Kuzul

MLB trade rumors often stir up questions about team aspirations for the next season. Notable offseason questions include—are the Los Angeles Dodgers a piece away from winning the World Series? Could constant trade rumor subject David Price be that piece? Would the Rays deal him?

According to a report from Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, Price himself believes “quite possibly” and “yes” would be the answers to those questions.

L.A. already addressed its biggest offseason need in signing a second baseman with power.

Peter Gammons is hearing that the Dodgers’ next target could be former Cy Young winner David Price. After all, L.A. could use the depth. Projected fourth and fifth starters Josh Beckett and Chad Billingsley were limited to a combined 10 starts due to injuries last season. Having two starters coming off of major injuries doesn’t exactly scream dependability, especially for a team with World Series aspirations.

Adding Price would not only give the Dodgers a dependable option, it would give them another Cy Young winner to count on every fifth day. While it seems ridiculous to pencil Price in as a No. 3 starter, that is what he would be in L.A. The potential of a rotation starting with Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Price and Hyun-Jin Ryu is limitless. The Dodgers could probably use anyone they want as a fifth starting pitcher (i.e. the stadium janitor, Cedric the Entertainer, Muggsy Bogues, etc.). The first four are that good.

Having Price in a Dodgers uniform will work extremely well for the team, but getting him may be the tricky part.

The asking price (please excuse the pun) will be substantial. Ken Rosenthal thinks the Rays will get a better trade return from Price than when they traded James Shields. It’s true; they got a good deal out of trading Shields. They could, and rightfully should, do even better in a trade for David Price.

Peter Gammons was told by an anonymous GM that a package of minor leaguers could get the trade done. In a nutshell, this involves L.A. sending nearly every notable, high-upside prospect in its system to the Sunshine State.

Los Angeles can certainly sustain its current winning ways with big spending, but the team can’t give out big contracts forever.

At some point it is going to have to rely on the minors for prospects to fill out and contribute to the team. As good as Price is, if you’re the Dodgers, you have to think twice about shipping all of your high-ceiling prospects out for one player.

That being said, Price would make the Dodgers a near-lock for the World Series, a hefty statement considering the equally superb pitching in St. Louis.

What if I told you the Dodgers could acquire Price and keep their farm system intact?

Here’s where it gets controversial. This is the part where you “casually” glance over your shoulder to see if anyone is watching.

The Dodgers should trade Yasiel Puig to Tampa.

There, I said it.

The Dodgers are going to be aggressive this offseason. Trading Puig is certainly that.

Faced with the dilemma of having four above-average outfielders, the Dodgers may find it advantageous to move one for an impact player. Price is that impact player. Let’s face it, despite Carl Crawford’s career resurgence in L.A., nobody wants his contract.

Andre Ethier could be moved to a team like Seattle or Texas looking for a bat. The return wouldn’t be in the same hemisphere as Price in terms of impact. Matt Kemp could be had, but I don’t think the Dodgers would be giddy about Ethier in center field long-term.

That leaves Yasiel Puig.

While it would be bittersweet for L.A., it would be fantastic for Tampa. An outfield of Puig, Desmond Jennings and Wil Myers would be the most dynamic MLB outfield. Forget dynamic, it could be the best outfield in the league, period. Now and in seven years.

There may be qualms about Puig’s salary for a cash-strapped Tampa ball club (after all, that’s why they’re trading Price; he’s too expensive), but it’s really quite manageable. According to Baseball Reference, the outfielder will make under $4 million dollars next year, $6 million and change in 2015 and isn’t arbitration eligible until 2016. Should he prove too expensive long term, the Rays can flip him for another astronomical return when the time comes.

Should Tampa Bay want to save more money in the trade, they could include the newly re-signed David DeJesus and his nearly $5 million salary in the equation. Trading DeJesus further clears an outfield spot for Puig. That, and the Rays sliding Matt Joyce to designated hitter, would give “Puigmania” a home with the American League club.

Overall, the trade should play out like this: the Dodgers acquire David Price and David DeJesus, and Tampa Bay acquires Yasiel Puig and relief pitcher Paco Rodriguez (the Rays will need him if they lose Fernando Rodney via free agency).

Call it a win-win. Los Angeles would have the extra piece they need to dethrone the Cardinals in the National League. Tampa Bay would then have the offense and pitching to do some dethroning in their division.

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Clayton Kershaw is the best pitcher in Major League Baseball, and one way or another, he’s going to be paid as such soon. Just ask his team’s owner.

The Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander had a season for the ages in 2013, leading the majors for the third straight year with a 1.83 ERA and topping the National League in strikeouts for the second time in three seasons. After winning this year’s Players Choice Award as the NL’s Outstanding Pitcher on Monday, it’s a mere formality that Kershaw will be taking home his second Cy Young Award this month.

He’s done all of this, by the way, at the tender age of 25.

And yet, Kershaw is now less than 12 months from reaching free agency after the 2014 season. At that point, all 30 teams would be able to bid on the top arm in baseball, who not only is among the most decorated and accomplished pitchers in the game, but also smack dab in the middle of his prime.

No wonder he’s intrigued by the possibilities.

