Hopefully, Dodger fans didn't have their hearts set on Jon Garland
Because he not only ain't pitching for the Blue anytime soon, he'll be part of a divisional rival's rotation. Garland and the D-Backs have agreed to terms after some on-again, off-again banter. Garland was on the Dodger radar, but talk has always seemed to swirl more around SoCal son (and former Ravine dweller) Randy Wolf, who may not get the cash and years he's seeking. Spring training is fast approaching, so he, along with the Dodgers, will need to decide soon enough.
Garland's move to Arizona becomes even more interesting upon a report from MLB.com's Ken Gurnick that James McDonald will begin the season in the pen, a blueprint used in 2007 with Chad Billingsley. That a team would hold off on putting an inexperienced hurler in the rotation is anything but unusual. But McDonald had been penciled in -- mentally, if nothing else -- by many (including me) as a fourth or fifth starter. If Young McDonald isn't in the mix, who will be, beyond Chad Billingsley, Hiroki Kuroda and Clayton Kershaw? Jason Schmidt? If that's the plan, I admire the brass' optimism, if not their realism. Wolf? Braden Looper? Eric Stults? An arm obtained via trade? Jason Repko? (He's inexperienced but the kids love him.) Or will the "Bills, Part Deux" game plan run considerably shorter than the original version?
Stay tuned.
AK
Subscribe to this Blog | What is RSS?
My heart is now officially been broken. Garland and his career 5 ERA with the baby-backs...
Posted by: poppinfresh | January 28, 2009 at 11:21 AM
Stay strong, Poppinfresh. The grieving period is always the hardest part.
AK
Posted by: K Brothers | January 28, 2009 at 11:52 AM
Very nice signing for the Diamondbacks. A league average pitcher, who is worth around 2 wins over replacement at a discount. Garland is gauranteed to put up around 200 innings, thus keeping the Diamondbacks from having to use bad starters at the bottom end of their rotation. Garland's strikeout rates may not make him a "sexy" pitcher, but he is very solid and like I said above, he is league average, which usually garners around $10mil per year these days in the FA market. Garland also has been pitching in the tougher American League and now gets to pitch against the soft offenses of the NL West/Central and East.
vr, Xeifrank
Posted by: Xeifrank | January 28, 2009 at 11:54 AM
First grief, then denial, then boxing career, then bad plastic surgery, then dogs, then an oscar.
That's how the periods go right?
Posted by: benzojones | January 28, 2009 at 12:19 PM
Does any of this really matter? What's the point of talking about anything unless we sign Manny? Or am I just sinking into a depression as we inch toward Feb.?
David
Posted by: David s | January 28, 2009 at 12:54 PM
So who do the dodgers have left in the market to pick from. Or do we have enought young guns to do the job? I think we still need a 4 slot in the pitching to be filled by a FA or trade. Wolf. Wolf.
Posted by: Jack in DC | January 28, 2009 at 12:56 PM
On John Garland: Congrats on your new situation. The Dodgers have enough average players w/o adding you too!
On Manny: Mets Manager Jerrry Manuel again stated how he would love to have Manny in left field.
Brooklyn Dodger: If you are still interested, here is a link to the Torre hit list including Randy Johnson-
http://www.nypost.com/seven/01272009/sports/yankees/torres_trashing_continues_152288.htm
More on Joe Torre's book: First, I do not care about the Yankees. I am concerned about the possible impact on the Dodgers. The potential impacts on the Dodgers are several:
1) This could be a distraction during Spring season, if not the entire year. Joe will have to answer questions on why he's a snitch.
2) Dodger players will have to be very careful about what they say in the clubhouse around Torre. Torre's breaks an important trust and possible team cohesiveness. How would you feel if your current boss wrote a book about his former employees in another company and took shots??
3) By apparently taking shots (based on excerpts I have seen) at current players, he may give these players an additional incentive to beat (or throw at, in the case of a pitcher) the Dodgers during games. Randy Johnson is in your division Joe!
4) Other team players will have to think twice about joining the Dodgers if they believe Torre is a snitch..
Not only did Torre use poor judgement in allowing his name on this book, but worse yet, in my opinion, Torre is a hypocrite. Today on NYC WFAN radio, I heard a partial re-broadcast of a Torre interview on August 10, 2007. Torre was speaking about Jose Cancesco's book (which appears to be more explosive then Torre's book and more a "tell-all").
Torre drew an analogy of a baseball clubhouse to your family dinner table. Torre said there are things said at the dinner table that should not be shared. Torre believed that Cancesco's goal was not to clean-up baseball, but to profit. Torre thought it was wrong to profit at the expense of individual players in the context of clubhouse trust.
