Manny Comes to the Dodgers

ESPN is reporting that Manny Ramirez will be a Dodger for the next two months.

Though the trade has yet to be officially announced, ESPN says that Manny goes to the Dodgers, the Dodgers send Andy LaRoche and Bryan Morris to the Pirates, Boston sends Brandon Moss and Craig Hansen to the Pirates, and the Pirates send Jason Bay to Boston.

Seems like the Pirates got a pretty decent haul of prospects.

I honestly don't know whether to be excited or scared, but my first instinct is leaning towards fear.

Why did the Dodgers get another high-priced outfielder when we can't play all the ones that we already have? I assume that this means Andre Ethier will sit, and I can see them playing Andruw Jones over Juan Pierre now that they have Manny. With a slugger in the middle of the lineup, the Dodgers might feel that they can drop Jones in the order and continue to give him at bats without the pressure of producing runs.

It seems that their best outfield would be Manny, Ethier, and Matt Kemp, but it's hard to say how Jones and Pierre would fit in.

But why give up LaRoche for two months of Manny? I'm assuming it's going to be two months of Manny, since I can't imagine the team would give him the last big contract that he wants to end his career with. Actually, I can imagine Ned Colletti and Frank McCourt giving Manny $25 million a year in a misguided attempt to create headlines. But does he turn the Dodgers from a pretender to a contender?

Manny does not turn the Dodgers into a World Series contender. He gives the team a legitimate shot at winning the NL West, but the Dodgers still have too many injuries and offensive problems to seriously compete in the playoffs.

The Dodgers traded away their third baseman of the future after only giving him 152 at bats over the last two years. Less than a third of a season's worth of at bats is not nearly enough time to figure out what a player is worth, especially a prospect of LaRoche's caliber. The Dodgers weakened themselves for next year for some headlines and a chance to lose to the Phillies, Mets, or Cubs in the playoffs.

Thanks a lot.

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Andre Ethier wins the Dodgers' starting LF job

Andre Ethier wins the LF job over incumbent Juan Pierre, as reported by MLB.com.

This is good news, as Ethier is a much better all-around player than Pierre, both offensively and defensively.  Pierre does provide speed on the base paths, but he is a liability in the field and he has no power.  Hopefully the Dodgers trade him for a 3B, because Pierre doesn't offer much as a bench option and he's bound to complain about his new role.

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Hey Look Everybody, It's Joe Torre!

Joe Torre is coming.

L.A.'s response is cautious optimism, if not downright just cautious.

ESPN's response is a bit more pessimistic, and almost virulent.

While I don't share ESPN's negative views, which had the not so subtle air of a knee jerk reaction to the hype surrounding Torre, I don't believe that Torre will lead the Dodgers to the Promised Land unless Frank McCourt and Ned Coletti can provide him with the talent needed to win.

The Dodgers need to strengthen their rotation and they need a power hitter, which gives them something in common with almost every team in the league. They have possible solutions to their rotation needs, but these solutions need to stay healthy, need time, or need a miracle. The Dodgers have talent, but it is mostly raw, and in some cases, overdone; Torre alone will not be able to drag them into the postseason .

Still, I want to leave you with my unwavering belief about the Joe Torre hire: This is a good thing for Dodger baseball. This makes us relevant. There is an excitement around this season that hasn't been present in a long time. Dodger fans have something to look forward to, the credibility of a Name, which is something that's been lacking since Gary Sheffield was traded.

Joe Torre won't get blood from a stone, but this team will listen to him, and hopefully they will mature under him, and when Torre leaves, hopefully they will be ready to follow his handpicked successor.

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This is disconcerting.

Not really pertinent to fantasy baseball, but as a Dodger fan, this article by LA Times columnist T.J. Simers about their younger players has me concerned. He refers to Matt Kemp as talented but "also a jerk in the making and one of those gifted athletes who doesn't necessarily have to work hard to get by." He goes on to highlight the questionable attitudes of James Loney and Andy LaRoche, and states that "they have no respect for players like Jeff Kent, Luis Gonzalez and Nomar Garciaparra, who are on their way out".
This is definitely troubling to hear, as is Simers' comment that manager Grady Little has lost the clubhouse. This season was marred by injuries to the rotation, and a disappointment overall. It is the development of the Dodgers' rookies that have kept the season exciting. If they turn out to be less like Russell Martin and more like headcase Raul Mondesi, a losing season will be less easier to stomach.

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