Welcome to the Blue Mark!

Via Dodger Thoughts, it appears the Dodger have picked up a quality utility infielder in Mark Loretta. On top of that, he appears to be a born Blue Dodger fan.

"Mark's very excited," Garber (Loretta's agent) said. "He grew up in Pasadena, so he's come full circle. He went to his first Dodger game as a 6-year-old."

In a 14 year career he is a lifetime .297 hitter with a .361 On-Base % and a OPS+ of 99. He should be a very capable replacement for Nomar Garciaparra.

Loretta, 37, hit .280 in 261 at-bats for the Astros last season with four homers and 38 RBIs, batting .330 against left-handers. He played 46 games at second base, 17 at third base, five at shortstop and two at first base.

Fire Ned Colletti Now... does a nice write up on Loretta. Go and check it out.