So now Torre is telling inside information that he was opposed too. Mr. Joe Torre the Hypocrite!
Posted by: Joe the Plumber | January 28, 2009 at 01:00 PM
Benzo,
That's only 6 of the 7 stages. Unbeknownst to the everyday layman, the seventh stage actually is: REPKO!!!
Posted by: DodgerBlueBalls | January 28, 2009 at 01:32 PM
This'll sound odd from a guy who didn't want Garland, but if the D-Backs got him for around six to seven mil for a year and an option (assuming it's for the team), it's not a bad deal for them. Of course, it could be for more, and it could be worse.
In the world we live in, 6.5 mil is not terrible money for a 4.75 ERA and 190-210 innings.
No big loss here, but the Dodgers do need to make sure not to wait too long, and add an arm. I'd rather have Looper for what will probably be a lesser price.
BK
Posted by: K Brothers | January 28, 2009 at 01:37 PM
I'm glad the Dodgers didn't sign Garland at the 6-7 million... would rather have Wolf or the money to sign Manny or someone else. However, I bet Garland will now be a Dodger killer in 2009. With the ways things are going, Garland will beat the Dodgers and Arizona will win the NL West in 2009.
Posted by: Rob | January 28, 2009 at 01:51 PM
Thanks Kambros. I'll grieve some more when we re-sign Wolf.
On a side comment, looks like McDonald is starting in the pen this year similar to Billz did in 2007. Lets see if it works for him. Also that slates the pitching as:
1. Billz
2. Kuroda
3. Kershaw
4. Schmidt/Wolf/fill in the blank
5. Wade/Stults
Maybe Schmidt can play this year and we can have a decent staff.
Posted by: poppinfresh | January 28, 2009 at 02:05 PM
for only a couple mill more per year than Garland cost, the Dodgers could roll the dice on Sheets. (I read that the best offer Sheets has right now is 2 years for $16 million total from Texas) Given this potentially awful rotation for '09, I think that Sheet's arm is a risk we have to take. The upside at his current price is tremendous.
Get after it, Ned!
Posted by: VA Blueblood | January 28, 2009 at 02:17 PM
Sheets would cost the Dodgers their first round draft pick. Sheets and Wolf are injury risks, especially Sheets. And with the bad luck the Dodgers have had on signing injured free agents of late, I think they may be hesitant to sign either or. Plus Coletti has stated that he has no interest in signing Sheets. It looks like it's between Looper and Wolf, with Wolf being the front runner at the moment.
vr, Xeifrank
Posted by: Xeifrank | January 28, 2009 at 02:49 PM
Va Blueblood
I Agree the Dodgers should try Sheets. At least make a reasonable offer. I read some info and his health record, which is not all that much different then wolf. So, either way it's a health risk, but with Sheets you get tons more potential.
Posted by: Gillbert | January 28, 2009 at 02:51 PM
The Dodgers need to invest $100 million. Manny Ramirez @ 4/83 and Ben Sheets @2/17. Colleti gotta get it together.
"Bites the bullet and he looks within"- Bob Dylan ("Dignity")
Posted by: A Scanner Darkly | January 28, 2009 at 04:01 PM
Ok, seriously this offseason has been a complete joke for the Dodgers and their fans. Going into the offseason there were many concerns but only a few big ones. The first and foremost was to re sign Manny. The second was to rebuild a pitching staff that was going to lose Lowe and Penny. We quickly forget that when Penny was healthy he was an All Star Game starter as a Dodger. Lowe was and is a 200 inning per year 15 win guy. So at least they needed a durable replacement for Lowe and a power arm like Penny. So far neither of those concerns have been addressed. The pitching staff goes a little something like this...
1. Billingsly- Injured leg. Great upside and future. Potential ace/20 game winner this year. NOT a proven ace just yet. Does deserve the shot though.
2.Kuroda - only effective in a strong 5 man rotation. Period end of story.
3. Kershaw - A #3 starter? Not on any team in MLB. No way No how. He may become a great pitcher but he is still very yong, inexperienced and has a lot to figure out before he can fill those shoes.
4. Shmidt - Ummmmmmmmmmmm? Need I say more.
5. Claudio Vargas? Shawn Estes? Does it matter? Might as well throw Jeff Hamilton out there again. He would do a lot better. Randy Wolf? Did we forget about this guy already? Garland would have been a good replacement for Lowe due to the durability and innings he would eat up. Plus hed probably win like 14 or 15 in LA. How did they let the Dbacks sign him for 6 mil?
Dodgers have a rich history of a strong pitching staff. This staff is a nightmare on paper so far.
