The Dodgers made the deadline and tendered contract offers to its targeted nine free agents; Chad Billingsley, Jonathan Broxton, Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, Hong-Chih Kuo, James Loney, Russell Martin, Jason Repko and George Sherrill. The other six are gone and will have to be replaced by the start of the season - if not sooner.
Five of the nine are eligible for arbitration which means they can have an arbitrator rule on the fairness of the Dodgers offer to them. Billingsley, Broxton, Kemp, Kuo and Loney are fortunate to be in position to force the Dodgers to make a fair offer. The other four are only in their second year of arbitration so they will have to live with whatever the Dodgers give them. If you consider what would be fair for the five - there's about $30 million spent of the $42.5 million that the Dodgers claim they have available for the free agents.
That means that Sherill, Martin, Kemp and Ethier have about $12.5 million between them; far from what would be fair. And what about pitching?
The Dodgers have to get off of their frugal ways. They have to be willing to spend like the other big market teams out there that compete every year for a place in the World Series, such as the Phillies, Yankees, Red Sox, Mets; teams where money's not the object - the players - team and the fans are. The Dodgers have the means - they have the earning power to get back whatever they invest. So why not invest into the team and let the gratified fans pay it back and then some. They've already raised ticket prices where there's the largest number of tickets sold and Manny's money is deferred. So where's all the money going? Into real estate? Into McCourt's trust? Into Jamie settlement agreement?
As a fan - I long for the O'Malley class and benevolence, an owner that cared about giving the fans a great team and giving back not just taking. The past five years of having an owner that wants to be a real estate mogul has been a conflict of interest and it will never work. Maybe it's time that he sells the team and splits his $300 million in capital gains with his ex-wife. The Dodgers need to move on and be the team that we the fans deserve. We have given the Dodgers our attendance and our money - now give some of it back or we will turn away and Mr. McCourt, your gains will diminish.
Update: The latest from the rumor mill is that Colletti is talking with Alan Nero - the Agent for Chien-Ming Wang. The 29 year old - right hander was not tendered an offer by the Yankees which makes him a free agent and the perfect storm for Ned Colletti to swim after. He fits right in with the types of free agents the Dodgers tend to go after; guys like Padilla, Wolf, Andru Jones and Jason Schmidt. Guys that are not wanted by the other teams that have a possible big upside if they work out to be anything like they were in past years. If you look at Mr. Collettis average in his success taking such a strategy, you could argue that he's batting .500. So let's see if they go after a pitcher who for the past two years has been hurt and unable to pitch with any effectiveness and was left to the free market by the Yanks, who are a pretty good judge of talent and potential.
Oh yeah - Wang was 1-6 last year with a 9.64 ERA. They say he won't be able to pitch until some time between April and June, probably July. Not bad Ned, definitely within the Boss' budget. He'll probalby be offered $5 million with incentives.
By the way, the Dodgers lost the Halladay race to the Phillies who gave up Cliff Lee for him and John Lackey is going to the Red Sox. Well it was predictable. I hope Billingsley loses 25 pounds before coming to Spring Training.
There's still Jason Marquis.
Dodgers Predicted to Watch at Winter Meetings
How frustrating is it to know that Ned Colletti is going to the Winter Meetings in Indianapolis this week to basically be a bench guy. That he is going to the meetings to basically watch the action from the dugout and never even step on the field. That's just wrong and Dodger fans deserve better.
The Dodgers need pitching! They could use some power at First Base but the demand for it is not as compelling as their need is for Pitching. But with an owner that is more concerned about his personal quagmire in divorce court than his baseball business - its hard to imagine Colletti being given any instruction from him to make some deals other than deals that won't affect the bottom line. He may need the cash to settle.
The Dodgers we're told want to reduce payroll and instead of the $60 million dollars they would have if payroll were to stay the same, it's being said that Colletti is working with $40 million and $20 of it is being accounted for by the first and second year arbitration elligible players; namely Kemp, Loney, Ethier, Martin, Repko, Broxton and Billingsley. They can afford to lose Repko though it's quite a shame that his injury prone career did not allow him to reach his full potential but that's baseball and it won't hurt to let him go.
