James Loney

A third of the way through the season, James Loney is on pace to drive in 123 runs. The last Dodger with that many RBIs was Shawn Green in 2001. But with only two home runs before Wednesday's game, Loney is also on pace to finish the season with six.

Staff writer Tim Hubbard takes at look at some not-so-likely assets that can help fantasy owners fill the gaps in their lineups. James Loney 1B | Tampa Bay Dodgers fans may not have noticed, or my not want to notice, how productive Loney has been for the Rays. After a mostly disappointing seven years with the Dodgers in which he averaged 10 home runs and 60 RBIs, Loney is leading the American League in hitting at .385. Loney still has low-wattage power, but he has provided solid protection for cleanup hitter Evan Longoria.

The Dodgers settled the last of their pending arbitration cases, agreeing with first baseman James Loney on a one-year, $4.875-million contract. Loney's salary will fall $100,000 short of the midpoint of the figures he and the Dodgers exchanged last month. Loney asked for $5.25 million and the Dodgers countered at $4.7 million. Loney will not be eligible for free agency until after the 2012 season. He earned $3.1 million last season. Had the sides failed to reach a settlement, they would have pleaded their respective cases in front of an arbitration panel Feb. 18. Teams generally prefer to avoid arbitration hearings, fearing they could damage their relationships with players by arguing why they are not worth as much as they are asking for. The Dodgers also avoided hearings with their two other arbitration-eligible players, Chad Billingsley and Hong-Chih Kuo . ?

Catching up on some items on the web: -- Sandy Koufax lets Yahoo's David Brown know he's not all thrilled about being part of the 'Big Lebowski' lore. -- Sore-elbowed Chad Billingsley tells the Orange County Register's Bill Plunkett: “I'm going to be like Takashi Saito. ” -- The one guy the Dodgers didn't want to give up in that blockbuster trade with Boston last summer, Rubby De La Rosa, has impressed Pedro Martinez: “He has an opportunity to be someone special.” -- Tampa Rays manager Joe Maddon likes his early view of James Loney , calling him a “good gamble for the Rays.” -- Feelin' Kinda Blue's Dustin Nosler has unearthed the White Sox video of Hyun-Jin Ryu's spring debut with the Dodgers on Sunday.

We were gathered around Don Mattingly after the Dodgers' victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday, when a radio reporter put a microphone in front of the manager's face and commented on how James Loney had been hitting better of late and wondered whether the first baseman had changed anything. The room broke out in laughter, or maybe it was just me. “I hope not,” Mattingly said. Loney is the king of tinker, which has been an ongoing problem during his six-year career.

Tick, tick, tick. As Tuesday's nonwaiver trading deadline draws near and the Dodgers continue to look for another starting pitcher and solid bat, it should be noted that one struggling Dodger is starting to hit. Are you ready for the return of … James Loney? What, can you contain the excitement? Not going all in on the New Loney, Take 23? Loney is a favorite whipping boy for those who demand a traditional power-hitting first baseman, if not those who simply demand that a talented player actually improve as he reaches his prime.

Perception-wise, first baseman James Loney was snubbed when he, Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp and Russell Martin joined the Dodgers in 2006. They had flash. He didn't. He was just steady, productive, dependable. And even as he has stacked impressive statistical seasons on top of each other, perceptions haven't changed much. Flash is still flash. But Saturday at Dodger Stadium, in the 13th inning with the Dodgers' bullpen on empty, it was Loney who flashed, hitting a walk-off home run to give the Dodgers a 3-2 win over the New York Mets.

From the way James Loney nonchalantly walked across the clubhouse to the way Manager Don Mattingly talked, nothing indicated the problem was serious. But the Dodgers couldn't be sure enough. Saturday night, the Dodgers received the confirmation they wanted, as team doctors determined that Loney would be sidelined for only a couple of days by his swollen left knee. Loney underwent an MRI exam earlier in the day, the result of his complaining of stiffness after playing on Friday night.

The run batted in has been denigrated by the sabermetric community. The RBI reflects opportunity more than ability, or so the argument goes. The Dodgers' management does not feel the same way. James Loney drove in four runs to lead the Dodgers to a raucous 9-4 victory over the New York Yankees on Saturday. Rafael Furcal had three hits, Manny Ramirez reached base four times, and the Dodgers delighted a sellout crowd by scoring seven runs in the first four innings. Not that the suspense was over, at least not for Dodgers Manager Joe Torre.

What's gotten into James Loney? The Dodgers first baseman has caught fire of late, and he slugged his second three-run home run in as many at-bats as the Dodgers defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-1, Saturday night. Juan Rivera added a two-run home run, and Dodgers starting pitcher Ted Lilly held the Pirates to one run and four hits in his seven innings of work. Lilly, who entered the game 9-14, was attempting to win his 10th game for his ninth consecutive season. Regardless, the Dodgers were officially eliminated from postseason play before Lilly threw his first pitch.

