For the third time since 2008 the Los Angeles Dodgers advanced to the National League Championship Series, but they were once again denied their first trip to the World Series since 1988; this time at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals. With a new ownership group in place and a payroll exceeding $223 million this season, the Dodgers have shown a commitment to winning. That commitment was best illustrated at the entry gates to Dodger Stadium as 3.7 million people came out to support the Dodgers this past season as the expectations for this team have gone through the roof.
After a slew of moves that were made last year to to acquire first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, shortstop Hanley Ramirez, and outfielder Carl Crawford just to name a few, the Dodgers were expected to contend for the World Series Championship this season. After a 30-42 start to the 2013 Major League Baseball season it didn’t appear to be that way for the Dodgers, but they rallied to finish with a record of 92-70. The Dodgers have a team capable of winning the World Series in the near future; now it is just a matter of executing it.
According to ESPN.com, the Dodgers will bring back Don Mattingly as their manager in 2014. In his three seasons as Dodgers manager, Mattingly has seen the team’s win total increase in each campaign. Going forward Mattingly is the perfect manager for the Dodgers. After spending his entire 14-year MLB playing career with the New York Yankees and constantly being under the microscope of former Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, Mattingly knows a thing or two about dealing with the pressure of being in a big media market.
For 2014 the Dodgers must find a way to remain healthy. This past season, Ramirez missed 76 games in the regular season due to injury. In Game 1 of the 2013 National League Championship Series, Ramirez was hit by a ball on his left side by Cardinals starting pitcher Joe Kelly. At first it didn’t seem to be bad, but Ramirez suffered a fractured rib. Ramirez gutted it out as he played through the pain, but he wasn’t as effective after the injury as he only batted .133 for the series. Outfielder Matt Kemp was a spectator in 89 games this season for the Dodgers as the result of a bevy of injuries. After signing an eight-year, $160 million extension midway through the 2011 season Kemp’s production has declined. In the past two seasons, Kemp has only appeared in 179 games while posting 29 home runs, 102 runs batted in and 18 stolen bases. This is a far cry from a player in Kemp who finished second in the 2011 National League Most Valuable Player voting with a .324 batting average, 39 home runs, 126 runs batted in, and 40 stolen bases. Kemp’s career has not been the same since crashing into the outfield wall in Denver during a game against the Colorado Rockies back in the summer of 2012, but Mattingly and Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti are hopeful that Kemp will be healthy for 2014 to add depth to their lineup.
This past season the Dodgers had a .326 on-base percentage which was third in the National League. With the emergence of rookie outfielder Yasiel Puig, the Dodgers now have four outfielders who are capable starters and it would be extremely difficult for Colletti to trade one of them. Kemp and outfielder Andre Ethier both have a recent history of injuries which makes both of them tough to trade. In his first season with the Dodgers, outfielder Carl Crawford has proven himself to be a valuable lead off hitter with a .283 batting average and a .329 on-base percentage. Puig was a difference maker as he sparked the Dodgers lineup into contention. In just 104 games played, Puig hit .319 with 19 home runs and 42 runs batted in while causing a new frenzy of “Dodger Mania” among the people of Southern California.
Dodger infielders Nick Punto, Michael Young, and Juan Uribe are all set to become free agents. There isn’t a high-profile third baseman on the free agent market so you could expect to see at least one of these players return to Los Angeles next season. Uribe is 34-years old, Punto is 35, and Young is 37. Young’s skills defensively have diminished which would make him a prime candidate to become a designated hitter in the American League.
The Dodgers 3.25 team earned run average was second in the NL and their starting rotation appears to be set going forward with Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, and Hyun-Jin Ryu. Starting pitcher Chad Billingsley missed the entire 2013 MLB season as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. Starting pitcher Josh Beckett also missed the majority of the 2013 season due to injury, but the Dodgers are hopeful to have him at the back of the rotation for 2014. After going 8-3 once he joined the Dodgers in the middle of the season, starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco might walk if his asking price is too much since Los Angeles is set to make Kershaw one of the highest paid players in baseball.
The law firm of Carlos Marmol, Brian Wilson, and Ronald Belisario, did a good job setting up closer Kenley Jansen this season. Wilson and Marmol are both free agents, but they could both move on as they would like to once again prove that they can be closers.
For 2014, Mattingly must reign in the free spirited Puig. Puig is an exciting player, but defensively he can make mistakes. In the Dodgers Game 6 loss to the Cardinals, Puig over threw the cut off man on several singles which resulted in runners for St. Louis ending up in scoring position. Puig also had several lapses during the season as far as running the bases or not hustling. Puig is a tremendous talent, but he cannot get caught up in the Hollywood spotlight that he has created for himself.
Dodgers owners Stan Kasten and Magic Johnson have shown the dedication to putting a winner on the field and it will only be a matter of time before this franchise is once again hoisting the World Series crown.
Source: Baseball-reference.com, Baseballprospectus.com
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