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It is time, we don't got this, for the first time in Ned's tenure his team is hopelessly out before the all-star game. Not only is the the team double digits behind in both the Division and Wild Card races but the lineup we are using is now comic relief for Dodger fans who are in no mood for laughter.
I don't think Ned is built for this tricky endeavor, I have doubts he can extricate even one useful part for the future. Will his heart even be in this, it is tough enough to keep your job when new ownership comes in, it is even tougher when you try to sell new ownersship on your resume with a lottery team on your shoulders. The 2008/2009 NLCS teams are long gone, and by my most accounts they lied squarely on Manny's shoulders. Ned has to do the right thing and plan for the Dodgers future even if his future may not be part of it. He might get lucky, somehow Frank might survive but the odds are against it. Even if Frank does survive does he really want Ned to be his GM in 2012? Frank could have used a winning team in 2011 to help sell tickets, instead he got this. An injury riddled team that can't even stay in the hunt when it's star player is putting up a MVP season. It is simply scary how bad this team is, if Matt Kemp is not in the picture.
If we go into selling mode, by the deadline the players you might expect to get dealt would be Hiroki Kuroda, Furcal, Carroll, Miles, Blake, Gwynn, Thames, Hawksworth. Possibly Kuo if he starts to show anything. If you want to upgrade the package coming back, some prospects might be headed out.
Of those players we might be selling, our only real chance to net something worthwhile is Kuroda. He might bring back a top 50 prospect - someone from 20 - 50. Combining Furcal and Kuroda in the same deal should make that a real possibility. We like to think that Furcal is valuable but is he? A healthy Casey Blake would probably have been in demand as several teams could have used upgrades at 3rd base. Hawksworth is the only relief pitcher that would seem to be worthwhile that we want to trade. I don't want to move Jansen, doubt if anyone is interested in our kid relief pitchers for their stretch run.
What are our needs? With Garland down, does the team try to get a major league ready arm that the contenders are nervous about using in the stretch run? You have to think the team is ready to go with Dee Gordon at SS, Kemp in CF, and Andre in RF. That leaves holes at LF, 1st base, 2nd base, catcher, and 3rd base as we look toward 2012. Jerry Sands might fill 1st or LF, Trayvon might fill LF but that would be a reach to have both of them in the lineup in 2012. DeJesus is a utility man not a starting 2nd baseman. We have no 3rd baseman ready for 2012. So basically Uribe is either our 2nd baseman or 3rd baseman. We have no catcher ready, though I think Griff could be useful by 2013. We have plenty of strong arms for both the rotation and bullpen. I wouldn't mind adding that major league ready arm right now because we can always flip him for a hitter if the AA boys prove to be ready sooner then later.
We might fill just one of those holes with these deals. 1st/2nd/3rd/Catcher seem the most glaring. To be honest I'll be shocked if we do anything in this period that significantly alters the team for 2012. Yet you never know.
| Selling Targets |
| Division | Team | Needs | Possible Targets | Possible Coveted Players | |
| NL West |
Giants | SS, 2nd base | Furcal, Carroll, Uribe |
Gary Brown(OF), Zach Wheeler(SP) - They know Uribe, we would get nothing back but salary relief, Carroll would help everywhere but we'd get back someone no one has heard of or we'd care about. Furcal has to be the most intriguing for them but enough to net one of their top prospects? Doubtful. Heck I might be happy to get Nate Schierholtz, who they would probably would be happy to trade to make room for Belt. I will be disappointed if we trade with the Giants, they don't really much I'm interested in compared to other teams. And they are the Giants. |
|
| NL West |
Diamondbacks | SP / RP |
Kuroda / Hawksworth |
Paul Goldschmidt(1st), Tyler Skaggs(SP), Jarrod Parker(SP), Collin Cowgil(OF) , Brandon Allen(1st) - Kuroda gives them a big three.They never expected to be in this position, will they go all in? They could could greatly improve their team without touching the current major league roster. Lots to like here, they need Kuroda, they don't want the Rockies to get him. |
