DODGERS RECAP: Colletti doesn't expect wholesale changes

Coaching's not the problem. Management's not the problem. It comes down to the players not performing. Too much hype for these guys to live up to apparently.
Kuroda, Lilly, Padilla: You have to bring all these pitchers back. What else do the Dodgers have for starters? Why look around for others when these 3 will do just fine.
Kershaw's a budding ace. Billingsley's coming around, but then that's what I thought 2 years ago.
Hitting's the problem.
Matt Kemp could be the Dodger's Kobe Bryant, but he seems to be too non-chalant about things. Strike out? Oh well, I'll come up again. Strike out again? Oh well..."Whatever happens, happens." A winner like Kobe Bryant doesn't say that. YOU'RE A PRO! YOU FIGURE IT OUT AND MAKE IT HAPPEN! Kemp reminds me too much of Adrian Beltre.
Alot of these guys need to grow up. They get too down on themselves and take everyone else with them. These Dodgers can be really good. Trouble is, with some of them it might need to be with another team before they finally do some "growing up".

ethier, billingsley, kershaw and kuo are the only untouchables. maybe they should gibbons a contract and let him play in one of the corner spots
loney and kemp could bring in pitching and/or hitting. aramis ramirez from cubs for loney? zambrano and another player for kemp?
i admire furcal for all he has endured but he's brittle.

The McCourt fiasco asside, here is my free tip to any Dodger player who might read this:

"STOP ACTING LIKE YOU HAVE WON SOMETHING!!! GO OUT AND COMPETE EVERYDAY!!! Shut your yappers, stop worrying about your personal lives, girlfriends, what the fans and media say and play hard and win something. The attitude of this team this year was so underwhelming it was torrid. Two years ago Martin, Kemp, Loney, and Ethier all were bright eyed kids just happy for a chance...now they all act like they have done something spectacular...which, i might point out, they have not!

Win and then see how the city of LA will open up to you.

This is my top list of free agents (some have mutual or club options so they might not be available):

1. Cliff Lee
2. Ted Lilly
3. Hiroki Kuroda
4. Bronson Arroyo ($11M club option/$2M buyout)
5. Jon Garland ($6.75M mutual option/$600k buyout)
6. Carl Pavano
7. Erik Bedard ($8M mutual option)
8. Jorge De La Rosa
9. Vicente Padilla
10. Chris Young

A combination of one of 1 of my top 4 and 2 of my bottom six, plus Kershaw and Billingsley would be a well rounded rotation.

I would also sign one of the following outfielders:

1. Carl Crawford
2. Jayson Werth
3. Jason Kubel
4. Johny Gomes

This would give the Dodgers the best outfield in the majors. I would let Casey Blake play third and give Russ Mitchell one more year to develop in AAA and call him up next September for good. I would trade Russell Martin and resign Barajas with AJ Ellis backing him up. I would trade James Loney and Ryan Theriot + prostpect to Florida for Dan Uggla and give 1B to Jay Gibbons who will hit at least 20 HRs in a full season.

The staring lineup would be:

1. Rafael Furcal (SS)
2. Crawford/Kubel/Werth/Gomes (LF)
3. Andre Ethier (RF)
4. Dan Uggla (2B)
5. Matt Kemp (CF)
6. Casey Blake (3B)
7. Jay Gibbons (1B)
8. Rod Barajas (C)

Starting Pitchers (realistic):

1. Clayton Kershaw
2. Chad Billingsley
3. Ted Lilly
4. Hiroki Kuroda
5. Vicente Padilla

I know this is too good to be true, but what do you all think?

It doesn't look like they'll be to many changes, which I'm happy with but they have a habit of doing things that are very unexpected.

Oh and i forgot to mention, this would only work in the Dodgers are willing to spend... but we all know they're not.

It's all Frankie's fault, I told him to feed the beaver he didn't want to, he was busy smiling for pix & putting a crease in his tie, now he is bangin a hot Latina & I am fightin for MY team.....I always wanted to own a baseball team, and be POTUS, and fly to the Moon, and own the Hope diamond, and have a house with Olympic pool just for swimming...I am voting for MEG, she will cut CA taxes for me!!

What me worry??????

3,ooo,ooo of the PT Barnum'ites will show as long as I put a light on & I get parking $$ too!

Thanks a lot for ruining our proud team you IDIOT McCourt. We all hate you and want you to go back to Boston and get the hell out away from our team. You are a cancer. Nice way to use Dodgers money like your personal bank account all the time. Sell the team and GO HOME!

Dodger need really good pitching staff. Broxton should not be used as closing pitcher at all in 2011 season. why can you scout good young players for low cost like Angles?
very frustrated Dodger fan.