“I think [for] any player, that’s the reward of baseball, to make it to that point,” Kershaw said of the prospect of reaching free agency, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. “I think any player gets curious when you get close, for sure.”

From a business standpoint, that’s a smart line from a guy who has a heck of a lot of leverage at the moment, even if he did let this slip to Hernandez about the city of Los Angeles: “I love it here.”

You see, in addition to all of the awards and accolades and his pending free agency, Kershaw has even more stacked in his corner.

For one, Dodgers part owner Magic Johnson told Buster Olney of ESPN (via Cork Gaines of Business Insider) before Opening Day that Kershaw is an invaluable asset to any team:

He’s our Sandy Koufax of today. That’s how important he is. We feel he is the best pitcher in all of baseball. And when you are the best, you gotta be paid the best. We understand that.

To put things in context, the largest contract ever given to a pitcher belongs to Justin Verlander of the Tigers, who signed a seven-year, $180 million contract last March that could turn into an eight-year, $202 million deal if he finishes among the top five in the 2019 Cy Young Award voting.

That contract topped the seven-year, $175 million deal signed a little more than a month earlier by Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez.

The largest amount ever handed out to a left-hander? Well, that goes to CC Sabathia, who landed $161 million over seven years from the New York Yankees after the 2008 season.

There’s also the fact that the Dodgers tried to do just what Johnson said—pay Kershaw like he’s the best pitcher around.

Kershaw had a contract worth upward of $300 million presented to him over the summer, according to an October report by Olney in ESPN The Magazine. And yet, the deal was never completed, with Kershaw apparently hesitant over the length of such a commitment and reluctant to negotiate during the season.

Whatever the reason, it’s a bit worrisome—for both sides—that such a massive number wasn’t able to get it done right then and there, no?

From the Dodgers’ point of view, if $300 million was actually on the table, what more could Kershaw want? From the pitcher’s perspective, it would be foolish to have walked away from an amount that could have made him the highest-paid hurler—and player—in baseball history.

In the end, this could wind up being one costly game of chicken if the Dodgers have to raise the bar they’ve already set, or if Kershaw has any performance- or health-related struggles in 2014.

But Kershaw is the one with most of the power here, given how well he’s pitched and how close he is to hitting the market. The Dodgers, who will more than likely have baseball’s biggest-ever payroll next season, even if they don’t lock him up long term. might actually not be able to afford something for once—in this case, calling the curious Kershaw‘s let’s-play-the-free-agency-game bluff.

To be clear, no one is blaming either side for this reported proposed deal not already being done, since it’s not often that teams or players put finances at the forefront during the season. But now that the offseason has begun, the clock is ticking and the Dodgers would be wise to hammer things out if, in fact, they want to keep Kershaw in Los Angeles for, oh, the next decade, as opposed to only one more year.

The alternative, of course, is to give 29 other teams a chance to talk to Kershaw, which would only drive up a price that is already astronomical.

“We already know we’ve got to give him a lot of money,” Johnson said in October, per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. “What’s a few more zeroes?”

A few more zeroes are enough to potentially prevent Kershaw‘s curiosity from getting the best of the Dodgers.

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Red Sox versus Yankees. Cardinals versus Cubs. Cowboys versus Redskins. Duke versus North Carolina. The list of great rivalries in American sports is endless. And many would consider Dodgers versus Giants the best of them all.

I can’t say I disagree. As a diehard Dodgers fan born and raised in San Francisco, my lifelong sports fandom has been…interesting. 

And anyone else who has lived and died with one of these powerhouse franchises, whether it be well after they moved to the West Coast, or through the entire process of leaving New York, can identify with me.

Through all the on-field brawls, fan violence, controversies and tight pennant races, the Dodgers and Giants have never disappointed to bring an extra element of suspense to each and every baseball season. 

Joe Konte has tracked the progress of the rivalry through research and devoted fanaticism and recently published The Rivalry Heard ‘Round the World. Joe, who took hundreds of individual three-plus hour trips at the San Francisco Public Library to dive into research for this book, attended his first Dodgers vs. Giants game in 1958 and never looked back.

Joe was kind enough to speak to me about the book, the rivalry and his thoughts on everything Dodgers versus Giants. From an on-field, pregame, cow-milking competition in 1966 to the infamous Juan Marichal bat incident, Joe has an endless knowledge of the greatest rivalry in sports history.

Jeremy Dorn: Let’s dive right into it—is the Dodgers versus Giants rivalry the single greatest rivalry in American sports history?

Joe Konte: It’s the only real great rivalry that spans the entire country. And it goes back to 1858 when organized ball was just starting. Did you know the 1858 All-Star series was made up of the best players just from Brooklyn and New York? The fact that it started so deep and then came out here to the West Coast and we’ve still seen so many great and crazy moments makes it so unique and special. There’s just something about this rivalry. 

JD: Was there one rivalry moment that you appreciated more after doing your research?

JK: It was one of the most tumultuous moments of the rivalry’s history: Marichal versus Roseboro. We all know that story, but I was foggy on how it came to be, so one of the most interesting things going into it was the game-by-game buildup. Don Drysdale had made target practice of Giants batters, and earlier in the season there was a verbal war between Drysdale and Marichal that built up to the iconic incident. 