What I don't understand is why there is this opinion that giving up Billingsley for Halladay is not going to make the starting pitching staff better. Look at what Billingsley has done the past two years for us and compare it to what Halladay has done and can do if he were a Dodger. Billingsley has clearly not done the job that's needed for the Dodgers to get into the World Series and last year he really wasn't even available let alone a factor going down the stretch. I think Billingsley - if he's going to be counted on as our ace, needs to lose about 25 pounds of his baby fat and then maybe his legs would sustain the wear and tear of a long season. But if you look at what Billingsley has done in the post season the past two years, in my opinion he's not the untouchable so many are saying that he is. Why wouldn't we take Roy Halladay for Billingsley?
If I were Colletti - I'd do it without any further thought. So how about Billingsley, Jason Repko and James McDonald for a trade to get Roy Halladay? Besides having that key starting pitcher that you know will go out there each time he's given the start and almost ensure a win, not to mention - he will be that key pitcher to take you to the World Series and quite possibly a World Championship. We already know that Billingsley isn't that guy so why not give him up for the guy who know will. The Dodgers have the money and I think if nothing else - we owe it to Vin Scully to make his last year with the Dodgers - a Championship Season.
Okay, so the Mets, Red Sox, Angels, Cardinals, or possibly even the Yankees are going to beat us to the punch and Halladay is snatched up before Colletti can convince his boss to let him go after him. What about John Lackey? You know he wants to stay in Southern California and he's a better pitcher than Billingsley has been too. We wouldn't have to give up anything for him - just the money that these other teams don't seem to have any problem giving. The only other hole we have and its a small one is that we can use a second baseman. We do have one in DeWitt so why not spend the money for Lackey and let DeWitt sink or swim already? He's shown to be a pretty good player in the past. Imagine a rotation with Billingsley, Lackey, Kershaw, Kuroda and either McDonald or Elbert. That might do it.
If the Dodgers can't get one of them then their pitching is definitely suspect going into the season. If they are going to lose Randy Wolf and it seems that they are, the only other viable Free Agents that are out there even worth any consideration are Rich Harden, Noah Lowry and Jason Marquis; and oh yeah, Vicente Padilla. Not exactly a World Series Pitching staff does it make, unless Billingsley has a great year, Kershaw reaches his potential and Kuroda stays healthy.
So if Colletti chooses to sit and watch while other teams improve and Billingsley, Kuroda and either McDonald or Elbert don't markedly improve, then we shouldn't expect too much next year.
There is one other rumor swirling around out there on the way to Indianapolis that might be worth mentioning. It only further points out that you never know what might happen at these meetings, is talk about a trade with the Detroit Tigers. The Dodgers getting Edwin Jackson and Miguel Cabrera for Juan Pierre, James Loney, Raphael Furcal and James McDonald. You might wonder why we would give up Furcal but apparently there is Dee Gordon who is ready to step in at short and it would mean a deal that would be a blockbuster bringing the Dodgers pitching and a power hitter that could play third or first base.
It's going to be interesting to see if anything comes out of Indianapolis or if Colletti is truly in a wait and see mode until the Dodgers figure out who their owner is going to be.
The Dodgers need pitching! They could use some power at First Base but the demand for it is not as compelling as their need is for Pitching. But with an owner that is more concerned about his personal quagmire in divorce court than his baseball business - its hard to imagine Colletti being given any instruction from him to make some deals other than deals that won't affect the bottom line. He may need the cash to settle.
The Dodgers we're told want to reduce payroll and instead of the $60 million dollars they would have if payroll were to stay the same, it's being said that Colletti is working with $40 million and $20 of it is being accounted for by the first and second year arbitration elligible players; namely Kemp, Loney, Ethier, Martin, Repko, Broxton and Billingsley. They can afford to lose Repko though it's quite a shame that his injury prone career did not allow him to reach his full potential but that's baseball and it won't hurt to let him go.
What I don't understand is why there is this opinion that giving up Billingsley for Halladay is not going to make the starting pitching staff better. Look at what Billingsley has done the past two years for us and compare it to what Halladay has done and can do if he were a Dodger. Billingsley has clearly not done the job that's needed for the Dodgers to get into the World Series and last year he really wasn't even available let alone a factor going down the stretch. I think Billingsley - if he's going to be counted on as our ace, needs to lose about 25 pounds of his baby fat and then maybe his legs would sustain the wear and tear of a long season. But if you look at what Billingsley has done in the post season the past two years, in my opinion he's not the untouchable so many are saying that he is. Why wouldn't we take Roy Halladay for Billingsley?
