Some random yet interesting Dodgers links and chatter from over the weekend.
Mark Miller of Yahoo Sports says the Dodgers are one of the three teams on Carlos Zambrano's trade wish list. He also named the other two teams the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox. I will have more to come later today on Carlos Zambrano.
The Dodgers magic number is 4 to clinch a spot in the postseason, and 7 for the NL West Divison title.
MLBTR has a current discussion going on the fiery hot Ronnie Belliard. He has posted a stat line of .304/.339/.589 in 56 at-bats with 4 doubles/4 home runs/ 14 RBI's since joining the Dodgers. You could say this trade paid off very nicely.
The Dodgers victory over Tim Lincecum and the San Francisco Giants yesterday marked the first time the Dodgers have ever beat Lincecum. If the Dodgers can beat Lincecum is there anyone in the MLB we can't beat?
Mark Timmons from LADodgerTalk.com has an interesting perspective on what's wrong or isn't wrong with Chad Billingsley.
Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness talks about the Dodgers 2009 bullpen being the best in baseball history. The best ever? That's a bold statement, however he puts up a great argument and it's definitely a good read.
Around The Bases
Here is some random Dodgers chatter to check out before you sit down for dinner.
Chad Billingsley will not appear in the upcoming series with the Giants. He has been pressing as of late and definitely could use an extra day off. Vicente Padilla, Randy Wolf, and Jon Garland will be the trio of Dodgers on the mound this weekend.
With the sweep of the Pirates completed yesterday the Dodgers are now 19-11 over the last 30 games. They now have a 5.5 game lead over the Rockies which is the largest lead since September 1st.
The Dodgers have got themselves in a great position with a sweep over the Pirates. The Dodgers magic number is now nine thanks to a terrible Pirates team and the Giants taking two out of three from the Rockies. The Dodgers draw the Giants, Nationals, Pirates, and then the Padres to finish up the month of September. Hopefully during that time-span they can take nine out of twelve and clinch the division. If not the last three games of the season with the Rockies could be very interesting.
A random 2009 Dodgers fact: The 3-1 victory yesterday marked the 38th comeback win of the season. You can thank Andre Ethier for contributing with his six walkoff victories.
You can read an article where Dodgers Thoughts Jon Weisman makes his case for the 2009 Dodgers MVP.
Sons of Steve Garvey has a copy of the portrait of Tommy Lasorda that will be hung in the Smithsonian.
Chad Billingsley will not appear in the upcoming series with the Giants. He has been pressing as of late and definitely could use an extra day off. Vicente Padilla, Randy Wolf, and Jon Garland will be the trio of Dodgers on the mound this weekend.
With the sweep of the Pirates completed yesterday the Dodgers are now 19-11 over the last 30 games. They now have a 5.5 game lead over the Rockies which is the largest lead since September 1st.
The Dodgers have got themselves in a great position with a sweep over the Pirates. The Dodgers magic number is now nine thanks to a terrible Pirates team and the Giants taking two out of three from the Rockies. The Dodgers draw the Giants, Nationals, Pirates, and then the Padres to finish up the month of September. Hopefully during that time-span they can take nine out of twelve and clinch the division. If not the last three games of the season with the Rockies could be very interesting.
A random 2009 Dodgers fact: The 3-1 victory yesterday marked the 38th comeback win of the season. You can thank Andre Ethier for contributing with his six walkoff victories.
You can read an article where Dodgers Thoughts Jon Weisman makes his case for the 2009 Dodgers MVP.
Sons of Steve Garvey has a copy of the portrait of Tommy Lasorda that will be hung in the Smithsonian.
Is The Ned Colletti Era Coming To an End?
In May of 2009 I wrote an article titled Ned Colletti Indepth Analysis as a possible foretelling of what lies ahead for good ol' Ned. However Colletti has put together a fantastic season as a GM in 2009. I recently updated the Ned Colletti Transaction History detailing all of the transactions under the Ned Colletti era. That leads us here, and with the regular season winding down to the last couple weeks, a decision awaits Frank McCourt. The question all Dodger fans are wondering, will Ned Colletti be resigned?
Colletti has a mixed bag at best as a GM. Especially when you start to look at some of the finer details it gets very ugly. Jason Schmidt, Andruw Jones, Juan Pierre, Rafael Furcal, and that is just the beginning. Those four contracts total over 1 billion dollars alone (or the actual $196MM but you get the point). We have absolutely nothing to show for Schmidt or Jones. Then Colletti has made Pierre and Furcal two of the most overpaid players in all of baseball.
