Remaking the 2014 Los Angeles Dodgers

by Kevin Zeni

With the 2013 season now in the books, the Dodgers can now begin to dive headfirst into remaking their roster for next season.

The team got off to a fast start earlier this week, officially signing Cuban-defector Alexander Guerrero to a four-year $28-million dollar deal. While Guerrero is capable of playing shortstop, he is likely to get the first crack at becoming the Dodgers' starting second baseman entering Spring Training. Guerrero will not only bring a more potent bat than they got out of Mark Ellis, but could also potentially play a key role in helping the Dodgers' coaching staff tame the wild horse that is fellow Cuban ex-patriot Yasiel Puig.

Second Baseman/Shortstop Alexander Guerrero

The club is already set at catcher with both A.J. Ellis and backup Tim Federowicz, first base with Adrian Gonzalez, and all three outfield spots with the quartet of Puig, Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier, and Matt Kemp. With Kemp coming off significant surgeries and Ethier having struggled with his own injury issues towards the tail end of the season, GM Ned Colletti would be wise to hold on to all four outfielders in the likely event that one or more of them go down at points throughout the year.

Should the Dodgers make it to the trading deadline with all four outfielders still healthy, they could look into trading one of them for a need that may arise, and still have top prospect Joc Pederson waiting in the wings to be called upon if needed.

Outfielder Joc Pederson

In my opinion, the Dodgers would be wise to move Hanley Ramirez to third base now. When the team first acquired him last summer, that was the initial plan, and with his injuries that he suffered throughout the season, moving him to the hot corner may help reduce some of the wear and tear on his body. Another key component to this move is a lack of available third base talent in both the free agent and trade market.

With Ramirez now penciled in a third, that leaves an opening at shortstop that the Dodgers can fill with incumbent Dee Gordon or free agent Stephen Drew. I personally would like to see the Dodgers show some semblance of fiscal responsibility and have an open competition in the spring between Gordon, free agent and former Dodger Rafael Furcal (if he doesn't decide to retire), and free agent Clint Barmes.

Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, and Hyun-Jin Ryu are locked in as Los Angeles' top three starters, but the remaining two slots remain a mystery. The club could stay internal and mix and match a group that includes Josh Beckett, Chad Billinglsey, Matt Magill, and Stephen Fife, but Colletti is likely to bring in at least one free agent to fill a void until both Beckett and Billingsley prove to be fully recovered from their respective injuries. A popular option would be the return of Hiroki Kuroda, who never really wanted to leave Los Angeles in the first place. Hiroki would not only provide a reliable veteran presence, but he would also be relatively affordable and wouldn't block the path of top pitching prospect Zach Lee. Another option would be the return of Southern California native Ricky Nolasco. While I applauded the Nolasco trade at the time, the right-hander proved to be nothing more than a regular fourth starter and faltered mightily in the postseason. While I wouldn't completely rule him out as an option, he is likely to receive better, more prominent roles elsewhere.

Starting Pitcher Hiroki Kuroda

As we move to the bullpen, it is likely that Brian Wilson, who had an outstanding playoff run, will become a full-time closer elsewhere, re-opening the setup role for the likes of Ronald Belisario, Chris Withrow, Brandon League, and Javy Guerra. An outside option that the Dodgers have had some interest in for some time now is free agent Chris Perez, but he is likely to sign somewhere willing to hand him the closer role. J.P. Howell would be a wise investment in a returning role, though Colletti is likely to have some competition in luring the lefty back to LA. Onelki Garcia and Jose Dominguez are two youngsters the team could look to if they perform well in the spring, but shouldn't be counted on to fill prominent bullpen roles just yet.

The most difficult task the Dodgers face this offseason is that of adding more power to their bench, while maintaining the defensive flexibility that manager Don Mattingly loves so dearly. If Barmes were to be brought in, as mentioned earlier, he could fill either middle infield role and provide a slight offensive upgrade over Nick Punto. The team would also be wise to bring back Mark Ellis to serve as insurance in the event that Guerrero isn't quite major league ready, and hold onto him as a strong bench player or use him as trade bait. However, Ellis may be looking for one last chance to be a starter elsewhere.

Cesar Izturis and Michael Young could also provide infield flexibility. Young has a slightly more potent bat, though he didn't show that in his short backup role with the team last season, but Izturis is the greater defender. Juan Uribe could always return as well, if he is willing to take a pay cut from his last free agent deal with the team.

Outfielder Franklin Gutierrez

While the team is loaded in the outfield, they should target players like Franklin Gutierrez, Grady Sizemore, Jeff Baker, and Luke Scott, who would come in with no ego and expectation of starting, while also bringing a moderate power threat in a pinch-hitting role. Gutierrez and Sizemore have their health concerns, but would provide a higher upside than both Baker and Scott. However, Baker can play both corner outfield and infield spots, giving Mattingly more bench flexibility.