If I were Colletti - I'd do it without any further thought. So how about Billingsley, Jason Repko and James McDonald for a trade to get Roy Halladay? Besides having that key starting pitcher that you know will go out there each time he's given the start and almost ensure a win, not to mention - he will be that key pitcher to take you to the World Series and quite possibly a World Championship. We already know that Billingsley isn't that guy so why not give him up for the guy who know will. The Dodgers have the money and I think if nothing else - we owe it to Vin Scully to make his last year with the Dodgers - a Championship Season.
Okay, so the Mets, Red Sox, Angels, Cardinals, or possibly even the Yankees are going to beat us to the punch and Halladay is snatched up before Colletti can convince his boss to let him go after him. What about John Lackey? You know he wants to stay in Southern California and he's a better pitcher than Billingsley has been too. We wouldn't have to give up anything for him - just the money that these other teams don't seem to have any problem giving. The only other hole we have and its a small one is that we can use a second baseman. We do have one in DeWitt so why not spend the money for Lackey and let DeWitt sink or swim already? He's shown to be a pretty good player in the past. Imagine a rotation with Billingsley, Lackey, Kershaw, Kuroda and either McDonald or Elbert. That might do it.
If the Dodgers can't get one of them then their pitching is definitely suspect going into the season. If they are going to lose Randy Wolf and it seems that they are, the only other viable Free Agents that are out there even worth any consideration are Rich Harden, Noah Lowry and Jason Marquis; and oh yeah, Vicente Padilla. Not exactly a World Series Pitching staff does it make, unless Billingsley has a great year, Kershaw reaches his potential and Kuroda stays healthy.
So if Colletti chooses to sit and watch while other teams improve and Billingsley, Kuroda and either McDonald or Elbert don't markedly improve, then we shouldn't expect too much next year.
There is one other rumor swirling around out there on the way to Indianapolis that might be worth mentioning. It only further points out that you never know what might happen at these meetings, is talk about a trade with the Detroit Tigers. The Dodgers getting Edwin Jackson and Miguel Cabrera for Juan Pierre, James Loney, Raphael Furcal and James McDonald. You might wonder why we would give up Furcal but apparently there is Dee Gordon who is ready to step in at short and it would mean a deal that would be a blockbuster bringing the Dodgers pitching and a power hitter that could play third or first base.
It's going to be interesting to see if anything comes out of Indianapolis or if Colletti is truly in a wait and see mode until the Dodgers figure out who their owner is going to be.
Roy Halladay: A Feasible Dodgers Conquest?
A recent report in the Los Angeles Times revealed that the Dodgers, according to an anonymous source, are looking into acquiring Toronto Blue Jays’ right-handed pitcher Roy Halladay. Before the 2009 trade deadline ended, there were small talks of the Dodgers landing Halladay. Of course, that never played out, and the Dodgers never acquired the pitching needed to win a championship. Quite a bit would need to be given up in order for Toronto to consider shipping off their ace, so the question is: is it feasible?
Obviously, Halladay’s numbers speak for themselves. Despite having been on a subpar Blue Jays squad for his 11-year career, he has compiled a record of 148-76 and an ERA of 3.43. He’s won the Cy Young Award once and has contended a few more times (including 2009). But beyond that, Halladay is a well respected pitcher on and off the field and has impacted fellow pitchers with his veteran presence.
That element would fit incredibly well in the Dodgers clubhouse. Last season, Los Angeles’ pitching staff was a mix of youngsters and veterans, teetering mostly towards the former. That young bunch includes Clayton Kershaw, Jonathon Broxton, Chad Billingsley, Hong-Chih Kuo and Ronald Bellisario. Of just those names, none are above the age of 29.
Randy Wolf and Hiroki Kuroda were able to help steer the ship as much as they could through the regular season and playoffs. But a player like Halladay would be able to provide even more of a spark. Greg Maddux previoiusly served that type of role for the Dodgers but was well past his prime when it came down to it. Halladay is more or less in his prime and has a lot of gas left in the tank. And considering the potential off-field turmoil the divorce of Frank and Jamie McCourt could create for the club, someone of Halladay’s stature and poise could help the Dodgers lock in a third-straight playoff year.