In 2008 Colletti did put a team on the field that made it to the NLCS for the first time in over 2o years. His summer 2008 deadline deals that brought in Casey Blake and Manny Ramirez significantly impacted the remainder of the 2008 season, and had a direct influence on the Dodgers making the playoffs. The success of course wasn't all Colletti, as you can credit Logan White for the majority of the Dodgers success over the last few years. That's right Matt Kemp, Russell Martin, Clayton Kershaw, James Loney, Chad Billingsley, Jonathon Broxton, was all Logan White's doings.
2009 is when Ned Colletti has really shined for this first time since joining the Dodgers. He got a great deal on one of the leagues best second basemen in the off-season when he signed Orlando Hudson to a one year $3.8MM contract. He then brought in for a few million dollars guys like Loretta, Wolf, Ausmus, and Mientkiewicz to help balance out the youthful Dodgers. Then he brought Vicente Padilla in on a prorated league minimum deal in August. Padilla has life once again, and this goes down as a great move on Colletti's part. At the summer deadline he has brought in George Sherrill, Ronnie Belliard, Jim Thome, and Jon Garland. Paying almost zero dollars in all of these deals except for Thome, and giving up only one top prospect in the George Sherrill deal.
There is no doubt there have been some horrendous moves made by Colletti and some of them are unforgivable. I have a feeling we will see Ned Colletti at least for a couple more years. It seems that the McCourts have grown fond of Ned over the last few years and I don't see a major change in the works. Factor in the moves Colletti has put together in 2009 while continuing to lower payroll and my gut says he is staying put.
I personally would like to see Kim Ng get a shot at the GM duties as I think she deserves the job hands down. Logan White also should be considered, however he is really good as the Scouting Director not a position you want to be messing around with. The fact is White has an eye for talent and sometimes it's best to stick with what you are good at. There are some good GM's out there looking for a job, so should Ned be worried? Ng is knocking at the door waiting to seize the moment. Ned Colletti has been clueless at times and made some very bad judgment calls and deals in the first two years of his contract. He doesn't deserve it but he will be back.
Colletti has a mixed bag at best as a GM. Especially when you start to look at some of the finer details it gets very ugly. Jason Schmidt, Andruw Jones, Juan Pierre, Rafael Furcal, and that is just the beginning. Those four contracts total over 1 billion dollars alone (or the actual $196MM but you get the point). We have absolutely nothing to show for Schmidt or Jones. Then Colletti has made Pierre and Furcal two of the most overpaid players in all of baseball.
In 2008 Colletti did put a team on the field that made it to the NLCS for the first time in over 2o years. His summer 2008 deadline deals that brought in Casey Blake and Manny Ramirez significantly impacted the remainder of the 2008 season, and had a direct influence on the Dodgers making the playoffs. The success of course wasn't all Colletti, as you can credit Logan White for the majority of the Dodgers success over the last few years. That's right Matt Kemp, Russell Martin, Clayton Kershaw, James Loney, Chad Billingsley, Jonathon Broxton, was all Logan White's doings.
2009 is when Ned Colletti has really shined for this first time since joining the Dodgers. He got a great deal on one of the leagues best second basemen in the off-season when he signed Orlando Hudson to a one year $3.8MM contract. He then brought in for a few million dollars guys like Loretta, Wolf, Ausmus, and Mientkiewicz to help balance out the youthful Dodgers. Then he brought Vicente Padilla in on a prorated league minimum deal in August. Padilla has life once again, and this goes down as a great move on Colletti's part. At the summer deadline he has brought in George Sherrill, Ronnie Belliard, Jim Thome, and Jon Garland. Paying almost zero dollars in all of these deals except for Thome, and giving up only one top prospect in the George Sherrill deal.
There is no doubt there have been some horrendous moves made by Colletti and some of them are unforgivable. I have a feeling we will see Ned Colletti at least for a couple more years. It seems that the McCourts have grown fond of Ned over the last few years and I don't see a major change in the works. Factor in the moves Colletti has put together in 2009 while continuing to lower payroll and my gut says he is staying put.
