it was the heat of the moment

July 31, 2009 at 12:02 pm | In Baseball | 9 Comments
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Trade deadline live-ish blogging!

4:32: Whoa. Late in the game, Padres pull off biggest deal of the day. Pitchers Clayton Richard, Aaron Poreda, Adam Russell, and Dexter Carter for Peavy. Peavy’s locked down through 2012, but he’s currently injured, and that’s a lot of talent – mostly Poreda – for such a question mark. If the Padres wanted to shed payroll, they did a nice job doing so with no leverage against Chicago.

4:27: Is this an elaborate joke by a few writers on Twitter (notably Jon Heyman) and MLB Trade Rumors? Apparently, Jake Peavy has been traded to the White Sox, despite being on the DL for the last few months. This is the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen this late in the game.

4:19: Chase Weems, not Austin Jackson, for Jerry Hairston. Much better for Yankees, alas; Weems would have to be a great defensive catcher for his offensive abilities to portend anything but minor league fodder. Reds also gave up too much for Scott Rolen – Edwin Encarnacion just isn’t that bad, and they gave up two near-ready arms in Josh Roenicke and Zachary Stewart. I don’t see future superstars there, but two solid relievers and Encarnacion looks steep, unless the Blue Jays are paying some of Rolen’s $10 million for 2010. That said, I am also jealous; I was hoping Rolen was Boston-bound if they could flip Lowell.

4:16: I’m a bit frustrated that the Red Sox didn’t go after Nick Johnson instead of Casey Kotchman, but it mighta taken too much time to find another taker for LaRoche. Plus, Kotchman’s defense essentially makes this a lateral move for 2009. Now, I’m just waiting for confirmation that Halladay’s staying in Toronto and that the Padres and Yankees have been stagnant.

4:09: Clarifying my last comment: I meant for Johnson and for the Marlins. Certainly not for the Nationals, as prospect Aaron Thompson is a pretty laughable return for Johnson. 22 and struggling at AA? Ugh.

4:03: Rumors of Nick Johnson to Marlins. I like this on both ends; very glad to see Florida actually going for it and Johnson moving to a possible contender.

3:58: Apparently not Austin Jackson for Hairston, and Rolen’s for Encarnacion plus a minor leaguer. Okay, back to Cincy not having a great day, but not a BAD day, depending on prospects.

3:48: Austin Jackson for Jerry Hairston? Looks like a big overpayment by Yankees; I’ll retract what I implied about Cincy not knowing what it’s doing if this report is accurate.

3:40: Rolen to Reds. Seems odd that they’re trying this “win now” stuff in Cincy while dealing a big piece of their bench (Hairston), and presumably Edwin Encarnacion heading north.

3:28: Adam LaRoche for Casey Kotchman? That’s a downgrade for the 2009 Red Sox, but cheaper in the future. Of course, Sox + cheap = WHY?

3:23: Stuff coming fast and furious now, but with no idea what prospects are involved in any of these deals. Rockies added a nice bullpen arm in Joe Beimel.

3:20: This Gonzalez-to-Dodgers thing has to be made up. How could Padres walk away from that with anything less than Kershaw? Yankees add Jerry Hairston, Jr.; should be a nice piece off the bench, and sadly, no schadenfreude about an Arroyo acquisition yet.

3:12: Bryan Price as third pitcher to Cleveland… college reliever moved back to starting; looks very good in A-ball, but it’s A-ball. Seems like another Knapp for Cleveland – high upside, no guarantees. Meanwhile, Gordon Edes says Adam LaRoche to Braves; I’m hoping this means bullpen help for Red Sox.

2:56: MLB Network reports that Dodgers may have a chance at Adrian Gonzalez. If that happens and if they don’t get completely taken, I’ll be crushed that the Sox didn’t make that deal instead of getting Martinez.

2:40: Reportedly Justin Masterson on top of Hagadone. Still looking like a nice deal for Red Sox, as Masterson’s problems vs. left-handers limit his value quite a bit and Hagadone is still a ways off. Remains to be seen what else is involved or if Boston will target a new long man.

2:35 PM: Matthew Pouliot throws out the name of Nick Hagadone; Clay Buchholz and Daniel Bard reportedly not involved. If this is true, sounds hard for Boston to screw it up.

2:02 PM: Still waiting on confirmation and price of Victor. Also increasingly terrified of how much time the Yankees have to counter-punch here.