But Halladay comes with a heavy price tag. The whispers surrounding any potential deal have consistently brought up Billingsley’s name. For the first half of last year, almost anybody involved with the Dodgers (we’re talking staff or fan here) would have laughed off giving up Billingsley. He was the clear-cut staff ace and was awarded a trip to the All Star Game. But Billingsley went down a steep spiral during the second half of the season. He lacked control and was visibly nervous on the mound.
That lack of consistency gives Dodger officials a little more incentive to send him packing. Granted, it’s not an automatic ticket out of Los Angeles. Should nothing happen over the postseason (which in all reality seems more and more likely a scenario), Billingsley will have at least half a season to prove himself. And, of course, this wouldn’t be a single player-for-player trade.
Prospects would have to be given up. The high profile type, something the Dodgers are lacking. Some of the top prospects have already been traded (see: Casey Blake, Manny Ramirez). As it stands right now, Dodger prospects just aren’t ranking where it matters. The Scouting Book’s Top 100 prospects from this past season include only Scott Elbert (40) and Andrew Lambo (87). Elbert was heard from this season and saw mixed results.
Needless to say, the prospects just don’t seem attractive enough. So that would leave the Dodgers needing to trade away one of their budding position player stars. It’s an almost laughable idea considering how much of a focus the organization has on growing young talent.
So as attractive an option Roy Halladay may be, it just seems too far out of reach. Trading Billingsley is a 50/50 shot, the prospects just don’t rank and the Dodgers simply won’t trade away any young standouts. As important as starting pitching will continue to be for the Dodgers if they hope to truly succeed, they are not willing to do what it takes, nor at the moment are they capable. And thus, Roy Halladay will remain an unattainable dream.
Obviously, Halladay’s numbers speak for themselves. Despite having been on a subpar Blue Jays squad for his 11-year career, he has compiled a record of 148-76 and an ERA of 3.43. He’s won the Cy Young Award once and has contended a few more times (including 2009). But beyond that, Halladay is a well respected pitcher on and off the field and has impacted fellow pitchers with his veteran presence.
That element would fit incredibly well in the Dodgers clubhouse. Last season, Los Angeles’ pitching staff was a mix of youngsters and veterans, teetering mostly towards the former. That young bunch includes Clayton Kershaw, Jonathon Broxton, Chad Billingsley, Hong-Chih Kuo and Ronald Bellisario. Of just those names, none are above the age of 29.
Randy Wolf and Hiroki Kuroda were able to help steer the ship as much as they could through the regular season and playoffs. But a player like Halladay would be able to provide even more of a spark. Greg Maddux previoiusly served that type of role for the Dodgers but was well past his prime when it came down to it. Halladay is more or less in his prime and has a lot of gas left in the tank. And considering the potential off-field turmoil the divorce of Frank and Jamie McCourt could create for the club, someone of Halladay’s stature and poise could help the Dodgers lock in a third-straight playoff year.
But Halladay comes with a heavy price tag. The whispers surrounding any potential deal have consistently brought up Billingsley’s name. For the first half of last year, almost anybody involved with the Dodgers (we’re talking staff or fan here) would have laughed off giving up Billingsley. He was the clear-cut staff ace and was awarded a trip to the All Star Game. But Billingsley went down a steep spiral during the second half of the season. He lacked control and was visibly nervous on the mound.
That lack of consistency gives Dodger officials a little more incentive to send him packing. Granted, it’s not an automatic ticket out of Los Angeles. Should nothing happen over the postseason (which in all reality seems more and more likely a scenario), Billingsley will have at least half a season to prove himself. And, of course, this wouldn’t be a single player-for-player trade.
Prospects would have to be given up. The high profile type, something the Dodgers are lacking. Some of the top prospects have already been traded (see: Casey Blake, Manny Ramirez). As it stands right now, Dodger prospects just aren’t ranking where it matters. The Scouting Book’s Top 100 prospects from this past season include only Scott Elbert (40) and Andrew Lambo (87). Elbert was heard from this season and saw mixed results.
Needless to say, the prospects just don’t seem attractive enough. So that would leave the Dodgers needing to trade away one of their budding position player stars. It’s an almost laughable idea considering how much of a focus the organization has on growing young talent.
