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In a few surprising roster shuffles surrounding the MLB All-Star break, the Los Angeles Dodgers made several efforts to upgrade their pitching—at least until they seal a deal before the trade deadline.

In an unexpected move on Sunday, the Dodgers optioned RHP John Ely to Triple-A Albuquerque and replaced him on the roster with reliever Jon Link.

Ely is 4-7 with a 4.63 ERA in 14 starts overall this season; however, he has failed to pitch three complete innings in his last two outings.

Link, who has already been recalled three times this year by Los Angeles, has a 3.86 ERA in five appearances and just over four innings of work.

In a more anticipated decision on Wednesday, Los Angeles placed struggling left-handed reliever George Sherrill on outright waivers.

Sherrill has a 7.32 ERA in 34 appearances for the Dodgers this season. He is expected to clear waivers on Monday, at which time he would have the opportunity to accept a minor league roster position. In the meantime, he will retain his roster spot with Los Angeles unless he is claimed by another Major League squad.

One possibility for replacing Sherrill in the bullpen is Jack Taschner, who was signed as a free agent by the Dodgers in June.

In seven appearances with Albuquerque, the 32-year-old lefty is currently 0-0 with one save and a 3.52 ERA in just over seven innings pitched.

However, the immediate priority is to fill the fifth spot in the starting pitching rotation vacated by Ely, and all signs are pointing to James McDonald being called up on Monday to start the home series vs. the San Francisco Giants.

McDonald, who recently added a hard slider to his pitching repertoire, is 6-1 with a 4.41 ERA in 12 games started with the Isotopes.

If all else fails, among other pitchers, Carlos Monasterios could be utilized in a starter-by-committee scenario, at least until Los Angeles decides whether a trade will be made or a deal with a free agent pitcher will be signed before the deadline.

Citizens of Dodgertown still have high hopes of acquiring a big market starter to complete the pitching staff, however all indicators are suggesting that team finances will limit Los Angeles in terms of making a deal.

In yet another move to make room for Manny Ramirez returning from the 15-day disabled list, the Dodgers placed utility outfielder Reed Johnson on the DL with an injured back.

Manny’s return was expected to prompt Los Angeles to make a decision on whether to retain rookie outfielder Xavier Paul, or contemplate the future of veteran outfielder Garret Anderson.

So far this season, Paul is batting .259 with 22 hits in 85 at-bats with the Dodgers while compiling a .308 on-base percentage and a .341 slugging percentage. Paul is also highly valued for his speed, both in defense and on the bases, as well as his strong arm in the outfield.

Anderson, on the other hand, is batting just .178 with 24 hits in 135 at-bats, while registering a .193 OBP and a .274 slugging percentage.

It has been suggested that Anderson may be considered as a potential trade commodity, however it’s unclear whether or not any teams around the Majors would have interest in the veteran outfielder.

Nevertheless, with cash at a minimum, General Manager Ned Colletti will be exploring every possible angle to acquire much needed pitching help.

The MLB trade deadline is July 31.

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With the MLB trade deadline just over two weeks away, Dodgers’ general manager Ned Colletti is scrambling to make the best possible roster moves in an effort to mold together a contending playoff squad for 2010.

It’s been speculated that financial resources are limited, and outside of several underperforming relievers and a few substandard bench players, Los Angeles really doesn’t want to sacrifice talent at the Major League level in order to obtain that missing piece of the puzzle that puts them over the top.

However, the Dodgers’ farm system remains one of the most productive in baseball, and several players with high potential may possibly be used as bargaining chips to acquire a much sought-after starting pitcher.

Nevertheless, the Dodger organization prides themselves on their success from building within. Current players such as Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Jonathan Broxton, James Loney, Russell Martin, and Matt Kemp are just several examples of the success Los Angeles has had from forging talent from the draft and the minor leagues.

Still, it’s impossible to predict what value a prospect will have five years down the road based on potential alone. Names such as Lucas May, Ethan Martin, Pedro Baez, Jerry Sands, John Lindsey, Jay Gibbons, Trayvon Robinson, Tim Sexton, and Josh Lindblom may be thrown around in the next two weeks as possible movers, but there are several future stars that the Dodgers will not deal at any cost.

The following frames outline five prospects who are the future of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and although coveted by many teams around the league, will remain with the Dodgers, at least into 2011.

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Just one day after Los Angeles Dodgers’ shortstop Rafael Furcal was named as a replacement on the National League All-Star team, lefty reliever Hong-Chih Kuo was informed of his addition to the squad on Sunday.

