Timm's Two Cents

Ned Colletti was smart not to sign Clayton Kershaw to a long term deal today.  That two-year contract worth $19 million sounds just about right.  Of course, we'd all love to see Kershaw spend his entire Hall of Fame career here in L.A., right?  So I imagine some fans are disappointed at the length of the contract.

But let's be real.  MLB's path to free agency is designed to protect owners from themselves. Having the ability to renew contracts of players early on and then go through several years of arbitration before hitting free agency helps stabilize an organization and keeps teams from committing to a player too soon.  To that end, I appreciate what the Giants have done with Tim Lincecum and what the Phillies have done up until now with Cole Hamels.  Face it: the risk of injury - especially to a pitcher - is great.  Lincecum and Hamels will get their big payday soon enough.  We all know that.

And so will Clayton Kershaw.  But that time is not now.  No, I don't expect Kershaw to become a mere mortal in the next couple of years. It seems laughable that he could lose his touch and post an ERA over 4.00 for an entire season.  But it could happen.  Or maybe next season he feels a twinge, plays through some pain without telling anyone, and the next thing you know he is laid up on Dr. Jobe's table undergoing Tommy John surgery.  It could happen.

Look, there will always be risk involved with signing any pitcher to a long term deal.  Which is why this short term contract - given that there is no fear of losing him to another team - makes complete sense.  Look for Kershaw to sign a well-deserved eight-year contract after the 2013 season.

Timm's Two Cents

Just one more reason to despise Frank McCourt.

If you gotta ask why, just take a look in Detroit.

Timm's Two Cents

Everybody's talking about it these days.  Heck, everybody has been talking about it for months.  I have been talking about it for two years.  Prince Fielder is coming to the Dodgers.

Is that a fact?  Of course not.  But as more and more of us continue to speculate on why Fielder has yet to sign, it seems reasonable that Scott Boras, who is infamous for his patience, is waiting on the Dodgers.  With the Red Sox, Yankees, Phillies, and Angels all sitting this one out, there are few teams left that can offer Fielder the zillions of dollars that Boras is holding out for.

And really, what's the rush?  If you're Prince you can afford to wait until the beginning of March to sign, can't you?  I mean, what, he needs to sign a contract for less money than he would get from the Dodgers just so he can be in camp mid-February?  What on earth for?

And remember:  incoming owners have been able to influence personnel decisions prior to actually taking over the team.  Remember Vladimir Guerrero?  Vlad was on his way to the Dodgers prior to the 2004 season but our buddy Frank, who was in the midst of purchasing the team, squelched the idea and the Angels swooped in to grab him.  

What's to say the opposite can't happen here?  If I'm bidding $1 billion-plus for the Dodgers, I'm thinking about maximizing revenue immediately.  If I'm one of the finalists, I'm asking Frank to sign Fielder in order to sell more tickets and to present myself as the savior of the franchise.  Makes sense, don't it?

Too much sense, indeed.

I'll say it again:  Prince Fielder is coming to the Dodgers.

Timm's Two Cents

So the Dodgers have signed third baseman Josh Fields to a minor league contract.  Not a bad deal, really.  Fields hit 23 homers in 400+ at-bats in 2007 for the White Sox - the only season in which he amassed regular playing time.

Over a full season of 594 projected plate appearances, Baseball Reference tells that he could hit 25 bombs, drive in 80 runs, and walk 52 times.  OK, so he'd only hit .234 with a .303 OBP, but still.  Isn't this the kind of numbers we're expecting from Juan Uribe?  You know, that guy the Dodgers are paying $8 million for in 2012?

Look, Josh Fields isn't that great of player and he may be a complete bust.  It's just that from all of the veteran retreads Ned has blessed us with over the past few weeks, at age 28, Fields looks like the right kind of gamble.

The Rumor Mill

I've been secretly holding out hope that Ned Colletti will, in fact, land Prince Fielder.  As far fetched as it all seems, it remains number one on my Christmas list.

And now there's this tidbit from ESPN Chicago:  The Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers are reportedly the main suitors for Fielder at this point, with the Cubs still in the running.

