Greetings from Indy…
Today would have been the 85th birthday of Roy Campanella, who was born on Nov. 19, 1921 in Philadelphia, PA and died in 1993 in Woodland Hills, CA. As you all learned earlier this year, the Campanella Award will be given out annually to the most inspirational Dodger, as voted on by his teammates, ensuring that his legacy lives on forever in the Dodger organization, though he obviously already cemented his spot in the team’s lore long before this season.
It’s been a few days since our last post, as I have been out of town and am currently posting this from the Indianapolis airport, where I just heard that the Cubs reportedly gave Alfonso Soriano more than $130 million over eight years. While I’m not sure whether fans would have liked us to spend that much money on him (or anyone), from my perspective that’s a heck of a lot of dough for one player. But, it’s all about supply and demand and obviously there has been a huge demand for his services. Only time will tell whether it pays off for Chicago.
My congratulations also go out to BIll Mueller on his retirement and we welcome him to the front office. While we all would have much preferred to be watching him play on the field this year (and he certainly would have wanted that, too), I do believe that he’ll be a big benefit to Ned and his staff throughout the season. And of course, we’re also on the verge of getting Nomar’s deal done, according to Ned, so be on the lookout for more news on that front early this week.
In response to the questions about the Vin Scully web chat, here’s what I can tell you about how the questions are selected. When you guys put them into the system, they’re routed through a central person at MLB.com headquarters in New York for profanity, etc. Then, I see all the questions on my screen and try to choose as many different questions from as many different people as I can. While you’re right, sometimes I will pick the same person more than once, I do try to vary it as much as possible.
The best suggestion I can give you guys is to put your questions in early because I do believe I see them in order of submission. If there’s a bunch of good questions up front, I might never even see the ones at the end, so log on early, get your questions in and then add others throughout the chat.
That’s it for now. Hopefully we’ll have more news tomorrow.
Inside the Dodgers 
Report:: Cubs sign Soriano. 8 Years, 136 Million.
Too long a contract. Glad Dodgers didn’t get him for a contract that long. I still believe we have to be patient and build from within, adding pieces one at a time. Rumors Ned is after Luis Gonzalez. Too far along in his career for two year deal. All the hitting in the world isn’t good enough without pitching. Let’s get that in order. Nomar probably a good option for a couple of years but I think Loney is a keeper of the Mark Grace variety. Go Dodgers!!
Indy? Josh, what brings you so far east?
I say sign Nomar. I really like his spirit, desire and the skills he brings to a team. But, not at the expense of Loney in a trade elsewhere. I also think he will have to be managed like JD and rested fairly frequently without us complaining about it. For that reason alone he is more suited to AL with DH when not in the field. However, he seems to really want to play for the Dodgers and you can’t knock that. With Nomar signed along with a relatively high risk factor, I expect Eric Gagne will not be resigned. That’s a heart breaker.As much as I love Piazza, with Nomar and Loney on board, he simply will not get enough play time behind Martin. He too is now more suited to the AL. I expect Ned is trying to trade Hall and Lugo. I agree with some of the previous posts – bring back Biemel. He messed up big time but that mess up might have been what was necessary to get his life in order. I hope so. Everyone deserves a second chance. Many have had it – Bradley, Steve Howe, Gooden, Strawberry, Giambi, etc. I really like 53’s idea of pursuing Thames. Young with potential and relatively inexpensive in terms of dollars. Detroit traded pitching prospects for Sheffield and I expect will want to acquire some in a trade. I wonder if too much of our pitching prospect capital was spent during the past season to accomodate a trade now. The injury to Morris helped put a strain on our minor league pitching depth. I simply can’t imagine what a GM goes through as he decides who to try to acquire, trade away, trade for, rethink with preferences are signed by other teams,etc. My timidity would make it impossible for me to trade prospects in the light of the failures of so many free agents.
Go Ned!!!
Go Dodgers!!!
Stay away from Gonzo. He’s been done for 2 or 3 years now. We need a young healthy power hitter. I have no idea where to find one or two of these types of players , but that’s what we could use. And another Starter couldn’t hurt either.
“Stay away from Gonzo. He’s been done for 2 or 3 years now. We need a young healthy power hitter. I have no idea where to find one or two of these types of players , but that’s what we could use. And another Starter couldn’t hurt either.”
That’s the problem; there aren’t many of them around. That’s why I asked who will we replace Penny with when everyone wanted to trade him. Same applies to Princess.
Ned went after Alou for that reason and that’s why he’s talking to Gonzo now.
136 million for 8 years, ouch. most of these contracts
end up hurting the team in the long run. But I had already written a lineup with
soriano on it. would have looked nice, but that is too much for much too long. it scares me that to improve for now ned will trade the future.
the money that is flying around the free agent market is sick. like I said before ned has to have a plan, know who he wants, what he wants to pay, and already, in this kind of market, get out.
paying the kind of money to no name relief pitchers, and
136 million to a guy who will be 39 at it’s end, just is not smart.
now if you make a trade the player you gets thinks he needs a new contract, or he will sulk until he gets it.
we would be better off to resign maddux, who wants to stay, hopefully, after this weekend he wants to stay.