1:57 PM: Sounds like Red Sox finally about to pull trigger on Victor Martinez. After all the Adrian Gonzalez and Halladay talks, this is a bit anticlimactic, I’m sad to say. Dare I dream this isn’t all?

Yes, I dare. I’m an idiot.

1:30 PM: It comes to my attention that Orlando Cabrera’s glove isn’t even good anymore. Starting to seem that Beane didn’t get something for nothing; he got something for less than nothing.

1:19 PM: Los Angeles Dodgers traded P Claudio Vargas to Milwaukee Brewers for C Vinny Rottino. Nothing but a depth move here; Vargas has been through Milwaukee once before and they know he’s not a great bet to give much. Rottino’s 29 and has seen his bat decline since 2006 and 2007.

1:14 PM: “According to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports, the Twins have acquired Orlando Cabrera from the A’s for 21-year-old shorstop Tyler Ladendorf.” Unless Ladendorf stays at shortstop, don’t see him making the bigs; Cot’s Contracts informs me that the A’s agreed not to offer arbitration if Cabrera is a Type A free agent, so draft picks wouldn’t be an issue; looks like trying to get something instead of nothing, plus save a million bucks or so.

1:01 PM: Rumblings of SS Orlando Cabrera being traded from Oakland A’s to Minnesota Twins. Nice glove, but with his bat (and at his age), I’m just glad the Red Sox are apparently staying out of this.

11:40 AM: Seattle Mariners traded SP Jarrod Washburn to Detroit Tigers for SPs Lucas French and Mauricio Robles.

First reaction: “CRAP! The Yankees didn’t get Washburn!” I was fairly confident he’d be eaten alive in a hitter-friendly ballpark in New York, and believe his low-strikeout, flyball tendencies were in one of the best ballparks for a pitcher of such abilities.

Even so, this is a bit disappointing for Seattle; French might be able to serve as a back-end starter right now, but Robles’ high strikeouts in the low minors are accompanied by some iffy control. With a pretty solid 23-year-old as well as a higher-upside young guy, Seattle didn’t walk away empty-handed, but I again expected there was more of a market for this pitcher and one could have found a bit better of a prospect package.

Now it’s time to hope the Yankees “address” their “problems” with Bronson Arroyo.

Yesterday, Pittsburgh Pirates traded RP John Grabow and SP Tom Gorzelanny to Chicago Cubs for Ps Kevin Hart and Jose Ascanio and 2B Josh Harrison.

I don’t have much to say here; Grabow’s 30 and has major walk problems, while Gorzelanny’s low strikeouts would need to be accompanied by vastly superior control for him to have any sort of upside. The latter pitcher went completely off the rails in 2008, but like Ian Snell, has looked good at AAA and could improve. Still, Hart and Ascanio are less of question marks – they could probably help from the bullpen right now – and Harrison, while old for his league, was a college draft pick just last year and could have a nice bat if he can stick at second base. Solid pickup by the Pirates for a free agent to be and a guy about to get more expensive.

all the small things

July 30, 2009 at 4:42 pm | In Baseball | 2 Comments
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While the Red Sox continue trampling my soul return to being awesome, a roundup of some of this week’s smaller trades (and by “small” I mean “occurred since my last blog and/or don’t involve many players;” several of these guys are important parts on contending teams or real prospects).

Baltimore Orioles traded RP George Sherrill to Los Angeles Dodgers for 3B Josh Bell and SP Steve Johnson.
The Dodgers filled a significant area of need, and did so with the best option on the market. Sherrill has two more years of arbitration, and should be an excellent left-handed setup man like Will Ohman and Hong-Chih Kuo were supposed to be. It is, however, worth noting that Sherrill battled severe control issues in 2008 and 2006, so he’s hardly a sure thing; it’s also significant that he’s 32 years old, and could be washed up by the time he hits free agency. This is clearly a win-now move, though, and with the Phillies upgrading their rotation, it’s understandable why Los Angeles was willing to risk those things for the potential to bolster their bullpen.

Bell is a significant price to pay for a reliever with such question marks, though; the 22-year-old looks like a nice power hitter in the making, and has adjusted well to AA. If he can field enough to stick at third, the O’s got a pretty nice hitter here for a pitcher unlikely to be on a contending Baltimore club. Johnson’s a run-of-the-mill low-minors pitching prospect; he’s 21 and has been in the system since 2005, only reaching AA this year. He seems to have some strikeout potential, but gives up too many HRs to look like anything but organizational fodder.

