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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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…

October 30th, 2007 by Top Dawg

Grady Little resigned due to personal reasons Tuesday night.  Grady says that news of his demise had  zero impact on his decision.  Ned Colletti supposedly tried to persuade Little to reconsider, but Grady had enough.

Grady’s 2 year reign over the Dodgers had mixed reviews.  Year one The Dodgers finished with the wild card and were a hot team in the second half.  Although the Dodgers were swept by the Mets everybody in the organization felt good about where they were and the direction of the team.  After the season everybody was looking forward to the next year.  Year two was a different story.  With high expectations after a strong 2006 and the addition of a “1″ pitcher the Dodgers got out of the gate strong.  Midway through the 2007 season the Dodgers were in or around the lead for the best record in the entire national league.  After the break the wheels fell off.  The young players were brought up (and played well) and the infighting with the veterans began.  Little was never able to mend the clubhouse.  During the season Little was questioned on his ever changing lineups and his lack of effective game plans.  He was also pledged by a down year (Garciaparra), injuries (Schmidt, Wolf, Garciaparra), and bad signings (Pierre, Gonzales).  So although the team had a disappointing season the players, strength, training, and personnel staff need to shoulder a lot of the responsibility of the dreadful year.

Although I question his baseball moves, Grady Little deserved a better effort from his support staff and players.  Whoever the Dodgers bring in as manager the character of the players must be overhauled.  They gave up on the season and their manager, the Dodgers deserved better.

October 25th, 2007 by Top Dawg

ESPN’s Buster Olney is reporting that Joe Girardi may be in the running to replace Grady Little in 2008.  Olney was at one time (may still be) a huge Dodger fan, so maybe he has some inside info on this one.  If the Dodgers are thinking about making a change, then they should do it, don’t waste another year!  Something has to be going on since none of Grady’s coaches have contracts right now.  Joe Girardi is a no-nonsense manager that loves to run.  The Marlins lost 7 more games without him at the helm with essential the same lineup.  Defensively they were the worst in baseball without Girardi (2006 Marlins Stats).  Girardi doesn’t fire me up as much as Torre would, but hey he’s better than Grady!

October 24th, 2007 by Top Dawg

With Joe Torre refusing to take the Yankee’s 1 year $5 million offer maybe the Dodgers should’nt delay the inevitable and fire Grady Little now.  Grady is going into the final year of his contract with the chances of an extension being minimal. Bob Costas on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel suggested that Torre may opt for the Dodgers after next season.  My thoughts are why wait?  Grady’s style has raised criticism and Torre’s record is unmatched.  Plus if hiring Torre gives you an inside edge on Alex Rodriguez then you do it. 

There are a few obstacles I can see in the way of this: 

1. Does Joe Torre want to manage right away.

2.  Frank McCourt is a Boston guy who loves the Red Sox, would he hire a long time Yank?

There is a sign that changes are coming…Grady’s staff is without contract and there has been no word on resigning anyone. 

If I’m the Dodgers I make the change before the hot stove gets hotter.  Why waste another year?