|
| NL West |
Rockies | SP / RP / 3rd |
Kuroda / Blake / Carroll / Hawksworth |
Dexter Fowler(CF), Juan Nicasio(SP), Wilin Rosario(C), Rex Brothers(RP), Charles Blackmon(OF), Chris Nelson(2nd) - lots to like here, they need Kuroda, they don't want Arizona to get him. |
|
| NL Central |
Cardinals |
2nd / SS | Carroll / Furcal |
Carlos Martinez (SP), Zack Cox(3rd), Lance Lynn(SP), Eduardo Sanchez(RP) |
|
| NL Central | Reds | SS / SP / RP | Furcal / Carroll / Kuroda / Hawksworth |
Travis Wood, Juan Francisco(3rd/OF), Todd Frazier(Inf), Yonder Alonso(1st), Yazmani Grandal(C), Daryl Thomspon(SP), Sam LeCure(SP) - They could use everything we are selling. |
|
| NL Central | Brewers | SS / 3rd /SP |
|
Matt Gamel (1st), is about the only thing the Brewers have of interest, yet how could they trade him knowing Prince is leaving as a Free Agent? And he's not even that interesting. |
|
| NL East | Braves | Insurance at 3rd |
Blake | We'd all love Beachy or Minor or Freeman or Teheran but this team does not Kuroda. They really don't need anything from us. |
|
| NL East | Phillies | Nothing we have | We could trade Andre for Dominic Brown:) |
||
| AL West | Rangers | SP / RP | Kuroda / Hawksworth | Robbie Erlin(SP), Martin Perez(SP), Jurickson Profar(SS), Tanner Scheppers(RP), Chris Davis(1st,3rd, OF), Michael Olt, Julio Borbon(CF) - Lot to like here, I'm sure Erlin and Perez would be off the table. |
|
| AL West | Angels | SP / RP | Kuroda / Hawksworth | Garrett Richards,SP) Jean Segura (Inf), Trevor Reckling(P) - Will the Angels go with Chatwood all year now that Kazmir is gone? Think of the rotation if they add Kuroda? |
|
| AL West | Mariners | 3rd / SP /RP | Carroll / Kuroda / Hawksworth |
Nick Franklin(SS), Taijuan Walker(SP), Carlos Truinfel(3rd) - shockingly the Mariners are in the race, they need hitting more then pitching. We don't really matchup other then Kuroda would probably be very comfortable pitching for them. He is better then the back end of the rotation but will it matter if they still can't score runs? |
|
| AL Central |
Indians |
SP / RP / Infield / OF | Blake, Carroll, Kuroda, Hawksworth | I don't see a team like the Indians trading the future. Might be able to get a Cord Phelps or LaPorta.but no way they are giving up Chinsenhall or Kipinis for a hail mary with that pitching staff. Then again they owe us, it would be nice to screw them but the GM has so many wins on his trading belt when making small deals, two huge misses when making big deals (CC and Cliff Lee). |
|
| AL Central | WhiteSox |
3rd | Blake, Carroll, | I'd like Dayan Viciedo but they are not going to move him for those guys. Best we could hope for would be Mark Teahen. To bad they don't need Kuroda. |
|
| AL Central |
Tigers |
2nd/3rd/SP | Kuroda / Furcal / Carroll | They really need Kuroda, they could also move Peralta to 3rd if they got Furcal for SS. Nick Castellanos would fit the bill but he's far away. Andrew Oliver(SP). |
|
| AL East |
Yankees |
SP | Kuroda | Banuelos or Betances worth the insurance? Doubtful. Austin Romine might be. Yankee's have no one less then 24 on their roster this year. |
|
| Al East |
Red Sox |
Nothing we have | |||
You may wonder why the Pirates are not on the list. After giving them Paul and McDonald for nothing, it seems painful to think they are in the hunt and we are in last place. Would anyone agree to go to the Pirates knowing they are pretenders not contenders? Doubtful. I'm skipping them in this exercise even as I wish them luck in their endeavor to have a meaningful 2nd half. If you don't think trading McDonald for Dotel was the high point of pointlessness, you will need to be reminded that only if Ned gets incredibly lucky will he come close to bringing back the same talent as James McDonald when he goes into sell mode. He's a solid part of rotation that has been good enough to stay within 2 games of 1st place after half a season has been played. I think it is safe to say in hindsight that James McDonald would have been the best option for the spot we paid 5 Milllion to Jon Garland for.
This was just my glimpse into what the contenders have that might be interesting to Ned. Who do you think these players get traded to, and for whom?
Have it at, this title was for you.