Pittsburgh Pirates traded 2B Freddy Sanchez to San Francisco Giants for SP Tim Alderson.
Are you @%$^ing kidding me? Giants GM Brian Sabean has done some weird, stupid things in his time, but this one still came as a shock. Sanchez is a nice add and a lock to contribute more than the Giants’ AAA players who have attempted to man second base (not as much an upgrade from Juan Uribe, but that’s beside the point). He’ll add a little speed, a little pop, a little defense, and give the wildcard-leading Giants a slightly better shot at October.

That’s not enough. I’m okay dealing prospects for impact players who could increase one’s chances of a World Series berth, but the Giants cannot be considered one of the NL’s stronger playoff clubs, and Sanchez only serves to fill a hole. That in mind, the price was absolutely staggering. Alderson was San Francisco’s #2 pitching prospect behind only Madison Bumgarner. While low strikeout totals seem to undermine a lot of the hype around him, he’s still an exorbitant price to pay for an okay second baseman; even if we accept that Alderson isn’t the front-of-the-rotation starter that some believe he is, his value on the market ought to have been a fair deal greater than a minor pickup like Sanchez.

Cincinnati Reds traded RP Robert Manuel to Seattle Mariners for OF Wladimir Balentien.
This is one that makes decent sense for both teams. Balentien is a year younger, but has thus far not translated some translated minor-league power into major-league hitting success. He’s a strikeout liability, but perhaps the National League and a friendlier home park will help him rediscover his stroke. The Reds have suffered injuries to outfielders Jay Bruce and Chris Dickerson, so it makes sense to add another young guy who still could turn into a long-term asset.

Manuel seems closer to being a useful major leaguer, though, so I give the edge in this trade to Seattle. The 26-year-old didn’t get much time in a surprisingly strong Reds bullpen, but his minor league numbers make him an interesting relief prospect. To be successful in the AL, he’ll probably need to find the strikeout ability he showed as one of the Southern League’s best pitchers last year, but his control makes him a nice asset even if he doesn’t blow batters away.

Boston Red Sox traded “1B”/”OF” Mark Kotsay to Chicago White Sox for CF Brian Anderson.
27-year-old Anderson can’t hit and is overrated in the field. 33-year-old Kotsay can’t hit, can’t field, and was designated for assignment, giving the Red Sox a limited window to trade him; he will be a free agent at the end of the year. The Red Sox traded sure garbage for probable garbage that has a slim chance of turning into something of small value.

