Kuzul

The Orioles will go into this offseason happier than any 90-plus loss team has in the history of baseball.

They might have ended the season with 96 losses, but they were 34-24 in August, September and October and under new skipper Buck Showalter, the young players that the organization was beginning to worry about, stopped the regression that was frustrating every fan in Baltimore.

Because of this recent play, general manager Andy MacPhail will almost certainly make a bigger splash in the free agent market this year.

Of the holes to fill, the Orioles would like a solid corner infielder–Josh Bell is not panning out like the organization thought he would–a power hitter and a inning-eating pitcher that can replace Kevin Millwood.

The Orioles would also like a shortstop to replace Cesar Izturiz, who is a liability at the plate, but the pickings are very slim.

Not on this list are the big names of Cliff Lee, Carl Crawford and Jason Werth because the Orioles would have to drastically over pay for these players and I don’t see any of those guys going from Playoff stud, to leader of a rebuilding club.

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The Seattle Mariners enter the 2010-2011 Major League Baseball offseason in dire need of some runs. The team did not merely take up the rear in American League run scoring: They finished with 100 fewer runs than the Baltimore Orioles, who finished second-to-last. The Mariners pitching staff had a 3.95 ERA, good for the fifth-best in the AL, but because of the dreadful, anemic, monumentally inept offense they put on the field, Seattle won just 61 games.

Given that premise, there is a surprising degree of very genuine optimism within the Mariners front office. Team chairman Howard Lincoln and general manager Jack Zduriencik sent an open letter to Mariners’ fans this week, urging them to be patient and promising great things ahead.

As the team’s decision-makers note in the letter, the Mariners system is stocked with quality hitting prospects. I have seen, with my own eyes, the tremendous potential of Carlos Triunfel, the team’s enigmatic but very young and gifted shortstop. Other top-tier bats on the cusp of big-league readiness include Dustin Ackley, Justin Smoak, and Greg Halman.

If the Mariners are serious about their commitment to long-term rebuilding, then, we ought not to see a hyper-aggressive effort to fill a pathetic lineup with second-rate stop-gaps in 2011. There is clearly a better approach to be had in effecting the sea change this squad of seafarers so badly needs. Here are 10 players the team should target this winter, in order to make a real run at the postseason in 2012 and beyond.

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For most teams coming off a disappointing season, it’s relatively simple to evaluate the current roster, take a look at the payroll budget, have the coaching staff gather and brainstorm, then come up with a new, enthusiastic game plan for the upcoming year.

But for the Los Angeles Dodgers, about the only thing certain is that new manager Don Mattingly will be running the show on the field for the Boys in Blue.

With the McCourt divorce seemingly an infinite monkey on their backs, the Dodgers are unsure of the payroll parameters for next year, and with more than a handful of gaps to fill in terms of player personnel, it’s difficult to guess the complexion of next season’s roster. 

Still, even before Los Angeles considers adding new players to the roster, Mattingly and general manager Ned Colletti must agree upon a coaching staff who will help guide the squad in 2011.

The Dodgers still have a formidable core of players in which to build around, but Colletti had already stated that no job is safe and that Los Angeles could be in for a large roster shake-up heading into next season.

Several trades are possible, but with the decision in the divorce trial looming, Los Angeles may be forced to remain inactive at the winter meetings, unless some type of budget guidelines are established before a verdict is rendered.

As for the free agent market, the number of high quality starting pitchers is limited, but there are quite a few power bats available—one area the Dodgers must certainly address. With Manny Ramirez out of the picture, and Jason Schmidt, Orlando Hudson and Nomar Garciaparra finally off the deferred money list, there may be enough cash to go after a few big names.

The following slides show eight players who the Dodgers may take a look at in the offseason, and explain why each player may be a good fit for Los Angeles.

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The Los Angeles Times broke the story Friday, announcing Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre will resign at the end of the season, giving way to his understudy apprentice, Don Mattingly. 

Mattingly has been Torre’s right-hand man since 2004, following Torre from the New York Yankees to Los Angeles. 

Since mid-June, rumors have heated up regarding the status of Torre and his intentions for 2011—while many insiders felt he was leaning towards leaving Hollywood.