JD: Who are the most fiery players you came across in your research for each franchise as far as hatred for the other team goes? 

JK: John “The Count” Montefusco was special in that way. He said he had “hatred for all things Dodgers.” I covered how Drysdale was the poster boy for the rivalry in the early years of the West Coast because he was known to throw at batters. But the one guy who really stands out is Tommy Lasorda because he had this legendary problem with the Giants fans. There are a number of quotes over the years from him saying the Giants fans were the worst fans in baseball. And they made a case for themselves by throwing beer into the dugout and at Lasorda on his walks from the clubhouse in Candlestick to the dugouts. In the 1951 season though, the Dodgers tried to hold a “Willie Mays” appreciation night before his career ended which started with a nice Mays tribute and ended with Dodgers fans getting mad about a bad call in the ninth inning. So even the one time the Dodgers tried to have a nice night in an appreciated player’s honor, it turned out bad.

JD: What motivated you to write this book?

JK: I went to my first Dodgers vs. Giants game in 1958. My father was a fan, and we watched together, so I learned about the rivalry from an early age. The combination of being a big baseball fan from San Francisco and following the rivalry over the years, plus working as a sports editor all these years gave me a really good knowledge of the topic. I had a lot of interest in it, but felt I needed more to do a book, so I dove into over 900 games of history. 

JD: Nine hundred games? That’s dedication!

JK: Since moving to the West Coast, the Giants and Dodgers have played nearly 1,000 games against each other. Actually, they will play their 1,000th game together next season. I went over every game, every box score and every summary because if I skipped one, I felt I’d miss out. 

JD: Wow. I’m guessing the head-to-head rivalry is pretty even in terms of wins?

JK: Since the first National League game against each other in 1890, they’ve played 2,375 games, and San Francisco has a 27-game lead (1,201-1,174). The Giants kind of dominated the years in New York, and then the script was flipped when the teams moved to California. 

JD: So tell me more about the research process. Did you uncover any moments that nobody knows about?

JK: The heart of the research was going to the San Francisco Main Library’s microfilm room where they have newspapers going back as far as possible. I pulled up individual sports pages and looked through all the numbers and game stories one by one. It was a labor of love, but you have to do the research to pick up the best stuff and compile it in some way and look for a scene of every season. Then I just tried to weave it all together. The thoroughness of the research was needed to tell the story. But by thinking that deep, I found out all sorts of things, like this gem: In 1966, the Dodgers and Giants held a cow-milking contest in the on-deck circle before a game to salute the dairy industry. 

JD: I wish they still did things like that before games! So, let’s talk about a more sensitive topic. Based on your research, has the fan mentality changed at these rivalry games? Given all the postgame incidents over the few years?

JK: Well, Candlestick Park was definitely revving up the rivalry in terms of fan participation because it was a very edgy place—it was cold, there was virtually no security and there was lots of booze. Fights there were a normal thing. They were expected. The bleachers at Dodgers vs. Giants games [at Candlestick] were sold out, and by the fifth inning, only half the people were left because cops had to eject people for fighting and drinking. I see a huge difference at AT&T with more security and a more family-friendly atmosphere. Things really unraveled in Los Angeles with Brian Stow in 2011 and the McCourt family running the team into the ground. But right now, it’s much cleaner in both environments. 

JD: Did you see anything that serious in years past while researching?

JK: Alcohol has something to do with it spilling over after the games. But the weapons make it incredibly serious. They didn’t really have those back in the day. Even the Stow incident was very violent still [without weapons]. It was beyond a normal brawl. The violence and the availability of weapons did seem to have been stepped up. But, for example, a fan in the 1930s killed another fan after a postgame argument at a bar. So it’s hard to say what is old and what is current. 

JD: How can this issue be fixed? Any ideas?

JK: You think about these incidents—Stow of course, and the Dodgers fan getting fatally stabbed after a game at AT&T this season—and it’s interesting how logos and colors still trigger the mono-a-mono reaction. It’s almost acceptable once those colors are in the street after a game. You wouldn‘t hit a normal person in the street, but just the team colors makes it “okay.” The sad part is none of it is really happening in the stadiums themselves these days. The ballparks are kind of like fortresses, but once you leave the park and are walking back to your cars, it gets dangerous. I wouldn’t walk down streets of San Francisco in Dodger garb at night. A fan should have the right to do that, but there are too many people on the fringe out there. When you’re two or three blocks from the park, you might as well be a mile away. Two-three blocks from the park you might as well be a mile from the park. I think 2012 was the most pivotal year of rivalry since 1958 because the Giants got really good and suddenly they set a bar so high for themselves that the Dodgers’ new ownership did whatever it takes to win, and now there’s a mono-a-mono thing with the organizations, not just the fans. If they have a year where they’re both strong in September, I think the passion and tension will bring out even more security and even more worry for people in opposing gear.

JD: A Giants versus Dodgers divisional race would be good for baseball again. The Dodgers will go into the 2014 season as the NL West favorites, but the Giants should be better. Can you forecast the pennant race between the two for next season?

