This past week, the Dodgers announced they will be signing former closer Eric Gagne to a minor league contract worth $500,000 and inviting him to compete for a spot on the major league roster during spring training. But can Gagne still pitch? He certainly hasn't made a very good case for himself over the past five seasons, following his remarkable run with the Dodgers from 2002-2004. He joins the rather lengthy list of players whose careers have taken a turn for the worse in the wake of steroid implications, including fellow Dodger Manny Ramirez. The real question becomes, then, will Gagne return to form, or is his time in baseball finished?
If the Dodgers can get even half of the Eric Gagne of old, he will become a profitable investment. $500,000 is a small risk for a guy who, after a year of reviving his arm in the Canadian leagues, may still have some gas left in the tank. Then again, he may not. But the Dodgers are willing to throw him a bone on the off chance his bite helps solidify their mediocre bullpen. Certainly, the days of the fake beards and the thundersticks and the Guns N' Roses coursing through the stadium's veins are over. Dodger fans should not be overcome by nostalgia, nor should they hold high expectations for the once indefatigable Gagne. Expect little, and hope to be pleasantly surprised. More importantly, give the guy a chance. If he's going to be written off, let him do it to himself, for he still commands enough respect to trigger Ramon Troncoso giving up his jersey number so Gagne can don No. 38 once again.
Only time will tell whose game will really be over.
February 22, 2010
February 17, 2010
Dodgers 2010 Preview
Welcome to my blog! With the 2010 season approaching, I thought I would put together some thoughts on various topics around baseball. Being the avid Dodgers fan that I am, I figured I'd begin with a look at this year's team and its offseason.
Fortunately, Ned Colletti was able to avoid arbitration with the young core of the team, locking up Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, and Jonathon Broxton for another two years. As a result, the Dodgers are basically bringing back the same team they had last year, with a couple of minor additions.
You could look at the lack of activity during this offseason in a few different ways. You might argue that it's not such a bad thing, because last year's team made it all the way to the NLCS before bowing out to the Phillies; therefore, the team should compete in the playoffs again this year. Or you might argue that the 2010 Dodgers will be awful because they failed to upgrade anywhere and other teams will have figured them out come April. I happen to argue that it's a combination of both mindsets that captures my feelings on the subject. Certainly, the Dodgers will not be in the cellar of the NL West this year - they have too much talent and are too balanced for that to be the case. In fact, they are probably the favorites to win the division, and I foresee another playoff run in 2010.
Still, there are a couple problems I have with the team Colletti is bringing to the table this season. To begin with, why release Randy Wolf? This had to be the worst move the Dodgers made during the offseason. Wolf was the Dodgers' most consistent starter last year, and played a big role during the playoffs. With the starting pitching market being so thin this offseason, you had to figure the Dodgers would hang on to Wolf to stabilize their rotation. Instead, they are promoting a battle royale of sorts, a free-for-all during spring training for the fifth spot in the rotation. To me, this was unnecessary when bringing Wolf back for a reasonable cost would have been the prudent alternative.
Staying with the subject of starting pitching, the Dodgers failed to upgrade their rotation at all in hopes that Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw will compete with the best of the NL. The problem with that is, the best of the NL got better. Just within the division: Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain for the Giants, Jeff Francis and Ubaldo Jimenez for the Rockies, and of course, Brandon Webb and Dan Haren for the Diamondbacks. And then outside the division, the Phillies, the Dodgers' nemesis for the last two seasons, acquired Roy Halladay to go along with Cole Hamels, while the Cardinals maintained their one-two punch of Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. Can Billingsley and Kershaw compete with those tandems? I'll believe it when I see it. A big name starter, a true ace, has been the only missing piece preventing the Dodgers from getting to the World Series the past two seasons, and it will plague them once again this year. Neither Billingsley nor Kershaw is there yet.
Barring a major acquisition between now and April, the Dodgers will likely escape with the division in 2010. The Giants will be their primary competition, but I don't see any of the other NL West teams having all that much success. The best division in the National League last year will suffer a little bit this year, given the unwillingness of their GM's to make any killer moves. It's like there's a chess game going on, and no one is comfortable initiating the attack. If the Dodgers wish to put themselves over the top, they will fulfill this role. A failure to do so will cast the 2010 campaign into further uncertainty.
Fortunately, Ned Colletti was able to avoid arbitration with the young core of the team, locking up Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, and Jonathon Broxton for another two years. As a result, the Dodgers are basically bringing back the same team they had last year, with a couple of minor additions.
You could look at the lack of activity during this offseason in a few different ways. You might argue that it's not such a bad thing, because last year's team made it all the way to the NLCS before bowing out to the Phillies; therefore, the team should compete in the playoffs again this year. Or you might argue that the 2010 Dodgers will be awful because they failed to upgrade anywhere and other teams will have figured them out come April. I happen to argue that it's a combination of both mindsets that captures my feelings on the subject. Certainly, the Dodgers will not be in the cellar of the NL West this year - they have too much talent and are too balanced for that to be the case. In fact, they are probably the favorites to win the division, and I foresee another playoff run in 2010.
Still, there are a couple problems I have with the team Colletti is bringing to the table this season. To begin with, why release Randy Wolf? This had to be the worst move the Dodgers made during the offseason. Wolf was the Dodgers' most consistent starter last year, and played a big role during the playoffs. With the starting pitching market being so thin this offseason, you had to figure the Dodgers would hang on to Wolf to stabilize their rotation. Instead, they are promoting a battle royale of sorts, a free-for-all during spring training for the fifth spot in the rotation. To me, this was unnecessary when bringing Wolf back for a reasonable cost would have been the prudent alternative.
Staying with the subject of starting pitching, the Dodgers failed to upgrade their rotation at all in hopes that Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw will compete with the best of the NL. The problem with that is, the best of the NL got better. Just within the division: Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain for the Giants, Jeff Francis and Ubaldo Jimenez for the Rockies, and of course, Brandon Webb and Dan Haren for the Diamondbacks. And then outside the division, the Phillies, the Dodgers' nemesis for the last two seasons, acquired Roy Halladay to go along with Cole Hamels, while the Cardinals maintained their one-two punch of Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. Can Billingsley and Kershaw compete with those tandems? I'll believe it when I see it. A big name starter, a true ace, has been the only missing piece preventing the Dodgers from getting to the World Series the past two seasons, and it will plague them once again this year. Neither Billingsley nor Kershaw is there yet.
Barring a major acquisition between now and April, the Dodgers will likely escape with the division in 2010. The Giants will be their primary competition, but I don't see any of the other NL West teams having all that much success. The best division in the National League last year will suffer a little bit this year, given the unwillingness of their GM's to make any killer moves. It's like there's a chess game going on, and no one is comfortable initiating the attack. If the Dodgers wish to put themselves over the top, they will fulfill this role. A failure to do so will cast the 2010 campaign into further uncertainty.
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