you have seen too much in too few years

May 31, 2009 at 6:14 pm | In Baseball | 1 Comment
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Why Do You Still Have A Job? There are several White Sox eligible to have their employment questioned, but outfielder Scott Podsednik is the oldest and the most distanced from a semblance of usefulness. His last on-base percentage over .330 was in 2005; his only slugging percentage over .400 was in his rookie 2003. While his contract for just $800,000 makes him an inexpensive mistake, it also means that his release wouldn’t be costly for the White Sox. Instead of buying him out and going after Jim Edmonds or a trade, they’ve let Podsednik play regularly to .654 OPS, and he’s been caught as many times as he’s successfully stolen a base, making his baserunning aggressiveness an extra liability on top of his consistent failure to hit. Worst of all for the White Sox: he stands to get more playing time while Carlos Quentin is on the DL.
Rhetorical Question of the Week: Is Nick Green trying to fill a certain void in Boston? I’m as thrilled as any Red Sox fan at the production that part-time shortstop Green is giving at the plate – even though it’s largely due to a fortuitous .367 BABIP – but lately, he’s started to betray an extreme lack of baseball intelligence. On more than one occasion, he’s been thrown out at second after trying to stretch singles that had no business being stretched. In one memorable mental gaffe, he botched a rundown of an opposing player and didn’t get any outs on a ground ball right to him. And today, he was picked off of first base by the catcher… when there was already a runner occupying second. The Red Sox have a slugging left fielder with lousy defense, Manny, and Ramirez; Green seems determined to take over as the guy who makes head-scratchingly stupid decisions on the field.
Mistake of the Week: I’ve never accused Mets GM Omar Minaya of being a genius. He’s assembled some high-budget teams with some gaping holes; while he can identify and pursue superstar players, he’s shown considerably less ability to build complete rosters deep with useful talent. Nothing he does during the 2009 season is likely to match the mistake of the Oliver Perez contract, but his recent handling of the club’s backup catcher situation is nonetheless further evidence of his questionable competence. Ramon Castro is no All-Star, but he constantly hits more than adequately for his role, and would be quite acceptable if forced to start for any length of time. Making over two million dollars is a bit pricey for a reserve, but Castro certainly earns his paycheck more than, say, Luis Castillo. But when Omir Santos got off to a hot start, Minaya elected to keep the rookie – despite a dreadful set of minor-league numbers – and gave Castro to the White Sox for non-prospect Lance Broadway. It’s one thing to become enamored of a young player with a mixed track record, but Santos is 28 and has never shown any indication that he could slug over .400 in the majors (he hasn’t hit that mark since A-ball). Meanwhile, the Mets picked up part of Castro’s salary, mitigating their savings in the trade; they were so desperate to be rid of a backup catcher who has outhit most of their current bench (and several starters) that they didn’t even make Chicago take on the full salary. Between this and the willful ignorance of Philly’s GM, their NL East rivals in Atlanta are becoming even more likable.
Question of the Week: Have I made too little of the emotional toll of baseball? Zack Greinke is making quite an impact this year not only due to his stellar pitching (his XFIP remains under 3.00), but also because of his compelling personal story – he has bounced back from depression and social anxiety disorder that had threatened to end his career. This week, Cardinals shortstop Khalil Greene hit the disabled list after battling anxiety problems, while Reds first baseman Joey Votto was DLed for a “stress-related issue.” Perhaps it is the gradual decline of the stigma against mental health issues letting more players take time off rather than play while suffering, or maybe there is truly an increase in such problems among athletes as a result of obscene salaries while most of the country is in a deep recession. Either way, however, it’s undermining the idea that team psychologists can weed out players with potential issues before they get drafted or reach the bigs; while “clutch hitters” are a debunked myth, I’m now more willing to consider the possibility that certain players don’t have the mental makeup to continue minor league success once making it to the majors. I’m not going to trivialize mental illness by pretending to diagnose any specific conditions, but the growing visibility of anxiety problems in Major Leaguers has made me
more open to accepting that certain players’ struggles may continue, despite track records to the contrary.

Boston’s Julio Lugo has a bit of a “choker” reputation, and it would be easy to explain some of his awful defense with the stress of playing in front of one of baseball’s most hardcore fan bases. Phil Hughes dominated the minors with stellar control and limited long balls, but has had considerable problems with walks and home runs since getting called up by the Yankees (it’s worth noting that he pitches in baseball’s toughest division, but his peripheral numbers are still startling). Completing the trio of AL East mysteries is Tampa Bay’s Grant Balfour, who has had control problems throughout his career but seemed to harness his stuff in 2008, walking only 24 batters in 58 innings. After granting 8 “ball four”’s in 11 playoff innings last year, he’s given 15 free passes in just 23 innings this year.

I know none of these players and am not qualified to draw any conclusions. It’s quite possible that Balfour’s disappearing-then-reemerging issues were simply sample size and unfamiliarity helping him get through most of 2008 unscathed despite a problem that has plagued his career. Hughes has less than 30 major-league starts, and Lugo could simply be getting older and losing his ability. But considering how many issues seem invisible to teams until they’re too much to handle, isn’t it worth considering that perhaps the mental health of MLB players isn’t as guaranteed as we often assume?

crazy train

February 5, 2009 at 12:01 am | In Baseball, Rooting Hierarchies | 2 Comments
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29. Chicago White Sox (5% schedule-weighted support)
Last Ranking: 27
Added: SP Bartolo Colon; 3B Wilson Betemit; 2B Jayson Nix
Lost: SP Javier Vazquez; CF Nick Swisher; 3B Joe Crede; RP Boone Logan; SS Orlando Cabrera; IF Juan Uribe; CF Ken Griffey Jr.
Strengths: A solid crop of young talent including starters John Danks and Gavin Floyd, 3B Josh Fields, and LF Carlos Quentin.  Quentin’s acquisition from the Diamondbacks last winter was a big pickup for the White Sox, and while Fields’ stock fell with a lousy 2008 at AAA, he could yet turn into a nice, cheap option at third.

