Thursday, November 30, 2006

MANNY BEING A DODGER?...

At this juncture, the Dodgers appear to be the team in the lead for the Manny Ramirez sweepstakes. Manny would certainly solve the Dodgers power woes. For the last 10 years, Manny has been an elite hitter. Ramirez batted .321, hit 35 homeruns, and drove in 102 runs last season. This was also considered to be a down year for the eccentric left fielder. Manny might be one of the greatest pure hitters of all-time. He is a career .314 hitter, has 470 homeruns, and has driven in 1,516 runs.
Manny has driven in at least 100 runs in eleven of the past twelve years. Including 1999 when Manny drove in a impressive 165 runs. This guy is the definition of a clutch hitter. Without a doubt, Manny Ramirez would be a welcomed addition to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The only hitch in bringing Manny to Los Angeles is the prize. The prize being the Dodger prospects that would have to go back in return for such a player. At this point, it is being said the the Boston Red Sox would want James Loney, Andy LaRoche, Matt Kemp, and a pitching prospect. The acquisition would pay a steep prize for the Dodgers. This is a move that should simply not be made. Manny Ramirez is a great player, but in this humble writers opinion, he is not worth the Dodgers future. Ramirez has two years left on his deal, so in two years time he might not even be a Dodger. Ned Colletti needs to avoid the Red Sox like the plaque. He needs to focus his attention on Barry Zito or Jason Schmidt. They are both being pursued by the Texas Rangers, and the Chicago Cubs respectfully. At this point, I am willing to bite my lip and go with the "power" hitters the team has.

The Dodgers signed Randy Wolf to a one year deal with an option for a second. This is a solid move. It gives the team another option in the rotation. Plus, if Wolf flops in his comeback from Tommy John surgery, it is only a one year deal. This also gives the Dodgers an option of trading Brad Penny who has fallen out of favor with the organization for a middle of the order hitter. All in all it was a solid move. But, Ned needs to stop the "solid" moves, and bring in the aforementioned Zito or Schmidt.

By the way, I am looking for a job. If anyone can help me out it would certainty be appreciated.

BELIEVE IN BLUE!

Friday, November 24, 2006

CENTER OF ATTENTION...

The Dodgers have been looking for a power hitter for the entire offseason, so on wedenday the Dodgers inked Juan Pierre to a 5 year deal worth $45 million. The move makes sense in many ways. It gives the Dodgers a tremendous 1-2 punch at the top of the lineup, and concistency on the team. Juan Pierre has not missed a game in more than 4 years. Juan can also be counted on to get around 200 hits, and steal at least 45 bases. Despite his many accents, he does have a number of flaws in his game. Juan has one of the weakest throwing arms in the game today, and Brad Penny has more pop in his bat. Juan is a good player, but in no way is he a $45 million player. One has to question the motive behind this move. If Ned Colletti is throwing around money, then might as well throw it at players who fill the team needs. I have not heard a single news report on the Dodgers targeting Barry Zito, and only hearing whispers on Jason Schmidt. Ned needs to get on the ball. Now that "El Caballo" Carlos Lee has signed with the Houston Astros, the free agent pool for power hitters is all but gone. Barry Bonds, Mike Piazza, and Cliff Floyd are the last of what you can call "middle of the order" hitters, and these guys are on the downward slope of their careers. It is time that the Dodgers part ways with some of their prospects in order to bring in a legit power hitter. I have been opposed to trading prospects, but I will relent my thoughts if they are able to bring in the likes of Vernon Wells, Andruw Jones, or Miguel Cabrera. Ned needs to do something to bolster the middle of the lineup. At the present time, our projected 3-4-5 hitters are Nomar Garciaparra, Jeff Kent, and Andre Ethier. I doubt this three-some is making anyone cringe.

I was unable to post anything in sometime due to some personal matters. So I was unable to share my thoughts on the Nomar, but needless to say, I am quite happy. During that span, the Arizona Fall League came to an end. I will post my thoughts on how our prospects farred.


BELIEVE IN BLUE!