JK: It’s hard to believe Los Angeles won’t be a factor. Certainly next year and for the short-term future. And one reason is because right now, if the Dodgers make a bad decision on a player, they can write the millions off. If the Giants spend money on Hunter Pence and he doesn’t work out, they can’t bring a new guy in the same way the Dodgers can. Also, the Dodgers can be active in the international market with Yasiel Puig, Alexander Guerrero, etc. The Giants lack of success this year could have been injuries, a World Series hangover or something else. They have to deal with left field and their rotation, but the lineup is pretty good, and it’s hard to believe the Giants management will stand pat at this point. The Dodgers kind of ruined San Francisco’s whole business plan last year. I think the Giants were surprised because they thought the NL West was a winnable division with 88 victories. You’d think the Giants will put more money into it than they have already to stay on pace. Either way, it would be a lot of fun if the 1,000th game they played on the West Coast was in a pennant race. 

You can follow Joe Konte on Twitter @JoeKonte and his blog www.JoeKonte.com. For a copy of the book, visit Joe’s website.

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For the past year-and-a-half, money has been more or less no object for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Freed from the confinement and embarrassment that had come to be under previous owner Frank McCourt, the Dodgers and their new ownership, headed by Magic Johnson and the Guggenheim Partners, have once again established themselves as a big-market franchise that has been—and will continue to be—major players when it comes to player acquisitions.

It would be great to be able to put an exact figure on the amount that has been spent since the regime change, but then again, it’s hard to even count that high. Here’s one figure, from Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal:

Since [the new ownership group purchased the organization for $2.15 billion in May 2012], the Dodgers have taken on more than $600 million in long-term salary commitments and replaced the New York Yankees as the sport’s dominant financial power.

Here’s another number: The club’s 2013 payroll was about $217 million, second-most in Major League Baseball, according to USA Today‘s salary database. While the Yankees’ $228 million payroll was actually slightly higher—by only about, oh, $10 million or so—the Dodgers’ was more than twice as much as the amount they spent on player contracts in 2012. That kind of year-over-year jump is simply unprecedented at that scale.

Such splurging was made possible by the new owners, as well as a massive television deal that could bring the team as much as $6 billion in the end, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.

“We needed to invigorate the club,” Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti told Costa. “We needed to invigorate the city. We needed to get a little bit of our reputation back, and we needed to act quickly.”

Mission accomplished.

But what do the Dodgers do for an offseason encore now that the winter is here? Well, there’s more money to be spent, both on bringing in new free agents and locking up their own players long-term.

Let’s start with the latter avenue. Many of the players already under contract are signed for multiple seasons, but the club’s best hitter and pitcher aren’t among them.

Shortstop Hanley Ramirez, the team’s offensive MVP while hitting .345/.402/.638 with 25 doubles and 20 homers in only 86 games during an injury-riddled 2013, is inked through 2014, but that’s it. Both Ramirez and the team, though, have indicated an extension is a possibility.

Ace left-hander Clayton Kershaw, soon-to-be Cy Young winner for the second time in three years, is under team control through next season only, too. In Kershaw‘s case, there have been reports that the two sides have been trying to work toward a monster deal, perhaps even upward of $300 million.

Making sure those two stars stick around is more important to the Dodgers’ future than bringing in new blood via free agency, but doing so would mean at least $20 million a year for Ramirez and at least $25 million per for Kershaw. That’s tacking on $45-$50 million more per season to a roster that already has approximately $160 million on the books for 2014, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts via Baseball Prospectus.

If we can be so bold as to have those deals completed this offseason, that would bring the Dodgers’ payroll for next year right around where they were this year. And that’s not counting new signings, trades and raises via arbitration and performance bonuses, among other monetary obligations and roster additions.

Sure, the Dodgers can shed some salary, too. In fact, they already have by declining the options for second baseman Mark Ellis and left-hander Chris Capuano, which were $5.75 million and $8 million, respectively, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. The buyouts were for $1 million each.

In his story, Hernandez points out that newly signed Cuban import Alexander Guerrero, who inked for $28 million over four years, is expected to be in line to take over the second base job. Capuano, meanwhile, was deemed expendable because, as Hernandez notes:

The Dodgers have five starting pitchers under control for next season: Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Chad Billingsley and Josh Beckett. Billingsley and Beckett are recovering from major operations, but the Dodgers are expected to attempt to re-sign Ricky Nolasco and pursue Japanese right-hander Masahiro Tanaka.

The 25-year-old Tanaka, who went 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, is not a free agent, but his Japanese club is expected to post him this winter, giving all 30 MLB teams the opportunity to bid for exclusive rights to negotiate with him.

To that end, Steve Dilbeck, also of the Times, points out the following:

The fact that [the Dodgers] gambled on Hyun-Jin Ryu ($36 million) and Yasiel Puig ($42 million) last year and won, only figures to encourage their international efforts. They’ve already spent on Cuban infielder Alexander Guerrero ($28 million) this off-season.

And now comes the next latest, greatest thing in Tanaka.