Rumors turned into foreshadowing when it was announced Mattingly would coach in the Dodger’s minor league system over the winter, perhaps a preseason of sorts for the soon-to-be rookie manager.

Torre is certainly a legendary manager in the game of baseball. Successful in his playing days, and even more successful as a manager, Torre couldn’t continue building his legacy in Los Angeles.

Perhaps he was the victim of turmoil and uncertainty in the organization, stemming from the current divorce process in ownership.

There are approximately six months until next spring, and changes are coming in that duration. Here are five reasons why these changes will benefit Mattingly, and why his tenure as Dodgers skipper will be more fruitful than Joe Torre’s short stint in Los Angeles.

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Let’s get one thing straight shall we fair readers?

Whether or not the Washington Nationals re-sign Adam Dunn has almost nothing to do with his defensive ability, contrary to what anyone at The Washington Post—whether it’s Thomas Boswell, Adam Kilgore, or this guy—might have to say about Dunn’s iron glove.

It’s all about the money.

More precisely, it’s about the money and years on the contract.

I’m certainly not knocking the guys at the Post. Bless the mainstream guys, they’re buying what the team is selling right now about their “defensive philosophy” and distributing that message to the masses. The team needs to gain a sympathetic ear with those fans when they fail to re-sign Dunn when he hits the free-agent market this off-season, accepting a four-year deal from either the White Sox or Yankees.

And it’s a lot easier to convince those fans that the player has a fatal flaw, essentially blaming the player for his shortcomings.

But it ain’t the truth.

Dunn’s camp—rightfully so—sees this as his last big payday.  They know that several teams lust after Dunn’s powerful left-handed bat, and will pay him to put his glove away. They also know, along with the baseball scholars, that Dunn’s career will follow one of two paths the next couple of years. 

Either Dunn continues to slug homers and drive in runs at a rate so prodigious he’ll be mentioned as one of the top three or four power hitters of his generation, or he’ll fall off the map so fast your head will spin.

I wrote about this back in July when Dunn’s name featured prominently on the trading block, and now watching the big guy struggle for the second straight season during the dog days, the debate has become even more focused.

Dunn’s supporters will tell you he has hit 35-plus home runs in each of the last seven years and could post a career-high batting average this season. Dunn’s detractors will tell you his homers, walks, and On-base percentage have all dropped the last three seasons and he has disappeared two August/Septembers in a row.

Both are correct. It’s Nationals’ GM Mike Rizzo’s job to figure out which trend will continue.

If Rizzo is confident that Dunn will follow the career path of Jim Thome, blasting 35-plus homers for the next four years, by all means he should lock up the slugger to provide a middle-of-the-order presence to take pressure off Ryan Zimmerman (signed only through 2013 himself) and Bryce Harper, once the prodigy makes his debut, probably in 2012.

However, if Rizzo sees the decline in yearly stats and consecutive late season slumps and envisions Richie Sexson or Mo Vaughn, then he should run—not walk—away from any long-term deal and wish Dunn vaya con dios.

It’s true Dunn has been one of the game’s biggest run producers in his career, and that descriptions of his defensive abilities range from “improving” to “one of the worst fielders in the game,” depending on whom you wish to listen too.  But comments about his defense being the reason the Nats will or won’t re-sign Dunn are a red herring.

Please visit Nats News Network to find out why.

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The Washington Nationals have 19 games remaining in the 2010 season.  If they win three of them, they will avoid losing 100 games for the third straight season.  It’s little solace for Nats fans that harbored illusions of a wild-card berth when the team got off to a 20-15 start.

Since then, the Nats have gone 40-68, a .370 winning percentage.  All those losses make for a long season, and if you pile on Stephen Strasburg’s injury, Nyjer Morgan’s bouts of immaturity, and Adam Dunn‘s looming contract status, one could understand if this Nationals team continues to limp down the stretch, playing out the string in another miserable season record-wise.

It’s human nature to underperform in unpleasant working conditions, but Nats fans don’t want to hear that after they were promised at the beginning of the season that this year was “about results.”  Fans are tired of hearing the same platitudes heaped upon the opposing starting pitcher, and the “we played hard” mantra night after night after night.

