November 27th, 2007 by Top Dawg
Reports are out today that the Dodgers are looking for improvement from within as their main way of winning the NL in ’08. You have got to be kidding me. You are the freaking Dodgers, you don’t wait around hoping some young kid is good. You get proven talent. The city supports the Dodgers like no other franchise, drawing the 2nd most fans in the Majors to the stadium in ‘07. Only the Yankees were more attended. So there is money, something else must be amiss. Ahh yeah, the 06-07 off-season. The one that GM Ned Colletti spent wildly, sometimes it seemed spending just to spend. The final bill for that fiasco was roughly $125 million, and you’d be safe to say that the Dodgers would like nothing better then to not have any of those players (Schmidt, Pierre, Garciaparra, Gonzalez) on the books or roster in ‘ 08. So Ned has gotten cold feet, who would blame him? He struckout…got no-hit. One thing I know is that if Colletti stays pat it will be his last season as a Dodger. So swing away Ned! The fans opened their pocketbooks for their beloved Dodgers in ‘07 and this year the McCourts and Colletti are stuffing it away. An improved stadium and a new Manager will not put bottoms in the seats or bucks in your wallet, winning will. Go win.
November 26th, 2007 by Top Dawg
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports wrote a column today that summed up my thoughts exactly. What are the Dodgers waiting on? While the other “LA” team keeps trying to get better by gobbling up players and filling needs, the Dodgers add a Non-Player. Hopefully the Dodgers aren’t banking on Joe Torre turning the team around. I understand not trading for Cabrera at that asking price, but go upgrade CF and Pitching. Winter Meetings start next Monday 12/3 maybe Ned will get busy there.
November 15th, 2007 by Top Dawg
It’s really early in baseball free agency, but i’ve got some bad vibes. A-Rod looks to be heading back to the Yanks and Lowell is most likely staying with the BoSox. This leaves the Angeles and Dodgers still looking for a 3rd baseman. I was hoping A-Rod would go to the Angeles to take them out of the market and leave the Dodgers and the Yankees in the market. Then with the Marlins wanting prospects and the Dodgers with the most fire power left going out and landing Miguel Cabrera. Now with the Angeles still in, with lots of prospects, the price will either climb or stay the same for Cabrera. He’s the only legitimate 3rd baseman left…So you either ship the future to the Marlins or Andy LaRoche is your guy. I think the Marlins are asking for way too much, so hopefully Colletti doesn’t get desperate and ship the farm over or overpay someone just out of need for a 3rd baseman (like he did with Pierre). This is a worst case scenario for me.
Buster Onley is reporting that the Dodgers are hot and heavy after Aaron Rowand. 
Looking at his numbers on baseball-reference, he had a career year on his contract year. Every other year has been average. Don’t get me wrong he’s great defensively, but with the likes of Torii Hunter and Andruw Jones available, Rowand would be my 3rd choice.
This is a make or break winter for Colletti and the way the tea leaves are looking…it’s break. Lord I hope I’m wrong. I don’t want to see this next year:
1 Furcal
2 Martin
3 Kemp
4 Kent
5 Rowand
6 Loney
7 LaRoche
8 Pierre
Yuck!
November 13th, 2007 by Top Dawg
Over the last week it has been reported that Jeff Kent is excited about Joe Torre and he’s coming back in 08′. To that I say why. I’m not a Jeff Kent guy. Back in the day he was a great 2nd baseman, a hall of fame 2nd baseman, but those days have past. Now he’s a grouchy 40 year old who needs several days off to take care of his brittle body. Kent is a HUGE liability defensively, his offensive numbers have dropped dramatically, and he’s bad in the clubhouse. Publicly the Dodgers are opening Kent with welcome arms, hopefully privately there are questions weather they want him and his 9mil a year to return. Today Kent, via his agent, has said he’s not sure about returning. Good thought…go with it! Hopefully he isn’t trying to get leverage for another year. Look the Dodgers have a young capable 2nd baseman in Tony Abreu. Abreu is much better defensively but not as good yet offensively, but that’s OK. Abreu committed zero errors at 2nd base and had a couple hrs in much less at-bats then Kent. If the Dodgers follow my free agent plan then they won’t need Kent’s bat and bad attitude. Jeff Kent you’ve had a hall-of-fame career…it’s over.
November 13th, 2007 by Top Dawg
- CF - The Dodgers are supposedly going to hide the flea, Juan Pierre, over in left field so that leaves a gap in center. I don’t know why you’d move him when he sucks, is he better than Andre Eithier or Matt Kemp? Not even close. Anyway Torii Hunter, Andruw Jones, or Aaron Rowand would be great replacements.
- 3B - Nomar doesn’t have the pop or durability to play on the 3rd bag. Andy LaRoche failed in his 2 attempts to take the job which led to a platoon at 3rd. Alex Rodriguez, Mike Lowell, or Miguel Cabrera would stop the platooning.
- SP - With last years free agent “gems”, Jason Schmidt and Randy Wolf, breaking down, The Dodgers need to help Lowe, Penny, & Billingsley. I’m not sure Esteban Loiaza is the answer at 5 so you need 2 starting pitchers. As GM Ned Colletti has stated the FA market for pitchers is pretty weak so an infusion of talent will have to come via a trade. Joe Blanton, Carlos Silva, Johan Santana, or Hiroki Kuroda would help…maybe Clayton Kershaw by mid-season??
If I were GM…I would sign Andruw Jones to man CF at appx. $15mil. Shore up 3rd base by trading for Miguel Cabrera (Pierre, LaRoche and Hu as the bait). Sign Hiroki Kuroda to be your 4th pitcher and hope Schmidt, Loiaza or Chan Ho Park can be your 5th. If they all fail at midseason you bring up Kershaw. There is risk with this. Andruw Jones struggled mightily last year and is getting up there in age. Cabrera is fat, but can knock the ball. You would need to put some weight parameters in a new contract with Cabrera. You could shore up your entire team for about the cost of one A-Rod…