Pitching would be nice, but zito and schmidt now will get much more than they are worth.
we as fans may have to wait for our team to grow together, and not expect some big name player that will sulk, not play well, and drive up ticket cost.
we do have alot of talent on the team, in the minors or on the injured list. let’s hope with what we have we can build a winner, without breaking the bank.
really would have liked to see a power bat added to our lineup via free agency so we don’t have to pillage our farm system, but unless ned has a deal in the works for the likes of Dunn or Wells, it does appear we’ll be going with what we’ve got in 2007. likely, ned will end up plugging in some aging vets into the OF to go along with the kids, and hopefully dedicate our cash to shoring up our pitching staff first. don’t know if this means we really push for zito or go after schmidt, but hopefully. might be nice to invest in mulder as well as he could pay off in the long term.
saving our money and not spending big on a bat this year (given the few available players and how much they will cost) makes sense given the 2008 FA class. adam dunn, vernon wells, ichiro, andruw jones, michael young, and torii hunter. not all will be available, but you’ve got to think a small handful will be. much better than this year.
i just hope we get Andrew Jones next year, from everything i’ve read on Ned expect us dealing a blue chip prospect for a hitter what a shame.
I have to respectfully disagree with you fliegel. Are you aware that Luis Gonzalez was second in the MLB in doubles last season with 52? This was only one behind the two leaders who were tied with 53. And talk about a work horse, he played in 153 games last season.
When you compare Gonzo’s stats from last year to J.D. Drew’s, the number are pretty impressive. Gonzo played in 153 games (seven more than Drew), scored nine more runs, had 19 more hits, eighteen more doubles, four less triples (an age thing), five less home runs, and 27 fewer RBI’s. Drew had an OBP of .393 to Gonzo’s .352 (which ain’t bad). Now here are the impressive numbers – Drew made five errors in 292 chances (a .983 FPCT) and Luis Gonzalez made one error in 260 chances (a .996 FPCT).
Over the last few seasons, I have seen Gonzo rob more Dodger hitters of home runs than I care to think about. He knows the left field line at Dodger Stadium better than most Dodgers do. Not only that, he is always good for at least 15 home runs.
If the Dodgers do sign Gonzo, I think that he would be a big asset to the team – especially for the kids (much like Maddux was for our younger pitchers). However, I do not think that the Dodgers should offer him anything more than a one year, incentive based deal.
Just my $.02.
GO DODGERS!
Speculation….speculstion ….spaulitiong….blah blah blah. Eight year contract, jiminy christmas. The off-season is still so young. Oh the joys of winter time. I hope we sign Zito and trade betimit for A-rod and get Andruw Jones on waivers. That would be tight.
Ok, so 2 years for Nomar.
2 years for Nomar. 5 trips to the DL. I would have been happy with 1 year, but they truly need some power in the lineup. I hope they can get it.
I go along with trying to get Thames. I watched him here in Toledo for a couple of years and he’s very good, but DO NOT TRADE LONEY!!! The Tigers want pitching, so Beimel makes sense. Welcome back Nomar, we need you and are glad you want to be here.
I’m not saying Gonzo couldn’t contribute, only that his best years are behind him and we need a power RBI guy and right now Gonzo’s not him.
I’m glad Garciaparra has been resigned. Sure he’s brittle, but he wants to be a Dodger, and gamers like him are not all that available these days.
That said, I wouldn’t start dealing the kids to get a bat, or a pitcher. I agree with the others that want to build from within.I tend to think we may have what we need already.
These are the DODGERS! They are one of the biggest market teams. Why don’t they spend the money ? The Yankees , Mets ,Red Sox spend the money to win. It’s true It doesn’t always work out, that the more you spend the more you win, but you usually have a better chance to win. As a fan , I don’t care how much they spend, I just want to see them win. Who has a better lineup right now , the Cubs or the Dodgers?
I do NOT want Andrew Jones. Kemp is the future- AJ will be ridiculously expensive, and he Ks too much, and hits for too low of an avg. He had one amazing year though. Don’t like the kocky attitude either.
I hope we don’t trade Loney as a result of the Nomar contract. While I’m OK with Nomar staying with the team, precedent shows that he could be out with disability for months at a time. I think Loney deserves the chance to take over for Nomar gradually and then permanently after the next two years.
Ok drj884 –
While I agree with you that AJ K’s way too much, think about what you’re saying there. You want to keep a space open in the OF for a guy who was on pace to strikeout 204 times if he had the chance to play a whole season. In AJ’s WORST season, he K’d 147 times. Sure, Kemp’s just a kid, but he’s a very free-swinger, tremendously over-aggressive. I think that too many people are WAY too high on Matt Kemp. I like the guy and I really liked what he did when he first came up, but I really don’t think that he’s the “future”. I hope I get proved wrong, but I think he’s gonna be another Mondesi. Come out with a bang, go down with a fizzle and a pop.
Loney is trade bait.
fansince53 – Luis Gonzalez is nowhere close to replacing Drew. Kenny Lofton yes, but not Drew.
And can Ken Gurnick stop editorializing in his Dodgers coverage?
2 years, $18 million is a great contract for Nomar. Credit is due to all parties involved.
As for whether the Dodgers’ lineup is good enough to just add someone like Lofton, I’d be quite doubtful. Lofton was good for a .360 OBP and a bit of speed, but his defense hurt. Roberts would be nice, but not nearly as useful to LA given that he’d be in centerfield and that the Dodgers already have a leadoff man (Atlanta on the other hand could use him).