After Sunday’s loss—No. 83 on the season—a 6-5 decision to the Florida Marlins, manager Jim Riggleman held an “All Hands On Deck” meeting with his players and coaches.  It’s something he’s done before this season, but after what the thought was a lackluster effort from his squad, he felt like he needed to get some thing out in the air.

“I just thought our energy level, our body language early in the game, was not up to the standards it’s going to take for us to be a ballclub that goes to the next level. I just didn’t feel like we were getting after it early,” Riggleman said.

He asked for input from his coaching staff as well, and described the meeting to reporters after the game.  “This is what I see, this is what the coaches see, this is what (general manager) Mike (Rizzo) sees, this is what the fans see, so if anybody in the room thought that was acceptable, then they need to be made aware that we certainly don’t think it’s acceptable.”

While the words were appropriate given the situation, and the sloppy play against the Marlins—and five consecutive losses—one has to wonder if they were effective to their intended audience.

But has this group of players already tuned him out?  Riggleman actually said in his postgame press conference, “Sometimes when the same person keeps giving the message, it starts to fall on deaf ears.”

Seven-plus months, and a 162-game schedule makes for a very long season.  But how many times do you need to remind players that are playing for their jobs to play hard?

“I think the losing wears on you, but it’s a 162-game schedule, it’s a nine-inning ballgame,”Riggleman said. “That’s what you sign up for, that’s what you give.”

Riggleman then gave an unsolicited critique of the situation in the Nationals clubhouse.

To hear his critique, please visit Nats News Network.

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by Brett Lay

The Washington Nationals announced in a conference call this morning that phenom rookie pitcher Stephen Strasburg’s mutant right arm has lost its powers due to recent sunspot activity.

Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said Strasburg realized there was a problem when he could no longer summon the powers of a Norse god of thunder to fling baseballs at his normal average speed of several hundred miles an hour in a recent practice.

“As anyone who has had mutant powers granted to them and then taken away by a freak act of nature can tell you, it’s a traumatic experience. Just ask Cyclops or Wolverine,” Rizzo told reporters. “But he is fully committed to doing whatever he has to do to rehab and get back out there, because lord knows, we need him,” Rizzo continued between slow sobs at the mic. “Who knew that his weakness was random bursts of electromagnetic energy? We just assumed it would be drugs and alcohol, like the other red-blooded ball players we have on this team.”

Strasburg has been a rare ray of hope for these Nationals, who have spent the last several seasons perfecting their record of complete futility. The loss of Strasburg will be a big shock not only to this city, but also to his fellow players.

Truly morale was low in DC, as we asked some of the residents to throw in their two cents’ worth.

• “Yeah, Strasburg was awesome. Not sure what we’re going to do now.” – Greg, street vendor
• “If you ask me, I saw it coming. I can’t tell you how often the genetically enhanced mutant protectors of our national pastime come through here, raising hopes, but then fizzle out before any substance can be provided.” – Mara, food services
• “We have a baseball team? I didn’t know that. Give me your wallet.” – Stitches, unemployed

“We were just getting in the swing of things, too,” Ryan Zimmerman, the Nationals third baseman, stated to the swarm of reporters. “Ivan was just starting to learn how to block the plate like a real catcher, the janitor they brought in who was competing for the first base spot with Dunn had just barely gotten edged out, and we had just learned how to pronounce Nyjer’s name. I even thought we might win a game this year. What a rip.”

The Washington Post reported Strasburg will get a second opinion from Verðandi, a norn that once treated Thor himself when he had to have Tommy John surgery in 652 B.C.

“I’m no quitter, that’s for sure,” said Strasburg as he was loading Pegasus for the long trip to Valhalla for his evaluation. “Now that I’m temporarily a normal human, sort of like that dude in Superman 2, I have to be careful. It seems I can no longer smash through walls or melt things with my heat vision. But I’m not giving up on this season that easily, no sir, I’ll be back.”

At that point he mounted his steed and swiftly flew from sight into the sunset.

We can only hope, for the Nationals’ sake, that he gets his powers back.

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I can safely say that I am a gigantic fan of Adam Dunn. Consistency is one of the main benchmarks for picking my favorite players, and he very simply gets the job done. He is a freak of patience and power, but the consistent production is what draws me to him.

