Manny Ramirez said Monday that 2010 will be his final season as a Dodger.

 

Ramirez, 37 and in the final year of a two-year contract, hinted at both retirement or a return to the American League as a designated hitter as possibilities but committed to neither.

 

“I know I won’t be here next year, so I’ll just enjoy myself,” Ramirez said. “I’m happy I’m here now, I just know I won’t be here. I’ll wait until September and see where we’re at. The game is still fun, but I’ll wait until the season ends and see where my family’s at and stuff like that and make a choice. I just want to see how my body responds and stuff like that.” — Ken Gurnick

Dodgers reliever Travis Schlichting has regained 10 of 30 pounds he lost while dealing with Gilbert’s syndrome, which results in increased bilirubin levels and, in Schlichting’s case, is believed to have caused fatigue and nausea that led to the weight loss.

Schlichting, who had a two-appearance cameo with the Dodgers last year, believes a low-fat diet triggered the inherited condition, although now that he’s feeling better, he views the weight loss as a benefit because it takes pressure off a bulging disk in his lower back that sidelined him most of Spring Training last year.

Schlichting said the condition was the worst during the Arizona Fall League, when he had to pitch on an empty stomach because he couldn’t hold down any food. He said a return to a more normal diet  has him feeling better than he has since early last year. — Ken Gurnick

The first workout for Dodgers pitchers and catchers is Sunday and, for the second consecutive Spring, reliever Ronald Belisario will miss it, again because of visa problems in his native Venezuela, and manager Joe Torre isn’t happy about it.

“It should have started earlier,” Torre said of the process to get clearance. “It’s not something I like. There’s always some issue with somebody. After the job he did last year, we have a better idea of what he’s like, but I still want him here.”

Belisario had an amazing Spring last year. He reported a week late, pitched one inning of a “
B” game, was among the first cuts March 6, pitched lights-out in Minor League camp, was brought back to Major League camp March 30, pitched five more innings and made the Opening Day roster.

Then he spent the entire year in the Major Leagues with a 70 2/3-inning workload and a stellar 2.04 ERA despite missing one month with a sore elbow. — Ken Gurnick

Dodgers catcher Russell Martin, who came into camp last year weighing 210 pounds, checked in this year at 230 after a winter of weight lifting and said he could get up to 240 during the season. Martin said he also has gone back to eating foods he likes after abandoning a low-fat, low-carb diet.

 

Martin spent part of the winter working out with fellow Canadian Eric Gagne, who just signed a Minor League contract with the Dodgers. And Martin said he knows there will be suggestions or suspicions that his added weight is the result of a performance-enhancing substance, which he said are the unfortunate aftermath of the steroid era.

 

“It does stink, but I don’t care at this point,” he said. “I’ll always keep my integrity. At some point, I guess that will cease. We’re in a transition place where people still have their doubts. If you work out the right way and push yourself and eat the right way, anybody can gain weight. For me, it’s hard not to gain weight.” — Ken Gurnick

The Dodgers and free-agent reliever Eric Gagne have reached a tentative agreement on a Minor League contract with an invitation to Major League camp. Gagne, 34, also had an offer from the Colorado Rockies, but preferred to return to Los Angeles, where he enjoyed his greatest success. — Ken Gurnick

The Dodgers have not yet made a Minor League contract offer to free-agent reliever Eric Gagne, according to a baseball source. Gagne is trying to restart his career after several years of shoulder problems. Dodgers scouts have watched Gagne throw and the Rockies watched him throw Tuesday. The Rockies are managed by Jim Tracy, who managed Gagne during his glory years with the Dodgers. — Ken Gurnick

In addition to Joel Pineiro, Vicente Padilla and Jon Garland, add Braden Looper to the list of veteran free-agent pitchers on the Dodgers radar as they search for an innings-eating fourth starter. Looper was on the Dodgers’ shopping list a year ago, but the Dodgers signed Randy Wolf for a $5 million base and Looper signed with Milwaukee for $4.75 million. Looper then went 14-7 with a 5.22 ERA for the Brewers in 2009, pitching 194 2/3 innings. He has won in double figures each of his three seasons as a starter. — Ken Gurnick

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Mitch Webster, the scout who signed Blake DeWitt and Scott Elbert, left the organization to become Midwest regional scouting director of the Kansas City Royals. Webster had been a Major League scout the past two seasons and was part of the team that scouted the St. Louis Cardinals for this year’s NL Division Series. — Ken Gurnick

Dodger minor league shortstop Dee Gordon and outfielder Brian Cavazos-Galvez were named Topps/Minor League Players of the Year for their respective leagues. Gordon, son of Major Leaguer Tom Gordon, won the honors in the Single-A Midwest League, batting .301 with a league-leading 73 steals and 12 triples for the Great Lakes Loons.  Gordon also earned the Branch Rickey Award as the Dodgers’ Minor League Player of the Year, Midwest League Prospect of the Year, and league co-Most Valuable Player.  He was selected in the fourth round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft.

 

Cavazos-Galvez, son of former Dodgers pitcher Balvino Galvez, claimed the award for the Rookie-advanced Pioneer League, batting .322 with a league-leading 18 homers for the Ogden Raptors.  Cavazos-Galvez, 22, won the league’s Most Valuable Player Award and was named to the league All-Star team after being selected in the 12th round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of New Mexico. — Ken Gurnick

Dodger Midwest Scouting Supervisor Gary Nickels will be inducted into the Midwest Scouts Association Hall of Fame Saturday and the Mid Atlantic Scouts Association Hall of Fame next Saturday.  The 2009 season is Nickels’ 38th as a scout and seventh in his current position. Dodgers drafted under his supervision include Chad Billingsley, Clayton Kershaw, Scott Elbert, Blake DeWitt, Cory Wade and A.J. Ellis. — Ken Gurnick