The Ryan Dempster Sweepstakes

The Boston Red Sox are evidently out of the Ryan Dempster Sweepstakes and the Dodgers are back in the running. The Washington Nationals and the Atlanta Braves are also seeking Dempster via trade. The latest internet rumor has the Dodgers offering Outfielder Jerry Sands and two minor league pitchers for Dempster. Former First Rounder Pitcher Zach Lee is probably going to be mentioned in any trade before the deadline and I am begging Ned Colletti to not do it. This is not a baseball card you are trading but a power arm that is only 19 or 20 years old and holding his own at AA Chattanooga. He is one of the top ranked Dodger prospects and that would be to steep a price to pay for less than a half a season and 13 or 14 starts from Ryan Dempster. The Dodgers need bats. I like going after Third Baseman Chase Headley of the San Diego Padres. It is time to cut our losses on the Juan Uribe experiment. For that matter bring up Josh Fields from Albuquerque. I liked him in Spring Training. I know there has to be a price that is paid but I would like to suggest Nathan Eovaldi, Jerry Sands, and Ethan Martin for Dempster. This is also probably why I am not a General Manager.

The Post All-Satar Break Blues

Losing 3 out of 4 games to start the second half of the season is not exactly how I pictured the Dodgers taking control of the National League West. The Dodgers have even created new and exciting, ESPN-worthy ways to lose. They gave up a stolen base in the ninth inning to tie a game they later lost and then they committed 5 errors the next day to lose again. And they lost to the Padres. The stinking San Diego Padres. Their offense needs help. Getting Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier back hasn't seemed to help. The two biggest internet rumors are going around are the Dodgers going after Ryan Dempster, starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, and Shortstop Jimmy Rollins of the Philadelphia Phillies. I believe they are out of the running for Dempster, the Red Sox have more prospects and a glut of outfielders to offer in a trade, and I can't see the Dodgers trading for Jimmy Rollins. I don't believe he would be a good fit for this team. He is a high salary, aging veteran who is not going to put the Dodgers over the top. That does however seem like Ned Colletti's kind of trade. I hope Magic Johnson has the power of veto.

The Enigma That Is Chad Billingsley

Just when I am ready to write off Starter Chad Billingsley, he comes thru with a couple of solid performances that makes me wonder if trading him would be such a wise move. Inconsistency has always been a big problem for him, and it seems it is more so this season than any other in his career. Statistically, he is in line to have the same season he always does- about 32 starts, almost 200 innings pitched, and ERA between 3.5-4, and 11 or 12 wins. On most teams in the majors, he would probably be considered the staff ace. He always has the potential to win 15 to 20 games but the inconsistency is holding him back and as a Dodger fan, it is so damn frustrating. He will have 3 or 4 solid starts in a row followed by as many bad ones. This is his 7th season in the majors, all with the Dodgers and you would hope he would turn that corner by now. I would keep him based on his potential. That and the fact that the Dodgers are in first place right now and really have nothing to replace him with. Nathan Eovaldi is the next arm that is major league ready but right now but he is currently filling the shoes of Ted Lilly, who is taking his second turn on the Disabled List and the season has not even reached its halfway point. I do not see the Dodgers getting equal value in trade and it seems that Ned Colletti never does. Ned Colletti is someone I would want to trade baseball cards with. I once traded 7 cards for a 1978 Topps Al Oliver. I don't know who I traded for him but all I know is I had to have that card.

Dodgers Potential Ownership Groups Part I

The Dodgers ownership looks like it is finally going to be settled. At least for the time being. The plan is for the sale of the Dodgers to be finalized by the end of April. They accepted somewhere in the neighborhood of ten bids and Frank McCourt predicted that the final sale price will be somewhere in the neighborhood of $1.5 billion.

All of the ownership groups have a face in front of the money. I am not familiar with the man behind the money so I am going to concentrate on the faces.

Joe Torre- This is the least attractive of the Dodgers ownership options. Although he is a career baseball man, I have never been a Joe Torre fan. I believe he and Ned Colletti are the biggest reasons behind the on field mess and the depleted minor league system (currently ranked #22 in a Minor league Ball website posting). I doubt there would be any improvement if he was the face behind the new ownership group.