For instance, his production from 2007 to 2009 looks a little something like this:

2007   .264 AVG/.386 OBP (101 walks)/40 home runs

2008   .236 AVG/.386 OBP (122 walks)/40 home runs

2009   .267 AVG/.398 OBP (116 walks)/38 home runs

The common thought is imagining what those numbers would look like if he played 81 games in the quite power-friendly confines of Wrigley Field. It’s a thought that “Ballhawks” on Waveland Avenue can’t help but smile about.

The likelihood of Dunn wearing the blue pinstripes next season seems to be multiplying everyday. He made a very vocal campaign for the Cubs to sign him before the 2009 season to no avail, and as Gordon Wittenmyer is reporting, he is seemingly doing the same thing again.

On top of all the praise Dunn is extending towards Cubs management and Wrigley Field itself, the team experiment of placing rookie Tyler Colvin at first base has come to a screeching halt. It is definitely for the best even if the Cubs weren’t getting Dunn, as Colvin is absolutely less valuable at first base. The 24-year-old would almost assuredly struggle defensively in the transition, and Colvin already needs to make some serious adjustments to his offensive game if he’s going to make it as a starter. The combination could be terrible, and is better left unseen.

Interim manager Mike Quade has all but ruled Colvin out at the position. If he keeps making smart moves like that then he may not be a bad option to helm the club in 2011. Food for thought.

Whatever the motivation for the Cubs not locking down the first base position, Dunn is the beneficiary. The 6’6” slugger has already ruled out the American league, and resigning with the Nationals doesn’t seem reasonable. The talk is hot right now, so let’s hope it continues that way until the Cubs reel him in. A four-year deal worth $50 million would be right at market value, if not a little on the cheap side.

Dunn’s athleticism may leave some fans with a bad taste in their mouths, but the man’s effort and attitude towards the game is everything you want in big free agent signing. Any defensive shortcomings are made up for threefold on the offensive side of the game.

He’s also remained virtually injury-free his entire career, and is only turning 31 this November. He would be a savvy-signing for a team in transition, giving the team an offensive threat to be constantly feared throughout the Majors (something the team obviously lacked in 2010).

I won’t accept the high strike-out rate argument for a second. When you walk over 100 times a season and you’re putting up a slugging percentage higher than .525 every single year, the strike-out rate is hardly a liability whatsoever. There is literally no case for it being a problem, but I’m sure if and when the Cubs make their move on him, we will be hearing some brilliant commentary about it on Chicago talk radio. I’m sure I will be calling in to try to nip some of the ignorance in the bud.

The Cubs have to face the fact that their black hole at first base cannot be filled by a Micah Hoffpauir, and really need to pony up the cash. Signing Dunn will not reverse the tides of misfortune on the North-side, but is a definite step in the right direction.

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Say the Nationals re-sign Adam Dunn…

Does that mean the team expects to be competitive next season?

There’s been a rash of “What will the Nats roster look like in 2012?” going around since signing Bryce Harper with the No. 1 overall draft pick, but what about next year? 

Does General Manager Mike Rizzo think he has the horses to make some noise next year, after finishing this season 10 games or so better than last (barring a monumental September collapse)?

They’ll have to make another 10-plus win jump next year too to get into the conversation.

Let’s take a look at how the team will line up next season, assuming Rizzo hands Dunn a three-year contract, and the big fella accepts it.

The team is set in the infield: Ryan Zimmerman, Ian Desmond, a combo of Adam Kennedy (whose option the Nats will surely pick up) and Danny Espinosa at second base, with Dunn at first and utility man Alberto Gonzalez backing everyone up.

The outfield is muddled. Josh Willingham is team-controlled one more year so expect him to be back. That’s where the certainty ends. 

You have to figure the team would like to get by with either Nyjer Morgan or Roger Bernadina platooning with a right-handed hitter in center. 

What we’re left with is the great right field debate.

Michael Morse is proving to be exposed as an everyday player. He can still be a useful bat off the bench and against lefties. So the team needs to find a left-handed hitting starting right fielder, preferably with some pop, and on a two-year contract (so as not to block one Bryce Harper).

