Well it's been a month since I've had a chance to post anything, and we all know what's happened since. Dodgers got swept in Colorado, part of what has started an incredible run by the Rockies that has seen them win 21 of their last 22 games going back to Sunday before they swept the Dodgers, and earn themselves a berth in the World Series. And I must add, it has been a lot of fun watching the Rockies.
Back to the Dodgers. They went on an ugly tailspin that saw them finish 8 games out of first place and in 4th place overall in the standings. They barely finished better than .500 (the NL West is the only division in the Wild Card era to have four teams finish with better than .500 records). So now we move on to 2008...
Several players have already been cut loose: Shea Hillenbrand, Roberto Hernandez and Olmedo Saenz. Manager Grady Little will return as the manager next year despite the fact Joe Torre is suddenly available. Luis Gonzalez, Randy Wolf and Mike Lieberthal are unofficially a free agents (the filing period begins after the World Series). Gonzo is all but gone, and Lieberthal will probably return for another year as Russell Martin's primary back-up, but still no word on what they might do with Wolf. Jeff Kent's contract has become guaranteed for 2008 based on him reaching 550 plate appearances this year. But there is growing speculation in light of the clubhouse turmoil and differences between the veteran players and younger players towards the end of the season that Kent may not come back for another year.
The Dodgers have a lot of questions as they head into the off-season. Who's going to be the everyday third baseman next season? Will they pursue Alex Rodriguez should he opt of his contract with the Yankees? (Personally, I say, if he does, break the bank on him if you must!) Can Kent co-exist with Matt Kemp and James Loney should he elect to to return for his final year? Will they trade some of the young players for an established big bat in the middle of the lineup, say, of the Miguel Cabrera variety? Will Jason Schmidt be healthy enough to contribute every 5th game? Who will fill the 4th and 5th spots in the rotation? Will they move Juan Pierre to left field so they can pursue one of the better offensive and defensive free agent center-fielders on the this year's free agent market, i.e., Andruw Jones or Torii Hunter?
As the off-season kicks into high gear after the World Series, we should start to see some of these questions answered. Stay tuned after the World Series for more frequent updates and comments.
Back to the Dodgers. They went on an ugly tailspin that saw them finish 8 games out of first place and in 4th place overall in the standings. They barely finished better than .500 (the NL West is the only division in the Wild Card era to have four teams finish with better than .500 records). So now we move on to 2008...
Several players have already been cut loose: Shea Hillenbrand, Roberto Hernandez and Olmedo Saenz. Manager Grady Little will return as the manager next year despite the fact Joe Torre is suddenly available. Luis Gonzalez, Randy Wolf and Mike Lieberthal are unofficially a free agents (the filing period begins after the World Series). Gonzo is all but gone, and Lieberthal will probably return for another year as Russell Martin's primary back-up, but still no word on what they might do with Wolf. Jeff Kent's contract has become guaranteed for 2008 based on him reaching 550 plate appearances this year. But there is growing speculation in light of the clubhouse turmoil and differences between the veteran players and younger players towards the end of the season that Kent may not come back for another year.
The Dodgers have a lot of questions as they head into the off-season. Who's going to be the everyday third baseman next season? Will they pursue Alex Rodriguez should he opt of his contract with the Yankees? (Personally, I say, if he does, break the bank on him if you must!) Can Kent co-exist with Matt Kemp and James Loney should he elect to to return for his final year? Will they trade some of the young players for an established big bat in the middle of the lineup, say, of the Miguel Cabrera variety? Will Jason Schmidt be healthy enough to contribute every 5th game? Who will fill the 4th and 5th spots in the rotation? Will they move Juan Pierre to left field so they can pursue one of the better offensive and defensive free agent center-fielders on the this year's free agent market, i.e., Andruw Jones or Torii Hunter?
As the off-season kicks into high gear after the World Series, we should start to see some of these questions answered. Stay tuned after the World Series for more frequent updates and comments.
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