Delgado Stays Close to Green

The Dodgers and Blue Jays denied a recent report of a deal that would have sent All-Star first baseman Carlos Delgado to Los Angeles.

But does Delgado want to be a Dodger?

“I don’t want to get ahead of myself,” said Delgado, who has a no-trade clause in his contract. “If it happened, I would have to make a decision.”

Delgado and first baseman Shawn Green have been close since their days together in Toronto’s farm system, and being reunited with Green “would go into the plus column” for the Dodgers, Delgado said.

Delgado, who was put on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday because of a rib-cage injury, has counseled Green during Green’s batting slump, speaking with him at least once a week on the phone. Delgado also visited Green and his family in the off-season at Green’s Newport Beach home.

“I can relate to what he’s going through,” Delgado said. “He’s struggling, he’s just a little bit off, and when it rains it pours. You have to keep battling.

“Everything starts with positive thinking. I try to encourage him, tell him to keep swinging. It’s funny, because he can say the same thing to me.”

Delgado can become a free agent at the end of the season, and Green is under contract to the Dodgers through the 2005 season.

“We played together eight years, three in the minor leagues and five in the majors,” Green said. “And when we played together, we both made each other better.”

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Pitcher Jason Frasor figured he wasn’t going to crack the Dodger bullpen any time soon, if ever, so he welcomed the trade March 30 that sent him to Toronto for outfielder Jayson Werth.

Werth has been sidelined most of the season because of a strained stomach muscle, but Frasor has flourished in relief for the Blue Jays. He was leading American League rookies with four saves in as many chances before Tuesday’s games.

The 26-year-old right-hander had not given up a run in his last 20 innings while stranding 11 of 15 inherited runners, and had moved to the top of Toronto’s bullpen after being recalled from triple-A Syracuse about a week into the season.

“I guess that trade worked out pretty well, huh?” said Frasor, 2-1 with an earned-run average of 0.68.

“If I didn’t get traded, who knows where I’d be? I’d probably still be in Vero Beach. I’d probably still be playing for the Vero Beach Dodgers.”

Probably not.

Frasor, acquired from the Detroit Tigers in 2002, was promoted from Class-A Vero Beach to double-A Jacksonville in 2003 after going 1-0 with a 1.85 ERA and six saves in 15 games for Vero Beach. The Dodgers added Frasor to the 40-man roster after he’d gone 1-0 with a 2.95 ERA and 17 saves for Jacksonville.

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Catcher Paul Lo Duca responded to comments critical of him attributed to Arizona closer Jose Valverde, who struck out Lo Duca in the eighth inning Sunday.

“It was awesome for me because I’ve never liked Lo Duca,” Valverde was quoted as saying in the Arizona Republic. “This guy, he talks a lot out there, you know what I mean? Last year, he got on base on me a lot. But I said, ‘I got you this year.’

“Now, I struck him out, and I’m happy about that.”

Lo Duca expressed confusion.

“I’ve never said two words to the guy,” Lo Duca said. “I don’t think I’ve ever showed up the Diamondbacks. I guess it’s a compliment, because if I’m that far under his skin and I don’t even know it, then it’s got to be a compliment to me.”

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The Dodgers agreed to terms with prep pitcher Blake Johnson, giving their second-round selection in Monday’s amateur draft a $600,000 signing bonus, a baseball source said. Johnson went 8-3 with a 1.31 ERA and 116 strikeouts -- and only 15 walks -- in 64 innings for his high school team in Baton Rouge, La.... Closer Eric Gagne was presented with his second consecutive Tip O’Neill Award, given annually to the top Canadian player in the majors.... Reliever Paul Shuey (thumb injury) faced batters for the first time, throwing 30 pitches in a bullpen session.... Right-hander Brian Falkenborg was optioned to triple-A Las Vegas to make room for Hideo Nomo on the 25-man roster.

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Times staff writer Mike DiGiovanna contributed to this report.