Kuo and Furcal will join fellow teammates Jonathan Broxton and Andre Ethier in the Midsummer Classic in Anaheim, which takes place on Tuesday.

Kuo, who was added as a late replacement for Atlanta Braves outfielder Jason Heyward, makes his first appearance as an All-Star after four arm surgeries nearly took him out of baseball completely.

In terms of the stat sheet, Kuo normally flies under the radar, but 2010 has proven that he is one of the premier left-handed set-up men in the game.

At the halfway mark in 2010, Kuo is 3-1 with two saves and 12 holds. He boasts a 1.03 ERA, a 0.72 WHIP and has struck out 36 batters in just over 26 innings of work.

His most startling statistic is that left-handed batters are a staggering 0-for-30 when facing him.

Furcal was added to the National League All-Star team Saturday to replace injured Mets shortstop Jose Reyes, and makes his second career All-Star appearance, his last coming as a member of the Atlanta Braves in 2003.

Despite missing almost a full month with a strained hamstring, and another five days on bereavement leave to pay respects to his father, Rafael Furcal’s first half of the season was nothing short of amazing.

His stat line is .333/.379/.513, and he already has six home runs and 35 RBI, which are an added bonus for a leadoff man. His 14 stolen bases are tied for the team lead with Matt Kemp and he’s also contributed with 47 runs scored, 14 doubles, and five triples.

Andre Ethier was selected to his first All-Star team on the original ballot voted by the fans, and Jonathan Broxton was hand-picked as a member of the pitching staff by Philadelphia Phillies and National League All-Star manager Charlie Manuel.

Dodger fans everywhere expressed disappointment with the players’ vote and Manuel’s decision not to include Furcal and Kuo on the team. But in the end, a sense of justice prevailed, and the pair were indeed recognized for their stellar first halves of play.

Besides serving as one of the League’s most popular commercial venues and showcasing all of baseball’s top players on a single stage, an underlying theme of the All-Star Game is that the winner earns home-field advantage for that respective League’s representative in the World Series—an edge the National League hasn’t earned since the rule went into effect in 2002.

The Los Angeles Dodgers certainly hope that their All-Star representatives shine for both Dodgertown and the NL, and gain the very important home-field advantage for the National League—just in case they happen to be that squad competing in the October Classic.

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In the initial installment of the report card, all of the pitchers who have appeared for the Los Angeles Dodgers were evaluated and graded, and in this second portion of the evaluations, the performances of all the position players who have been utilized in the first half of the season will be examined.

All of the teams in Major League Baseball with excellent pitching staffs still need to put eight quality position players behind every pitcher in order to succeed.

Effective pitching alone won’t win a championship, as a superior defense and a productive offense are also integral components to any team’s success.

Like the pitching staff, injuries have also hampered the Los Angeles position players. With Manny Ramirez’ two appearances on the disabled list coupled with Andre Ethier’s broken finger, the very talented Dodger outfield has been broken apart for a good portion of the season.

Casey Blake’s minor back problems and Rafael Furcal’s nagging hamstring earlier in the season forced the Dodgers’ bench players to step up and cover the infield as well.

Team chemistry is paramount on the road to a championship, as it’s impossible for one or two superstars to carry an entire team on their shoulders.

In this final installment of evaluations, all of the position players who have appeared during the season thus far will be evaluated and graded. The following frames highlight each of the 16 players who have played in the field for the Dodgers so far this year and show a letter grade and commentary for each player.

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With the official halfway point of the season having already passed on July 4, the Los Angeles Dodgers find themselves amidst another tight race in the always competitive NL West division.

At the 81-game mark, the Dodgers were sitting in second place, trailing the surprising San Diego Padres by 3.5 games; however, the journey thus far hasn’t been easy.

The entire Los Angeles squad has been plagued by injuries during the first half of the season, and the pitching staff has been hit especially hard.

The Dodgers marched a total of 19 different pitchers to the mound before the halfway mark—an indicator of both adjustments made for injury and poor-quality pitching.

The total number of pitchers used already this season is just six players shy of a full 25-man Major League roster.

In this initial installment of evaluations, all of the pitchers who have appeared during the season thus far will be evaluated and graded. In the second and final installment, all of the position players will be put under the microscope.

The following frames highlight each of the 19 pitchers who have taken the hill so far this season and show a letter grade and commentary for each player.

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What happened to Russell Martin?

