--2B Jeff Kent said at his retirement ceremony he won't be bothered by the reputation that he was a difficult, often cantankerous personality. Known for keeping to himself in the clubhouse and rarely socializing with teammates away from the park, Kent had few close friends in the game. But several of those close to him, including his wife, said that Kent's prickly exterior was what allowed him to maintain his competitive edge on the field.
--RHP Jonathan Broxton avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one-year contract with a $1,825,000 base salary. Broxton, slated to take over as the Dodgers' closer this season following the departure of free agent Takashi Saito, can get an additional $50,000 for each of 45, 50, 55 and 60 games finished. He made $454,000 last year. --C Russell Martin, in his first year of arbitration-eligibility, also agreed to terms on a one-year deal. The two-time All-Star will receive $3.9 million, a raise of almost 700 percent over his 2008 salary of $500,000. Martin was a "Super-2" player and thus won't be eligible for free agency until after the 2012 season.
--OF Jason Repko avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one-year deal that will give him a modest raise of $12,500 to $500,000, plus the same incentives he had last year, $25,000 for 100 plate appearances and $50,000 for each of 150, 250 and 350 plate appearances. Repko is in the strange position of being a four-plus arbitration-eligible player who has two minor league options left, and he doesn't appear to fit into the club's plans, especially if the Dodgers re-sign Manny Ramirez. Repko's agent, Dan Lozano, said recently that both he and Repko have been trying for two years to convince the Dodgers to trade Repko.
--OF Andre Ethier is the only one of the Dodgers' four arbitration-eligible players who didn't agree to terms before players and clubs exchanged salary figures. Ethier, who batted .305 with 38 doubles, 20 homers and 77 RBIs last year, is seeking $3.75 million, while the club filed at $2.65 million. Ethier received $424,500 last year.
BY THE NUMBERS: 351 -- Career home runs as a second baseman by Jeff Kent, the most ever by a player at that position. Kent hit a total of 377 home runs in his 17 big-league seasons. Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg is second on the homer list among second basemen with 277. Kent also leads all second baseman in 100-RBI seasons, having driven in at least that many eight times. He barely missed doing it in 2003, when he drove in 93 runs while missing 23 games with an injury.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I know it's a cliche, but this guy gave 100 percent every time he walked onto the field. Whether he was hurt, banged up, no matter what the situation, that didn't mean anything to him. That is what impressed me so much when I first saw him in 1997, and it never changed through his last game in Los Angeles." -- Dodgers trainer Stan Conte, who served in the same capacity for the Giants during Jeff Kent's six-year stint in San Francisco.
