12.29.04
It doesn’t look good for L.A.
The Dodgers have lost Adrian Beltre, Steve Finley and today Jose Lima. Meanwhile they dumped Alex Cora and haven’t picked Odalis Perez back up. DePodesta says starting pitching is priority 1, but the team didn’t get Tim Hudson, and is now after Derek Lowe, or Esteban Loaiza or Shawn Estes. Getting Jeff Kent and J.D. Drew should improve the offense, slightly.
Meanwhile the Giants got a closer, Moises Alou, Omar Vizquel and Mike Matheny. The Giants have to be considered the favorite, unless the Dodgers can pick one or two solid starters.
Jeff J. Snider said,
December 30, 2004 at 1:17 pm
I disagree, somewhat strongly. First, I agree that Beltre and Finley are losses, but Kent and Drew should almost fill that gap. As for the rest, here are my opinions:
Jose Lima: Erratic and sporadic, 88 MPH fastball. I don’t think the Dodgers will be missing much with him gone.
Odalis Perez: Does nothing to excite me. I am sure his 18 no-decisions last year were partly because the Dodgers had all those comeback wins, and his ERA was good, but honestly, he is a #3 starter at best.
Tim Hudson: Built (and pitches) like Pedro Martinez and Billy Wagner, both of whom were dominant for a while and then started having injury issues. Hudson has been dominant for a while, and I completely expect his arm to start having serious issues sometime between today and two years from now. I would MUCH rather have those issues develop in a Braves uniform than a Dodgers uniform.
Derek Lowe: I like him. I know he struggled last year, but I think he has the tools to still be a great pitcher.
Esteban Loaiza: I agree, if the Dodgers sign him, I will be upset.
Shawn Estes: See Esteban Loaiza.
As for the Giants: Moises Alou is good. Mike Matheny is a great defensive catcher, but a step down from Pierzynski offensively. And Omar Vizquel is a defense-only player whose age will continue to limit his range.
I think the Dodgers have done just as well as the Giants this offseason, and I think DePodesta is a better GM than Brian Sabean.
Steven Gardner said,
December 30, 2004 at 1:59 pm
Part of my point is comparing how the Dodgers have changed compared to the Giants. Frisco, he he, has made some real gains. If the Dodgers get Derek Lowe I would take back my concerns.
One thing the Dodgers may have going for them is I’ve heard (in just one place) that the Dodger farm system has some real meat right now, so maybe part of the Oakland model will pay dividends.