I personally would like to see Kim Ng get a shot at the GM duties as I think she deserves the job hands down. Logan White also should be considered, however he is really good as the Scouting Director not a position you want to be messing around with. The fact is White has an eye for talent and sometimes it's best to stick with what you are good at. There are some good GM's out there looking for a job, so should Ned be worried? Ng is knocking at the door waiting to seize the moment. Ned Colletti has been clueless at times and made some very bad judgment calls and deals in the first two years of his contract. He doesn't deserve it but he will be back.
Ned Colletti Transaction History
This is a complete list of every major transaction under the Ned Colletti era through todays date. I will state the facts and let you be the judge. This is the most complete and accurate list of the major transactions on the web, period. Any feedback or comments is always welcome, as well as suggestions for similar posts that you would like to see.
Colletti became the 10th General Manager in Los Angeles Dodgers history and the 5th General Manager for the team in the past 8 years when he was hired prior to the start of the 2006 season. He came in replacing Paul DePodesta, when he was fired after a very disappointing 2005 season. His first job with the team was to hire a new manager, Grady Little.
December 2005: Ned Colletti hires Grady Little as manager as his first act as new General Manager.
October 2007: Joe Torre comes to the Dodgers as the new manager, with Grady Little resigning shortly after.
Ned Colletti Transaction History Download
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Dodgers History: On This Day In 1998
On this date 11 years ago, the Dodgers hired Kevin Malone to be their General Manager, replacing Tommy Lasorda. Three months later, he signed Kevin Brown to a 7-year/$105MM contract, making Brown the first $100MM player in baseball history. The deal would cover Brown's age 34-40 seasons. This signing is rated near the top of the list as one of the worst free agent signings in Major League Baseball History. Dodger fans watched money go down the drain after his first and only solid season of that 7 year contract which he posted an 18-9 record with 221 strikeout and a 3.00 ERA.
Brown was later traded to the New York Yankees on December 11, 2003 for Jeff Weaver and Yhency Brazoban. Brown was never able to live up to the lucrative contract and continued to battle with injury problems and ineffectiveness. Kevin Brown was later named in the Mitchell Report further tainting his numbers and reputation as a baseball player.
Brown was later traded to the New York Yankees on December 11, 2003 for Jeff Weaver and Yhency Brazoban. Brown was never able to live up to the lucrative contract and continued to battle with injury problems and ineffectiveness. Kevin Brown was later named in the Mitchell Report further tainting his numbers and reputation as a baseball player.
Dodgers Talk: Orlando Hudson Free Agency
Orlando Hudson began this year as the biggest free agent bargain of the off-season. The Dodgers rode Hudson's bat and leadership during Manny's 50 game suspension. He has consistently helped spark this team offensively and defensively all season. Plus factor in his ever present leadership on and off the field, and you got yourself a tremendous player.
Hudson will be 32 this winter, and he is batting .289/.774 this season with nine home runs and 58 RBI's. He's outperforming most of his career offensive averages and has played a slightly above average defense and second base this year.
The Dodgers have made it known they will not enter a bidding war over the "O-Dawg", the question is should they? I am really curious what you Dodger fans think the solution is regarding Hudson. Hudson is due to get a pay raise over the bargain basement deal he signed with the Dodgers for this season. I think he will get at least a two or three year deal in the $8MM to $10MM range. There is likely to be a long list of potential suitors that include the Nationals, Mets, Cubs, and White Sox for starters. All four of those teams will likely outbid the Dodgers anyway, as I don't see the Dodgers doing much more than a one or two year deal at about $6MM per season. Should the Dodgers pony up the years and cash on an aging Hudson?
I believe the chance of seeing Hudson in back and second next year is slim at best. Let's take a look at some other options in and outside the organization that may be realistic solutions for the Dodgers next year. The first and more likely scenario is Blake DeWitt gets handed the job and it's his to lose. DeWitt is not having the best season in AAA however as he is hitting .256 with 7 home runs. Not exactly the offense the Dodgers are looking for, however you could blame the back and forth between the minors and majors has taken a toll. I personally think that is a poor excuse and see DeWitt as a major downgrade.
A fight for the job could be made in Spring of 2010 if Ivan DeJesus Jr or Devaris Gordon get a shot at it. I would personally love to see these get a shot at the bigs. Heck, there is no way they can do worse than DeWitt. However it remains a long shot and the Dodgers will likely keep their options open and look at more "big market" ways of solving this problem. I personally am hoping for a young deployment of DeWitt, DeJesus, or Gordon with a solid backup/platoon guy like Belliard or Loretta.