All it takes is a smart trade to bring in a quality player.
Then beef up the pitching staff, and all is good.
Once again, Ken Gurnick boggles my mind in how weak our mailbag is. COME ON!!! Give us some information. If you didn’t already know that Jayson Werth was planning on being ready for Spring Training, read the freaking site! We get updates on him about every 3-4 weeks! If you weren’t aware that we get compensation picks for Drew only if we offer him arbitration, then you should have read last week’s mailbag. Cuz he answered that one last week too. This is starting to get really old!! E-mail me questions and I could give you a better answer than that. And I don’t even have the inside track. I’m tired of this guy.
Hey patriotacts425 – In no way was I suggesting that Luis Gonzalez would ever be a replacement for Drew. I was simply pointing out that, in spite of his age, Gonzo is still capable of putting up some pretty impressive numbers. He would also be a great veteran to have around our kids. I wouldn’t mind signing him for a year – if the price were right.
Here’s a thought: How about we sign Gonzo for a year and then put him in the booth with Vinny and Rick (and dump Steiner). He did a GREAT job in the booth during the NLDS and NLCS.
GO DODGERS!
PS: Ken Gurnick can take his ego and his opinionated know-it-all attitude and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine. He’s sounding more and more like Bill Plaschke every day. I am sick of his insulting, down-talking, cheap shots at Dodger fans. A few guys ask about the uniforms and he goes off on everybody. He needs to go do the Mail Bag for the Yankees or Red Sox fans – They’d kill him! The Dodger front office needs to dump him and Charlie Steiner.
53 I’m liking your judgement more every day !! Your’s to Harold !!! Gonzalez would come at a fair price and bring 20 + HRs. He’s a bigger bat then Lofton and a much better fielder !! I think he’ll take a 1-2 year package with incentives and if he does turn it around there’s a huge up side, just like Nomar !!! and I like the idea of Werth filling in the gap just in case. I say spend the money on Gagne and Saito first and then go after a starting pitcher !! I don’t want Ned to trade Loney, but I have to agree that Kemp is nowhere close to helping us for at least a year or two. By then his trade appeal might be gone. If it works out that we can get a good starting pitcher with Kemp in the mix I say do it !!
Sign Maddux, he wants the ball and we need him !!
Go Ned !!
Go Dodgers !!
YES DUMP STEINER !!!
Gary, I think you give Gonzalez a bit too much credit. He’s been declining, and I think he’s due for a Kent-like season of offensive production (though if he could wing the .385 OBP, that would be pretty slick). As for his defense, he’s a corner guy.
I think a better move would be getting someone that could be useful a year or two from now. I think I’m joining the Crawford bandwagon too; maybe Tampa Bay’s left-handed hitters are good.
patriatacts – were gonna have to trade a type A prospect for him (a pitcher i think) you’re still down with the move?
Names on the back of jerseys is weak. With a capital W.
Right now we don’t have any outfield position filled. Crawford would be a nice VALUE acquisition. They found the hole in Either and we need to hope that he can adjust and close that spot. Kemp is far from ready and is a good trading chip as is Loney at this point, since we have Nomar now.
Our oufielders may be Crawford, Lofton, Gonzo, Either, Repko and Werth???
From Dodgerdugout.com
“The Dodgers are close to signing free-agent center fielder Juan Pierre, according to FOXSports.com”
please, no Juan Pierre.
Jason Repko is better than Juan Pierre, especially for the money Pierre would cost.
DON’T DO IT NED!!!!!!!
I agree that Juan Pierre is overpriced, but 2 of the last 3 seasons he has led the NL in hits and stayed healthy. At least he offers something I guess.
interpol – If we traded Kuo for him, we’d be getting the younger player. The yonger player with more experience and less history of elbow problems.
Kuo has a lot of potential to be great, but he also has a lot of potential to be Kerry Wood.
Signing another starter would need to be a priority first, though. I’d go ahead and offer some monster 6 year deal to Zito; the idea that he’ll spend spring training discussing curveballs with Sandy Koufax is really appealing.
dualtone,
The reason I think (hope) you’re wrong is that Kemp basically came from A ball and was probably rushed. He didn’t have the huge K problems in AA, or even AAA after he was sent back down. We will have to see- but he is awfully young and promising at this point. Fact is probably no one will know till he gets a full year in AAA and then a year in the bigs. At which point he will be 23- still a young rookie.
Love the Nomar deal (in this crazy free agent mkt).
I might be of the minority, but I like the possible Pierre deal. A bit of a free swinger and a lowish OBP .330, but hey, liftime .303 BA and averages 53 stolen bases a year. Pierre and Furcal at the top would rattle even the steadiest of pitchers.
drj884, I love the Nomar deal as well. To, I believe euhlman’s earlier point. Nomar wants to be a Dodger.
Not to mention hasn’t missed a game in 4 years.
Juan Pierre is a better choice than Kenny Lofton. But not for 5 years, 45 mill, which is what was believed he was looking for. He CAN become a powerful weapon with Furcal at the top of the line-up though. Also, would that move Kemp to right?
