My Kingdom for a Bat
It’s being said that the Dodgers, if they have any hopes of staying in the race, need to get another bat.
That’s easy to say from a computer terminal or behind a microphone, but let’s look a little closer. Exactly where will this “bat” play?
The Dodgers have a solid middle infield in Kent and Izturis, and Antonio Perez has shown that he can handle the duties at third base. He’s also hitting well. Hee Seop Choi has hardly been my favorite player, but Paul DePodesta seems to be in love with the guy.
In the outfield, the problem isn’t a lack of outfielders, it’s a lack of healthy outfielders. When J.D. Drew, Milton Bradley, and Jayson Werth are healthy, they’re perfectly serviceable. The problem over the last month has been that they haven’t never been in the lineup together. Even Ricky Ledee, the fourth outfielder has been injured.
If the Dodgers were to get another “bat” they would end up with too many outfielders when everybody got healthy again. That’s supposedly a problem every manager wants, but you have to give up something to get something. It would be foolhardy to trade away somebody valuable to get a player who will become a spare part when the lineup returns to full strength.
There are two exceptions to this scenario: 1) the player the Dodgers give up plays the same position as the one being acquired. For example, Todd Helton for Hee Seop Choi (oh please, oh please!) and anybody else the Rockies want. 2) The player the Dodgers get is so good that one of the outfielders (probably Werth) becomes a part-time player and Ledee becomes a pinch-hitter extraordinaire.
Those scenarios all require a lot more negotiations than simply acquiring “a bat.” The Dodgers have to find a team who wants what they’re selling. If what they were selling were any good, he’d be playing now. Then again, Billy Beane has shown a willingness to give away frontline starting pitchers for mediocre relievers. Maybe a Barry Zito for Franquelis Osoria and Steve Schmoll deal could be in the works.
That’s easy to say from a computer terminal or behind a microphone, but let’s look a little closer. Exactly where will this “bat” play?
The Dodgers have a solid middle infield in Kent and Izturis, and Antonio Perez has shown that he can handle the duties at third base. He’s also hitting well. Hee Seop Choi has hardly been my favorite player, but Paul DePodesta seems to be in love with the guy.
In the outfield, the problem isn’t a lack of outfielders, it’s a lack of healthy outfielders. When J.D. Drew, Milton Bradley, and Jayson Werth are healthy, they’re perfectly serviceable. The problem over the last month has been that they haven’t never been in the lineup together. Even Ricky Ledee, the fourth outfielder has been injured.
If the Dodgers were to get another “bat” they would end up with too many outfielders when everybody got healthy again. That’s supposedly a problem every manager wants, but you have to give up something to get something. It would be foolhardy to trade away somebody valuable to get a player who will become a spare part when the lineup returns to full strength.
There are two exceptions to this scenario: 1) the player the Dodgers give up plays the same position as the one being acquired. For example, Todd Helton for Hee Seop Choi (oh please, oh please!) and anybody else the Rockies want. 2) The player the Dodgers get is so good that one of the outfielders (probably Werth) becomes a part-time player and Ledee becomes a pinch-hitter extraordinaire.
Those scenarios all require a lot more negotiations than simply acquiring “a bat.” The Dodgers have to find a team who wants what they’re selling. If what they were selling were any good, he’d be playing now. Then again, Billy Beane has shown a willingness to give away frontline starting pitchers for mediocre relievers. Maybe a Barry Zito for Franquelis Osoria and Steve Schmoll deal could be in the works.
posted by John Rosenthal @ 8:35 PM
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