It was only three seasons ago that the Los Angeles Dodgers’ catcher was taking the baseball world by storm. H e had made his first National League All-Star team, and won his first Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards— all in the same year.

2007 turned out to be his signature season— Martin appeared in 151 games, batted .293, jacked 19 homeruns, drove home 87 runners, had a slugging percentage of .469, and even stole 21 bases.

He was developing a reputation of having a cannon for an arm, and would-be base stealers around the league feared him— he threw out 41 total runners that year, which calculated to a nearly 34 percent caught stealing percentage.

Martin was named to another All-Star team in 2008, and although he posted very productive numbers, had a slight drop-off from 2007. His .280 batting average, 13 HR, 69 RBI and .396 slugging percentage were still among the league leaders for catchers.

His most startling statistic for 2008 was that he appeared in 155 games. That’s right, 155 games.

Prior to the 2009 campaign, Russell Nathan Jeanson Coltrane Martin, Jr. (yes, that’s his birth name) added the initial “J” to the back of his jersey on his uniform. It was a gesture to honor his mother, Suzanne, whose maiden name is Jeanson.

The change on his uniform didn’t spark any additional production. In fact, 2009 saw the catcher’s output decrease.

He batted only .250 for the year, while recording only seven homeruns and 53 RBI. His .329 slugging percentage was a drop-off of 67 percentage points from 2008, and a full 140 points from 2007. He did, nonetheless, appear in 143 total games. 2009 turned out to be his most unproductive season in the majors, by far.

At the halfway point of the 2010 season, Martin is currently batting .246 with four HR and 19 runs batted in, and it is clear his numbers are continuing to decline.

Defensively, Martin already has eight errors this year, which surpasses the total of seven that he had for the entire 2009 season.

So what’s the reason for the atrophy?

Is it because he added a letter to his jersey? Probably not.

Although he hasn’t put up nearly the same types of numbers since the uniform change, the primary explanation for his decline is the fact that he is entirely overused behind the dish.

His 151 games played in 2007, 155 in 2008, and 143 in 2009 are unprecedented for a catcher in Major League baseball today. And keep in mind, although he did have a handful of pinch-hitting appearances, most of these games were played behind the plate.

Whether it’s the fault of management for overplaying Martin, the fault of the farm system for not having a suitable catcher to cover for him, or whether it’s something that was completely overlooked altogether— is total speculation.

The irony is that in 2002, the year Russell Martin was taken in the 17th round of the amateur draft, he was signed as a third baseman. It wasn’t until a year later that a scout saw him playing catcher in Rookie League for the Gulf Coast Dodgers that his career began to soar behind the dish.

However, up until now, the Dodgers haven’t really experimented with Martin playing any other positions in the field.

The biggest challenge that the Dodgers’ managers and coaches currently face is trying to find a way to reverse the decline.

On the flip side, despite it seeming like he’s been around forever, Martin is only 27 years-old, and one would reason that all of the wear and tear of playing catcher shouldn’t have caught up to him just yet.

Perhaps a change of scenery would resurrect his young career. Maybe a move to the American League where he could double-up as a designated hitter could spark his production, and also provide the rest he needs to recover from the laborious duty behind the plate.

Considering the Dodgers’ current financial situation, and the types of numbers that he’s putting up now, Los Angeles may decide to choose to non-tender him when his contract expires at the end of this season.

If that’s indeed the case, it would make much more sense to trade him now, while he still has value and could bring in a very profitable return.

According to the Elias Rankings, which are compiled at the end of every Major League season, Martin is a type A player, and is still ranked third best among all the catchers in the National League.

However, if he continues his current production pace in 2010, coupled with his declined performance in 2009, those rankings and values will certainly drop. It may be much more sensible for the Dodgers to deal him now while he still has positive worth.

Maybe a new uniform is the answer— a different team’s uniform.

Or perhaps if he removed the letter “J” from the back of his jersey, he would revert to tearing the hide off of the ball like he did in 2007 and 2008.

Sometimes superstition and mystical energy work in funny ways. 

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The bad news—the Los Angeles Dodgers are expected to place left fielder Manny Ramirez on the 15-day disabled list sometime before the start of Saturday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The good news—Xavier Paul will be recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque for the third time this season; and this time, chances are Paul will remain on the squad for the rest of the year.

On June 29, Ramirez strained his right hamstring while running the bases at AT&T Park in San Francisco, and an MRI taken on Thursday confirmed muscle inflammation.