Here are two "big market" ways I could see this going. The first is making a push for Dan Uggla, he sort of reminds me of a young Jeff Kent. His bat would be welcomed into the Dodgers lineup and definitely needs a change of scenery. There is no doubt Florida will be listening to offers on Uggla over the upcoming Winter months. What about a look at Chone Figgins? He is said to love Southern California and would fit in nicely with the Dodgers. He is a bit younger than Hudson and plays "A" grade offense. He is one of the better free agent available this Winter and is likely to receive a lucrative pay day. Figgins will likely be in the four year $44MM range, and thus almost eliminating his chances of being a Dodger. Time will only tell but look for the Dodgers to deploy youth at second and spend money elsewhere. What do you think? I am going to open up the comments on this one and would love to hear your thoughts.
Hudson will be 32 this winter, and he is batting .289/.774 this season with nine home runs and 58 RBI's. He's outperforming most of his career offensive averages and has played a slightly above average defense and second base this year.
The Dodgers have made it known they will not enter a bidding war over the "O-Dawg", the question is should they? I am really curious what you Dodger fans think the solution is regarding Hudson. Hudson is due to get a pay raise over the bargain basement deal he signed with the Dodgers for this season. I think he will get at least a two or three year deal in the $8MM to $10MM range. There is likely to be a long list of potential suitors that include the Nationals, Mets, Cubs, and White Sox for starters. All four of those teams will likely outbid the Dodgers anyway, as I don't see the Dodgers doing much more than a one or two year deal at about $6MM per season. Should the Dodgers pony up the years and cash on an aging Hudson?
I believe the chance of seeing Hudson in back and second next year is slim at best. Let's take a look at some other options in and outside the organization that may be realistic solutions for the Dodgers next year. The first and more likely scenario is Blake DeWitt gets handed the job and it's his to lose. DeWitt is not having the best season in AAA however as he is hitting .256 with 7 home runs. Not exactly the offense the Dodgers are looking for, however you could blame the back and forth between the minors and majors has taken a toll. I personally think that is a poor excuse and see DeWitt as a major downgrade.
A fight for the job could be made in Spring of 2010 if Ivan DeJesus Jr or Devaris Gordon get a shot at it. I would personally love to see these get a shot at the bigs. Heck, there is no way they can do worse than DeWitt. However it remains a long shot and the Dodgers will likely keep their options open and look at more "big market" ways of solving this problem. I personally am hoping for a young deployment of DeWitt, DeJesus, or Gordon with a solid backup/platoon guy like Belliard or Loretta.
Here are two "big market" ways I could see this going. The first is making a push for Dan Uggla, he sort of reminds me of a young Jeff Kent. His bat would be welcomed into the Dodgers lineup and definitely needs a change of scenery. There is no doubt Florida will be listening to offers on Uggla over the upcoming Winter months. What about a look at Chone Figgins? He is said to love Southern California and would fit in nicely with the Dodgers. He is a bit younger than Hudson and plays "A" grade offense. He is one of the better free agent available this Winter and is likely to receive a lucrative pay day. Figgins will likely be in the four year $44MM range, and thus almost eliminating his chances of being a Dodger. Time will only tell but look for the Dodgers to deploy youth at second and spend money elsewhere. What do you think? I am going to open up the comments on this one and would love to hear your thoughts.
Dodgers Injury Report
Clayton Kershaw is scheduled to miss his next start on Saturday after bruising his shoulder during batting practice over the weekend. The freak accident occurred as Kershaw collided with the wall trying to catch balls in the outfield during practice. Brilliant, I know. Since when is it a good idea for one of our key pitchers (or any pitcher for that matter) to be colliding with walls during batting practice. Unless he has thoughts of being the next Rick Ankiel the pitchers need to stay away from danger. Ridiculous. From the reports and information I have read it appears to me that Kershaw's shoulder is separated, not just bruised. The Dodgers will go back to a five-man rotation until Kershaw returns. The good news is Jon Garland and Vicente Padilla have been just short of perfect since being acquired recently.
Jim Thome the newest member to the Dodgers, felt his heel pop Sunday running to first base. The latest is Thome was not available for pinch-hitting Tuesday night. Thome has a history of plantar fasciitis problems, including earlier this year, one of several physical reasons why Thome is not considered an option for any first-base play. He is listed as day to day and will likely take it easy over the next several days.
