"Should I Stay or Should I go?"

I never cared much for The Clash, but the title to their most famous track is pertinent to almost every player on the Dodgers roster. It makes for a good entry title too. I'll get to all that in a bit.

First, I need to make a couple of housekeeping notes. Following this post, I will be in offseason mode since I don't give a whit about the World Series. I've already endorsed the Philadelphia Phillies to repeat and wish them all the best against the Cranks or the Angels. I think they'll prevail over either of those two pretender clubs.

What "offseason mode" means to my audience is diminished written output by yours truly. I will feature more literary posts (and/or book reviews) and the occasional Hot Stove gem. I don't like to deal in rumors so I'll only address key signings probably in one (maybe two) cumulative post closer to Spring Training. Until then, I'll be submitting entries only once or twice a month after this one.

Now a final word about the Dodgers. And I'm going to approach this by giving my OPINION in list fashion by position. However, let me first be clear: What I believe NEEDS to happen doesn't necessarily mean it's REALISTIC to EXPECT it to happen due to contract obligations and also how my hair brained ideas may fly against the face of logic. But, I'll entertain dissenting opinions. So here goes.

The most glaring of the positions to address is Dodger starting pitching. They ALL need to go, with the exception of Clayton Kershaw. Now, granted, Hideki Kuroda, Kershaw, and Chad Billingsley are all under team control. John Garland has a mutual option with the club. They need to keep him before resigning the volatile Vicente Padilla. Randy Wolf will cash the cow in another market. Maybe the Astros, again?

If I had my druthers, the staff would line up in this order: Kershaw, Garland, and Kuroda. Of the three, only Kershaw has an upside with the other two being overpriced, 4^th and 5^th starters at best. I'm not high of Kuroda or Garland and feel both are overrated, but at this point they are arms in the queue. Chad Billingsley is a fat enigma. GM Ned Colletti should have traded him away for Cliff Lee. I think that's obvious by now. Billingsley seldom gets past the 5^th inning.

I'm an old school war horse when it comes to pitchers and like Nolan Ryan, I feel a starter should go at least 7. I think the Dodgers staff proved in the end that a quality team needs optimal performance from their starters before going to the bullpen and not the other way around. Billingsley needs to go.

That leaves a couple holes in the throwing armor. I'm not personally huge on signing free agent pitchers. I believe more often than not, they prove out to be busts. But the Dodgers, with many recent transactions, have significantly diminished their farm talent and filled it with a lot of "has beens". They don't have much to bring up and so I would fill the 2010 rotation gaps with a modest run at the Diamondbacks free agent Doug Davis and Seattle's Erik Bedard.

Neither of these tools really excites anyone and both will come on the cheap this offseason. Davis is consistent if not flashy, and Bedard has been an ace before his arm troubles so he knows what it takes. If he falters, the Bums can go the minor league route with James MacDonald again. Yeah, that's a lot of lefties, but there aren't many options this offseason. But that won't happen. The Bums will keep Billingsley, probably go with Eric Stults, and fail to acquire an Ace.

The Bullpen is easy. Keep 'em all. Jonathan Broxton just needs to get nastier in his attitude while on the mound. If he can do that, he'll morph into a dominant closer. I don't know if George Sherrill is content to be a set up guy, but I don't think he has the stuff to be a closer. Both have fat contracts that won't be easy to move in an offseason gravid with free agent closers. Should they trade Sherrill to Boston for Jonathan Papelbon and move Broxton in a package for a quality starter and/or second baseman? I'm dreaming. But I'd do it, if at all possible. The middle relief is intact and very good with Corey Wade hopefully bouncing back for 2010.

Now the infield. And strike me with a bolt of lightning, but the Dodgers need a catcher.

Russell Martin has been in a two year slump. It's time to face it. I don't think he warrants much of a raise and might benefit from the competition generated by having an offensive mentor catcher ... (dare I say, Bengie Molina?) ... behind him (or even in front of him). If the Giants jettison Molina and I'm Ned Colletti ... I make that signing.

It's a weak market for the corners and the Dodgers have weak power at their corners. I'm not sold on James Loney. I see little growth there. Casey Blake is the Mike Lowell of the West. If the Dodgers can package Loney and Martin in a deal that nets Marlins slugging second baseman Dan Uggla with some prospects, I make that deal. But that likely won't happen. I would hang onto Blake one more year because of his defense.

Rafael Furcal is not the best option at shortstop, but he's not going anywhere with his fat contract. And he does the job. He should go, but he stays.

The Dodgers don't figure to resign Orlando Hudson or Rafael Belliard at second base. Both we're streaky players though without Belliard, the Bums would've missed the postseason. They need more offense there. If they can't get Uggla and Blake DeWitt proves incapable of taking the reins; I feel they should consider Akinori Iwamura for a year if the Rays let him loose. Iwamura can bat lead off and hit for decent power. He'd be a nice compliment to Furcal in that sense. But that sort of dreaming on my part is an admitted long shot.

The outfield is intact. Unfortunately, the Dodgers can't ditch Manny. I would. Manny is the weak link and at this point, a liability. Ideally, the Dodgers trade him by eating a lot of his salary (like Boston did) and gathering prospects in return instead of letting him walk at the end of what figures to be a tumultuous 2010. They'd almost have to trade him to the AL. But Manny as damaged goods now? Eh, I'm dreaming. Maybe Cleveland would take him back under those conditions since they are prospect rich now, but it's likely that Juan Pierre wastes another year on the bench even though his 2009 performance mandates his reclamation of the left corner. It's more likely Pierre is packaged off in a deal, maybe for a pitcher. But Manny needs to go.

Figuring into any of these wishes and prayers is the McCourt divorce. Whichever party lands control of the Dodgers (My guess is that it'll be Frank), it stands to reason they'll be a lot poorer for it and that consideration should be factored into any Dodger fan's hope for team improvement.

For the Dodgers, 2009 figures to be a lackluster year because of bad contracts mixed with sour economics. They may still contend for the N.L. title with the pieces they have. But I feel it is more an opportunity for them to return to the fundamental, home grown through the farm mentality that has kept the Dodgers so very talented for years. After these bad contracts expire, the Dodgers would do well to embrace a thrifty philosophy through better scouting with the occasional splurge when warranted. We can only hope that Ned Colletti sees things the same way. 

Until next time ... Go Phillies. *Sighs*