Day 3 and we are still in the NL West this time we have a preview of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
New owners Magic Johnson and company have done a wonderful job of one things over the last year since buying the team and that is spend an absurd amount of money, whether that has been via trade or free agent signing or even just giving big money contracts to their own players they have spent nearly $500 million.
Now its time to see if that pays off with a full season of new additions Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, Zach Greinke and Josh Beckett.
Starting at first Gonzalez give the Dodgers Gold Glove caliber defense and 25-30 home runs with an easy 100 RBI season. Back in the NL West where he thrived for so many years as a San Diego Padre, the Southern California surprisingly didn't put up that much power in his first 30 or so games with the club but I expect thats a fluke and he ends up back near his career averages.
Second base is maned by 35 year-old Mark Ellis, who is coming off a major leg injury last season that about 40 games. Ellis probebly starts the season as the stater and may hold down the job well into the season but if the team stumbles out of the gate former shortstop prospect Dee Gordon could take over the spot.
At short the Hanely Ramirez moves back to his more natural position where his bat more than makes up for the glove on most occasions but its not that his glove is bad just not Gold Glove material. Ramirez won't be relied upon to produce as many runs as he had to in his Marlins days but he should still hit 20-25 bombs and drive in 85-95 runs.
Third base gets a little dicey for the team and is the one position in the infield that is uncertain at the moment for the club. Right now Luis Cruz looks like the front runner to take over the position but that could change if the team wants to get Ramirez and Gordon into the lineup at the same time. Cruz has never really jumped off the page as a stelar third base man but is serviceable so the team could give him the full chance their or they move Gordon or Ramirez to the hot corner preeminently.
Gordon was suppose to be the Dodgers shortstop of the future but the speedster has struggled in the field and from the dish on occasion and is now blocked at this more natural position by Ramirez. If Gordon can get on base, however, he is a potential 30-40 steal a year gut but he has to improve defensively in order to get on the field wether its at short, third or second.
Behind the plate veteran A. J. Ellis continues to man the dish for the team and coming off a career year looks to improve even more. Ellis hit 13 home runs by far his most at any level of perfesional play and should continue that trend this year in the Dodgers line up. Ellis is a solid defensive catcher as well so that job is all but locked up.
Tim Federowicz and Eliezer Alfonzo come in battling for the back up catchers spot with the younger Federowicz likely winning the job.
The outfield is loaded with talent starting with superstar center fielder Matt Kemp. After starting the year off on fire Kemp was sidelined for much of May and the entire month of June with an injury. He came back from the injury playing well but steadily decline over that last month and a half of the season and will need to regain his MVP form from 2011 if the Dodgers really want to contend.
Right field goes to to Andre Ethier. Although Ethier hit 20 home runs and drove 89 runs last season he probebly drops a little of both as he moves from the three spot in the order to the two spot or lower.
Left field is slated to be maned by new accusation Carl Crawford. Crawford is coming off two injury riddled seasons in Boston with the most recent injury causing him to have to have Tommy John's Surgery. If he can bounce back he's got the legs to play stellar defense in right field as well as give the Dodgers a potent bat at the top of the line up.
The bench gets rounded out with Skip Schumaker and Jerry Hairston.
Projected Line up:
1. LF Crawford/ 2B Ellis
2. LF Crawford/ 2B Ellis/ RF Ethier
3. CF Kemp
4. 1B Gonzales
5. SS/3B Ramirez
6. RF Ethier/Crawford
7. C Ellis/3B Cruz
8. 3B Cruz/C Ellis/SS Gordon
9. Pitcher
The pitching for the Dodgers is where the spent most of their off-season money and is where they will have to the most likely improvement.
Lefty Clayton Kershaw steps in as the number 1 in the Dodgers rotation and gets to 20 wins with relative easy in my opinion. 1A is newly acquired righty Zach Greinke. If he can keep his axniety disorder down then he probebly gets 15-20 wins as well and has a change to dominate NL West hitters after years in the American League.
The third spot most likely goes to newly acquired Japanese league signee Hyun-Jin Ryu. The import might have a hard time figure out American hitters but still she get to 10 wins on pure stuff.
The fourth and fifth spots in the rotation is where it gets a little murky.
Josh Beckett, Chad Billingsley, Chris Capuano, Arron Harang and Ted Lilly are all coming into the season eyeing to be starters but Lilly and Billingsley have to prove they are healthy in Spring Training.
The four spot goes to Billingsley if healthy because he is a proven winner and may slide up to the three spot in the Dodgers think Ryu needs a little time to develop.
The fifth spot however is wide open and at this point any one of the four remaining pitchers has a shot at it but ill give the inside track to former World Series MVP Beckett. If he stays healthy I think pitching in the NL West can make Beckett a star once again.
One of the other three makes the transition to the bullpen in a long reliever role and Capuano is the only one that has had to do that before, but who knows if the Dodgers go that route. I think they do and look to trade of release the other two baring any set backs with injuries.
Harang is the most likely of the four not to make the team in some capacity.
The Bullpen is also deep with talent with the acquisition of Brand League. League and incumbant closer Kelly Jansen will fight for the role this spring and I think Jansen and his 97+ mile an hour fastball wins the job, with league as the set-up guy.
Non-roster invitte Kelly Gregg has a chance win a spot in middle relief and if the former closer has anything left could provided the team with good insurance.
Projected Rotation:
1. Kershaw
2 Grenkie
3. Ryu/Billingsley
4. Billingsley/Ryu
5. Beckett/Capuano
Bullpen:
Jansen/League (Closer)
League/Jansen (set-up)
Gregg
Capuano/Beckett
Ronald Bellisario
JP Howell
Matt Guerrier
Jay Guerra
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