2008 Dodgers: If i were Ned Colletti...
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by Dannygrz
The Dodgers obviously didnt meet expectations this year ending a mediocre 82-80. So if i were Ned Colletti i would make several changes in order to stay competitive in the suddenly great NL West.
The Dodgers ended the season with an everyday lineup that looks something like this. C-Russell Martin 1B-James Loney 2B-Jeff Kent 3B-Nomar Garciaparra/Andy LaRoche SS-Rafael Furcal OF-Juan Pierre OF-Luis Gonzalez OF-Matt Kemp/Andre Ethier
and a severely beat up rotation of
Brad Penny Chad Billingsley Derek Lowe David Wells Esteban Loaiza
and a bullpen of
Takashi Saito Jonothan Broxton Joe Beimel Scott Proctor Mark Hendrickson Eric Stults Rudy Seanez etc.
The Dodgers have obviously several good pieces to build upon. But it has taken them to long to put anything substantial together. So heres what i would do.
Firstly i'd Let ALL of the following go to free agency
-Luis Gonzalez -David Wells -Roberto Hernandez -Shea Hillenbrand -Rudy Seanez
And also get rid of Hendrickson and Loaiza by any means possible
Next I'd do everthing in my power to try and make the rumored Johan Santana for Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp happen. Those are two really great prospects but Johan Santana is the best pitcher in the game and would be the best way to top the aces in the West (Peavy, Webb, Francis) and would give the Dodgers one of the best 1-2 pitchers punches in the game with Brad Penny. With the fast-improving Chad Billingsley and the always productive Derek Lowe that would let the dodgers have one of the best rotations in all of baseball.
I hate to give up two great prospects like that but if it got us someone like Santana then id be prepared to give up Kemp and the unproven but high-ceiling Kershaw.
After that id try really hard to get a Bat with some substantial pop either in the outfield or at 3B. Since we had given up Kershaw and Kemp in the Santana deal it would probably be hard to put something appealng to the Marlins for Miguel Cabrera without crippling their future, so the Dodgers would have to look elsewhere...
I'd Hate to have to deal with scott Boras but signing someone like Andruw Jones or dare i say it... Alex Rodriguez (who i say will end up in wrigley) would give the Dodgers what they need a run-producer in the middle of the lineup. So along with Torii Hunter, Aaron Rowand, Adam Dunn (team option) and Mike Cameron id look to sign one of them ( Except of course A-Rod.) to a 4-5 year deal.
Finally id try and sign a few bullpen guys to lead to Broxton and Saito. Maybe signing two out of Antonio Alfonseca, Scott Linebrink, Luis Vizcaino, J.C. Romero or Scott Eyre could do the trick.
So the final team could look like this...
1.SS- Rafael Furcal 2.CF- Juan Pierre 3.LF- Aaron Roward 4.1B- James Loney 5.2B- Jeff Kent 6.C- Russell Martin 7.RF- Andre Ethier 8.3B- Nomar Garciaparra (taking his 9 Million to warm LaRoche's seat)
BE- Olmedo Saenz BE- Andy LaRoche BE- Jason Repko BE- Ramon Martinez BE- Mike Leiberthal
SP1- Johan Santana SP2- Brad Penny SP3- Chad Billingsley SP4- Derek Lowe SP5- Jason Schmidt (if he doesn't return well from his injury the Stults or even Wolf could be put in here)
RP- Rudy Seanez RP- Scott Eyre RP- Joe Beimel RP- J.C. Romero RP- Scott Proctor SU- Jonothan Broxton CP- Takashi Saito
Now looking at that roster... with some select free-agent signings and one well placed trade the Dodgers could become the best team in the National League.