So as attractive an option Roy Halladay may be, it just seems too far out of reach. Trading Billingsley is a 50/50 shot, the prospects just don’t rank and the Dodgers simply won’t trade away any young standouts. As important as starting pitching will continue to be for the Dodgers if they hope to truly succeed, they are not willing to do what it takes, nor at the moment are they capable. And thus, Roy Halladay will remain an unattainable dream.
The Grinch that are the McCourts
The annoucement today that ticket prices for upper tier seats are going up by as much as $3 per ticket is outrageous.
The tickets for seats in the reserve and general admission sections are obviously those purchased by young people and less financially fortunate families who regardless of their financial difficulties continue to be fans and want to enjoy being at the ballpark. These are loyal fans to even want to enjoy a game from that distance.
Frank McCourt has clearly shown over the past five years that he doesn't care about anything more than the bottom line. He may give to a charity (needs write-offs) or he may offer some benign special ticket package making sure everyone knows about it, when sales are off but the truth is he's really done nothing for the fan that hasn't lined his pockets first.
Look at the changes he made to Dodger Stadium. They were not about providing better seating but rather more seating. There are seats in the field box level that are so bad they only give them to employees or they sell them to guerilla marketers who con people into thinking they're buying great seats only to be disappointed when they get to the ballpark and sit in them. These are seats that you litterally have to sit on a small corner of the seat in order to turn your body to see the game. If you sit back in the seat you're looking out in the outfield.
What about parking since Mr. McCourt took over it's increased 300% to $15.00 a car and you still have to walk about the equivalent of 4 blocks to get to the entrance.
We've recently learned that it's all about paying his $8 million salary a year and increasing his highly leveraged land asset. He bought the team for $355 million and it's now worth according to Forbes, $800 million. Not a bad profit for a land developer. Mr. McCourt is the antipathy of the O'Malley's. It's all about him and no matter how hard he tries to use the press to reflect a benevolent owner - it's easy to see beyond his words that the reality is that his self interest always comes first. Look at his wife's actions, Jamie McCourt knows what Mr. McCourt is about too. It's probably why she has no qualms about getting whatever she can get from him to maintain her extravagant lifestyle. It's easy for him to paint her as the villain but the question needs to be raised by those of us who are less naieve. Why does someone who shares a home and family with someone for all these years have such little regard for them? I would suggest that we all be a little less naive and gullible and open our eyes to seeing beyond the public relations efforts he obviously pays so much to conduct against her.
The Country is in a depression. Unemployment is over 10% and in Los Angeles it's probably as high as 14%. Yet the Dodgers are raising ticket prices. What is going on here? Is there no regard for others? Is this all about money and nothing else?
Let's look at some facts to reveal the true intent of Mr. McCourt. The Dodgers farm system is ranked 23rd. The Dodgers have paid $8.5 million in signing bonuses for draft picks over the past two years - the lowest figure among all major league teams. The Dodgers are now considered a non-factor in bidding for top amateur players in Asia and Latin America. In 2008, major league teams combined to sign 115 players from these countries for bonuses of more than $100,000.00. The Dodgers did not sign one. They passed up Sabbathia, Cliff Lee and Halladay and I would suggest they would've passed on Manny Ramirez if is wasn't for the fear of the outrage that would've been raised had he done so.
This has been his management decision while Dodger stadium attendance last year was 3,761,669 over the 82 games; an average attendance of about 46,000 per game. At an average $30 a ticket the Dodgers made over $100 million just in ticket sales. Assume that there are about 2.2 people per car - each game brings in $313,000.00 in parking. That's about $26 million a year just in parking receipts. That still leaves concessions, food, licensing, television, etc. Yet Mr. McCourt feels he has the need to raise ticket prices for the people who buy them.
There's little doubt that Mr. McCourt is in the real estate business and it's quite evident that the standard in that business is about one thing and that is making money. Now don't get me wrong - I'm as big a capitalist as the next guy and I believe we should be able to make as much money as we can - but I also believe that in this ideology what is lost is the idea of fairness and balance and it should not always be about thinking of me first. How I wish that the O'Malleys had kept their team. Since they've left the Dodgers have become nothing more than a business. I hope Jamie get's her pound of flesh even if it means cutting the baby in half. It would serve the greedy McGrinch right. Let's see if he does anything for the fans in the Free Agency market. He's already said they won't be going after Halladay. He'd probably rather build those condominums along the hillside where the Think Blue sign usually goes. It's a sad day for Dodger Fans.