Whether it’s landing Tanaka, re-signing Nolasco or hooking any number of other enticing, pricey free agents is pretty much a fait accompli for the Dodgers. Certainly, they can’t afford every big name, but there are millions more to be spent. It’s not a matter of if, but when.

L.A.’s payroll is bound to bump again next year, but what was a financial blastoff last winter likely will be merely another step or two up this time around. Maybe the number reaches into the $230-$250 million range, depending on how the Ramirez and Kershaw negotiations play out. That still would be the highest ever in MLB history, surpassing the Yankees, who may—or may not—be going a bit more cost-conscious this winter.

Regardless, this Dodgers team doesn’t need a heck of a lot more help, considering 2013 ended with a trip all the way to the National League Championship Series even after the club was floundering for the first two months of the season. No wonder they’re the odds-on favorite for next year’s World Series.

They could use a key piece here, an under-the-radar addition there, with the most pressing needs being at third base, in the middle of the rotation and the back of the bullpen. But the roster is chock full of stars who are in their prime—if they’re even there yet.

And that just might be what prevents the Dodgers’ payroll next season and beyond from making even the New York Yankees look like cheapskates. No amount of money can buy another roster spot, so the Dodgers will have to work with 25 players.

When it comes to spending, that may be the one way they’re just like every other team.

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Apparently money can’t buy everything. All it got the team with the highest payroll in baseball (by a mile) was an NL West division crown, the highest attendance in the game, a trip to the NLCS, and endless momentum for the foreseeable future.

But when the end goal is to win a World Series title, this all feels a little…pointless.

Jay Gatsby can buy all the beautiful things in the world, but none of it matters if he doesn’t win Daisy Buchanan’s love, right? 

So while some fans may call for a complete overhaul, we’re going to keep it simple and rational here.

We’re going to list the five players who the Dodgers should either let walk to free agency or look to trade away in the off season. 

Make no mistake about it — the Dodgers can get better. And they will. These are some suggestions to help them along the way.

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Of all the ways the Los Angeles Dodgers could have pictured their 2013 season coming to an end, Clayton Kershaw getting rocked in a must-win game probably never crossed their minds.

But that’s what happened in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series Friday night. The St. Louis Cardinals got to Kershaw for four runs in the third inning, in which they were aided by a poorly timed Yasiel Puig-y throw by Yasiel Puig. The Cardinals tacked on five more runs in the fifth inning to put the game out of reach and went on to win by the final of 9-0. 

Oh, don’t sit there and weep for the Dodgers. They didn’t succeed in making it to the World Series, but they did succeed in proving that their model for being a title contender is one they can make work.

That model can be summed up in four words: spend money, win games.

Yes, the Dodgers have made some poor investments since Magic Johnson and his partners took control early in 2012. Extending Andre Ethier for $85 million was puzzling. Taking on the bulk of Josh Beckett’s remaining contract in last August’s trade with the Boston Red Sox didn’t work out. Signing Brandon League to a $20 million deal over the winter was never a good idea.

But then there are the smart investments. Agreeing to take on Hanley Ramirez’s remaining contract in a deal with the Miami Marlins paid off in a big way. So did dishing out over $40 million to sign Puig. Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez didn’t go bust the way Beckett did. Signing Zack Greinke for $147 million is looking like a fair deal. Signing Hyun-Jin Ryu for $36 million is looking like a steal.

Buying wins is not as easy as the New York Yankees have made it look for so many years. Heck, just look at how things have crashed and burned in Anaheim. It’s easy to make big investments. It’s a lot harder to hit on big investments. 

The Dodgers did just that and ultimately came two wins away from the World Series. They deserve their due credit for the season they had.

But now the matter at hand is where the Dodgers go from here. After opening their window to contend for World Series titles in 2013, how do they open it even wider and make sure it stays open?

Their first order of business this winter should concern the latter half of that equation. If they want to make sure their window to contend for titles stays open for as long as possible, they need to quit stalling and tie that one left-handed guy up for the long haul.

He may have fallen flat in Game 6 of the NLCS, but the Dodgers still have plenty of reasons to make Kershaw the richest pitcher in baseball history. He’s coming off a season that saw him post a 1.83 ERA, and he leads all pitchers in ERA and ERA+ since the start of the 2010 season. Kershaw has the look of an all-time great pitcher, and he’s not even 26 yet.

Signing Kershaw to a long-term extension could cost the Dodgers as much as $30 million per year. Whatever the cost, they can pay it. And barring some weird cosmic forces invading Chavez Ravine, you have to think they are going to pay it.

If the Dodgers really want to make it rain, they’ll extend Kershaw and sign the winter’s top free agent: current Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano. However, Johnson told USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale earlier this month that the Dodgers aren’t going to be the team to pay Cano, and imagining the organization paying both Kershaw and Cano this winter is admittedly hard to do.

Especially considering that they could sign several players for the price of one Cano.

On the radar will be the Dodgers infield, which will need some new additions this winter. Third baseman Juan Uribe is slated to test the free-agent waters, and second baseman Mark Ellis will follow him if the Dodgers decline to pick up his $5.75 million club option.

