Dodgers Starting With Infield

Go after Tejada the Astros would love to give that salary away.

The Dodgers do seem like a good fit for Tejada, and I doubt they would have to give up much since Houston is so desperate to unload salary.

BUT as an Astro fan its gotta be pretty hard to swallow trading all those prospects for one year of Tejada.

Guess the dodgers cant afford any of the big name Shortstops out there or Manny. What a joke.

Dodgers would need a helluva lot more to move Kemp.. like Edinson Volquez

that is an awful trade!

For me, the success of this offseason starts and ends with Manny. Seeing what he did last year I'm convinced you could surround him with a AAA team and he'd get you to the playoffs. That should be priority #1. As far as the top 3 shortstops, I could take them or leave them. I love love love Raffy (especially the way he runs up in the batter's box when he bunts...i'll miss that the most), but the health risk is just too much to go more than 2 years. Renteria and Cabrera, blah. Sign Blake for 3rd and let Hu, Berroa, and Dejesus battle it out for shortstop. Then sign Randy Johnson, Randy Wolf, or Andy Pettite and get one of those scrap heap reclamation project starters that always seem to do so well in the Ravine. Get another bullpen arm (Hoffman, Cruz, Wood, etc.) and we're good to go.

But again, sign Manny, he's the key. Good for business, good for baseball.

For the Rays, they would only trade Bartlett if it addresses an area on their own team. These being, rightfielder, DH, and bullpen arm. I know Dodgers fans are very partial to Kemp and Either, but I bet that is who they would target. Further, the Rays have starting pitching that could fill another hole for the Dodgers. My thinking is that something along the lines of Bartlett and Sonnanstine for Kemp/Ethier is what they would propose.

While it would hurt giving up a key player like kemp/ethier, right now on the free agent market, corner outfielders are the easiest position to fill. The only reason the Rays would seek an outfielder from the Dodgers rather than sign a free agent is because of the limited money they have to spend. Unlike the Dodgers, they dont have a ton of money to spend and have to be creative. For example, the two teams could make the afore mentioned trade and then the Dodgers could sign Pat Burrell (or a comparable player). In trading for two players like Sonnanstine and Bartlett, who combined would make around 2 million in 09 and under team control for 4 and 3 years respectively, it filles two holes leaves them more money to quickly fill right field via free agency.

I thought the Dodgers were interested in Dunn before the 2007 trade deadline but passed because of his BAD Defense?

How would signing Dunn two years later make any sense? Are the Dodgers going to shrink the size of Left Field so as to increase Dunn's range?

I tell you what, Dunn would have a hard time following Manny's act and Dodgers' fans would get tired of Dunn REAL quick when they saw his BAD Defense combine with his lack of ability to drive in Runs when not hitting Home Runs.

ctownboy- Umm, they traded two top prospects for Casey Blake, who is incredibly s#itty defensively.

I think the Dodgers could get Dunn.

delmonmvp--

Oh, also, you did say the Rays have limited payroll, but I think they could squeeze one big name guy in. I think they had about 15MM to spend, assuming they trade Jackson for something.

ctownboy- Umm, they traded two top prospects for Casey Blake, who is incredibly s#itty defensively.

I think the Dodgers could get Dunn.

u obvisouly didnt watch a game after the trade. blake made all the routine plays, and made some really good plays also. i believe he made 2or3 errors with the dodgers, which would be about 9 errors a year, thats not that bad.

Casey Blake was very solid at 3rd after the trade. Its his bat that was brutal during the playoffs. Not his glove.

I wonder if they Dodgers have given any thought to seeing if DeWitt can go back to his drafted position, shortstop. His bat would play well there and the position is more similar to that of third in its movements, so it seems more natural.

For Jason Bartlett, I think the more fair deal would be the Rays settling for a Delwyn Young (excellent arm, not great on reading balls, pure switch hitter) or Xavier Paul (Lefty bat, excellent defensive play, good bat upside) plus a lower level pitching prospect.

"'u obvisouly didnt watch a game after the trade. blake made all the routine plays, and made some really good plays also. i believe he made 2or3 errors with the dodgers, which would be about 9 errors a year, thats not that bad.'

You can't just look at errors. You have to look at range as well as errors. You can't make errors if you don't get to the baseball/make contact with the ball.

He was still well below average overall with the glove this year."

Blake played perfectly acceptable defense while with the Dodgers. While he is an average-below average defender at the position (as opposed to the OF, where he is excellent) his bat plays well on any team, especially in the first half.

"Ok..call me crazy..but would the dodgers be interested in this trade--

Reds Recieve-
Jaun Pierre
Matt Kemp

Dodgers Recieve-
Bronson Arroyo
Edwin Encarnacion
--bailey/stubbs/dickerson/dorn/cumberland"

Crazy. Arroyo's pitching weakness is one thing Dodger Stadium can't fix. While it is a pitcher's park overall, Chavez Ravine gives up its share of home runs. Also, EE has nowhere near the ceiling or tools of Matt Kemp, nor the future market.

AA- Bartlett for Delwyn Young + lower level pitching prospect would be solid for both sides.

Any MLB-ready fringey reliever types in the Dodger system that might be available though? That might appeal as well as opposed to someone who's further away.

haha a mediocre minor league relief pitcher with below average walk and strike out percentages plus a low level prospect for Bartlett? wow where do i sign?

Ethier for Sonnanstine/Bartlett

That is a fair deal for both sides...

Ethier/Pierre/Cash for

Encarnacion/Arroyo

That is another one that would work.

Ethier's upside is Paul O'Neill in his prime.

Kemp's upside is one of the better players in baseball

As a Dodger fan I could stomach moving Ethier, but Kemp is more of a franchise player.

"i would do troncoso+a low level prospect for bartlett..

but still if the dodgers dont make any moves this offseason they should let Hu play the whole year and see what they have."

LMFAO
Let's play Market 101. There is low supply, high demand for shortstops. There is high supply, and mediocre demand for relievers. The market sets values. Prices for the top relievers will go down, not up. The Rays will probably easily be able to afford Fuentes, or Juan Cruz, or Kerry Wood, or the LOOGY they need in Beimel or Ohman.

Thus, an average reliever is worth a lot less than an average SS.

And, my Rays can afford Fuentes/Cruz/Wood comes on the assumption which I've heard that the Rays have about 15MM to spend this offseason.

If the Red Sox land Teixeira AND he proves healthy in Spring Training, how about Mike Lowell to the Dodgers in March?