Although I wasn’t sold on Danks or Floyd in the past, their 2008 performances were eye-opening, and both are young enough to have real breakout seasons, rather than one-year flukes. Beyond Bobby Jenks, Octavio Dotel and lefty Matt Thornton look to be a strong setup combination.  Rookie Jack Egbert could impress at the back of the rotation.
Weaknesses: The team isn’t getting any younger.  While DH Jim Thome and RF Jermaine Dye are still going strong, 1B Paul Konerko looks just about finished, and C A.J. Pierzynski has been a void in the lineup for years.  As usual with older teams, the defense is rather problematic – and this lineup can’t hit nearly enough to make up for it.

If Floyd and Danks can’t repeat their 2008 performances, the rotation looks thoroughly mediocre.

It should also be mentioned that most of the probable bullpen (including the aforementioned Dotel and Thornton, who are key guys in keeping innings away from some thoroughly unimpressive fallbacks in AAA) is on the wrong side of 30, which could make for rapid decline or injuries.

The real weakness, however, may not present itself till spring training: manager Ozzie Guillen could very well neglect DeWayne Wise (who had a fine 2008) for speed-and-nothing-but Jerry Owens or inferior hitter Brian Anderson.  Similarly, the temperamental Guillen could take a liking to Cuban defector Dayan Viciedo at third, rather than making him prove his worth in the minors.
My Stake: What’s to like?  While GM Kenny Williams always seems to make a couple of trades that keep the team contending, he’s also made more than his share of foolish signings – see homer-prone reliever Scott Linebrink’s four-year contract, which will pay him $5.5 million as a 35-year-old in 2011 – and can be taken a trade – he practically gave Swisher to the Yankees, and the prospect package he received for Vazquez and Logan was rather pitiful.  The White Sox are poorly run, but just good enough to stay in contention in spite of it – a perfect combination for extreme frustration.  Throw in a bland stadium, a past playoff victory over the Red Sox, and a divisional rivalry with the Indians, and they’re pretty fun to hate.
‘09 Predictions: It’s tough to predict what an Ozzie team will do, much less a club with several potential rookie starters, but I decided to put down 76 wins here.  There are quite a few variables in play, but it’s very hard to see Cleveland and Detroit stumbling as they did in 2008, and tougher still to see the White Sox, rather than the Twins, capitalizing even if there is such an opening.  Beyond the battle between Nix and Chris Getz (and possibly Brent Lillibridge) for the second base job, I’ll be most interested to see if SS Alexei Ramirez can continue to slug at a rate that masks his problems getting on base.

‘08 rooting hierarchy i: please allow me to introduce myself

March 24, 2008 at 4:40 pm | In Baseball, Rooting Hierarchies | 2 Comments
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After a painfully long hiatus, we’re back… to blogging and, in less than 12 hours, to baseball! It’s important to start the year’s rooting hierarchy blogs before the season begins, but this year’s system required more work than usual. I used a version of my Statistical Rooting Hierarchy and decided who I’d root for in any game (the teams in the middle of the list are so muddled together that, without actively considering head-to-head matchups, I could not clearly rank them; as it is, ties and partial support had to be allowed). The list is one of preference, not expected time spent rooting for each team; it is ranked by overall likeability rather than practical considerations for the season ahead. I am, however, including a weighted ranking to approximate, without regard to standings (such a list would be very dynamic and thus less bloggable), support based on the team’s actual schedule (based on the team’s strength within its division, in the rest of its league, and in interleague play).  Predictions are based in David’s projection system with altered player projections where appropriate, reallocated playing time, consideration of possible transactions and injuries, and other educated guesswork.

30. New York Yankees 0.00% unweighted support; 0.00% weighted by schedule (0 in division/0 in league/0 in interleague)
Last year: #30. 94-68, 2nd in AL East, lost ALDS
In 2008: When it comes to matters of prediction and evaluation, I still adhere firmly to logic and statistics. But in matters of preference, I sometimes must break with such analytical ways. The Yankees are no longer a team exclusively comprised of overpaid, overrated, over-the-hill veterans. With young talent like Joba Chamberlain and Edwar Ramirez poised to play a big role in 2008, and more youth on the way, an entirely objective observer would respect the Yankees’ acumen in recent years enough to root for them from time to time. But while their (very real) missteps aren’t enough to damn them to thirtieth, the Yankees are too historically prone to buying their championships and neglecting player development and analysis (and moreover, their role as the Evil Empire is too critical to my baseball worldview) for me to even consider giving them their due instead of blindly hating them. Sports is my last bastion of irrational, unforgiving, us-vs.-them thinking, and I shall not have a few pinstriped prospects destroy that refuge.
Prediction: 94-68; 1st in AL East, lose ALCS