Cano would obviously be a monster upgrade over Ellis, but the Dodgers can find another upgrade over Ellis for much cheaper.

According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Dodgers have re-entered the mix for Cuban infielder Alex Guerrero after having a deal with him fall through over the summer. Bleacher Report’s Mike Rosenbaum likes Guerrero’s power potential, and the Dodgers would appear to like it too.

And since the Dodgers scored big with their past two international signings (Puig and Ryu), arguing with their apparent fondness for Guerrero isn’t recommended.

The first deal the Dodgers and Guerrero had in place was supposedly worth $32 million over five years. Now the word from Heyman is that Guerrero wants only a four-year deal. He could be signed for under $30 million, which is obviously something the Dodgers can handle.

As for what to do at third base, the Dodgers could just re-sign Uribe. He was quietly a productive player on both sides of the ball in 2013, posting a .769 OPS and ranking behind only Manny Machado among MLB third basemen in Ultimate Zone Rating, according to FanGraphs.

But rather than simply re-signing Uribe, a better idea for the Dodgers would be to move Ramirez to third base. He actually had a good year defensively at shortstop, but moving Ramirez to third base is in his health’s interest. And of course, it would also mean a massive offensive upgrade at the hot corner, and it would open the window for a solid shortstop to slide into the mix.

The guy on the free-agent market who should strike the Dodgers’ fancy is Stephen Drew. He got off to a slow start in April and May, but he posted an .824 OPS in his final 82 games while also playing solid defense at short. Per FanGraphs, Drew’s 5.3 UZR placed him 12th among shortstops.

In swapping Uribe for Drew and moving Ramirez to third base, the Dodgers would be getting a defensive upgrade at short and an offensive upgrade for third base. That Drew is younger and has a better bat than Uribe is icing on the cake.

As for what it would take to sign Drew, it’s likely going to take a multiyear deal. And given that his salary was $9.5 million this year, it’ll probably take at least $10 or $11 million per year to get him to listen. A deal in the neighborhood of $40 million sounds about right.

And that, of course, is another deal the Dodgers can handle.

If the Dodgers let Uribe and Ellis go and sign Guerrero and Drew and move Ramirez to third base, they could trot out the following lineup:

If they don’t choose to trade him this offseason, Ethier could be used as a platoon partner for Matt Kemp and/or Puig. The Dodgers would be loaded offensively.

Pitching-wise, the Dodgers are already well off. Whether he’s extended or not, Kershaw will be back next year. So will Beckett and Chad Billingsley, who will do fine as back-of-the-rotation options. Greinke and Ryu are signed long term.

But with the door open for the Dodgers to acquire a starting pitcher this winter, they might as well go for the biggest prize of them all: Tampa Bay Rays lefty David Price.

With a big payday via arbitration due up this winter, Price is as good as dealt—and he knows it. And if ESPN’s Buster Olney is to be believed, the Dodgers are going to be among the more aggressive bidders for the 2012 American League Cy Young winner.

The Dodgers have the pieces to go get Price. The Rays might like the idea of adding Joc Pederson to their outfield and/or Zach Lee to their stable of young pitchers. Or they could try to pry prized infield prospect Corey Seager from the Dodgers, who might figure that getting Price is worth giving up a potential heir apparent for Ramirez on the left side of their infield.

Regardless, the Dodgers are in a good position to empty the farm for Price. There’s little point in them waiting for their best prospects to be ready while their window to contend is wide open, and they could afford to sign Price to a long-term extension upon his arrival. His free-agent years don’t kick in until after 2015, and by then the Dodgers will have Beckett’s and Billingsley‘s contracts off the books.

The best-case scenario involves the Dodgers both extending Kershaw and then trading for and extending Price. If they pull it off, they’ll have a rotation of Kershaw, Greinke, Price and Ryu locked up for several years. 

From there, the only gem left to polish off would be the bullpen. The Dodgers already have an elite closer in Kenley Jansen. Before he ran out of gas at the end of the year, Paco Rodriguez was a stud. That leaves a quality right-handed setup man as the outstanding need. If the Dodgers don’t re-up with Brian Wilson, it would be worth it for them to roll the dice on the oft-injured Jesse Crain.

That’s my vision of a perfect Dodgers shopping spree for the offseason: Kershaw, Price, Guerrero, Drew and a righty setup man. One big extension, one big acquisition, two solid acquisitions and one minor acquisition.

It might not come off as much of a haul compared to the big moves the Dodgers made in 2012, but hey, it’s not like this is a team that needs a completely new look. The Dodgers already have loads of talent, and it must be noted that Kemp might still have some MVP-caliber seasons in him if he can stay healthy.

Given that the Dodgers are already World Series contenders, this is a team that merely needs a few adjustments. And no matter how it all goes down, a few adjustments are coming.

Love ’em or hate ’em, the Dodgers aren’t about to be content with Game 6 of the NLCS as a high-water mark.

Note: Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted. Salary and contract info courtesy of Cot’s Baseball Contracts. 

If you want to talk baseball, hit me up on Twitter.

