The 2012/13 Offseason Thread

Discussion in 'Los Angeles DODGERS' started by BigDaddyKaine, Oct 2, 2012.

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  1. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    Do the Dodgers have a Top 10 lineup?
    By Mark Saxon | ESPNLosAngeles.com
    January, 3, 2013 | 10:58 AM PT

    [​IMG]

    ESPN's Buster Olney blogged about the 10 best lineups in baseball and the Dodgers didn't make the cut in a list that started with the beefed-up Angels and ended with the aging-but-still impressive New York Yankees.

    Let's assume for the moment the Dodgers lineup looks something like this by May 1 or so, when everyone figures to be recovered from surgery:
    • Carl Crawford LF
    • Mark Ellis 2B
    • Matt Kemp CF
    • Adrian Gonzalez 1B
    • Hanley Ramirez SS
    • Andre Ethier RF
    • Luis Cruz 3B
    • A.J. Ellis C
    • pitcher
    The Dodgers would have former All-Stars in six spots in their lineup. They would have five players who routinely hit 20 or more home runs. They would have one of the fastest players alive, Crawford, leading off and two of the best pure hitters in the game, Kemp and Gonzalez, in the middle. They would have ideal and rare lefty-righty balance, making it hard for opposing managers to defuse the action late in games.

    There is a lot to like. Maybe they'll even be able to go one offseason without firing their hitting coach.

    However, there are also reasons to think this could be an overrated -- and certainly overpaid -- bunch. Crawford, 31, is coming off elbow surgery and has batted .260 with a fairly brutal .292 on-base percentage since 2010. Gonzalez still drives in runs, but his raw power is slip-sliding away. He hit 40 home runs playing at cavernous Petco Park in 2009, 31 the next year, 27 the year after that and 18 last season. Sensing a trend?

    Ramirez peaked at age 25 in 2009 and has come nowhere close to equaling that MVP-caliber production. Since then, the only number that has held steady is his home run totals. Nobody has been able to convince him to stop swinging for the fences as his other skills have atrophied.

    You don't have much to worry about with Kemp other than whether his surgically repaired left shoulder will hold up, but that's no trifle. Ethier is steady as long as the pitcher agrees to throw with his right hand. The most you can expect from the two Ellises and Cruz is a solid season, though you can hope they surprise you.

    Most of the Dodgers players are either at their projected peak, age-wise, or beginning the downslope, so you probably can't assume a drastic improvement from anybody. The best-case scenario is that they are who they thought they were and, if so, that's not too shabby.

    So, top 11, maybe?

    _
     
    irish, Jan 3, 2013
    #2601
  2. C2ThaB81

    C2ThaB81 DSP Legend

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    I would rather not have a top 10 anything. No pressure to perform. Last season that was our downfall IMO. Everyone trying to do too much to meet expectations brought on by the media. We all know we have talent offensively, defensively and pitching. As long as we finish #1 in the standings and with some hardware at the end of the season that's all that matters to me.
     
    C2ThaB81, Jan 3, 2013
    #2602
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  3. bestlakersfan

    bestlakersfan DSP Legend

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    I'd rather have top 3 everything.
     
    bestlakersfan, Jan 3, 2013
    #2603
  4. VRP

    VRP DSP Legend

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    Lol what? Ethier, Kemp, A-Gon and Hanley. No one else on that starting lineup between the two Ellis', Crawford and Cruz have ever hit 20 home runs ONCE. Who edited this article?
     
    VRP, Jan 3, 2013
    #2604
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  5. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    low risk potential high reward
    .303/.358/.463 in aa in 2010, .298/.331/.545 in aaa in 2011
    • The Dodgers signed outfielder Jeremy Moore, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America. Moore ranked as the Angels' No. 11 prospect after the 2011 season but missed all of last year after having hip surgery. Eddy writes that Moore may lack the plate discipline to ever play regularly but could provide a cheap source of power, speed, and defensive versatility in the outfield. Moore hit .298/.331/.545 with 15 homers for the Halos' Triple-A affiliate in 2011.
    link
     
    irish, Jan 4, 2013
    #2605
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  6. 4everblue

    4everblue DSP Regular

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    no faith in AJ hitting 20 jacks???

    I remember how Ned would say every year that we had 5 players capable of hitting 20 HRs in Kemp, Ethier, Loney, Russ and the mighty Beard (who still lives in my avatar)...
     