That stunning blockbuster trade last August that brought Adrian Gonzalez and Josh Beckett to the Dodgers from the Red Sox remains a jaw-dropper, as it is still being scrutinized and figures to be for some time. One interesting look at the trade now comes from Theo Epstein, the former Red Sox general manager who had moved on to his position with the Cubs when the deal went down. In a radio interview Thursday on Boston's WEEI, Epstein gave his observations on the trade, calling it remarkable (audio)

The Dodgers win the posting on a South Korean pitcher for over $25.7 million who has never sniffed at a major-league game? They're in on pair from Japan, closer Kyuji Fujikawa and highly-coveted 18-year-old prospect Shohei Otani ? Signed Cuban defector Yasiel Puig for $42 million? Took on a quarter of a billion in new salary … in August? They're looking at Torii Hunter , Kevin Youkilis , Zach Greinke , Anibal Sanchez, Hiroki Kuroda and LeBron James?

JAMES LONEY , 28, first base Final 2012 stats: .249 batting average, six home runs, 41 RBIs, .293 on-base and .336 slugging percentages in 434 at-bats. Contract status: A free agent. The good: He's gone. Sorry, that's too harsh. Played some excellent defense. Actually hit better as a Dodger (.254) than a Red Sox (.230). In his Loney-esque way, stayed jovial throughout his hitting trials. The bad: Easily had worst season of his six-year career. Continued to decline in every offensive area.

This is really not a 2011 news item , but one from 2012. Now if the Boston Red Sox had been able to act properly in 2011, there would be no need for this managerial déjà vu, but there you are. A year ago the Red Sox searched for their first post-Theo Epstein manager and decided on Bobby Valentine. Those crazy guys. Perhaps you heard about that implosion. Valentine barely staggered through the season, mutiny and irate players everywhere, and the Red Sox are once again beginning a managerial search.

The Dodgers are heading into the off-season knowing that a new world awaits them on the other side of their winter vacation. When they report to spring training in Arizona four months from now, they will face something they haven't faced in recent years. "Lot of expectations, that's for sure," Clayton Kershaw said. They are no longer the bankrupt franchise forced to piece together a 25-man roster with spare parts. They might start next season with a payroll of more than $200 million that will be unmatched in all of baseball.

The Dodgers started their season with James Loney at first base and ended it with Adrian Gonzalez there. They upgraded from Dee Gordon to Hanley Ramirez at shortstop and from Juan Rivera to Shane Victorino in left field. But it didn't matter, at least as far as this year was concerned. These high-priced Dodgers finished where the bankrupt Dodgers of last season finished - out of the playoffs. The Guggenheim-backed Dodgers were officially eliminated from postseason contention Tuesday night, as they fell to the San Francisco Giants, 4-3, at Dodger Stadium.

Back in Phoenix, some of the players who weren't forced to board the 7:45 a.m. team bus expressed their relief of having avoided a four-hour round trip to the Cactus League's easternmost outpost. Only one projected starter was forced to make the trip here on Tuesday: James Loney . But Loney being Loney, there were no complaints from the first baseman, only the usual variety of quirky comments and smiles. A player once called "very left-handed" by former teammate Randy Wolf , Loney pointed out the positives of making the trip, among them that he was named the Dodgers' honorary captain by bench coach Bob Schaefer . Loney later learned he was a part of history.

James Loney is out of the Dodgers' lineup on Monday, marking the third time in five days he won't start. “The game tells you what to do,” Manager Don Mattingly said. “I'm trying to put a lineup out there that has a chance to win a game.” Loney is batting .248 with two home runs and 16 runs batted in. At this point of his disappointing 2011 season, Loney was hitting .238 with two home runs and 15 RBIs. Mattingly said the Dodgers had to get more production out of the first base position.

Now this is easy to miss, or maybe dismiss. It's been that kind of season for Aaron Harang. Mostly he's been fine. Nothing special, nothing appalling. Just sort of out there in the middle somewhere. A .500 pitcher who can mostly keep you in games, but is unlikely to shut down anyone. A pleasant guy. For someone who's been around and healthy all season, I can't think of anyone I've written less about. His record is 10-10. His ERA is 3.61. About what the Dodgers likely expected when they signed him in the off-season for two years at $12 million, although the ERA is a career-low.

Are you missing James Loney? Come on, not even a tiny bit? OK, so maybe not, which is not to say he was devoid of local supporters. Those were the ones who still loved his swing, that he averaged almost 90 RBI for three consecutive seasons and was a smooth-fielding first baseman. To the rest of the Dodgers fans, however, he was a giant disappointment. A player who not only never developed but actually went backward. Who couldn't hit left-handers and, for a first baseman, was infuriatingly short on power.