Manny reported slight progress on Friday, however Dodgers’ manager Joe Torre doesn’t think it is worth playing a man short until Ramirez is 100 percent.

Saturday will mark the third recall already this year for Xavier Paul, but this time around his stay in the majors could very well be permanent.

Twice before when Paul was optioned back down to Albuquerque, the Dodgers were faced with a decision either to keep him, or make a determination on veteran outfielder Garret Anderson, whose numbers have been less than productive.

But both times, Dodger management elected to retain Anderson, who was considered more valuable for his veteran leadership, his pinch-hitting ability, and his thorough understanding of in-game situations.

The problem with Anderson, however, is that he’s not producing at all—which has been the case the entire season.

In 61 appearances and 122 at-bats for the Dodgers this year, Anderson has produced just 22 base hits, while his batting average, now at .180, has hovered well below the Mendoza Line for the bulk of the season thus far. He’s also added two home runs and 11 RBI to his stat line.

His .198 on-base percentage and .286 slugging percentage also validate his struggles at the plate.

Even Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully stated during Friday night’s game that “the Dodgers are going to have to make a decision soon.”

Paul on the other hand, has been making the best of his time with the Isotopes. In 45 games and 181 at-bats, he is averaging .348, with a .404 OBP and a .635 slugging percentage.

His 14 doubles, one triple, 12 HRs and 34 RBI are especially productive, considering he normally hits in either of the top two slots in the batting order.

In addition, during his time up in the majors, Paul proved that he could be effective in the show. In the 20 games he appeared for the Dodgers this year, he registered 16 hits in 57 at-bats, while compiling a .281 average, a .325 OBP, and a .423 slugging percentage.

Paul’s strongest assets besides his hitting are his speed, both on the bases and defensively in the outfield, and his arm strength, which is rated well above average by most who have seen him play.

Depending on how things play out over the next two weeks, and if Paul does indeed retain his roster spot when Manny Ramirez returns, Garret Anderson may be forced to decide to walk away from the game completely, or attempt to elongate his career with another squad.

Whatever happens, Garret Anderson is a highly respected icon in the game of baseball, and will always be remembered as a competitor who “played the game the right way.”

His personality, attitude, and gamesmanship suggest that he will have a long career ahead of him in MLB as a coach, instructor, or consultant.

Regardless, it will be business as usual for the Dodgers Saturday night as they look to rebound against the Arizona Diamondbacks after falling Friday, 12-5.

Look for Xavier Paul to start in left field as Arizona sends right-hander Rodrigo Lopez to the hill.

Clayton Kershaw will start for Los Angeles. Game time is 6:40 p.m. PST.

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With the MLB trade deadline approaching ever so quickly, and with their bank account seemingly thin, the Los Angeles Dodgers can’t help but explore the current free agent market with hopes that one lost player might be the guy to help them return to the playoffs.

There are quite a few players looking for jobs at this point in the season; but players like Brandon Backe, Josh Towers, Adam Eaton, Elijah Dukes, and Bartolo Colon are virtually unemployable, despite having hopes to return to the game.

However, after reviewing the current free agent list, several names suggest potential. By taking a chance on one of these players, there’s the possibility that they may be that one small missing part of a well-oiled machine. It’s not always about pure ability alone, as game experience, personality, attitude, and coachability go a long way in developing team chemistry.

The following frames outline a few of those players who stand out the most among all free agents. With a small gamble, the Dodgers take a chance on a guy with minimal risk, and possibly score a player who will contribute down the home stretch of the 2010 season.

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Something’s going to happen soon.

But nobody really knows for certain how much money the Los Angeles Dodgers are willing to spend to improve their squad heading into the home stretch of the 2010 season—mainly due to the current divorce proceedings between Dodgers’ owner Frank McCourt and his wife Jamie.

Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti is notorious for not showing his hand before the trade deadline, and although this year’s speculation indicates that McCourt’s wallet is extra—thin, Colletti will use all available resources to enhance his team’s chances of returning to the postseason.

Buster Olney of ESPN, a highly regarded MLB analyst, conveyed on June 28th via Twitter that all of his contacts in the Dodger organization have low expectations that the team has the means to add payroll dollars to acquire much needed pitching help.

Still, Frank McCourt continues to pump huge amounts of cash into his divorce defense team, as the Los Angeles Times reported on June 29th that the Dodgers owner has hired yet another attorney to add to his defense brigade.

The newest hire is Stephen Susman, a lawyer based out of Houston, Texas, who is regarded among the top trial lawyers in the country.