I like Vernon Wells at center in LA.
no, that would move Kemp either to AAA or to another team. A five-year deal puts Kemp at least a year away from being in LA. With Nomar back, Loney is probably in LF, Ethier in RF, Pierre in CF. If Kent decides not to exercise his ’08 option, I’d imagine Loney takes over @ 1B, Pierre in CF, Ethier in LF, and Kemp in RF.
If this deal goes through, I have just one favor to ask of Ned Colletti – trade Jason Repko. Stop making him be a bench player, he’s too talented for that. Sure, he’s no power guy, but he can hit for AVG (when given regular playing time), he can run, and he can field better than just about anyone out there. Maybe we could get some good bullpen help or a prospect starting pitcher or something. Maybe we could send him, Penny, LaRoche, Betemit, and a partridge ina pear tree to NY for A-Rod. Joking, of course.
I think it’s important to try and figure out how Pierre fits into our batting order. Does he go 1 w/ Furcal 2 or vice-versa? I don’t think he’s a good fit at #2. I think that the role of a #2 hitter is solely to make sure that the runner advances. Be that by walking, bunting, hitting, whatever. Pierre, however, is very obviously opposed to walking (he took 32 on 700+ plate appearances) and I’m not so sure about him trying to sac. bunt. It does make for a very interesting double steal possibility, however. With JP batting #1, we move Furcal into the #2 hole. With his 15 HR last season and his career AVG w/ RISP that might work out really well for him, but I’m not sure how he’d feel about it. He’s always been a leadoff hitter, and an amazing one at that. I’ve said all along that if we were gonna get OF help, it needed to be power help and I’m sticking to that. I’m not sure that JP is the right fit for the Dodgers.
That’s my two hundredths of one dollar, take it for what you will.
Has anyone heard anything from Ray today? Figured he’d be thrilled at the Return of the Poncho.
Dear Ned,
If you’re out there listening, please, please, pretty please, do not be ****** into the Juan Pierre hype and sign him to an exorbitant deal. He’s really overrated, unless you like players who can run and do little else (he barely walks, his overall numbers stink, and he’s not even much of an improvement in centerfielding over Lofton). I’d rather have Repko and Kemp and Harpo Marx out there than Pierre. Please… please… don’t give in to temptation.
Sincerely,
Worried in CA
I’m with underdog! Harpo in LF for ’07! 3 yrs/269.74 million euros (I don’t know the exchange rate, but I know it’s a lot) 🙂
Why aren’t we looking at Vernon? I agree about Repko. He needs to play full time or be traded.
dualtone – a euro is worth more than a dollar
I wouldn’t pay Pierre for one year and a million pesos. Unfortunately, it sounds like Ned C isn’t listening to me. *Sigh* What a waste of money.
I know that a euro is worth more than a dollar, I just don’t know how much more. I think it’s like 1.4 times the value of the dollar, but I could be totally wrong.
I hope Gurnick is just kidding.
I don’t know if Pierre would be such a bad thing. He has a great work ethic, good attitude, and plays the game well. It would be exciting to see where they put him and Furcal in the lineup
No matter what side of the fence you fall on in regards to Pierre, it sounds like it might be close to a done deal.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2669903
Five year, $44-45 mil.
Why is everybody anti-Pierre? He’s very Lofton-esque, but more durable, faster, and a better fielder. Should I remind everybody that we had a pretty darn good season with Lofton?
I would like to see him in the #1 hole and Furcal in #2. Tell Raffy, “hey buddy, I know you think it’s glamorous to hit #1, but you’re going to rack up those RBIs!”
I’d be happy with an outfield of Ethier/Pierre/Repko with Loney or Kemp coming off the bench. Kemp still needs a few months in AAA but would be a great callup when somebody gets injured (and you KNOW it’s going to happen sooner or later).
I don’t know why everybody’s so high on Kemp on CF. I like his bat if he can get his K’s down and workout the holes in his swing, but he isn’t that fast and from what I saw this season, NOT CF material. He had more late jumps in his couple weeks of playing time than Lofton did all year. He’s better suited for RF I believe.
The LA Times Blog has reported it as official. BTW, what is happening with Marlon Anderson?
“Why is everybody anti-Pierre?”
you don’t know the REASONS!!??
There’s still a big bat to come. Not sure from where. But with Furcal and Pierre we know guys will be on base. Pierre had most hits last year and was hardest to strike out. Has played 162 games four years in a row so even with 50+ steals is not fragile. Reputed to have a good work ethic and clubhouse presence. One big flaw is he can’t put his hat on straight but you gotta like 200 hits even with his hat sideways. No errors in 2006 in 379 chances. Seems like he might be useful to have around at age 29. I really prefer that we sign younger experienced players if possible. Also with contracts below $10M we can add more quality players, perhaps four, instead of maybe two $15M guys. I think Barry Zito is over rated. He is not a lights out guy and is asking lights out compensation. Six years at$70-90M is just plain scary. Will he be another Mulder, Hudson, Kevin Brown? Prefer Schmidt, who is older, for shorter period of time of 2-3 years at less money as Billingsley, Elbert, Kuo, Meloan, Kershaw mature. Schmidt had ERA above 3.59 only one in the last six years. I know the Mets, Sox and Yanks spend big but big payrolls seldomly pay off. I still think we have to build from inside and add from outside. Time is our friend and is only our foe if we get impatient. I also agree Jason Repko should get a chance to play somewhere to make it as a fulltime player.