Catcher is set with Ivan Rodriguez. He will bring his .280 OBP out for another season as he slogs his way to 3000 hits, and hopefully Wilson Ramos gets three starts a week to slow Pudge’s efforts down.

Rotation: Surprisingly, this should be fairly easy. How about Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Yuneski Maya, John Lannan and Jason Marquis? 

As bad as Marquis has been this season, the team signed him to a two-year deal and he’ll be given every opportunity in spring training to win a rotation spot.

There are plenty of other candidates for that fifth spot anyway, and a typical team goes through half a dozen guys rotating in-and-out of the bottom of the rotation every season. 

If Marquis can’t answer the bell in March, he’s a sunken cost and the Nats cut bait and go with a younger arm. If all else fails, there’s Livan Hernandez (shudder).

The bullpen is always an interesting topic of debate. Drew Storen is the cost-controlled closer every team dreams of. After that, you figure Tyler Clippard and Sean Burnett will return as the primary setup men. 

All the rest of the pen is fluid with several candidates to return, but if Rizzo thinks he’s going to be seriously competitive, he’ll want to find a legitimate left-handed specialist.

At least manager Jim Riggleman will be here to kick around again, at least to start the season.

So what will the batting order look like next season under this scenario?

Please visit Nats News Network to read more.

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Quite a few folks in Dodgertown went to sleep confused last night.

Why would the Los Angeles Dodgers claim Adam Dunn off waivers from the Washington Nationals?

Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle was the first to speculate the rumor; and Hank has been around the business long enough to be considered a very reliable source.

If it was indeed Los Angeles who made the claim, in a nutshell, the motive for the Dodgers was to prevent any other team in the NL West or the National League wild card race from having a chance at claiming Dunn and adding instant offense.

For those who are unfamiliar with the waiver wire, here’s how it works:

If a player is waived, any team may claim him. If more than one team claims the player from waivers, the team with the weakest record in the player’s league gets preference. If no team in the player’s league claims him, the claiming team with the weakest record in the other league gets preference.

So basically, unless there’s another club in the NL with a weaker record than Los Angeles that put a claim on Dunn, the Dodgers and the Nationals will at least sit down and talk.

While negotiating with Los Angeles, the Nationals have three options from which to take action.

First, Washington could arrange a trade with the Dodgers for Dunn. Although it’s a possibility, it’s highly unlikely, because the MLB rule states that the deal must be completed within two business days from when the claim was made. That would give both clubs until Tuesday morning at the latest to agree on a trade.

And although it’s highly improbable that the Dodgers are legitimate playoff contenders, the Dodgers still have faith in their mathematical chances, and they still aren’t selling. The chances of them giving up anyone except minor league prospects are slim.

Second, the Nationals could simply rescind the waiver and keep Dunn on their roster. This option is probably the likely result of the entire situation.

Last, the Nationals could do nothing at all. If this happens, the Dodgers would have to assume the balance of Dunn’s 2010 contract (approximately $4 million), pay the Nationals a waiver fee, then add Dunn to their 25-man active roster.

This final option is almost impossible, because the Nationals would want to get at least some type of asset in return for Dunn.

Anything could happen however; and yet perhaps it wasn’t even the Dodgers who made the claim.

Nevertheless, if it was an attempt of strategy or trickery by Los Angeles, they could be stuck with $4 million in added payroll that they may not have if the plan backfires.

Still, many Dodger fans are curious as to how Adam Dunn would fit in as a first baseman?

If, by some crazy turn of events, Los Angeles acquired Dunn, chances are he would be used as a left fielder. In 2009, Dunn played 84 games in the outfield for the Nationals; and the year before that he played a total of 141 games in left field for the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Cincinnati Reds combined.

Regardless, if Friday night was an audition for Dunn, he certainly impressed everyone in Los Angeles.

Dunn went two for three at the plate, with two homeruns and six RBI along with two walks, as the Nationals dimmed the Dodgers playoff hopes just a little bit more by putting them away, 6-3.

Dunn and the Nationals have two games remaining in the weekend series at Dodger Stadium.

Many media outlets are keeping these rumors under tight wraps as all of the above-mentioned is heresay and pure speculation; still, the stories should begin to surface as soon as Monday once the Nationals take a course of action.

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