Monday, November 13, 2006

DIRTY POOL? OR GIFT FROM ABOVE?...

On Thursday night it became official. The Mike Marshall J.R. saga ended. Drew opted out of the remaining 3 years of his contract to pursue a more lucrative one. This was definitely a stunning move on Drews part. The move even left Juan Gonzalez in shock. Drew had said all along that he was going to fulfill the 3 years left on his deal. The Dodger front office was left out in the cold as they where not prepared to go into the offseason signing period without a right fielder on the roster. Now they must make new plans as to what players they need to bring in. The Dodgers where already looking for a power bat to go into the middle of the lineup, now they must try and find two. The Dodgers where going after an elite pitcher, now pitching might hit the back burner. There is also the Scott Borras dilemma. The Dodgers where already going after many of his clients, and Ned Colletti is not really enthused with his management skills. So Drew left the Dodgers in a tough situation. There is something that the Dodgers will not miss at all, and that is J.D. Drew himself. Drew never seemed at home in Dodgers Stadium, his production never matched his excessive salary, and he rested his week frame when he should have been out on the field. Also, there is now a large amount of money that has been taken out of the books. Money that will go to into acquiring the missing pieces. J.D. Drew has done the Dodgers a stupendous favor. He removed himself from the team, and gave the team $33 million dollars. There is no way in hell that the Dodgers could have done that by trading him. It is well known that Drew is a devout Christian. Maybe God spoke to him and told him Los Angeles was not the right place for him. We might never know what was the reasoning behind his move, but maybe it was a gift from above. Ned now needs to go and bring in the right players that will fit into this team, and will actually go out and play night after night.

In Arizona, Dodger prospects continue to shine, while others seem to be stuck on neutral. John Meloan, Brian Akin, and Danny Muegge have been great the entire fall. Chin Lung Hu, and Anthony Raglani have been quite the opposite. However, the never mentioned A.J. Ellis has surprised many with his hitting display so far. In Hawaii, things have pretty much stayed the same. Blake DeWitt, and Xavier Paul are struggling while Cory Dunlap keeps making strides. The pitching continues to be the bright spot. Both leagues are on the last leg of the season, so our guys need to turn it up.


BELIEVE IN BLUE!

Monday, November 06, 2006

HOT CORNER SOLVED?...

The hot corner has been a black hole ever since Adrian Beltre went up the coast to join the Seattle Mariners two years ago. Before Beltre arrived in Los Angeles, third base was a even worse problem since the departure of Ron Cey. Dodger brass has many options on how to fill the third base spot. They can go with the incubment Wilson Betemit. They can promote ubber prospect Andy LaRoche. Or they can go out and bring someone else in via trade or free agent signing. The most prominent free agent that fills the bill appears to be Aramis Ramirez. Ramirez opted out of his multiyear deal with the Chicago Cubs in order to seek a more prosperous contract. He was already making around $11 million a season, and has been thought that he will look for $13-15 million a season. For his production value, he seems to be worth it. Last season, Aramis hit .291, with 38 homeruns, and 119 runs batted in. Plus he is more than modest at third with the glove. Aramis is a great player, but I would rather see Andy LaRoche take over at third. The Dodgers would save a significant amount of money by going with LaRoche. Money that can go into bringing an ace pitcher like Barry Zito. I would even go with Wilson Betemit until LaRoche proves he is worth giving the third base spot. Maybe a platoon between Betemit, and LaRoche would work for me. Either way, I would shy away from giving out a colossal contract to Aramis Ramirez. Come opening day, I want to see Andy LaRoche filling the hot corner.

It is official, Jonathan Meloan is good. Meloan has continued his torrid pace. His era is a mind boggling 1.42 in 10 outings. Brian Akin, Casey Hoorelbeke, and Danny Muegge have not been slouches either. They have all had terrific falls. The hitters on the other hand have not had such good luck. Chin Lung Hu, and Anthony Raglani keep struggling at the plate. In the Hawaiian Winter League, the hitters are also struggling. With Cory Dunlap being the exception. The pitchers have held more than their own.


BELIEVE IN BLUE!