29. Los Angeles Dodgers 4.83% unweighted; 1.10% weighted (0/0/10)
Last year: #28. 82-80, 4th in NL West
In 2008: Where the Yankees are unfairly unliked, the Dodgers deserve every bit of scorn I give them. The much-mocked signing of Juan Pierre continues to haunt the franchise, now compounded by the error of giving an aging, heftier Andruw Jones approximately twice his value as a free agent. The signings have had ripple effects to further damage, such as forcing Andre Ethier to the bench, and leaving the team’s third base situation far from ideal. On a less analytical note, the unending incompetence of general manager Ned Colletti is absolutely heartbreaking. With a rich tradition and one of the finest ballparks in all of baseball, the Dodgers would easily become a personal favorite in the National League with even an average front office. My prediction sees the team with too many identifiable weaknesses not to go out and make a trade or two - though it’s questionable how much they can improve with so much of their young talent already in the majors.
Prediction: 86-76; 2nd in NL West

28. Chicago White Sox 5.52% unweighted; 5.41% weighted (0/11.11/3.75)
Last year: #29. 72-90, 4th in AL Central
In 2008: The White Sox actually made a couple of almost-good moves this winter. Shockingly, GM Kenny Williams walked away from trades with the Diamondbacks and Athletics without being absolutely robbed. It was Los Angeles of Anaheim, interestingly enough, who made KW a fool by acquiring Jon Garland, a very nice #2 starter, for Orlando Cabrera, an aging and average shortstop. The offseason’s greatest foible was the signing of reliever Scott Linebrink – who has become a serious HR risk and no better than a AAA veteran – to a four-year deal.
Prediction: 73-89; 4th in AL Central

2007 rooting hierarchy i: the axis of evil

March 26, 2007 at 3:41 pm | In Baseball, Rooting Hierarchies | Leave a Comment
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With just a week till Opening Day, it’s time for me to declare my alliances going into the season. The rooting hierarchy can and will change throughout the season, but that doesn’t mean I can just start the season without a clear list made up. I could also include projections based on playing time guesses, but last season, the best I did was averaging like +/- 9 wins or something.

Hierarchy rankings are determined by team competence, my historical loyalty or antipathy to the franchise, the likeability of the team’s city, how the media treat the teams, and occasionally individual players or coaches. We begin with the three clubs whose games I will watch for the single purpose of rooting for the opponent.

30. New York Yankees To be perfectly honest, the team isn’t horrifyingly incompetent or badly-run. But for a $200m+ payroll, they have a terrible pitching staff and a thin farm system. Their obscene wealth is far beyond that of even Boston, Los Angeles, or any other organization in the sport, but my hatred runs deeper. The team still has the militaristic mindset and hair-pertaining policies, and of course, Derek Jeter. While it will have baseball’s best offense, its rotation to start the season will likely include foolishly-overpaid Japanese import Kei Igawa and mediocre minor-leaguer Darrell Rasner, neither of whom have any business on a contending club.
29. Chicago White Sox Many “experts” have labeled this team a sleeper to contend in 2007. Yet with a bad rotation, a worse bullpen, and an offense that is questionable at best, the team’s upside is probably 80 wins – but all the media will talk about is its scrappiness, effort, and hard work (exemplified by sub-average Darin Erstad – “did you know he was a punter in college? He MUST be good at baseball!”). The team may have plenty of “grinders” and be a great example to ten-year-olds, but effort doesn’t always make a good player or a good team. The media need to praise shrewd transactions rather than acquisitions who will try to be useful, and the White Sox have far too many of the latter.
28. Los Angeles Dodgers The Dodgers were a favorite team of mine not long ago, when the franchise employed stat-boy Paul DePodesta as GM. DePo had a run of bad luck, and being of a mindset at odds with the media and most of the baseball world, ended up a sacrificial lamb for the team’s shortcomings. He was replaced by a man who’s traditional and likes opinions and “tools” better than evidence and tangible production, and it shows – the Dodgers signed speedy-but-out-prone OF Juan Pierre and liked-but-old OF Luis Gonzalez to unjustifiable deals, and go into the season with just three projected above-average position players. Offseason signing SP Jason Schmidt will help keep the club in the wildcard race, but that doesn’t justify the myriad mistakes which prevent LA from being a truly great team.

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