Los Angeles Dodger Preview

The Los Angeles Dodgers come into season 3 hoping to do something to put them over the top with some major names leaving and some others on the way in.

The Dodgers have fought hard and have done well in the playoffs until the enevitable meeting with Montgomery. Montgomery has ended their season two years running. What can be done to match the stingy pitching of the Biscuits? GM KB thinks more offense and a move to youth in the rotation is in order. The Dodgers expect to return to the playoffs as a wildcard or the division winner and hopefully thier moves will take them to the WS. Anything short of that is running in place or worse, a failure.

Here are your season 3 Los Angeles Dodgers:

C- Alex Forest will start with Ariel Cruz waiting in the wings. This is a switch from the Dodgers philosphy of having a defensive guy back there. The Dodgers will start Forest and expect a .300 average and about 100 walks.

1b- B.C. Dransfeldt was first thought of as a pinch hitter and backup 1b/lf, but the Dodgers like the way he drives the ball and will give him a chance to lose the job with power guy Russ Chapman doing the backup role at 1b/lf. The Dodgers hope that Dransfeldt will produce a near .300 avg with 30 double and 20 hrs. If he fails, Chapman is sure to provide power and lots of walks.

2b- Louis Bevil will be playing his first full season as a Dodger. Management expects him to frequent the All Star game many times in the forseeable future. Great all around player and one of the best 2bs in the league.

3b- Yonder Martis will be the starter at 3b. Martis was a last minute aquistion and the Dodgers are hoping he'll provide some offense and stability at 3b. He has a chance to put up all star numbers with the stick anyway. Hes an average fielder. Julio Ozuna a rookie, will backup 3b/rf and provide some pop and youth to the lineup.

SS- Jay Bailey was at 3b last season and moves to SS with Martis taking over at 3b. Bailey should provide power and speed at the position although his glove is well below average. The Dodgers have many options and interchangeable players so SS/3b/of positions will be contantly changing no doubt. Other SSs include Curt Murphy & Ernest Looper. Both of these guys should see time at CF and wherever needed. Provide great insurance and nice bats off the bench.

lf- Mandy Chace Chace will be back in lf and hopes to make another run at the MVP. Great hitter.

cf- Vern Hamelin will man cf again. Hes a consumate pro with an excellent glove. He'll hit some line drives, steal a base here and there and not screw anything up. A company soldier.

rf- Donald Fujiwara is a budding superstar. He has all the tools to be the best offensive player on the team and in the league. Might have an MVP or two in his future. Lot of pressure for a kid, but hes handled it well so far. A rookie at 20, hes now starting to come into his own in his 3rd ML season. Look for big things out of Fujiwara.

sps- Andre Hubbard
Wil Sele
Joel Wheeler
Gerald Stanley
Paul Norton

Starting pitching was overhauled and is now a lot younger if slightly less talented. The Dodgers expect them to be very good and get better as the year wears on.

rps- Gus Garvin
Will Weston
Jerome Ross
Polin Rodriguez
Juan Camacho

The Bullpen is is solid and youthful with FA signee Ross anchoring the pen. This is the stronger end of the staff which is different from years past. The team expects the pitching as a whole to end up with nearly the same stats as seasons 1 and 2. They wont be the top pitching in the league, but they'll be very good.

Overall the Dodgers look to be contenders again is spite of the flurry of trades and signings. We'd really like to proclaim ourselves the team to beat, but theres Hartford & Montgomery in the way and no doubt just as good or better than they have been. Obviously anything less than the playoffs is failure, and from there its a crapshoot.

Hot Stove Report #4

We'll take a peek at how the free agent frenzy is going tomorrow, but one more trade of note was reported today when the Los Angeles Dodgers said goodbye to the old and hello to the new. The Dodgers sent SP Victor Saez to the Huntington Guyandottes in exchange for minor league SP Ernest Ward. Saez could not be reached by phone, but his agent issued a statement regarding the deal in which he said, "Saez would like to thank the Dodgers for the opportunity to play in L.A. these past two seasons, and looks forward to joining another playoff-caliber team in Huntington."

Saez had two 11-7 seasons in Los Angeles for a composite record of 22-14. Though he never reached the 200-innings in a season plateau, he was always effective in the innings he was able to eat up. Over 2 years he posted a 3.52 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. The Dodgers had just inked him to a new 3-year contract worth $15.6 million, but moved him nonetheless to provide themselves some breathing room under their budget.

The stickiest part of this deal is Saez' age. At 34 and under contract for 3 more seasons, he is going to be pitching until he is 36 for the Guyandottes. At $5.2 million a year, Huntington needs to hope he puts some of that money towards a personal trainer to stave off the effects of old age that plague us all. He has always been known for his work ethic though, and, at the time of his 3-year signing with the Dodgers, was quoted as saying, "I have little doubt I can perform at my best for the duration of this contract." Still, as a pitcher who is not an innings-eater to begin with, you wonder how much he'll have left in the tank at 36 years of age.

After winning 92 games last year, the Guyandottes may not be too worried about Season 5 at the moment. Instead, by trying to bolster their current roster to make another playoff run, they hope to win now. Even after moving SS Charles Tanaka earlier this offseason, they still look ready to be a contender again. In that sense, this move is perfect for Huntington.

To replace Saez, the Dodgers bring in a similarly thought-of player in Ward, of the Guyandottes AA affiliate. When asked, one scout said, "The only difference between Saez and Ward is 14 years and $5 million dollars." And he's not joking as much as it may seem: they even feature the same 4 pitches! So it's not at all difficult to see why the Dodgers were pleased to move an aging contract off their books in exchange for an unproven talent when that talent is virtually a mirror image of Saez.