You can chalk this year up to the curse of "VIVA LOS DODGERS".

There should not be any trades during the season. Everyone knows that's wrong.

Delusional. The Dodgers have NO money. They have $20M in dead payroll (money owed to Manny, Andruw, Juan, Schmidt and Nomar in 2011). If you non-tender Martin and Sherill, and you don't re-sign Kuroda, Lilly and Padilla, the remaining payroll is about $75M. That's $95M including the dead money, and is about what they spent last year. Translation - if they keep the same budget as last year, they have the same players, except that the last three starters are Ely, Monasterios and Charlie Hager (or Moe, Larry and Curly if you prefer the Stooges). That's a prescription for a 70 win team. If they want to add $20M, they can bring back Kuroda, Lilly and Padilla, and that team won 80 games. Does anyone thing the Dodgers are going to add $20M to payroll? Good luck.

Greg wrote:

Delusional. The Dodgers have NO money. They have $20M in dead payroll (money owed to Manny, Andruw, Juan, Schmidt and Nomar in 2011). If you non-tender Martin and Sherill, and you don't re-sign Kuroda, Lilly and Padilla, the remaining payroll is about $75M. That's $95M including the dead money, and is about what they spent last year. Translation - if they keep the same budget as last year, they have the same players, except that the last three starters are Ely, Monasterios and Charlie Hager (or Moe, Larry and Curly if you prefer the Stooges). That's a prescription for a 70 win team. If they want to add $20M, they can bring back Kuroda, Lilly and Padilla, and that team won 80 games. Does anyone thing the Dodgers are going to add $20M to payroll? Good luck.

Actually, if the dodgers non-tender Martin & Sherrill, and assuming that Loney, Theriot Billingsley and Kuo get $4.5M,$3.5M,$5.5M, and $2.5M, respectively, they will have a payroll of $80M (including the deferred money). But they would still need to find a catcher, a left fielder, 3 starting pitchers, a bench and a few relievers. You can't do that with just $15M or $20M to work with. Broxton is due to make $7M next year. Maybe trading him and getting something good in return but much cheaper would be a good idea. Jansen, Kuo, Belisario and Troncoso will not suffice though. There are cheaper options for LF. But Ethier and Kemp must have a better year next year. It will be an interesting offseason.

It is a shame that a promising dodger team was undermined by the divorce of the Mccourts. I hope they keep the pitchers they have (they can let padilla go). Pitching is not the problem, the dodgers need a big bat a bonafide run producer. Pitching was not the problem this year, scoring runs for those pitchers was the problem. I hope that Frank can return to a focus of putting a winning product on the field for next year.

After two close calls, trying to chase down Philly, it was apparant this spring that the D's were not given the necessary tools (ie...proven thumper, proven closer, proven ace) to compete for a title. If I felt it, as a hack fan...chances are, so did the players...and their lackluster play seems to bear that out. The KC and Pittsburgh ways just don't cut it in this town. I can't believe what I'm about to say.....until the Mc Court's are eradicated from this equation, I'll root for my new favorite, gutsy, spirited bunch. GO GINTS!!!

Phil Corn wrote:

After two close calls, trying to chase down Philly, it was apparant this spring that the D's were not given the necessary tools (ie...proven thumper, proven closer, proven ace) to compete for a title. If I felt it, as a hack fan...chances are, so did the players...and their lackluster play seems to bear that out. The KC and Pittsburgh ways just don't cut it in this town. I can't believe what I'm about to say.....until the Mc Court's are eradicated from this equation, I'll root for my new favorite, gutsy, spirited bunch. GO GINTS!!!

I feel your pain... but unfortunately i hate the Giants to much to get in their band wagon. But good luck!

Dana A wrote:

It is a shame that a promising dodger team was undermined by the divorce of the Mccourts. I hope they keep the pitchers they have (they can let padilla go). Pitching is not the problem, the dodgers need a big bat a bonafide run producer. Pitching was not the problem this year, scoring runs for those pitchers was the problem. I hope that Frank can return to a focus of putting a winning product on the field for next year.

You're absolutely right... starting pitcher was not tbe problem when most of your starters had ERAs under 4.00, and one (Kershaw) with an ERA under 3.00

We need ONE big bat, to resign our starters, and to strengthen the bullpen. If we can achieve that, we'll be ok.

Billingsley, Kershaw, Lilly and Kuroda maybe. Padilla gone, Sherrill Gone Broxton stays but not as the closer. Sign Lilly for 2 years, as for Kemp he needs to dump Stewart thew Manager and Rhianna the disruptive Hoe.