Orel Hershiser and Steve Garvey- These two icons of Los Angeles Dodgers baseball are attractive as an ownership option for that reason. Steve Garvey was fired from his public relations position by Frank McCourt in the middle of last season because of his desire to own the Dodgers. Orel Hershiser is still actively involved with baseball as an anouncer for ESPN. Once again, the money behind the faces may not have enough clout to pull this off.

Ethier and Loney

This past week the Dodgers signed Andre Ethier and James Loney to one year contracts and avoided arbitration. I am surprised they are both still with the team. Ned Colletti's decision to stand pat should be a given but at least he didn't trade them and prospects for an aging over the hill veteran.

I have hopes that Andre Ethier can return to his 30 Homerun, 100 RBI performance of a few seasons ago. The Dodgers really do not have anyone from the minors waiting in the wings and I do believe that Ethier has lost a lot of his trade value. Unless the Dodgers make a move in Spring Training, he will be the opening Rightfielder on Opening Day 2012.

I also have hopes that James Loney can finally reach his potential. He is only good for about 10-15 Homeruns a year but he should be able to hit the 100 RBI plateau. Once again, the Dodgers really do not have anyone waiting in the wings although Prince Fielder is a viable free agent option. However with the Dodgers current financial status and the ownership situation being unsettled, the Dodgers cannot afford to make a big free agent splash.

Baseball's Winter Meetings

Its the off season and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are still kicking the Los Angeles Dodgers asses. The Angels have created a tidal wave at the Winter Meetings whereas the Dodgers have dropped a pebble in Old Man Kelsey's Pond (an Andy Griffith Show reference).

The Angels snuck in the back door and signed future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols. The Dodgers signed utility man Adam Kennedy. The Angels signed left handed pitcher C.J. Wilson, the premier left handed starting pitcher in this years free agent crop. The Dodgers signed left hander Chris Capuano, who missed 2 1/2 years with arm trouble not too long ago, and right hander Aaron Harang to round out the starting rotation. My prediction is both will be on the Disabled List by June.

The Dodgers did make news on the trade front. They traded left hander Dana Eveland, who at least has major league experience, to the Baltimore Orioles for two minor leaguers who will probably never make it to the majors. They should have made Frank McCourt auction off Ned Colletti as part of the Dodgers bankruptcy proceedings before he left town.

The Beginning Of The Rubby De La Rosa Era

The Rubby De La Rosa Era has begun for the Los Angeles Dodgers as he pitched an inning in the 5-4 victory over the Houston Astros last night. He struck out two and walked none.

I did not believe he would be called up until September but the cast of rag arms the Dodgers call a bullpen necessitated the move. I was able to see him pitch in a couple of games in Spring Training this year and what I saw I was very impressed with. Several writers have made the comparison to a young Pedro Martinez when he started out with the Dodgers and I just hope Ned Colletti doesn't trade him for a has been who will only be with the Dodgers for a season or less.

Another rookie, longtime Dodger farmhand Javy Guerra, got the save in last nights game. He is the seventh different Dodger to get a save this year and I don't know if that is a record or not but it is bound to be getting close.

De La Rosa has been projected as a starter and I believe that is where he will end up but right now, none of the Dodgers starters are pitching bad enough to be benched. However, three of the five starting pitchers are in their mid-30's, and this could be an audition for next season.

the trade deadline part II

espn.com listed the dodgers as one of the "winners" at the trade deadline but all of the dodgers blogs out there thought it was a rousing failure including me. ted lilly just thought he didn't have run support in chicago. wait 'til he pitches for the dodgers. to recap the dodgers "haul" at the trade deadline-scott podsednik- an outfielder with a little bit of speed but he can break rickey henderson's record if he wants to but with no one to drive him in...., ted lilly- a starting pitcher they need but at the most he's only going to get about 11 or 12 starts for the dodgers, ryan theriot- in my opinion a downgrade at second base from blake dewitt and not a run producer either, and octavio dotel- he's not going to be the savior of the bullpen. ned colletti just mailed it in for the rest of the season and he went ahead and affected next season and beyond as well with the trading of prospects. ned and joe have gotta go.