With these moves, the Dodgers should be among the favorites to make another strong postseason run, with this next one hopefully resulting in a World Series title.

Ideal 2014 Opening Day Roster:

Catchers: A.J. Ellis, Tim Federowicz

Infielders: Adrian Gonzalez, Alexander Guerrero, Dee Gordon, Hanley Ramirez, Mark Ellis, Rafael Furcal, Jeff Baker

Outfielders: Yasiel Puig, Andre Ethier, Carl Crawford, Matt Kemp, Franklin Gutierrez

Starting Rotation: Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Hiroki Kuroda, Matt Magill/Stephen Fife (Note: Magill and Fife will be place holders until Josh Beckett and Chad Billingsley are ready)

Bullpen: Kenley Jansen, J.P. Howell, Brian Wilson, Paco Rodriguez, Ronald Belisario, Chris Withrow

He's Baaaaaack...

by Kevin Zeni

Much to the chagrin of many baseball purists and fans of his former teams, the ever charismatic Manny Ramirez has returned to affiliated baseball, having signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers on Wednesday.

It has been reported that Ramirez will report to Texas' Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock today (July 4th) to begin working out with the rest of his Express teammates and will be activated shortly thereafter.

As in typical Manny fashion, his contract isn't so straightforward. In accordance with GM Jon Daniels' and President Nolan Ryan's no-nonsense attitude, part of Manny's contract states that the former slugger must cut his trademark locks and wear his uniform in a conventional fashion. So if Manny does indeed work his way back to the bigs, Rangers fans can expect to see a Manny who looks more like he did back in his Cleveland days, rather than in his Red Sox and Dodgers years.

While playing in Taiwan for the EDA Rhinos of the Chinese Professional Baseball League, Ramirez hit .352 with eight homers and 43 RBIs in 49 games. Those numbers were good for the third-best average and RBIs and a tie for the second-most home runs. While it's unclear how those stats will translate to Triple-A and Major League Baseball, they're a far cry from the .118 average (1-for-17) with one RBI that Manny hit in his five games with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011, prior to retiring due to a second performance enhancement suspension.

Prior to offering a contract, the Rangers' brass consulted with hitting coach Dave Magadan, who served in the same capacity during Manny's final two years in Boston. In an ESPN.com article by Todd Willis, Magadan was quoted as saying, "He's a born-again guy. That's a big part of his life. Hopefully that changes him in a good way. It usually does."

At first-glance this signing seems like a bit of a stretch for a team with one of the best records in baseball, however, when you look at the performance the Rangers are getting out of left field and DH, it certainly doesn't hurt for them to take a flyer on Ramirez and see what they can get out of the 41-year-old. He certainly can't do much worse than what they are getting out of David Murphy and Lance Berkman.

I do think that Manny can at least put up numbers similar to what he put up in Triple-A last season with Oakland's affiliate in Sacramento, where he batted .302 with a pair of doubles and 14 RBIs in 17 games for the RiverCats. However, if he is indeed capable of showcasing some of the power that he has in the past without using the crutch of performance-enhancing drugs, the Rangers just may have a capable left fielder and DH on their hands who possesses a much needed right-handed bat as well.

Latest Brawl May Be Just What Dodgers Need

by Kevin Zeni

When it comes to the 2013 Los Angeles Dodgers, one thing is for sure; Zack Greinke sure does know how to start a brawl. After prompting an early-season fracas with Carlos Quentin and the Padres, Greinke was once again the focal point of an all-out slugfest between the Boys in Blue and the Arizona Diamondbacks Tuesday night.

In all fairness, it wasn't just Greinke's fault, with an abundance of plunking going back and forth before all hell broke loose, as you can see in the video recap below, courtesy of MLB.com.

While the Dodgers' prior brawl with the Padres didn't exactly set the team ablaze, that brawl was more of a personal battle between Quentin and Greinke and not a team-wide battle against D-Backs starter Ian Kennedy's head-hunting pitching tactics. This could be just what the Dodgers need to galvanize the team into a cohesive unit and not just a collection of former All-Stars.

While watching the action occur last night, I couldn't help but think of the classic baseball comedy "Major League II" and how a fight was the catalyst for that team to break away from their diva mentality and regain their All-Star form that made them so successful the prior year. While the context of the fight isn't the same, I very much believe the same effect can be had for this Dodgers team.

                                    Video courtesy of funkstafunkie on YouTube

As of Wednesday afternoon, the commissioner's office has yet to announce any fines or suspensions, which could dampen the Dodgers' momentum if players such as Yasiel Puig and Ronald Belisario, who were both ejected following the brawl, are away from the team for an extended amount of time. However, their absence very well may have the opposite effect, with the team further strengthening their bond to make up for their teammates' absence. All I know is that things will sure be interesting when these two teams match up in their remaining 11 contests.