Casey Blake missed his fourth straight start last night with a pulled hamstring. Losing Blake in October would be devastating to this team, and Torre knows it. Look for Blake to be very comfortable before returning to action. Ronnie Belliard will continue to fill in for Blake, Belliard is hitting .370 with two homers and six RBIs in eight games. Tuesday night was his fourth consecutive start at third base. Maybe the Dodgers won't miss Blake at all if Belliard can keep this pace going? Small chance as Blake has been the most consistent player all season and definitely could be considered for the Dodgers MVP award.
Jim Thome the newest member to the Dodgers, felt his heel pop Sunday running to first base. The latest is Thome was not available for pinch-hitting Tuesday night. Thome has a history of plantar fasciitis problems, including earlier this year, one of several physical reasons why Thome is not considered an option for any first-base play. He is listed as day to day and will likely take it easy over the next several days.
Casey Blake missed his fourth straight start last night with a pulled hamstring. Losing Blake in October would be devastating to this team, and Torre knows it. Look for Blake to be very comfortable before returning to action. Ronnie Belliard will continue to fill in for Blake, Belliard is hitting .370 with two homers and six RBIs in eight games. Tuesday night was his fourth consecutive start at third base. Maybe the Dodgers won't miss Blake at all if Belliard can keep this pace going? Small chance as Blake has been the most consistent player all season and definitely could be considered for the Dodgers MVP award.
Dodgers Roster: Tough Decisions Loom
With the acquisitions of Ronnie Belliard, Jim Thome, and Jon Garland the Dodgers have had some tough roster decisons to make. Once those obstacles are resolved the Dodgers have to decide what to do with long injured Doug Mientkiewicz and Will Ohman as they come off the 60 day disabled list. For now Ohman will remain on the disabled list even though he is reporting to be healthy. The Dodgers have no need for Ohman with Sherrill, Kuo, and Elbert in the bullpen already. Ohman was very ineffective as a Dodger before being injured and Ohman could be granted a release and made a free agent. It could be argued that Ohman's experience may be more valuable than keeping Elbert in the bigs.
The first flurry of roster moves started with Victor Garate being sent to the Washington Nationals as the PTBNL for Ronnie Belliard. Then the Dodgers designated both Jamie Hoffmann and Jesus Castillo for assignment. The final move will be made when Tony Abreu clears waivers today and is named as the PTBNL in the Jon Garland deal, however this remains pure speculation.
The first flurry of roster moves started with Victor Garate being sent to the Washington Nationals as the PTBNL for Ronnie Belliard. Then the Dodgers designated both Jamie Hoffmann and Jesus Castillo for assignment. The final move will be made when Tony Abreu clears waivers today and is named as the PTBNL in the Jon Garland deal, however this remains pure speculation.
Dodgers Acquire Ronnie Belliard, Deal Finalized
Update 9/2: Victor Garate was sent to the Nationals today to complete the Ronnie Belliard trade. Garate is a low level prospect and as Tim Dierkes from MLBTR points out "Garate must be thrilled with the trade, as he'll move quickly up the ladder in the Nationals' bullpen." Could not have said it better Tim.
It's official Ronnie Belliard is the newest member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was acquired for minor leaguer Luis Garcia of Single A Great Lakes, and a player to be named later. Steve Gartner of MLB.com has the whole story here.
Belliard give the Dodgers a right handed bat off the bench and some much needed infield versatility. Belliard will likely see his playing time decrease in Los Angeles, but Torre will be able take advantage of having an upgrade at the utility spot. Belliard is definitely a good option to have late in the game either as a pinch hitter or defensive replacement. In 85 games this season, Belliard is hitting .247 batting average with five homers and 22 RBIs.
A roster move will have to be made to allow space for Belliard. He is scheduled to arrive in time for Monday's game. This move isn't going to blow anyone away and though he could be considered an upgrade over Juan Castro, this one is sort of a head-scratcher to me. We need a left handed power bat, and we have needed one for 3 months now. Colletti blew it by not getting Jason Giambi, as it was a low risk option that fit the puzzle. The clock is ticking Colletti so get on the phone and play let's make a deal.
It's official Ronnie Belliard is the newest member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was acquired for minor leaguer Luis Garcia of Single A Great Lakes, and a player to be named later. Steve Gartner of MLB.com has the whole story here.