The bullpin is in shambles too. Mota is a decent pick up and could be this years Chan Ho Park. Broxton is not a closer. The ball Matt Stairs hit off him in the NLCS sums up Broxton in one pitch. 1 PITCH! A flat, very hittable fastball! He has to discover an "out pitch." My prediction is Jonathon Papelbon will go down in the first 2 weeks with a season ending injury and Saito will save 40 games for the Red Sox and lead them to the ALCS where they will lose to the Yankees. But Saito will be laughing all the way there. (I am not sayinf letting him go was a bad thing. Just that trusting Broxton as a closer is MORONIC).
So the pitcching staff and bullpen are far worse than last years team!
Worst move to date is letting Biemal go and then signing Dennys Reyes as his replacement. That makes loads of sense. haha
The actual starting 8 is great. I am happy to see Casey Blake back, furcal, Dewitt at 2nd, Loney, Martin Ethier, Kemp and if Manny comes back they have the same lineup as last year. Without Manny they have Pierre and the same lineup as the under 500 crappy first half team from last year and we can expect just about the same except with a much worse pitching rotation. Should be exciting to watch.
They signed Martin to a 1 year deal. All that tells me is there is a Russel Martin trade coming very soon once the Dodger give up about half way through the season because they are 25 games out. Martin will get delt to a contender for prospects. Why else would they only give him 1 year and not lock him in for at least 3 or 4 years? They may even trade him now for a pitcher like Roy Halladay. that could save this team from what could go down in history as the worst off season for a LCS team.
As for Manny. Please tell me what all of you think...
My 5 teams involved in the running are listed in order from least likely to most likely.
5. Giants - because its been talked about. Thats all
4. Braves - Need outfielders. Proven winning team for many years since the 90s. trying to get back to that status. Lowe was a big reason Manny came to LA. They have money to spend. Manny will hit in front of Chipper.
3. Phillies - No Burrell = No left fielder. Money to spend except working out the Howard deal. theyve seen first hand how manny can change any game in one swing. if they sign Nomar then Nomar will do his thing to recruit Manny. World Series winner and with Manny sandwiched between utley and Howard they are certainly the NL contender again this year.
2. Yankees - Why not? No Abreu. Wants to trade swisher and Nady. Still under last years budget. Manny, Arod, Texiera. Money to spend. He can DH and Matsui is still a ? Dont let them fool you if they want him they WILL get him.
1. Dodgers - He is theres to lose and it looks like theyve done just that. Why would Manny come to this team now? I have been saying for a while that he has been waiting to see how the Dodgers adress there pitching concerns. If that true then its bye bye dodgers and hello Yankees for Manny.
So thats my two cents. Id love to hear what anyone else thinks about this. By the way i am a lifetime Dodger fan and this all makes me sick. i was so excited at the end of last season. the Dodger made the playoffs. The actually wona a game and a series. They were a lock to resign Manny. Probably be in the running for CC Sabathia maybe. Maybe find a few bullpin guys, 1 or 2 pitchers and be right in the mix in 09. But what have they done? Ill tell you exactly.
Juan castro, Shawn estes, Guillermo Mota, Dennys reyes, resign furcal and Blake, mark lorretta. am i forgetting anyone? Dodger managment must think the people of LA are morons.
Are we?
Posted by: DodgerFAN | January 28, 2009 at 10:40 PM
I t hink the Dodgers should have signed Wolf, Sheets and Garland. That's a lot of money with Manny, but the way the Dodger's pitchers get injured, maybe all three of them could patch together 1 spot in the rotation in the year.
The Dodgers need Manny, but it was the pitching that broke down in the playoffs. Unless Schmidt comes back (I think the Dodgers like what they see so far), they will be hurting for pitching.
DodgerFAN - here's my thoughts on the Manny issue:\
http://sfdodgerfan.com/why-manny-ramirez-should-sign-for-2-years-an-option/
Posted by: SF Dodgerfan | January 29, 2009 at 07:52 AM
.Well here we go again all dressed up and nobody to Lowe, with the entire payroll the Dodgers have open why are we being so cheap. Must be the Trader Joes sign out there on the wall, we must want to have affordable payroll (except at the top) to pass on savings to customers. People don't get it you have to cut back somewhere do you really think all those products are that high in quality at TJs. Just imagine this they are a 5-6 billion dollar company taking home a positive 6% cash flow.
It seems the McCourt’s are wanting to do the same, so forget Manny and any other high-end personnel. It's all about the cash for baby, oh and thanks for listening
Posted by: pk-in-the-mesa | January 29, 2009 at 08:21 AM
Here's my thoughts on DodgerFan's Manny list:
5. I actually think the Giants could pull off a shocker and sign Manny. It would require them to spend a lot more money than they are typically comfortable with, but it would instantly make them favourites to win the West--and with their rotation, they could actually make an impact in the playoffs...especially if Tejada has a good year.
