Rivera, Coffey, And The Treanors Depart

Occasional surprising HRs.

A big presence...for 19.1 innings prior to Tommy John surgery.

A great athlete alongside a perfectly congenial spouse.

The Dodgers declined options on three players as well as a beautiful olympian / spokesperson yesterday:

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers declined team options on three players Monday, saving them nearly $7 million for their 2013 payroll.

The Dodgers declined options on Juan Rivera, who would have earned $4 million next season, reliever Todd Coffey, who was set to earn $2.5 million, and backup catcher Matt Treanor, who would have earned $950,000. To buy out all three contracts will cost the Dodgers $950,000.

Of the three, Rivera had the most prominent role, starting 110 games last season -- mostly in left field and at first base. But he batted just .244 and grounded into 15 double plays. He had little role once the Dodgers acquired Shane Victorino and Adrian Gonzalez. The Dodgers think Carl Crawford can return from elbow surgery by April to man left field.

We're all counting on you, Carl.

photos: Rivera: Christian Petersen/Getty Images North America; Coffey: Getty Images; Treanors: Jayne Kamin-Oncea, US Presswire

I'm Scarred Now After Seeing Todd Coffey's Scar

Just, damn...

Coffey in his "better" days, and his post-Tommy John surgery elbow

No thanks at all to Coffey for tweeting this hideous picture, or to Big League Stew for making me aware of it.

Images: Getty Images; @toddcoffey60

Coffey's For Closure

Todd Coffey, Dodgers reliever and bullpen-to-mound sprinter, is out for the season with a torn ligament:

Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Todd Coffey will miss the rest of the season with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow that will require Tommy John surgery.

Coffey was roughed up for two runs in the eighth inning in Monday's loss to the Cincinnati Reds. Mattingly and trainer Sue Falsone visited him on the mound during the appearance and Coffey insisted he was fine and struck out two batters to finish out the inning. Coffey said he didn't even think the injury was all that severe when he woke up Tuesday morning.

"I never felt any sharp pain," Coffey said. "I really didn't anticipate this at all. (Monday) just felt like one of those nights where you have a hard time getting loose and maybe you don't have your best stuff.

"I really just thought it was tendinitis or inflammation. So this came as a bit of a shock. But the MRI doesn't lie. And you can't rehab a tear."

The rotund right-hander had turned into one of the Dodgers most reliable arms out of the bullpen of late. After a slow start, he hadn't allowed a run in 10 appearances since May 31.

"It's very frustrating," Coffey said. "I feel like I was right in my groove. But I can't change it. I have to spend my energy focused on getting back."

With Andre Ethier likely headed to the DL, this is yet another injury for the Dodgers, who have yet to see the highly-publicized yield from Stan Conte's statistical analyses on injury prediction and prevention. Clearly, Conte has room for improvement.

Todd Coffey's Boobs Merit Magazine Mention

It's not another Matt Kemp magazine cover, but still worth noting: the latest issue of Men's Journal features a poll of 100 major-league players. Among the results (via Hardball Talk):

Moving right along, Todd Coffey was voted the player in the worst shape:

"Have you seen him running in from the bullpen?" says a division rival of Coffey. "He has bigger boobs than half the girls I've dated."

We look forward to the inevitable @ToddCoffeysBoobs.

Afternoon Coffey

Huge new Dodger signing! No, not huge as in impactful. Huge, as in he's a fat tub of lard, a real chancho. Apparently he's been signed to shore up middle relief. I think he's actually been signed for load-balancing purposes on team flights now that Broxton is gone.

LA Times has more here.

UPDATE: I was listening to the MLB station on Sirius/XM on my way to work yesterday. The morning show was interviewing Coffey and what I heard made me reconsider how I feel about him. I didn't know this before, and maybe some of you do, but his entrance song is the theme song, "Unstable," that the Ultimate Warrior would use during his wrestling days. Big plus one from me! Also, he's a big Trekkie, so plus another one from me.

cc: Delino

Photo: Getty Images