Perez Feels Like One of the Guys This Year

The visitors’ clubhouse at Minute Maid Park doesn’t hold pleasant memories for the handful of Dodger holdovers from the disappointing 2005 season. It was the scene of a closed-door player meeting that included boisterous finger-pointing.

The primary target was pitcher Odalis Perez. He admitted as much after one of three Dodger losses here before the All-Star break, complaining that he was being singled out for criticism when it had become excruciatingly apparent the season was going nowhere.

What a difference a year has made to Perez, who is off to a 3-0 start and full of cheer in the clubhouse.

“This is a good team with good guys,” he said. “The moves we made in the off-season changed everything. Nomar Garciaparra and Kenny Lofton, everybody respects these guys. They know how to respect a teammate.”

Perez said he has resolved his differences with the teammate who called him out, reserve infielder Olmedo Saenz. “Whatever is in the past, is past,” he said. “We’ve talked about it and there is no problem. This is a good team with good guys.”

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The Dodgers traded outfielder Cody Ross to the Cincinnati Reds for a player to be named. Ross had been designated for assignment a week ago, and the Dodgers were at risk of getting nothing for him if he didn’t clear waivers. A Dodger front-office official said the team would get a player in return by June 1, probably a minor leaguer.

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Right-hander Luke Hochevar, the Dodgers’ first pick in last June’s draft, has signed with the Fort Worth Cats of the independent Central Baseball League and will report next week, according to agent Scott Boras.

The Dodgers have the rights to Hochevar until shortly before this year’s draft June 6, but team officials are not optimistic that a deal will be reached.

The Dodgers believed they had an agreement with Hochevar in September, when, in a seven-hour period, Hochevar switched representatives, accepted a bonus of $2.98 million and signed a term sheet. He reneged on the deal, however, returned to Boras, and there has been little in the way of negotiations since.

Fort Worth opens its season May 11 and Hochevar, who was 15-3 for Tennessee last year, could make four or five starts before the draft. A Dodger official said the team would probably dispatch a scout to those games.

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Pitcher Eric Gagne and several other Dodgers will take part in a charity bowling event at Lucky Strike Hollywood on May 8 at 6 p.m. Garciaparra, Lofton, Rafael Furcal and Derek Lowe are expected to participate. ... Lowe will attend to personal business in Fort Myers, Fla., and rejoin the team Thursday in San Diego.

Times staff writer Tim Brown contributed to this report.