4. I'd never even considered the Braves, but I suppose it could happen. They don't seem to be in the market for a bat and don't seem to be in a big spending zone, but then they gave Lowe $60M, so who knows...
3. The Phillies are not signing Manny. First, they said they weren't. Second, they signed Ibanez to a 3-yr deal to replace Burrell.
2. I think the Yankees will stay out of the Manny chase so long as Cashman has his way (I think Steinbrenner would sign him). They don't actually need Manny, plus they're trying to get away from aging stars. They need to keep the DH slot open for Matsui or possibly even Posada, because after his injury nobody knows if he can still catch. All that said, the Yanks are about excess, so I still wouldn't put it past them to sign Manny.
1. I worry that the Dodgers are so concerned about looking bad for bidding against themselves that them might miss out on Manny. Yes, their 2-year offer is fair. If Manny wants more years, offer some easy-to-attain options (see my Manny contract suggestion in the "Crickets" thread). I feel like Ned and Frank are so worried about being made to look like fools for "overpaying" for Manny that they run the real risk of losing Manny to...
...the Mets. I can't believe you didn't mention this team in your list, because I think they are the most likely to sign Manny right now. First, there's been lots of news about the owner wanting him. Second, they have lots of money with their new stadium revenue. Third, they haven't made anywhere near the splash that the Yanks have, but getting Manny would definitely even that out. I am hoping that they need their money to focus on their rotation needs much more than they need Manny (of course, the same can be said for the Dodgers). But don't think for a second that NY hasn't thought about what a Reyes-Beltran-Wright-Manny-Delgado lineup could do...
Posted by: Valmont | January 29, 2009 at 09:47 AM
McCheap has the absolute worst PR staff imaginable. From today's Times:
"Neither the city nor the Dodgers want to pay for bus service, which began in July and proved popular. The cost of service, which was free to riders last year, could range from $383,000 to $630,000 for the season. The city is facing a budget shortfall and the Dodgers say they are contributing plenty to city coffers through taxes and that it's the job of government to provide mass transit."
A half a million to be the good guys, the heroes, the eco-minded, forward-thinking, cares-about-the-people team... and they won't do it. We'd rather pay that money to Shawn Estes to pitch in triple-A.
Being a fan of this team is incredibly frustrating.
Posted by: VA Blueblood | January 29, 2009 at 10:50 AM
Ned, they are not holding that job open for you at Circuit City any longer! Have you seen what unemployment looks like lately? If your map for success depends on crossing your fingers....
Dodger GM Playbook: Schmooze with the press and stay indecisive during the off season, Schmooze with the press and make excuses until the trade deadline, then see what you can do with the freebees your competitors donate to you.
Hey, it worked once. Don't have to be good if you are always lucky.
This is the off season that we should have made our statement. John Garland? Judy Garland? Asmus? Mota? Is anyone really going to be shocked if Boras takes his Manny somewhere else? Stop crossing your fingers and make it happen, Ned!
Companies have had to cut back with the poor economy but they still need to have the essentials to succeed. The Dodgers are not getting anywhere until they secure some balls.
Posted by: Michael | January 29, 2009 at 11:04 AM
If I recall we put Bills in the pen just so Brett Tomko could suck it up for 2 months. If Jason Schidt is going to be our 5th starter I'd rather go with J Mac.
Posted by: Adrian | January 29, 2009 at 11:30 AM
I wouldn't make fun of the Garland signing. With Webb, Haren and Max Scherzer who is going to be a beast (Kershaw type talent, plus a couple years minor league experience already), their rotation is pretty solid. Much better than, say, ours is right now.
Send help! Preferably Sheets. 8.5 mill per at 2 years ain't bad, even if he's hurt. We're paying Schmidt much more than that, and Sheets has Cy Young potential. If we were willing to pay 45 mill for 2 years to a cranky, aging (but still good) slugger, why not 17 mill to a 30-year old ace with an injury-filled past who still threw 200 IP last year?
Didn't know Wade could be a starter as someone else suggested? Any truth to that?
Posted by: VA Dodger | January 29, 2009 at 11:37 AM
Don't forget, the Dodgers are considering Troncoso for a rotation spot. So pencil him in at #5.
Posted by: FHR | January 29, 2009 at 11:38 AM
Sheets is an injury risk, yes, but right now I'd call our other options for the 4-5 spots "risks" as well, though in a different sense. If the biggest argument against Sheets is that we don't know how much we will get back from him, well, you could ask the same question about any other options out there. Take the plunge Ned.
Posted by: Mike G | January 29, 2009 at 03:38 PM