Hot Stove Report #3

Devoid of much minor league talent and feeling like their brief window of opportunity closed during the offseason, the Kingfishers made the tough decision to export one of their rising stars for a top-rated pitching prospect. 1B Charlie Freeman, who joined OKC midseason a year ago as part of a trade that sent SP Ron Moran to the Louisville Sluggers, is moving on to his 3rd team in 3 years, the New York Monarchs.

Freeman had a monstrous year in what was his first full season in the majors. Between Louisville and Oklahoma City he combined to hit .287 with 56 HRs and 133 RBIs. There is probably no one happier that this deal went down than Monarchs' 1B Armando Romo. Romo, who may move to the outfield to make room for Freeman, was the lone offensive standout on the Monarchs' squad of a year ago. Especially once they made the playoffs, he could not carry the team by himself, and they were consequently swept out of their opening series against the Nashville Sounds.

In return the Kingfishers got SP Bernard Griffiths. Big Bernard was the 13th pick in the Amateur Draft a season ago, and his first year as a pro was pretty solid. The Rice University graduate is fully expected do develop into a top-of-the-rotation starter, relying mostly on a tough Sinker but featuring 5 pitches. "We're still going to be competitive on the field without 'Free', and though you obviously can't replace a talent like that, we felt this move was better for our long-term health," said GM Sour Surfer after the news of the trade broke. Freeman reportedly garnered interest from as many as 6 teams.

Hot Stove Report #2

Amidst a plethora of ripples in the trading market, the Huntington Guyandottes and Atlanta Crackers created the biggest splash. The Guyandottes were able to clear $11 million off their books in preparation for the upcoming Free Agency frenzy by dealing SS Charles Tanaka. Tanaka's deal has 3 years and $34 million remaining on it, and the Guyandottes never felt Tanaka played up to his enormous contract while in West Virginia.

The Crackers had a disappointing season a year ago, falling 21 wins off of their Season 1 pace, when they were the National League's 5-seed. Tanaka, hopes Atlanta, will help solidify a lineup that ranked 31st in the majors in run production a year ago. Scouts say Tanaka is a solid hitter with a little pop, but in 2 seasons with Huntington he hit just .292 with only 147 RBIs. Respectable numbers, but not when you're bringing in 8 digits a year.

The Guyandottes focused on bolstering their farm system with this deal, as they acquired RF T.J. Coco and SS Enos Murphy, both of Atlanta's High A team. Scouts like Murphy's power, but do not think he projects to a major league SS. He's more likely to find an eventual home at 3B or even somewhere in the outfield. Regardless of where he plays defensively, he will be a run-producer when his big league career arrives. Coco is not a terrific player in terms of talent, but he brings a lot of intangibles, such as his ability to stay on the field, day in and day out. He's a tough hitter to strike out, which means he could make a nifty 2-hole hitter some day.

The Crackers look like they're going to be serious players this year if their budget and this deal are any indication. The Crackers have $91 million to spend, and even after the Tanaka trade is finalized, they will have about $24 million in hand to take to free agency. It was a gutsy move by GM tjconnatser to import a big contract with subpar numbers, but the money was there and the Atlanta offense lacks star power, so why not pull the trigger?

Hot Stove Report #1

The hot stove is warming up already as a few trades have begun to trickle in. Here at the Double Mendoza Blog, we're going to do our best to keep up with all the action so you can stay informed on where all the big names are heading this offseason. Keep your eyes peeled for more Hot Stove Reports as trades and free agent acquistions are made.









Los Angeles Dodgers acquire:
23-year-old 3B Trent Carr

Minnesota Antichrists acquire:
32-year-old C Kevin Nichols

Snapshot Analysis: While nothing earth-shattering, this is a sound trade for both sides that focuses on defense. Nichols is a consummate pro when it comes to dealing with a pitching staff and as a backup catcher, he is a very solid option. Similarly, Carr brings good defense and a respectable bat off the bench for the Dodgers. Despite the Antichrists desire to go young this season, it's the Dodgers acquiring the youth in this swap.










Oklahoma City Kingfishers acquire:
26-year-old CF Rafael Espinoza

Minnesota Antichrists acquire:
25-year-old SP Vasco Megias
28-year-old RP Glenn Floyd
21-year-old RP Greg Riley

Snapshot Analysis: The Kingfishers appear to be building an offensive squad this season by adding Espinoza to their fold. In exchange for giving up one of their most talented hitters, the Antichrists get a trio of young pitchers. Megias has 2 ML years under his belt as a starter and is a nice option at the back of any rotation. Floyd performed admirably after a late call-up last season as the Kingfishers' closer, and Riley has impressed scouts throughout his minor league career. This is an interesting trade because it brings up the debate of which is better to have: quality or quantity? Espinoza is probably the most talented player in the swap, but the Antichrists now have a lot of pitching depth.










Tucson Pilots acquire:
32-year-old SP Colby Cunningham

Los Angeles Dodgers acquire:
23-year-old SP Roberto Tarraga
23-year-old RP Pablo Eusebio
25-year-old 1B Alejandro Concepcion

Snapshot Analysis: He didn't come cheap, but the ALCS runners-up acquire a pretty big fish in Cunningham, who has been the anchor of the Dodgers' rotation the past 2 seasons. Cunningham will be a great #2 behind SP Oswaldo Mendez. In Tarraga, the Dodgers "replace" Cunningham with another starter, but scouts say his movement pitches leave something to be desired. Eusebio could be a decent option in middle relief down the road, but he won't blow hitters away either. The crown jewel of this deal for the Dodgers is Concepcion, who should be a perennial .300+ hitter for them, and is ready for the majors right now. Plus, he has no prior service time, which is always a plus.

* All trades are pending league approval