Belliard give the Dodgers a right handed bat off the bench and some much needed infield versatility. Belliard will likely see his playing time decrease in Los Angeles, but Torre will be able take advantage of having an upgrade at the utility spot. Belliard is definitely a good option to have late in the game either as a pinch hitter or defensive replacement. In 85 games this season, Belliard is hitting .247 batting average with five homers and 22 RBIs.
A roster move will have to be made to allow space for Belliard. He is scheduled to arrive in time for Monday's game. This move isn't going to blow anyone away and though he could be considered an upgrade over Juan Castro, this one is sort of a head-scratcher to me. We need a left handed power bat, and we have needed one for 3 months now. Colletti blew it by not getting Jason Giambi, as it was a low risk option that fit the puzzle. The clock is ticking Colletti so get on the phone and play let's make a deal.
Hiroki Kuroda: Official Injury Update
Update 9/2: Hiroki Kuroda had another successful outing, this one at Single A Inland Empire. Kuroda managed one unearned run over five innings. This is great news for the Dodgers rotation as the Dodgers suddenly have a surplus of pitching. Kuroda is scheduled to come off the disabled list and pitch Sunday against the Padres. Kuroda is 5-5 with a 4.08 ERA so far this season, and the Dodgers are hoping Kuroda can repeat his playoff heroics of last season come October.
Update 9/1: Kuroda seems on track for a September return. He threw a successful simulated game on 8/29 and he may return to action in the next week or two. Torre wants to make sure he is 100% healthy as he recovers from post-concussion syndrome.
Update 8/19 6:08pm: Kuroda is headed to the disabled list with a mild concussion. Not a whole lot of progress in the last couple days and so it was decided today that a trip on the DL is necessary. I want to take a moment and wish Kuroda the absolute best on his road to recovery. Hopefully we can see him back in the rotation by the beginning of September.
Instead of making several posts that just end up confusing everyone. I am going to start one thread that will track Kuroda's road to recovery.
As Hiroki Kuroda continues his road to recovery after the devastating injury over the weekend. Kuroda has maintained good spirits and has remained optimistic that he will be back before September. Dodgers trainer Stan Conte remains cautious, and he is very reluctant to let Kuroda make his next scheduled start. Torre is not very optimistic that Kuroda will make his next scheduled start on Saturday and we will likely see Charlie Haeger in his place.
All of the tests done so far have come back normal and he still has the occasional headache that is coming and going. He is still officially diagnosed with a mild concussion and a trip to the disabled list remains very probable. We will likely see him put on the disabled list in the next several days retroactive to Saturday when the injury occurred against the disappoint loss to Arizona.
Update 9/1: Kuroda seems on track for a September return. He threw a successful simulated game on 8/29 and he may return to action in the next week or two. Torre wants to make sure he is 100% healthy as he recovers from post-concussion syndrome.
Update 8/19 6:08pm: Kuroda is headed to the disabled list with a mild concussion. Not a whole lot of progress in the last couple days and so it was decided today that a trip on the DL is necessary. I want to take a moment and wish Kuroda the absolute best on his road to recovery. Hopefully we can see him back in the rotation by the beginning of September.
Instead of making several posts that just end up confusing everyone. I am going to start one thread that will track Kuroda's road to recovery.
As Hiroki Kuroda continues his road to recovery after the devastating injury over the weekend. Kuroda has maintained good spirits and has remained optimistic that he will be back before September. Dodgers trainer Stan Conte remains cautious, and he is very reluctant to let Kuroda make his next scheduled start. Torre is not very optimistic that Kuroda will make his next scheduled start on Saturday and we will likely see Charlie Haeger in his place.
All of the tests done so far have come back normal and he still has the occasional headache that is coming and going. He is still officially diagnosed with a mild concussion and a trip to the disabled list remains very probable. We will likely see him put on the disabled list in the next several days retroactive to Saturday when the injury occurred against the disappoint loss to Arizona.
Dodgers Talk: The Last 72 Hours
Dodgers GM Ned Colletti has been very busy in the last 72 hours. As the Dodgers have been the best team in baseball most of the season there were still some glaring needs on this marvelous team. The Dodgers had a huge question mark on the bench with no obvious clutch pinch hitter. They were also lacking a left handed power bat to come off the bench, and well they got one of the games best by acquiring the veteran Jim Thome.