The divorce is already being labeled as one of the costliest in California State history, and the combined costs for both sides is expected to exceed $19 million in attorney fees alone—a sum equal to the amount of Manny Ramirez’ 2010 salary.

And as details continue to be exposed about the Dodgers’ books, several very interesting figures have been brought to light in a precursor of what to expect in the divorce trial itself.

According to court documents, the club is paying the annual salaries of the couple’s sons, Drew and Travis. The combined salaries of the two total $600,000, while neither is said to have any responsibility with the Dodgers.

At the time the documents were submitted, Drew was attending business school at Stanford and Travis worked at Goldman Sachs in New York.

Also, it is alleged by Jamie’s lawyers that the Los Angeles Dodgers have paid nearly $4 million over the last 18 months to the John McCourt Company, an entity which does virtually nothing for the team.

Jamie’s attorneys are describing this entity as a “slush fund,” implying it is nothing more than a piggy bank of cash to be used at Frank’s leisure.

Regardless, it’s obvious that there are enormous amounts of money involved, and more details are expected to be revealed when the divorce trial begins on August 30th.

Despite the divorce being a primary focus of the franchise, Ned Colletti still has a job to do—and he will try his best to improve his team’s chances of winning.

Already within the past three weeks, Colletti has made efforts to strengthen the Dodgers’ bullpen, adding Kiko Calero, Claudio Vargas, Jesus Colome, and Jack Taschner, all of whom were claimed off waivers, and all of whom are 32 years of age or older.

All four pitchers are currently active in the Dodgers farm system, and are poised to be called up if needed by the team.

With the addition of this veteran crew, it may suggest that the current relieving corps may be in for an overhaul, as the Dodger bullpen continues to struggle. This was evident in the heart—wrenching defeat at the hands of the New York Yankees last Sunday night. 

As the minor leagues are normally used for the development of young players, or possibly as a proving ground for one or two veterans, the addition of this four man crew may indicate that perhaps the club is looking to move several relievers in a larger deal with another team.

Also, it’s worth noting that the Dodgers have already signed 21 of their 50 selections chosen in this year’s first year player draft, including four of their top five picks. The team has until August 16 to complete the remainder of the signings.

These moves may be signs that the team has more cash to work with than many have speculated.

Colletti has also told several reporters that he was busy inquiring about free agent pitchers. If the cash is indeed scarce, this may be a very economical option in terms of upgrading the team’s pitching staff.

Pedro Martinez, Jarrod Washburn, Braden Looper, and Mark Prior head up the list of names of free agents without a team possibly looking to make an impact in 2010.

However, everyone in “Dodgerland” still has their fingers crossed that Los Angeles can find a way to make a deal for one of the big market pitchers: Roy Oswalt, Cliff Lee, or Dan Haren.

Although Colletti has not ruled these names out as options, he did indicate that he hasn’t yet approached ownership for more money to increase payroll.

Nevertheless, anticipation is high. The Dodger faithful are already sitting on the edge of their seats with unbridled anxiety, waiting.

The deadline for all trades in Major League baseball is July 31st.

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Matt Kemp would have never imagined a better start to a baseball season.

At the 14-game mark of the 2010 campaign, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ center fielder was a terror at the dish, batting .333 with seven home runs and 20 RBI. Calculated over the course of the season, that’s a pace of 81 HR and 231 runs batted in.

Anyone with a shred of common sense knew that Kemp wouldn’t maintain those types of numbers, but at the end of April when the Dodgers were 9-14 and in last place in the NL West, the blame game began—and most of the fingers were pointing toward Kemp.

On April 27, Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti appeared on KABC Radio’s “The Peter Tilden Show” and when asked about the dismal performance of his team, Colletti was quick to give fault to Matt Kemp.

Colletti told Tilden that Kemp’s defense and base-running were below average, and speculated aloud whether Kemp’s new contract, a two-year, $10.95 million deal he signed in his first season of arbitration eligibility, might have made Kemp a little too comfortable.

Eventually Kemp and Colletti met behind closed doors, and when asked if everything was fine, Colletti stated, “It’s fine with me”. Kemp refused to comment about the details of the meeting.

As if the episode with Colletti wasn’t enough to play havoc with Kemp’s psyche, just two weeks later on May 12, Tony Jackson of ESPN added fuel to the fire.