ESPN states that Pierre has been signed by the Dodgers. 5 years for $44-45M.
i really hope i’m wrong about this, i’ll put it this way i hope he starts walking & all of a suden his arm is as good as Kemp’s i really really do.
Interpol – he is not a big walker – 30/45 or so, HBP 8/10, K’s 30/40. Also his arm will not be like Kemp’s -5/7 assists. I don’t think Kemp is suited to CF and also think he and James Loney are possible trades now. Hope not.
The Dodgers are a Joke. Pierre? for five years??? The guy is garbage. His arm is WEAK, he cant do anything but slap singles, and he got cought stealing 25% of the time last year. This team needs TWO HR hitters and at the very least one Ace pitcher, and this is the BUM we get? HELLO THIRD PLACE 07!!! what a disgrace
JD looks better now, huh? Relax pearljam. The show’s not over yet. Ned’s got a plan, I betcha. Includes pitching upgrades – SP, RP – and a bat or two. Two table setters at the top of the order not bad. Raffy batting second adds RBI’s. Healthy Nomar and Kent a good start. I’m thinking the best is yet to come although I worry about Ray’s kids. Wonder if Hall and Lugo are marketable?
Someone asked a good question, “Where is Marlon Anderson?”
The Red Sox need a shortstop. Maybe a spot for Lugo. Maybe trade him for Willy Mo Pena as JD will sign with the Sox.
hey euhlman, I have 50 cubbie fans who did nothing but tear Pierre a new one all year. I know just how BAD this guy really is. I dont see Ned getting us a big bat, unless he trades for Pat Burrell, who is an even bigger joke than Nancy Drew. And I dont see the ace either…Zito is practically a Met, and Schmidt is in love with Seattle…I hope Ned has a miracle, but this offseason was supposed to go so very different. now Im scared to death that 07 is going to be another 05-06
Yes I see the Mets are hot after Zito. I’m not sure how Pierre is so bad although I do agree that he , like many, are priced too highly but that’s the way the game is now. He had over 200 hits, played every game, had no errors, 58 SB’s. I don’t see how that is so bad, unless he was poor situationally. Also heard the Dodgers had some interest in Aubrey Huff.
Marlon Anderson is on the Dodgers 40 man roster.
WOW, I didn’t know Pierre before but I guess I’ll get to know him now !! I Like the youth and durability and add to that a good attitude. The noted weak arm is a concern as well as the strike outs, but the strike outs can be coached. If he can’t appreciate walking then he shouldn’t be in the #1 hole !!! If he can adjust then Furcal can start hitting for more power in the #2 hole, and that sounds good to me !! I don’t see Ned trading Loney, he’s one of the few potential power hitters we have in the system and he’s proven he can play with the big team. I see Loney at 1B, Nomar at 3B and a yet to be announced power bat in RF. With that said I think Ned will keep Repko as insurance just in case Either doesn’t rebound from his season ending slump etc… What really sounds good is that Werth is coming around and we already own him !!!
Bottom line, if the Dodgers simply stayed healthy last year and those players had average stats we would have easily taken first place in the West and done much better in the playoffs. Meaning, stay the course Ned, just a few more pieces and then trust in them !!! If by the trading deadline in July we still need a bat or two they should come at a better price then this free agent market. !!
Go Ned !!
Go Dodgers !!
P.S. WHERE’S RAY ??? and ASQ how are you doing these days ??
euhlman, Lugo is a free agent.
Lugo is a free agent so is not available for trade. Marlon Anderson is still on the active 25 man roster. I would rather see us go the free agent route (ie: Pierre (although nor for more than 2 or 3 years)) than to give up on any of Ray’s kids. Most of them are probably about 1 year short of being fully ready and should be in the minors for at least half of the season. We need to be somewhat patient and plug any holes later at the trading deadline if necessary. Have a good Thanksgiving everyone.
Forgot that. Thanks.
Wilson Betemit had 18 homers last year. Expect with a more settled season in a healthy lineup he has an upside of 20-25 homers. Hi Gary. Pierre doesn’t strike out much. 38 K’s in 699 AB’s.
Bedtime for bears in Nova Scotia. Thanks for the chat tonight. Anxious to see what the next few days bring.
Pear,
No offense, but you have 50 cub fans against a .300 hitter that works his rear off—please look up his stats. I mean no disrespect, they make mistakes and they made one letting Juan get away. This in in my humble opinion.
Pearl, Sorry I’m reading a bit slow, but did you say the Dodgers were a “joke”? When you disagree, it should not cause you need to get personal. Pierre is not my first choice, but his numbers are very respectable and his salary is inline with what players are getting. He should make you and “respectful” Dodger fans happy.
Gary, actually he doesn’t strike out much at all, which is why his batting average is so high. Unfortunately, he doesn’t walk much either, so he needs an incredible season to get on a lot.
NO Joke Peral, did the Cub’s play in October ?? Well the Dodgers did, even if only a brief period. Pierre should look a whole lot better in a Dodger uniform with a team behind him and not looking up from last place on a team falling apart. A true Dodger fan will support this, even if it’s not the best that’s out there !!
Go Ned !!
Go Dodgers !!
