Key Additions- Brad Ausmus, Garrett Anderson
Key Losses- Orlando Hudson, Randy Wolf
Overview-
Amidst the owners divorce stories, no key offseason additions, the age of Manny Ramirez, and the lack of pitching and depth, Dodger fan may be a little worried that their chokehold on the division the last couple of years may be slipping. However there are several reasons why that wont happen this year, but one reason stands out more than any.....Joe Torre. This is a manager that has not finished worse than 2nd place in his respective division since 1995. He has not missed the playoffs since that same year. He is a winner, his teams are always winners and as long as he is at the healm, the Dodgers will remain favorites in the division. Now, it does seem the organization is trying to make it more and more difficult for Mr. Torre this year with them letting their all star second baseman and their second best starter walk without any significant offseason acquisition. With that being said, this is a team that won 95 games last season, the most in the National League and are still the most talented in the division. Look for more of the same in 2010.
Infield-
Russell Martin when healthy is the best catcher in the divsion, period. The operative word being healthy. Although it has been reported he is going to be ready opening day after recovering from a groin injury all offseason, their backup is Brad Ausmus. Yes the same Brad Ausmus that played for the Padres in the early 90's. Needless to say Martins health is a big key for the Dodgers success this season. The rest of the infield is made up of James Loney, who is an all star in waiting, Ronnie Belliard, Rafael Furcal, who also when healthy is the best at his position in the division and Casey Blake at the hot corner. This is a good infield, but the lack of depth may raise some red flags.
Outfield-
Manny Ramirez, Matt Kemp and Andre Etheir make up the best outfield in the West and maybe in the National League. With a 2009 combined average close to .300, 76 home runs and 270 RBI's the Dodgers will live and die by this trio. Manny Ramirez is a first ballot Hall of Famer, and although he did struggle late last season and has made it clear this is the last season as a Dodger, he is still the one guy in their lineup opposing pitchers fear most. Andre Eitheir quietly put together a remarkable season last year topping 30 home runs and 100 RBI's and looks primed to put together similar numbers this year. That leaves Matt Kemp, who in my opinion is the best outfielder in the league. Not only does he play spectacular defense, he hits home runs, drives in men in scoring position and is also a thief on the base paths. Look for him to have an MVP type season in 2010.
Starting Pitching-
Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw make a nice one two punch and Hiroki Kuroda is a formidable number three, but the rotation stops there. This has to be a concern for the Dodgers entering this season. With Vincente Padilla as their number four, and no fifth starter named yet, this is the Dodgers biggest weakness. They will have to get some unexpected productivity from some unknowns to maintain that amazing 611 total runs scored against last season. I feel the loss of Randy Wolf, although not a blockbuster name, will hurt this team worse than expected. The good news for Dodger fan is with Billingsley, a 2009 all star and Kershaw at the top, they give this team a chance to win every time the are on the mound.
Relief Pitching-
Jonathan Broxton is an absolute beast. The guy is built more like an offensive lineman than a closer and he rounds out a pretty solid relief core for this team. Geroge Sherrill, Ramon Troncoso, and Ronald Belisario are a nice compliment to Broxton and should be very difficult to score runs against. There were talks of health concerns with Belesario entering this season, but it looks as though he will be healthy and ready for opening day. Great news for the Dodgers because this guy is big and nasty and will be a closer before his career is over.
Projection-
As I said before this is the Dodgers division to lose. Although the other four teams are gaining significant ground, this team has too many weapons and too savvy of a manger to let it slip in 2010. Look for Matt Kemp to put up an MVP type season and the Dodgers to come away with the division crown once again.
Projected record: 89-73 1st place NL West
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