Ethier & Mattingly Both Seemingly on Their Way Out

by Kevin Zeni

After holding a healthy Andre Ethier out of the Dodgers' lineup on Wednesday afternoon, manager Don Mattingly simply explained his reasoning as wanting to put out his "most competitive lineup" that would "fight the hardest." He later added, "All grit and no talent isn’t going to make you successful. But all talent and no grit is not going to get you there, either."

With the Dodgers off to a dismal 19-26 start that has them sitting in last place in the NL West, it would appear that a change must be made to turn this so-called "All-Star team" into one that can legitimately contend for a title. After hearing Mattingly's comments, it has become clear that Ethier should no longer be the Dodgers everyday right fielder, and that despite his best efforts, the Dodgers need a manager that is better able to get a team of All-Star personalities to better co-exist in the clubhouse.

There are reports that the Dodgers have already internally discussed calling up top outfield prospects Joc Pederson or Spring Training sensation Yasiel Puig, who are both playing well at Double-A Chattanooga. While Pederson has better numbers, he has played in 12 more games than Puig, who missed time earlier in the season due to injury, and is two years younger than Puig. It stands to reason that Pederson should play another full season in the minors to better learn professional pitching and how to consistently make adjustments at the plate. Both men fit the grinder-type mentality that Mattingly is looking for, but Puig should be the guy to get the call having already proven what he can do in Spring and his familiarity with the Dodgers staff.

As for what to do with Ethier, I have perused every Major League roster and determined the two best landing spots for him would be the Boston Red Sox, who he has expressed an interest in playing for in the past, and the suddenly contending Kansas City Royals. Ethier would provide a platoon partner for Jonny Gomes with the Red Sox or Jeff Francoeur in Kansas City, giving either team a lefty-righty punch at the position.

Dodgers GM Ned Colletti could look to pry away Sox third base prospect Garin Cecchini or Royals lefty prospect Chris Dwyer in a deal. Cecchini would provide a future third base option to compete with last year's first-rounder Corey Seager, a spot that has given the Dodgers fits since Adrian Beltre left following the 2004 season, while Dwyer would give the Dodgers another left-hander that they can employ either out of the rotation or the bullpen.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers have internal options to replace Mattingly in third base coach Tim Wallach, who I believe would have first crack at the spot, and bench coach Trey Hillman. While Hillman has past managerial experience with the Kansas City Royals, it appears that Wallach's personality would better allow him to take command of the clubhouse and find ways to make this roster mesh in a more seamless fashion. Wallach also has managerial experience at the Minor League level and has interviewed for several managerial openings over the past couple of off-seasons.

Greinke & Quentin Share Equal Blame for Thursday Brawl

by Kevin Zeni

By now, people across the United States have all let their opinions be heard regarding exactly who is to blame for a brawl between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres on Thursday night that resulted in superstar pitcher Zack Greinke breaking his left collarbone.

Most place the bulk of the blame on Padres slugger Carlos Quentin for charging the mound after being hit by a 3-2 fastball in a one-run game, a situation in which Greinke couldn't have possibly been trying to hit him on purpose. There are also those who blame Greinke for egging on Quentin by saying something after the plunking and charging back towards him as he raced towards the mound.

The real answer is that they're both to blame for the stupidity that resulted on Thursday. Quentin, a veteran of seven big-league seasons, should know better than to assume Greinke is purposefully plunking him on a 3-2 pitch in the fifth inning of a one-run game, while Greinke shouldn't have mouthed off towards Quentin and lowered his shoulder into him.

If any team can withstand the loss of a pitcher of Greinke's caliber, it's the Dodgers, who have lefties Chris Capuano in the bullpen and Ted Lilly rehabbing in the minors. However, it's still frustrating to see the team lose an ace-level pitcher, being paid an exorbitant amount of money, for a minimum of eight weeks, simply because he wanted to be a tough guy.

Jay-Z Dives Deeper into Sports Realm

by Kevin Zeni

Rapper Jay-Z, currently a minority owner of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets, is further diversifying his sports interests by teaming up with sports agency CAA Sports, to create Roc Nation Sports, according to ESPN reporter Darren Rovell.

The man who "made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can" is kicking off his new agency with a splash, reportedly stealing Yankees second-baseman, and impending free agent, Robinson Cano away from super-agent Scott Boras.

For now, CAA is handling all things baseball, but it appears as if Jay-Z is interested in becoming a certified agent himself, not only in baseball, but also for basketball and football.

The fact that the entertainment side of Roc Nation has been thriving with such clients as Rihanna, Timbaland, and Shakira, bodes well for the new partnership, when you consider that CAA currently represents their own roster of star clients in Ryan Braun, Matt Cain, Buster Posey, and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Click here for Rovell's full story.