The tickets for seats in the reserve and general admission sections are obviously those purchased by young people and less financially fortunate families who regardless of their financial difficulties continue to be fans and want to enjoy being at the ballpark. These are loyal fans to even want to enjoy a game from that distance.
Frank McCourt has clearly shown over the past five years that he doesn't care about anything more than the bottom line. He may give to a charity (needs write-offs) or he may offer some benign special ticket package making sure everyone knows about it, when sales are off but the truth is he's really done nothing for the fan that hasn't lined his pockets first.
Look at the changes he made to Dodger Stadium. They were not about providing better seating but rather more seating. There are seats in the field box level that are so bad they only give them to employees or they sell them to guerilla marketers who con people into thinking they're buying great seats only to be disappointed when they get to the ballpark and sit in them. These are seats that you litterally have to sit on a small corner of the seat in order to turn your body to see the game. If you sit back in the seat you're looking out in the outfield.
What about parking since Mr. McCourt took over it's increased 300% to $15.00 a car and you still have to walk about the equivalent of 4 blocks to get to the entrance.
We've recently learned that it's all about paying his $8 million salary a year and increasing his highly leveraged land asset. He bought the team for $355 million and it's now worth according to Forbes, $800 million. Not a bad profit for a land developer. Mr. McCourt is the antipathy of the O'Malley's. It's all about him and no matter how hard he tries to use the press to reflect a benevolent owner - it's easy to see beyond his words that the reality is that his self interest always comes first. Look at his wife's actions, Jamie McCourt knows what Mr. McCourt is about too. It's probably why she has no qualms about getting whatever she can get from him to maintain her extravagant lifestyle. It's easy for him to paint her as the villain but the question needs to be raised by those of us who are less naieve. Why does someone who shares a home and family with someone for all these years have such little regard for them? I would suggest that we all be a little less naive and gullible and open our eyes to seeing beyond the public relations efforts he obviously pays so much to conduct against her.
The Country is in a depression. Unemployment is over 10% and in Los Angeles it's probably as high as 14%. Yet the Dodgers are raising ticket prices. What is going on here? Is there no regard for others? Is this all about money and nothing else?
Let's look at some facts to reveal the true intent of Mr. McCourt. The Dodgers farm system is ranked 23rd. The Dodgers have paid $8.5 million in signing bonuses for draft picks over the past two years - the lowest figure among all major league teams. The Dodgers are now considered a non-factor in bidding for top amateur players in Asia and Latin America. In 2008, major league teams combined to sign 115 players from these countries for bonuses of more than $100,000.00. The Dodgers did not sign one. They passed up Sabbathia, Cliff Lee and Halladay and I would suggest they would've passed on Manny Ramirez if is wasn't for the fear of the outrage that would've been raised had he done so.
This has been his management decision while Dodger stadium attendance last year was 3,761,669 over the 82 games; an average attendance of about 46,000 per game. At an average $30 a ticket the Dodgers made over $100 million just in ticket sales. Assume that there are about 2.2 people per car - each game brings in $313,000.00 in parking. That's about $26 million a year just in parking receipts. That still leaves concessions, food, licensing, television, etc. Yet Mr. McCourt feels he has the need to raise ticket prices for the people who buy them.
There's little doubt that Mr. McCourt is in the real estate business and it's quite evident that the standard in that business is about one thing and that is making money. Now don't get me wrong - I'm as big a capitalist as the next guy and I believe we should be able to make as much money as we can - but I also believe that in this ideology what is lost is the idea of fairness and balance and it should not always be about thinking of me first. How I wish that the O'Malleys had kept their team. Since they've left the Dodgers have become nothing more than a business. I hope Jamie get's her pound of flesh even if it means cutting the baby in half. It would serve the greedy McGrinch right. Let's see if he does anything for the fans in the Free Agency market. He's already said they won't be going after Halladay. He'd probably rather build those condominums along the hillside where the Think Blue sign usually goes. It's a sad day for Dodger Fans.
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