I choose to have hope.  For reasons I've explained in recent posts, it just makes too much sense.

New Jackie Robinson Movie

Harrison Ford and Chadwick Boseman have officially joined the case of Legendary Pictures' upcoming Jackie Robinson biopic, 42, the studio announced today. Boseman, a relative newcomer, will play Robinson while Ford will play Branch Rickey, the Major League Baseball executive who signed him. Full details from the official press release are here.

Timm's Two Cents

And here we are: the Winter Meetings.  This is usually one of the most exciting times of the whole baseball year.  But alas, not this year.  In fact, one has to wonder why Ned Colletti is even attending.  What's he got to do?  He's made his list, checked it twice, and he's apparently quite satisfied with a team that had a decent half season last year.

Of course, we all know that Ned's days are numbered.  Any new owner will "Dan Evans" him in a heartbeat.  You remember how it works:  tell Ned that his position is being flown but that he is welcome to apply for it.  You interview a half dozen GM candidates and, guess what? You find someone with no experience who is more qualified than he is.

Still, if Ned can pull a rabbit out of his mustache this week, he might be able to save his job with a new owner.  I'm serious.  All he has to do is find a way to land Prince Fielder.  And yes, it can be done.  I know, I know, I've said this a time or two before.  It's just that it seems so reasonable:  Non-tendering James Loney and trading Andre Ethier for nothing more than a barrel full of prospects could save as much as $17 million for next season.  Hand Fielder one of those back-loaded contracts that only pays him $16 million this year and you've got a brand new look to the Los Angeles Dodgers.  A look that becomes more appealing to prospective buyers of the team, season ticket holders, TV executives, and even Frank McCourt himself as the perceived value of the team will only rise.

Like I said, Colletti's days are numbered.  And Dodgers fans can mostly ignore these Winter Meetings and get on with our lives...

Timm's Two Cents

Loney.  Ellis.  Gordon.  Uribe.  Just rolls right off the tongue, eh?  In a few years we'll all be talking about the 2012 infield like those guys who played in the '70s and '80s.  Garvey....and some others....

Yup.  Just say it again:  Loney, Ellis, Gordon, Uribe.  It just sounds like championship baseball, doesn't it?  

All kidding aside, the offensive potential here is actually quite good.  (Sorry if I just made you spit out of your nose).  Loney could hit .295 with 20 homers and 90 RBIs.  Ellis could hit .285 with 15 homers and 65 RBIs.  Gordon could slap .305 and steal 50 bases.  And Uribe could hit .270 with 22 homers and 80 RBIs. Independently, each of these guys is capable of such numbers.  Realistically, none of it will happen.

You don't need me to remind you about Loney's inconsistency, Ellis' recent injury woes and decline, Gordon's inexperience, and Uribe's uribeness.  This infield has offensive disaster written all over it.

Note to Ned - just because the market for a particular position is downright thing, doesn't mean you have to jump in head first before they run out of stock.  At this stage of his career, is Mark Ellis really that much of an upgrade over Aaron Miles that you had to commit to two years of his mediocreness?  At triple the price?

I'm guessing Ned tried to hide the Ellis signing in the shadows of the Matt Kemp extension.  (Nice work on that one, BTW.)  But as much as I'd like to spend a column declaring praises about the Kemp contract, it was really a no-brainer.  We expected Ned to figure that one out.  

But the Mark Ellis signing rings of something else.  Call it a non-brainer.

Timm's Two Cents

From ESPN.com: The Los Angeles Dodgers will not be able to bid on free agents such as Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols until the team is sold, a source close to Dodgers owner Frank McCourt told ESPN.com on Wednesday.  I call bunk.

That is, Major League Baseball is not declaring that L.A. cannot bid on free agents.  Didn't Ned just get the scoop of the year by signing free agent Juan Rivera for $4.5 million guaranteed?  If MLB forbade the Dodgers to bid on free agents, why did they allow the Rivera signing?  Certainly, $4.5 million is a far cry from the zillions that Pujols or Fielder will surely get.  Is this "source" suggesting that the Dodgers can only sign free agents for under "X" number of dollars?  That doesn't make sense.  Read on...

