With less than 40 games remaining in the 2010 season, there are still many questions looming for the Los Angeles Dodgers from an organizational standpoint.
The divorce trial between owner Frank McCourt and his wife Jamie is set to begin on August 30, and depending on what exactly transpires in the courtroom, future ownership may take a new direction.
The decision as to whether Joe Torre will return as Dodgers’ manager will be made once Los Angeles “officially” falls from contention, while controversies as to whom will be at the helm next year are already taking shape. If Torre decides to move on and continue managing, an entirely new team of coaches may need to be assembled, as part of the staff may follow in Joe’s path.
If indeed a new owner is introduced in Los Angeles, many managerial changes are anticipated. The current managers and coaching staff have been on the hot seat for most of the season, as coaching techniques, personnel decisions, and roster management were constantly criticized across Dodgertown.
And with more than a handful of players’ contracts expiring at the end of the year, roster changes may be imminent heading into 2011 as well. Frank McCourt’s notorious deferred money contracts have scarred the Dodgers’ budget for the past several seasons, and the possibilities of several players not returning or a number of contracts being restructured loom large.
Yet with the many questions and hurdles that lie ahead, the Dodger legacy will be forever intact, and the Dodger faithful will continue to show its relentless support.
The following slides show eight areas of coaching and management that may be addressed heading into the off-season, as well as offer recommendations of filling any vacated positions. The names shown are by no means based on any fact or inside information, but simply illustrate the many possibilities that exist if the Dodgers decide to make changes moving forward.