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Not so long ago, they were kids trying to break into the major leagues. Together, they survived a war of words with their older teammates to make the clubhouse theirs. Together, they went on the kind of playoff runs that were alien to an entire generation of Dodgers fans and started to win the kind of awards that turn solid ballplayers into stars. And together, they became rich. Very rich. "But there's a responsibility that comes with it," Andre Ethier said. This winter, the so-called core of the Dodgers' roster became the core of the Dodgers' payroll as $49.2 million of the $65.7 million spent on major league contracts over the off-season went to six players: Ethier, Matt Kemp, Jonathan Broxton, Russell Martin, Chad Billingsley and James Loney.

Jeff Mathis didn't have much in the way of regular-season offensive statistics to support his case in arbitration, but the catcher's impressive defensive resume and some big playoff hits apparently swayed a three-person panel in his favor. Mathis was awarded a salary of $1.3 million on Friday, a significant amount over the $700,000 figure submitted by the Angels. The 26-year-old, who shares time behind the plate with Mike Napoli , hit only .211 with five home runs and 28 runs batted in last season.

Projected roster STARTING LINEUP SS Rafael Furcal C Russell Martin LF Manny Ramirez RF Andre Ethier CF Matt Kemp 1B James Loney 2B Ronnie Belliard 3B Casey Blake STARTING ROTATION RH Chad Billingsley LH Clayton Kershaw RH Hiroki Kuroda RH Vicente Padilla LH Eric Stults BULLPEN RH Jonathan Broxton LH George Sherrill ...

The Angels avoided arbitration with shortstop Erick Aybar , who agreed to a one-year, $2.05-million contract Thursday, but they could not avoid it with catcher Jeff Mathis , who missed Thursday's workout to attend his hearing in St. Petersburg, Fla. Mathis, an agile defender who hit .211 with five home runs and 28 runs batted in last season, asked for a salary of $1.3 million; the Angels countered with an offer of $700,000. A decision is expected Friday. Aybar, who hit .312 with five homers and 58 RBIs last season and developed into one of baseball's better defensive shortstops, asked for $2.75 million in arbitration, while the Angels countered with $1.8 million.

Game Over? Close, but not quite. Disgraced former icon Eric Gagne, who electrified Dodger Stadium during a three-year stretch in which he saved a record 84 consecutive games, has agreed to a minor league contract with the Dodgers that includes an invitation to major league camp, according to baseball sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal is not yet official. Gagne is expected to be part of the group of pitchers and catchers who will report to spring training in Phoenix on Saturday.

Jamie McCourt wants nearly $1 million per month in temporary support from her estranged husband, an amount disclosed in a court filing in which her lawyers allege Frank McCourt has engaged in a "carefully calculated subterfuge designed to mislead the court" about his financial resources. The filing, unsealed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, includes details of how Frank McCourt hopes to transform the Dodgers from a baseball team into the anchor of a sports business empire that could include cable television channels broadcast in English and Spanish; homes, shops and a football stadium within the Dodger Stadium parking lots; and the purchase of a soccer club in China and another in the English Premier League.

Two pitchers who might well decide the fortunes of the Angels' rotation and bullpen this season reported to spring training Wednesday in good spirits and, apparently, in good health. Ervin Santana , who struggled for most of 2009 because of an elbow sprain that sapped him of his normal velocity and command, said his arm feels "very, very good" after skipping winter ball in his native Dominican Republic. And veteran reliever Scot Shields arrived at Tempe Diablo Stadium with his usual beginning-of-camp gusto, the left-knee surgery that sidelined the right-hander for most of 2009 barely registering a blip on his radar.

Staff writer Mike DiGiovanna takes a look at the Angels heading into spring training. Who's new DH Hideki Matsui, P Joel Pineiro, P Fernando Rodney, P Brian Stokes. Who's gone P John Lackey, 3B Chone Figgins, DH Vladimir Guerrero, P Darren Oliver, OF Gary Matthews Jr., P Kelvim Escobar. Biggest question Who will bat leadoff with Figgins gone? The Angels feel they have two capable candidates in Maicer Izturis and Erick Aybar, but Izturis can't match the durability and Aybar can't match the plate discipline of Figgins, who had a .395 on-base percentage, 114 runs, 101 walks and 42 stolen bases last season and was a fixture at the top of the Angels' lineup since 2005.

As deep and as balanced as the Angels have been in recent years, their roster has come under fire for being something of a liability come October, less suited for a do-or-die playoff series than for the grueling 162-game schedule. Yet when pitchers and catchers report to Tempe, Ariz., on Wednesday and hold their first spring training workout Thursday, the Angels will have a similar look. There will be no front-of-the-rotation stud, that guy you can count on to win three times in a seven-game series, such as CC Sabathia or Roy Halladay.

Get in shape. Or else. That is what's implied by the wording in the contract bearing the signature of Ronnie Belliard, who on Tuesday re-signed with the Dodgers for one year to compete with Blake DeWitt and Jamey Carroll for the starting job at second base. Belliard, 34, will be guaranteed $825,000 this year, but only if he tips the scales at 209 pounds or fewer at some point during spring training, according to multiple sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the clause.