10-13-07 - The Dodgers Will Be Great in 2008… if they follow my plan!

After further review, I have decided that the youth movement needs to continue in earnest, within reason.  I think that Hu and LaRoche need to become starters in 2008, meaning that Nomar and Furcal are expendable.  I think Abreu is ready as well, but with our power issues, I am sure Jeff Kent is the best option at 2B for one more year, at least until LaRoche, Loney and Kemp develop their power numbers.  Let’s integrate Abreu into the starting lineup in 2009.  He’ll be a super-sub in 2008.  Of course, this could all change if Jeff Kent decides to retire or seeks a trade.

I do think we need to sign Jones or Hunter for CF.  Rowand won’t hit as many HR in LA, so I am not as high on him.  Hunter or Jones would allow us to move Pierre to LF, which would give us excellent OF defense - Pierre in LF, Hunter or Jones in CF and Kemp in RF. 

That leave Ethier as a trade piece.  So far, we have Ethier, Nomar and Furcal as players we could trade.  Add a couple of prospects… maybe Blake DeWitt or Lucas May, that we might want to part with, and even trade Lowe and/or Loaiza. 

Could we parlay all those players into a top starter like Johan Santana?

Think about it.

Can Ethier, Nomar, Furcal, DeWitt, May, Lowe and Loaiza  = 4 TOP PROSPECTS?  If they could, we could get Santana!  That would rid us of $37 million of contracts and allow us to sign Santana to a $25 mil per year deal.  That’s seven players we can trade - they have varying degrees of value, but I have to think we can get those 4 prospects!  I simply don’t want to trade any of ours.

Rotation:

1.  Santana
2.  Billingsley
3.  Penny
4.  Schmidt
5.  Wolf

… with McDonald, Kershaw, Houlton, Stultz and Kuo in reserve (minors).

Bullpen:

6.   Hull
7.   Seanez
8.   Proctor
9.   Meloan
10. Broxton
11. Beimel
12. Saito

Starting Lineup:

13. Pierre  LF
14. Martin  C
15. Kemp  RF
16. Loney  1B
17. Hunter  CF
18. Kent  2B
19. LaRoche  3B
20. Hu  SS

Reserves:

21.  Abreu  3B/SS/2B
22.  Sweeney  1B/LF/RF
23.  Young  LF/RF/2B
24.  Repko  LF/CF/RF
25.  Mueller C

That’s it - the bench is thin, but it will push more youngsters.  Let’s do it Ned!

Ken Gurnick of MLB.com answers some off season questions, including some tough ones about Jeff Kent.