Mike Scioscia's tragic illness

Getting the Band Back Together: Ausmus Returning

Big day on the unimportant signing front… Dylan Hernandez tweets:

The Dodgers have agreed to a new deal with backup catcher Brad Ausmus, according to a source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Part of me would have liked to have seen A.J. Ellis get a crack, but I can’t really argue with this too much. Backup catchers are basically a dime-a-dozen, and for what Ausmus lacks on the field, he may have made up for in resurrecting Guillermo Mota. Really, if Russell Martin doesn’t turn it around, it’s not going to make a bit of difference who his backup is.

That said, I’m interested to see the salary; Ausmus made $1m last year and I’d be surprised if the Dodgers would spend more than that.

Update: Hernandez answers that question with his next tweet:

Ausmus’ deal with the Dodgers includes a mutual option for 2011. He will earn a base salary of $850k this year.