    4everblue, Jan 4, 2013
    #2606
  7. bestlakersfan

    bestlakersfan DSP Legend

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    This guy is chump change in comparison to SVS.
     
    bestlakersfan, Jan 4, 2013
    #2607
  8. 4everblue

    4everblue DSP Regular

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    then he's worthless, cuz SVS is a chump himself...
     
    4everblue, Jan 4, 2013
    #2608
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  9. grizz

    grizz DSP Regular

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    Top Ten Lineups Onley has are:

    1) Anahiem
    2) Milwaukee
    3) Cardinals
    4) Texas
    5) Washington
    6) Boston
    7) Colorado
    8) Toronto
    9) Cincinnati
    10) NYY
     
    grizz, Jan 4, 2013
    #2609
  10. LAFord

    LAFord DSP Legend

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    Wow...Boston, Colorado...really?
     
    LAFord, Jan 4, 2013
    #2610
  11. Dodgers99

    Dodgers99 DSP Legend

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    They were both top 10 in the bigs in runs last year.
     
    Dodgers99, Jan 4, 2013
    #2611
  12. Doughty8

    Doughty8 DSP Legend

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    Agree with Angels no doubt. Mil I guess but can Braun keep repeating his performance. Washington hmm, if LaRoche signs I guess yeah. Boston's line-up another year older and no Cody Ross. Cardinals just lost their hitting coach, Yankees without Swish and it's a pretty old line-up. Who really cares overall but with the "names" in our line-up I would think we'd be ranked higher.
     
    Doughty8, Jan 4, 2013
    #2612
  13. doyerfan

    doyerfan MODERATOR Staff Member Moderator

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    Theres two ways to look at the lineups thing... Either he is saying which 10 lineups will score the most, or which are the top 10 in a neutral park.

    If it's which lineups score the most, then these 10 maybe seem about right given that a lot of these teams have offensive favorable stadiums, but top 10 in a neutral park makes some of those teams questionable
     
    doyerfan, Jan 4, 2013
    #2613
  14. doyerfan

    doyerfan MODERATOR Staff Member Moderator

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    Might be wrong, and I'll make a real thread if it's official, but I believe the Dodgers have signed J.P Howell

    Pretty cool and necessary signing
     
    doyerfan, Jan 4, 2013
    #2614
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  15. bestlakersfan

    bestlakersfan DSP Legend

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    Haha, funny I was like if we got JP Howell this BP could be one of the greatest ever.

    Hopefully it is true. GREAT pickup if it is.
     
    bestlakersfan, Jan 4, 2013
    #2615
  16. 4everblue

    4everblue DSP Regular

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    Boston, Colorado and Milwaukee are not better than the Dodgers. Maybe if you factor in the parks, but they sony have what we have.

    Boston has Ellsbury (who was injured all year, so if they tale ponts from Kemp because of injury he also loses value), Ortiz (also injured), Pedroia (injured), Victorino (sucked lasr year), drew (sucked), Middlebrooks (unproven), Salty (cant hit water if jumping off a boat), and napoli (if they signf him, who is injured and was horrible last year).

    Colorado has Tulo, Cargo and Fowler. Thats it. Oh, and Eric Young Jr who plays like a star onñy against the dodgers.

    The Brewers have Braun and Aramis. Nothing else.
     
    4everblue, Jan 4, 2013
    #2616
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  17. THINKBLUE

    THINKBLUE DSP Gigolo

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    Yeah, kind of.

    A little embellished but I agree.
     
    THINKBLUE, Jan 4, 2013
    #2617
  18. Dodgers99

    Dodgers99 DSP Legend

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    Dodgers99, Jan 4, 2013
    #2618
  19. THINKBLUE

    THINKBLUE DSP Gigolo

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    He's had a few good years and is young and left handed. Don't know why he hasn't been signed yet but I like it. Elbert blows.
     
    THINKBLUE, Jan 4, 2013
    #2619
  20. Dodgers99

    Dodgers99 DSP Legend

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    Done deal.

    Eric Stephen ‏@truebluela
    RT @Buster_ESPN: J.P. Howell agreed to terms with the Dodgers. A left-hander for a very deep bullpen.

    Howell, Paco, Belisario, League and Jansen is pretty awesome.
     
    Dodgers99, Jan 4, 2013
    #2620
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