I like the deal, 5 years is a bit much, but others were offering 4 years, so 5 years gets the deal done quickly. Pierre is only 29, so I like 5 years more than giving up 8 years and 136 million to a 31 year old .Would have loved soriano’s power/speed, the first few years the cubs should love him, but those long term deals almost always hurt the team in the long run.
Like I said earlier, ned has to have a plan, know who he wants, what they want, and either get someone signed fast or get out before you end up way overpaying someone.
one report says ned wants schmidt, so maybe that will work out soon,
best part of this is we haven’t traded a Laroche, or Loney, or kemp. ned keep protecting the future, please
also agree with repko, play him or trade him, Werth is a huge question mark, and with our other injured guys like
brazoban, it makes ned’s job harder, but to me so far so good. resign Maddux and sign schmidt quickly, then look at those Penny trade offers,Penny and one or two 2nd tier (blocked by someone better) prospects for a power hitter.
I Like it Nomar and JP! Although that hat problem might get you shot in LA JP.Wear the uniform with respect and Play the game like you have and Welcome to LA!
ok OF Eithier JP and Repko/Werth/Loney/Anderson. we Have OF agreed? IF Betemit Furcal Kent Nomar/Loney/Martinez/Saenz with 3b the only place to play around with and betemit being at least a good 3b player maybe 1 Great utility IF person and room for someone to shine in the spring IF is pretty set agreed? SP Lowe Penny Kuo Bills? Get Maddux back? Room to sign 1 or 2 and I agree and futher voice that Zito is not worth what he wants! RP…..Lotsa room For REAL Improvement and that has been by far the worst area of your work Mr Colletti! Gange to return to LA would have to be a fairytale of epic proportion I’d rather put Money on Saito Who did a Great job once he finally had a role to fill.Gagne did not do well as a starter and never did well as a reliver only as a closer and his physical ability to do that job is gone.I love what he did and respect him very much and will forever cherish the memories of that incredible Streak but those days are past and that weak scoring strong SP Dodger days are gone. This team will live and die on scoring runs and thats why I think our biggest concern is obtaining a Great 3B Coach because Rich Donnally is the weakest link in the Dodger run scoring platform!
We need to Shore up the BP in a smart way this year,Pay Saito what he wants make him Happy and let him continue his good work.Gange has Boras on his side he’ll be making money doing charity for big Bux anywhere.
Then comes the catching duties…Trade Martin He is a ball hog he makes all other catchers behind him wanna puke…..ROFLMAO Give him atleast half a mil just to show up to spring training Russ Martin Is the Glue of the Dodgers for possibly a decade we need to keep him happy and productive and give his ole man a condo on the westside to boot because he is as much a fan of his son as any homegrown fan could ever want to be! I look forward to the shots of him ^5ing the people in the stands when his kid does something as when any Dodger does anything!He is one very cool dad and has a Very Great kid to boast about as long as Boras never gets into the Mix!
Take good care of him! Here lies another problem in that we need someone solid to back Martin up and he does not like to give to ball up! He is a player and Riding the pine chaps his ***.Not to mention that grady will not play a backup catcher to pinch hit.That makes Piazza a no fit and any good catcher a no fit because any good backup catcher wants to play more then 20-30 games a year.We need 3 catchers with one of them being able to play any IF position as well as hit off the bench and I don’t think that player excists except for martin who was 3b. So There seems to be our biggest dillema if you all follow my reasoning. We Need a good Backup Catcher who doesn’t want to play often but can hit and catch well for 20-40 games a year over 6 months.That Position if filled properly would be a huge aquisition in my books because without martin filling our lineup we TOTALLY ****** in ’06 Sandy Alomar Hit well in the games he caught but we only won 1 game I think…Martin is fulheartedly The Catch i mant to keep here in LA and he needs to be protected with someone who is good and wants to be here as well.
NJ Ned! GL and bring us a Pennant in 07! Go Dodgers 07 and bring us the WORLD!
Now that I’ve calmed down and made my peace with this signing, 5 points.
1) Pierre will keep hitting and will get 200 hits a year because he doesn’t strike out. I don’t know if he or Furcal will be the leadoff man. But at this rate Maury Wills will find himself on the full-time coaching staff.
2) If the Dodgers can bring up Mark Alexander and Greg Miller in the bullpen, they will look a lot like the Detroit Tigers, except with better OBP. They will have little power, except for the younger players at the bottom of the lineup, and they have a couple of good young starters.
3) Our illustrious has made his bold announcement, and so here’s to hoping that he will continue by signing Barry Zito. Zito is not only durable, but he has a nasty curveball which Koufax would discuss with him this spring. Schmidt would be fine as well, but one of the two must arrive.
4) Colletti has declared his confidence that Ethier, Betemit, and Martin can be more productive, and possibly Kent too. Since I doubt a surplus of pitching will happen (unless Zito and Maddux both work out), I think you can pop Loney in right field and here’s your starting lineup:
Pierre
Furcal
Nomar
Kent
Ethier
Martin
Betemit
Loney
I’ll accept that the lineup is set, and the organization just needs to boost pitching like crazy.
5) There is currently about $90 million committed to payroll (including Perez on the Royals and Mueller in the front office), and I don’t think it’s unreasonable to think that $30 million more can’t be spent, especially since the Dodgers just set an attendance record. That measns that a top starter isn’t the only priority. There’s room for incentives for Gagne and a nice raise for Takashi Saito, so I’m encouraged by the prospects of this offseason.