During an ESPN Sports Nation chat session, Jackson conveyed: “I have it on good authority, not from Colletti but from others, that if anything, Ned understated the issues with Kemp. This kid is really full of himself, to the point that it is an issue in the clubhouse.” 

Later on in the same program, Jackson went on to say: “Kemp has been somewhat difficult with the media almost from the time he came to the big leagues. What I’m hearing now is that he is difficult for some of the coaches to deal with, that he gets his dander up when they try to offer him advice on certain things. I do know that one coach, I can’t say who, has gone so far as to recommend to the front office that they trade him.”

Jackson used the expression “kid” to describe Kemp. If any “kid” has to deal with that type of mental bashing from his own general manager, much less the press, it’s quite obviously going to affect his performance on the field.

During the course of the following 28 games after the Colletti incident, Kemp’s all-around numbers suffered drastically—he had one home run, five runs batted in, and a .254 average in that span.

Kemp’s normally stellar glove went south throughout that time frame as well, most notably when he completely missed a liner off the bat of Ryan Doumit of the Pirates on April 29. Although the scorers ruled the hit a triple, Kemp could have easily kept the ball in front of him. Doumit’s extra base hit accounted for the only two runs of the game, as the Dodgers lost, 2-0.

Sure, there are reasons why Major League Baseball players earn the huge salaries they do. Having the ability to deal with negativity from the fans, the media, other players, and coaches comes with the territory; and a player having broad shoulders is crucial to success in the big leagues.

“Kids” earning $5.5 million a year in professional sports need to grow up fast if they want to have successful careers.

Yet the press’ criticism of Kemp didn’t stop with Tony Jackson.

In his June 25 column for Fox Sports, Ken Rosenthal came out and stated bluntly that Ned Colletti “needs to trade center fielder Matt Kemp.”

Rosenthal added: “Colletti was correct, if impolitic, when he said in late April that Kemp’s defense and baserunning were below-average. Kemp’s offense this season isn’t so hot, either, and his attitude, for some in the Dodgers’ organization, remains an issue.”

It’s difficult to comprehend how Rosenthal arrives at his opinions, since he really doesn’t spend all that much time around the Dodgers squad—unless he was taking a sip from Tony Jackson’s cup.

To add insult to injury, Rosenthal goes on to suggest that Los Angeles could trade Kemp to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Melky Cabrera and a young pitching prospect.

So far this season, Cabrera is batting .269 with two HR and 21 RBI; and his benchmark year was in 2009 with the New York Yankees, where he finished with a .274 average, 13 homers, and 68 batted in while appearing in 154 games.

These numbers are hardly comparable to Kemp’s 2009 crusade, as he finished with a .297 average, 26 home runs, and 101 RBI, with 97 runs scored and 34 stolen bases to boot.

And at this point in the season, a young pitching “prospect” really wouldn’t benefit the Dodgers at all. If anything, Los Angeles needs to acquire a hard-nosed veteran who could come in and make an immediate impact in the starting rotation.

That being said, the Seattle Mariners are in the market for a few proven hitters, but it would be senseless to sacrifice a player of Kemp’s caliber for the rights to rent Cliff Lee for a three month period.

Only Rosenthal knows why he chose to feature Kemp and the Dodgers on this particular day. To blindly begin a fishing expedition by saying, without warrant, that Colletti “needs to trade Matt Kemp” certainly reflects Rosenthal’s lack of professionalism.

The truth is that Kemp, although not a “kid,” is only 25 years old. He’s learning the game. He’ll have his ups and downs, and he will make his share of mistakes. But with every single repetition, and with each additional game under his belt, he’ll only get better—both mentally and athletically.

Kemp is putting forth the effort. On game days, he’s the first player at the ballpark working on fundamental drills; and during off-days he can usually be found at home watching film, analyzing his strengths and weaknesses.

Many have the opinion that his relationship with recording artist Robyn Rihanna Fenty is negatively affecting his performance on the field; but all that changes when he steps onto the diamond—it becomes a totally different world, unless one is being held under the microscope of a certain general manager.

It’s one thing to be poked a few times by members of the media, but to be publicly criticized by one’s own boss can create a scar that’s eternal.

Knowing that he is under the close scrutiny of Colletti, and having the sense that every single at-bat and every play in the field could have a bearing on his future with the club, will certainly lead to hesitation and pensiveness in his performance.

Five years from now, Kemp will look back on this entire experience and probably just laugh, but yet see it as a very valuable learning tool in his career.

He just won’t be wearing Dodger Blue.

Thanks, Ned.

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