Welcome to jockr’s 2009 Team Sales Report, where we will offer fans consultative outreach and analysis of the comprehensive, results-based solutions they can expect from each franchise this upcoming quarter. Today’s entry focuses on the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Los Angeles Dodgers
2008 year-end market position: 84-78 1st place, NL West
Def. Chicago Cubs 3-0 in Divisional Playoff
Lost to Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 in National League Championship Series
New Hires: RHP Guillermo Mota (free agent from Brewers), RHP Claudio Vargas (free agent from Mets), C Brad Ausmus (free agent from Astros), INF Mark Loretta (free agent from Astros), LHP Shawn Estes (minor league free agent from Padres), INF Juan Castro (minor league free agent from Orioles), LHP Randy Wolf (free agent from Astros), 2B Orlando Hudson (free agent from Diamondbacks), INF Doug Mientkiewicz (minor league free agent from Pirates)
Layoffs: RHP Brad Penny (free agent, signed with Red Sox), RHP Derek Lowe (free agent, signed with Braves), 2B Jeff Kent (retired), RHP Greg Maddux (retired), INF Angel Berroa (non-tendered, signed minor league deal with Yankees), RHP Jason Johnson (non-tendered, signed minor league deal with Yankees), INF Nomar Garciaparra (free agent, unsigned), CF Andruw Jones (released, signed minor league deal with Rangers), INF Pablo Ozuna (free agent, signed minor league deal with Phillies), RHP Chan Ho Park (free agent, signed with Phillies), RHP Scott Proctor (non-tendered, signed with Marlins), RHP Takashi Saito (non-tendered, signed with Red Sox), LHP Joe Beimel (free agent, unsigned), INF Mark Sweeney (free agent, retired)
Best Practices: The Dodgers barely cracked the top half of teams in all of MLB, but that was good enough to win the NL West a year ago. Once they got there, they convincingly swept the Cubs before running into the eventual World Series Champion Phillies. The difference was Manny. Despite playing only 53 games for the Dodgers, Manny finished fourth in the NL MVP voting thanks to a ridiculous line of .396/.489/.743 with 17 homers and 53 RBI. He continued to hit over .500 with 4 bombs and 10 RBI in the Dodgers’ 8 playoff games. Ridiculous. After a dance that took up most of the offseason, Manny eventually signed a 2 year, $45 million deal to return to the Dodgers, and they’re going to need him to be just as good. The Dodgers coughed up enough money to keep SS Rafael Furcal and add 2B Orlando Hudson, and combining those above-average players with Manny and excellent catcher Russell Martin gives them a pretty sick lineup. CF Matt Kemp, 1B James Loney, and RF Andre Ethier are all pretty good young players with their share of flaws, but if they’re the bottom of your lineup, then you’re doing alright. Corpulent closer Jonathan Broxton can throw 150 mph, just like Bobby Jenks, and the two of them can get together and show off their cannons before pounding down a dozen cheeseburgers and splitting a keg of Miller Lite. I’d pay to watch that. RHP Chad Billingsley topped 200 innings and 200 strikeouts for the first time in his career a year ago, but now the young righty will have to be their ace after some serious holes opened up in the rotation.
Pain Points: Rotational depth will be a problem for the Dodgers. With Lowe and Penny off somewhere else, that leaves Billingsley and RHP Hiroki Kuroda to lead the starting staff. LHP Clayton Kershaw, who was solid if unspectacular in 21 starts as a rookie, now steps in as the teams second or third starter. I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. Lowe was a solid veteran in the rotation, and I don’t think Randy Wolf is of the same caliber. Jason Schmidt is supposedly under contract, but I can’t even remember what he looks like. Is he that guy who looks like an adult Cabbage Patch Kid? He is?! Well, I was wrong, I do remember what he looks like. Hmm…Maybe he’ll come back and join the rotation. At this point, anyone could. Claudio Vargas, anyone? The bullpen is pretty decent, I guess. RHP Corey Wade was pretty sick against the Cubs a year ago. They also have a guy named Eric Stults, who reminds me of ’80s ginger heartthrob Eric Stoltz (pictured).
Key Thought Leader: Definitely Manny. I like Manny, but I don’t think most would refer to him as a thought leader. Well, most people are wrong. He did some great things last year, aside from his awesome run with the Dodgers, he also destabilized the Red Sox clubhouse. Jonathan Papelbon called him a “cancer.” In that case, maybe he was colon cancer, y’know, the kind that hangs around a bunch of assholes, like Papelbon. We’ll see how many rings Papelbon wins without Manny on the roster. I’ll start the count: 0.
Enterprise Outlook: Joe Torre and company are fortunate they play in a weak division, but with the likes of Peavy-Young, Lincecum-Cain-Zito-Johnson, and Webb-Haren, I don’t think that Billingsley-Kuroda-Cabbage Patch Kid can keep up. Manny should be fun to watch, but will he be as productive when he’s not playing for a new contract? 2nd place, NL West
Tomorrow’s Target: Florida Marlins