Three requests:
Zito, Gagne, Saito.
Go get ’em, Ned.
I have supported Cotetti in the past, but this Piere signing is an unmitigated disaster. Clearly a panic move. Are you joking?!
$45M/ 5 years for a low on base, NO power, pie throwing center fielder??
What the heck is that?
This is disgusting.
Juan Piere?? Why not resign Lofton- pretty close to the same player. How about Dave Roberts? I hate this move so much. This guy walked 32 tines in 750 plat appearances last year.
Are we paying 9M/year for a #8 hitter? Looks like it. WOW. This is HORRIBLE.
#8 hitters dont have a 300 + lifetime B.A.
JP is solid.
There are reasons for liking or disliking the Pierre signing. I can see both arguements very clearly. Again, I say I like the move. Where the scales tipped for me were because of two things. One, he bats at or about .300 vs right or left handed pitching, home or away. This touches on a consistancy issue the Dodgers have failed to have from key players in the lineup. Second, and this is admittedly solely based on my heart, he wants to be a Dodger. Quotes coming out are saying he respects Grady and admires the organization. Every year we hear the Yankees signing someone and the players comments are always how they are living out a dream to wear the pin stripes. I guess it’s kind of nice hearing some guys talking about wanting to be Dodgers. In the end, I guess that’s what I didn’t like about Drew, numbers even if seemingly underachieving, weren’t horrible. It’s just that he never seemed proud to be a Dodger. As far as the money is concerned, sorry to say for the times, but proven guys with Pierre like numbers (even with the lifetime .350 OBP) are pulling in 8-10 mil a year.
Has it occured to anyone besides me that this signing might be to set up a trade? Colletti always seems to be the guy to get his ducks in a row before he does anything. Besides, the power thing is a moot point. Betemit at 3B full-time equals 30-35 HR, healthy Kent is 25-30, healthy Nomar is 20-30, Furcal @ #2 is 15-20, Ethier’s good for 15-25, same from Martin and Loney. I like patriotacts’ lineup, but I change a couple things:
CF – Pierre
SS – Furcal
1B – Nomar
2B – Kent
3B – Betemit
LF – Loney
RF – Ethier
C – Martin
Having those hitters at the bottom of the order makes it much easier for us to get around to the top, which was one of our strengths last year. I heard a stat that the Dodgers had the least 3rd outs from the #9 hole of anyone in the NL last year. That’s why Furcal had so many RBI from the leadoff spot. As for the recurring question – “What about Marlon Anderson?” Yes, he’s still with the club. No, he doesn’t have a full-time position. He’s going to do in ’07 what he was originally brought to LA to do. He’ll spot-start in the OF and at 2B and provide us with a good lefty pinch-hitter (a role that I never really thought Ricky Ledee filled all that well). The more I think about the JP signing, the more I like it. Everyone keeps saying that we need another WS win, and I agree. But think about what won us the ’88 WS. We didn’t have huge home run guys, with the exception of the storybook Gibson dinger. We won that World Series and every previous one that we’ve won by playing small ball and having solid pitching. We don’t play with a heavy bat, we play with strong legs. Shore up the rotation, get some relief help, and advance runners. That’s what Dodgers do.
Ray? Where’s Ray?
As much as I would want a lefty starter, I would rather have Schmidt over Zito. Has anyone else heard the rumors about Ted Lily?
There are so many reasons to like or dislike this signing. I really think a strong throwing arm in center field is a must have. It’s too bad that Matt Kemp is going to find himself in a trade for pitching… the writing is on the wall. I’m just afraid that we’ll be seeing Matt Kemp tearing up the league in two or three years, and us saying, “…yeah, he was one of ours. Tough luck, huh?”
I really don’t like the fact we’re spending so much money on this guy. I’m also one of those believers in Jason Repko… not to mention that Jayson Werth is supposed to be healthy again. And yes… what about Marlon Anderson? There are way too many questions left unanswered and I’m not so sure this isn’t a hurried move by Colletti.
As for me… I’ll wait and see about this one. I’m still waiting for questions to be answered.
I’m so torn! As for the strong-arm in CF thing – that just doesn’t seem to be the trend alot of the time anymore. Look at Lofton, Damon, Coco Crisp, JP, etc. These guys were all big news in the market last year, but I can throw a ball harder than them. Of course, there are guys like Wells, Hunter, Jones, and so on that have cannons. But those guys are not the norm anymore, they are the oddity.
never been a big fan of JP. hard to stomach watching the cubs pile on the bats (lee,ramirez/soriano). can’t say that i’m surprised given their recent failure by focusing on pitching.
but he’s on board, and now we’ll have to make due. it’s going to be about PITCHING and DEFENSE this year. we are a solid team with the glove, with decent speed at every position except 2b. as for power, it is not necessary, but helpful. we have the potential to sport 20 dingers at every spot in the lineup except JP and the pitcher. along with the 2 most difficult players to K in baseball at the top of the order. that will get the job done.
now ned, add the Pitching to go with the Defense. use ’07 to eval the remainder of our kids (the bats)… and then go after the big guns in ’08 if need be. don’t sell the kids yet!