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The Dodgers‘ magical season ended with an ugly 9-0 loss versus the Cardinals at the hands of rookie pitcher and NLCS MVP Michael Wacha, who tossed 13.2 scoreless innings while defeating ace Clayton Kershaw for the second time in the series. 

While there is plenty of disappointment that they fell short of their ultimate goal of winning a World Championship, the loss could result in an even more exciting offseason if it results in ownership pursuing one or two more star players. 

In reality, they’re still a very good team. They won 67 of their last 100 games, and none of their best players are eligible for free agency. Ownership has extremely deep pockets. The team had the best home attendance in baseball. And they have a lot of money coming off of the books after the season.

So, keep your heads up, Dodgers fans. The window of contention is still wide open for this group. 

If general manager Ned Colletti can avoid another Brandon League-like debacle—League was a bust after being re-signed to a three-year, $22.5 million deal at the beginning of last offseason—he has a chance to put together the finishing pieces to what could be the most talented roster in baseball… on paper. 

Here’s everything you’ll need to know before Colletti and the front office get started.

Begin Slideshow

Going into the final two games of the St. Louis Cardinals–Los Angeles Dodgers matchup in the National League Championship Series, all the talk has centered on starting pitching.

You know all about the Clayton Kershaw-Michael Wacha showdown for Friday night’s Game 6. There’s a possibility that Adam Wainwright could face Hyun-Jin Ryu in Game 7 with a trip to the World Series on the line.

Not that Wainwright thinks there will be a Game 7, according to ESPN.com’s Arash Markazi:

But don’t forget about the bullpens as the series wraps up in St. Louis with the Cardinals leading the series 3-2, one victory away from their second World Series trip in three years.

Chances are, relief pitching will play a crucial role in deciding the outcome of the NL pennant. Runs will be at a premium with such stellar solid pitching on the mound, so let’s take a look at the bullpens on each side.

St. Louis Cardinals

Former closer Edward Mujica has had an unspectacular fall from grace since September, but the team has benefited from the rise of rookie Trevor Rosenthal. Mujica had 35 saves in 37 opportunities with a 1.73 ERA through August, setting himself up nicely for a free-agent deal this offseason. But he regressed in September, posting an 11.05 ERA in 10 appearances, blowing two saves and losing his role as closer.

Since then, Rosenthal has been a revelation. But it’s not like success in the playoffs is anything new for the 23-year-old, who helped the Cardinals during their NLCS run last year. The fireball-throwing right-hander is yet to allow a run in 14.2 career postseason innings, including six scoreless frames so far this year.

He’s already notched two saves this series, including in Game 4 when he struck out Juan Uribe to close out the 4-2 Cardinals victory:

Entering play Friday, the Cardinals have a 1.93 bullpen ERA so far in the postseason, better than the 2.86 ERA mark that the Dodgers have posted thus far. It’s not just Rosenthal who’s been producing for the Cardinals all year. Setup men like rookie southpaw Kevin Siegrist (0.45 ERA), veteran lefty Randy Choate (2.29 ERA) and rookie righty Seth Maness (2.32 ERA) each posted great numbers in the regular season.

Not to mention, the bullpen likes to stretch together:

So far, the Cardinals bullpen has given up three runs in 15 innings of work in the NLCS. It played key roles in the victories of Game 1 and Game 2, but it gave up two costly runs in the 6-4 Dodgers win in Game 5. Otherwise, this bunch has been hard to hit.

Los Angeles Dodgers

These Dodgers are all about star power and they have a bunch of it in Brian Wilson. With his outrageous beard and long black locks flowing from underneath his cap, Wilson has provided an instant boost to the Los Angeles bullpen since joining the club in August.

He might not have the blazing fastball that he once possessed, but Wilson has been effective as ever this postseason in a setup role, allowing just four hits in six scoreless games. His most recent appearance came in Game 5, when he completed a 1-2-3 eighth inning:

But all roads lead to closer Kenley Jansen in the Dodgers bullpen. Despite racking up 53 saves with a 2.10 ERA the past two regular seasons, Jansen has looked shaky so far in the NLCS. He gave up two runs in the 6-4 Dodgers win Game 5, and he was also responsible for surrendering Carlos Beltran’s game-winning walk-off single in the 13th inning of the Cardinals’ 3-2 win in Game 1:

Aside from Wilson, other top setup man would be lefty J.P. Howell (2.03 ERA), as the Dodgers left fellow southpaws Chris Capuano and Paco Rodriguez off the NLCS roster. Other than Jansen’s miscues, this group has given up just two runs in 13.1 innings of work.

The Advantage

Even though the Cardinals are relying on six rookie pitchers in the bullpen right now, the group has handled the bright lights of the postseason well. When you factor in the postseason performances of each team’s young closer, it appears Rosenthal has the edge over Jansen as well.

As the stakes get higher in the postseason, the Cardinals looked poised to handle the pressure with a deeper bullpen and top, proven season-long options from both the left and right sides of the mound. It’s not completely out of the realm of possibility that we see four complete games in the final two contests of this series, but don’t count on it.

Expect some late-inning drama and count on the Cardinals bullpen to shut the door on the Dodgers if it has the opportunity.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers looked finished after a depressing performance in Game 2 against the St. Louis Cardinals, but after a big win in Game 3, a World Series trip is a real possibility—if some things go right.

