Torre, like Colletti, said signing both Ramirez and Sabathia could be difficult.

“That’s going to be a chunk of change,” he said.

Torre said that Colletti is also actively exploring the trade market.

Torre shot down the idea that Russell Martin could be moved to third base.

“He’s our catcher,” Torre said. “You don’t find guys who have the ability to catch the way he does and hit the way he does.”

Torre said he spoke to Andruw Jones earlier in the day. Jones, who hit .158 with three home runs in the first year of his two-year, $36.2-million contract, will be heading to the Dominican Republic next month to play winter ball.

Jones is working out with a trainer in his home in suburban Atlanta, but Torre said he told him, “You’re going to have to go and play the game.”

“It’s the only way he’s going to clear up his head,” Torre said.

Speaking of off-season work, Torre said the Dodgers want to get a “jump start on spring training” by providing some of their players with instruction over the winter. There are already plans for hitting coach Don Mattingly to work with first baseman James Loney.

-- Dylan Hernandez