I like Peirre. Good move. The market is thin and Colletti grabbed one of the few prizes. Who can seriously rip this guy? Check the article on ESPN. He is in the top 4 for games played, triples, hits and steals, of any active player over the past 4 years. Get a grip on yourselves. Peirre is a prize.
Secondly, everybody in this here blog thingy wants to see the kids from Vegas come to the show and shine. Not gonna happen. Two in five will be starters in their lifetime. Trading for proven players is the way to win championships. You can’t bank on the rooks getting it done for you. We are all going to need to come to grips with one of our “trophy” prospects playing in another uni.
And I know the next blog is gonna read, don’t trade the kids….the (name any year you like) Dodgers did it with home grown players…. and so on. That’s not my point. We have plenty of Vegas boys playing in LA as we speak. Some are gonna have to go.
As I usually do, I am again going to agree with my friend euhlman here. I believe that Juan Pierre will prove be a very good addition to the team.
While it has been well documented that he does not have a strong throwing arm, everything else about him sure looks very promising to me. How can you not like his 1.000% FPCT? ZERO errors in 384 total chances is HUGE. He also had 5 assists. (Not bad for a guy who supposedly does not have an arm).
It absolutely blows me away that this kid did not receive a Gold Glove. Compare his numbers to the three 2006 Gold Glove winning NL outfielders:
1) Carlos Beltran: 2 errors in 372 total chances (.995 FPCT) with 13 assists (that’s big).
2) Andruw Jones: 2 errors in .384 total chances (.995 FPCT) with 4 assists. (Pierre had ALL of these numbers beat).
3) Mike Cameron: 6 errors in 378 Total Chances (.984 FPCT – Yuck!) with 6 assists. (He shouldn’t even have been considered with these numbers. Except for one assist, Pierre easily had these numbers beat. This definitely should have been Pierre’s Gold Glove).
But what I find most impressive about Juan Pierre is his durability. I could be wrong, but I believe that he is the ONLY player to have been in EVERY game in the past four years. That speaks volumes about this kid.
I can tell you this much, when the Dodger played the Cubs last season, I always got a little uncomfortable in my seat whenever Pierre was on base. I believe that we will all be very pleasantly surprised with this kid when all is said and done.
I also agree with euhlman that Ned is far from finished. I look for a major trade to come down within the next few weeks; one that will most likely involve a number of our prospects.
GO DODGERS!
PS: Only 135 days until Opening Day!
JP is here and I’ll support it !! I say keep Repko in RF and see what Werth looks like in the spring. Let Nomar play 3B and Loney at 1B. Kemp has to be trade bait now or AAA for another 2 years. I like Schmidt over Zito given his NL experience and a shorter contract that leaves room for the kids to develop. Please, Please Please sign Maddux, he’s worth every penny !!! So is Saito !! I also believe that Gagne has a lot to prove to himself and he truly wants to be a Dodger so sign him to the incentive ladden contract and let him do it !!
Go Ned !!
Go Dodgers !!
Kemp is not going to command much in the way of a trade.
His performance in the last game of the season showed it best… 0-4 (3K, groundout).
Benny the jet, i like Andrew Jones in Center but baggers can’t be choosers
Bluebleeder
Judging Kemp after he was rushed to the bigs at 21 (with maybe 50 games above the A level) is just silly. He is going to be awesome. In….. like 2008. Obviously, some Dodger fans have forgotten what happens when you bring up young players. This just in- it takes a little while!!! Look at some of the great hitters today- many struggled till they were 22, 23 and had a few years in the majors. Look up A-Rods first year- that is ugly! Very similar to MK, actually.
Look at Ryan Howard’s #s at 21-you cant- he was 3 years away from his first AB. Look at Soriano at 21, same thing- he was 2 yeas away from his first AB, then did little for 2 “rookie” years. We don’t know for sure what we will get from MK, but we do know for sure this brief look, or his last AB, are meaningless. A quick scan of the top hitters in the game will reveal many many examples oh why there’s no reason to panic after Kemp, Ethier, Loneys first looks. In fact- they look great by comparison to many.
Who’s panicing? Kemp blew a fat load in all of his second half appearances. His last AB was simply a summation of his second half performance.
As I’ve said before, I want to see our Vegas boys perform as much as the next guy. There comes a time when you can’t wait any longer and need to trade them. No mar waiting. Keeping Kemp around as a AAA all-star is ******* pointless. When there’s no room upstairs, he needs to go elsewhere. If we get bit by trading a prospect, well…. stuff happens. Kemp is a good player (Ethier is better). He MAY become a great player. As could anybody else for that matter. Shoot, Drew may hit 30 HRs next year in Boston. Who ******* knows anything. That’s what’s great about baseball.
I do know, however, Kemp is no Ryan Howard.
nikirby4,
How on earth do you know that? Lets do a little research. Below is Howard at age 21 and Kemp at age 21. A simple comparison:
RH: 169AB, 6HR, 55K, .272AVG
MK: 154AB, 7HR 53K, .253AVG
Howard has a little better AVG, but id say those are pretty darn close…. Except for one thing- Howard was playing for class A Batavia and those are Kemps LA Dodgers stats only. If you look at his entire year (including AA, and AAA) there is no comparison at all. Kemp blows Howard away. By no means a guarantee- but also no where near time to trade him. Not even close.
A bird in the hand is worth………………………………….
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