In the same night of the August 31 trade deadline, Colletti acquired one of the games most durable pitchers in Jon Garland. The Dodgers have had some question marks on this young but talented pitching staff this season. Billingsley and Kershaw have been brilliant but very inconsistent. Kuroda has battled with fluke injuries all season, and then the most recent injury which has him sidelined for at least another week or two. The Dodgers lost Eric Milton for the season after his back surgery, and have lost Jason Schmidt to injury and his career is likely over. With all that being said the Dodgers needed pitching if they have any hopes of holding on to their division lead over the Giants and Rockies. Garland will provide some much needed innings, and he should fare much better at Dodger Stadium. Garland is not an ace by any means, and he is not going to blow anyone away on the mound. However his durability and his veteran know how will provide a nice boost to the rotation.
Colletti also acquired the versatile Ronnie Belliard from the Nationals for Single A pitcher Luis Garcia. Belliard homered in his first plate appearance yesterday for the Dodgers, what a nice way to start off with your new ballclub. Throw in the recent signing of Vicente Padilla, and the trade for George Sherrill, and it's plain to see the Dodgers are trying to put a winner on the field.
Let's look and see just how well the Dodgers have done in the last few weeks. The Dodgers have added George Sherrill, Vicente Padilla, Ronnie Belliard, Jim Thome, and Jon Garland. What did it cost to acquire this handful of players? I gotta give Colletti some credit he had done very well as a GM in 2009. We lost top prospect Josh Bell along with Steve Johnson in the Sherrill deal. Padilla was signed for less than a $100K. Belliard was acquired for a low A minor leaguer, and the Dodgers are paying little or none of his remaining salary. Thome and Garland were both acquired for a PTBNL, Chicago is paying most of Thome's salary, and Arizona is picking up the bill for Garland. So if you take out the loss of Josh Bell, we acquired all of these players for a few low level minor leaguers and about $1MM cash. Not to shabby, and Colletti has done a fine job in 2009.
What's done is done and it's time for the Dodgers to take action. NedCo has done his job, and it's time for Torre and company to put the pieces together and finish the remainder of the season on top. There is no need to panic because it doesn't matter if you win the West by one game or ten games. The Dodgers need to win the NL West and focus on the matter at hand and put some wins together.
In the same night of the August 31 trade deadline, Colletti acquired one of the games most durable pitchers in Jon Garland. The Dodgers have had some question marks on this young but talented pitching staff this season. Billingsley and Kershaw have been brilliant but very inconsistent. Kuroda has battled with fluke injuries all season, and then the most recent injury which has him sidelined for at least another week or two. The Dodgers lost Eric Milton for the season after his back surgery, and have lost Jason Schmidt to injury and his career is likely over. With all that being said the Dodgers needed pitching if they have any hopes of holding on to their division lead over the Giants and Rockies. Garland will provide some much needed innings, and he should fare much better at Dodger Stadium. Garland is not an ace by any means, and he is not going to blow anyone away on the mound. However his durability and his veteran know how will provide a nice boost to the rotation.
Colletti also acquired the versatile Ronnie Belliard from the Nationals for Single A pitcher Luis Garcia. Belliard homered in his first plate appearance yesterday for the Dodgers, what a nice way to start off with your new ballclub. Throw in the recent signing of Vicente Padilla, and the trade for George Sherrill, and it's plain to see the Dodgers are trying to put a winner on the field.
Let's look and see just how well the Dodgers have done in the last few weeks. The Dodgers have added George Sherrill, Vicente Padilla, Ronnie Belliard, Jim Thome, and Jon Garland. What did it cost to acquire this handful of players? I gotta give Colletti some credit he had done very well as a GM in 2009. We lost top prospect Josh Bell along with Steve Johnson in the Sherrill deal. Padilla was signed for less than a $100K. Belliard was acquired for a low A minor leaguer, and the Dodgers are paying little or none of his remaining salary. Thome and Garland were both acquired for a PTBNL, Chicago is paying most of Thome's salary, and Arizona is picking up the bill for Garland. So if you take out the loss of Josh Bell, we acquired all of these players for a few low level minor leaguers and about $1MM cash. Not to shabby, and Colletti has done a fine job in 2009.
What's done is done and it's time for the Dodgers to take action. NedCo has done his job, and it's time for Torre and company to put the pieces together and finish the remainder of the season on top. There is no need to panic because it doesn't matter if you win the West by one game or ten games. The Dodgers need to win the NL West and focus on the matter at hand and put some wins together.
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