Despite batting just .134 for the series, the Cardinals have looked unstoppable at times.

They’ve gotten a few clutch hits, but it’s their starting pitching that’s been dominant, whether it was Joe Kelly or Michael Wacha.

But the Dodgers stayed alive last night in an impressive 3-0 win, and they’ll need some of the trends they established last night to continue.

The Cardinals have been the beneficiaries of some exquisite pitching performances throughout the playoffs, and the Dodgers will need to match them on the mound to win the NLCS.

In the first two games, it’s not as if Los Angeles’ pitchers were terrible.

After all, Clayton Kershaw struck out five batters and didn’t allow an earned run in the first game, while Zack Greinke recorded a whopping 10 strikeouts over eight innings.

But both had their shortcomings; Kershaw put a strain on the bullpen by only throwing for six innings, while Greinke allowed two runs.

It may seem like an impossible standard, but the Dodgers need to expect perfection from the pitching staff, since that’s pretty much what St. Louis has gotten from theirs.

Just look at last night as an example.

Hyun-Jin Ryu pitched seven innings of shutout baseball, and even though Adam Wainwright had a good game with five strikeouts over seven innings, it wasn’t quite enough.

Game 4 represents a particularly interesting quandary for the Dodgers and manager Don Mattingly. Ricky Nolasco is slated to start, but is perfection a reasonable goal for a player with a career 4.37 ERA?

Grantland’s Jonah Keri perfectly explains the Dodgers’ dilemma.

As of now, the Dodgers are saying they’ll start Ricky Nolasco in Game 4, thereby going with the weakest of their four starters, a right-hander who projects as a favorable matchup against the Cardinals’ righty-mashing lineup. Whether it’s Nolasco, or Zack Greinke on short rest, the Dodgers likely come in as either an even-odds bet or possibly slight underdogs tonight.

No matter who ends up taking the mound, they’ll have quite the high bar to meet.

The bullpen has been up to the challenge, as it has only allowed four hits total in the series, and it’ll be up to the starters to match that standard.

Injured Player Production

Andre Ethier and Hanley Ramirez didn’t deliver the biggest offensive performance in Game 3, but it was good enough for a win.

The pair is dealing with some tough injuries at the moment—Ethier has a fractured ankle, while Ramirez has a broken rib.

But their contributions to the team extend beyond simply some big hits.

Instead, their willingness to battle through injuries served as inspiration, as the Los Angeles Times’ Bill Plaschke explains. 

They spent the game beating back obvious, wearying pain. It stifled them, but it didn‘t stop them, and in the end, they not only played through it, they shined through it.

While they were hobbled, they still had some important trips to the plate. 

Ramirez had two hits, including a pop up to advance Mark Ellis and help him score the game’s first run, while Ethier went hitless, yet recorded a grounder that moved Adrian Gonzalez to third in the fourth inning.

But those hits were undoubtedly a struggle to get. Ramirez’s knocks were both fluky and could’ve been caught by more capable defenders.

Yet, if they can keep battling and even deliver the occasional spark to the offense, then the Dodgers will have enough to win the series. 

Ramirez in particular has a huge effect on the team’s performance, as ESPN Stats & Info explains.

But as important as the injured duo is, there’s one star that is absolutely crucial for the Dodgers.

Puig’s Comeback 

Yasiel Puig’s bat has carried the Dodgers since he was called up to the majors, so it’s no surprise that the squad has struggled when he has. 

After striking out in his first at bat in Game 3, Puig was 0-for-11 in the series with seven strikeouts.

That all changed with this huge triple in the fourth inning.

Puig earned some more criticism from baseball traditionalists for the way he celebrated the hit, but he’s not wrong to react strongly to the hit. 

The Cuban import went 2-for-3 in the game, and if he can keep leading the team with a combination of offensive production and youthful exuberance, they can win this NLCS.

If he regresses to his old ineptitude, the Dodgers will be forced to lean on its injured stars or Adrian Gonzalaz, who broke out of his own 1-for-17 slump in this game.

But if he stays potent in the middle of the lineup, Los Angeles has a chance.

Make no mistake, even with the series at 2-1 the Dodgers still have an uphill climb to go the World Series.

Lance Lynn is a formidable starter to face in Game 4, considering he hasn’t had to pitch since October 7. 

But if they can nail this combination of perfect pitching and an offense that’s just good enough with the help of Ramirez, Ethier and Puig, they can edge the Cards.

It might still be a long shot, but the Dodgers are a dangerous team, and they’ll be out to prove it in Game 4.

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Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez is a late scratch for Game 2 of the NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals due to a rib injury. according to the Dodgers’ official Twitter feed.

Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register passed along comments from Dodgers manager Don Mattingly before Ramirez was lifted from the lineup:

Mattingly: Even though Hanley Ramirez is in lineup he’s “iffy” and could be game time decision. HBP in ribs has him “little sore” today

— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) October 12, 2013

Ramirez had X-rays taken on his injury, which came back negative, according to the Dodgers.

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