Perhaps the source is alluding to some notion that the team is not allowed to commit to a team budget over "X" number of dollars for the 2012 season.  Meaning, that L.A. would have to operate under a similar budget that they had last season.  I can actually fathom MLB doing this.  (And again, I'm speculating a ton here.)

However, even if there is a budget ceiling on the Dodgers imposed by MLB, why would that keep them from bidding on Prince Fielder?  What if Ned wanted to trade Andre Ethier, James Loney, and Chad Billingsley for prospects, shrink the payroll, and then sign Prince while still remaining under the budget ceiling?

See my point?

There is no way that MLB has told the Dodgers that they cannot bid on Prince or Albert.

However, the "source" quoted by ESPN does not say that these sanctions are being imposed by MLB.  Perhaps Frank McNugget has a self-imposed budget ceiling.  This I can understand.  Most of us assume that Frank will not splurge for a premium free agent this winter.  But to suggest that the Dodgers cannot bid on any free agent such as Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols is folly.  Won't is more like it.

And for that, again, we have Frank - and Frank alone - to thank.

Timm's Two Cents

Admit it.  You thought today was Christmas.  Or perhaps April Fool's Day.

Either way, the news of Frank McCourt finally agreeing to sell the Dodgers had to put a smile on your face.  It did mine.

And with recent news that Peter O'Malley is interested in running the Dodgers again, well, that has me beaming too.  Sure, O'Malley is an owner of a time gone by.  But what a time it was!  I find his goal a bit lofty, but I'm guessing it would be welcomed by some three million fans.  

However, as with any official agreement with Frank, the sale of the Dodgers is probably not going to happen smoothly, despite the pledge from MLB that the process would be expedited.  The courts be damned, Frank will hold on tooth and nail to squeeze every last dime into his pocket.  To think that this was a complete white-flag surrender would be folly. 

Going forward, I expect Ned & Co. to operate this winter business as usual.  A Juan Rivera signing here.  An aging starter there.  He'll grab a reliever or two.  And sign a Jamey Carroll-type.  At best, Ned might pull a rabbit out of his mustache via an unheralded trade.  But alas, there will be no Prince Fielder - or the like - coming to the Ravine in 2012, unless it's to the visitor's dugout.

With all of that, I don't think the 2012 Dodgers will be constructed significantly different than they were towards the end of last season.  I hope I'm wrong, of course.  

For now, I'll look forward to 2013 - when the Dodgers can be "THE DODGERS" again.  For real.

Timm's Two Cents

So it's been a while, eh?  Far too long, indeed, since I've had the site updated.  Apologies all around.  Truth be told I started a new job in September and have had to make adjustments to my priorities.  Rest assured, I'll be back.  Probably some time after the World Series.  But with all of the lawsuits and the near assurance that we won't see any big name free agents wearing Dodger Blue next season, there's still not a lot to get excited about. 

But one thing is for sure:  when I've got something to say, I'll say it.

The Rumor Mill

In case you missed it, Ken Gurnick spoke with Ned Colletti the other day about the 2012 roster.  Here's the important stuff:

Because of Rafael Furcal's trade and free agents that could leave, the Dodgers could have as much as $50 million coming off the payroll in 2012. Colletti didn't rule out speculation that the Dodgers might make a run at a major offensive free agent -- Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols are in this year's crop. 

He also said James Loney's offensive resurgence after a mysterious one-year slump has somewhat changed the club's view of the first baseman, who is entering his final year of arbitration eligibility. 

_____

Colletti reiterated that signing outfielders Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier to multiyear deals is "up there in the top echelon of priorities." They both will be entering their final season before free-agent eligibility in 2012. Colletti also said he might try to do the same with Clayton Kershaw, who is entering his first year of arbitration eligibility and will remain under the club's control for at least three more seasons. 

_____

He's also interested in bringing back starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda, despite indications that Kuroda might want to return and play in Japan before retiring. 

"If he wants to come back," said Colletti, "I'd love to entertain it."

Interpret freely.