Guest Salacious Crumb Report post Posted December 17, 2004 5 years for 64 million. I'm kind of surprised considering they signed Richie Sexson to a big contract earlier this week. It should make for a very interesting lineup for next season. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EVIL~! alkeiper 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2004 $12.8 Mil for 5 years. Good be a good deal, but it could be a disaster. I've given up trying to guess the market this offseason. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Salacious Crumb Report post Posted December 17, 2004 I've been surprised by Seattle. I thought they would go for a more conservative rebuilding process instead of bringing in two high priced sluggers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2004 Funny how LA waited for so long for him to "develop," then he has a good year and leaves... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spicy McHaggis 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2004 Funny how LA waited for so long for him to "develop," then he has a good year and leaves... New ownership, new gm, same ol' shit. With Beltre and Finley leaving, Penny, Green, and Brazoban being traded, and last season trading away Lo Duca, Mota, Encarnacion, and Roberts, management has neutered the Dodgers for Javier Vasquez and Hee-Seop Choi. Brilliant. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dr. Tom 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2004 So, will he go back to hitting .260 with 25 homers? Maybe he'll report to training camp "4 pounds" lighter... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EVIL~! alkeiper 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2004 Funny how LA waited for so long for him to "develop," then he has a good year and leaves... New ownership, new gm, same ol' shit. With Beltre and Finley leaving, Penny, Green, and Brazoban being traded, and last season trading away Lo Duca, Mota, Encarnacion, and Roberts, management has neutered the Dodgers for Javier Vasquez and Hee-Seop Choi. Brilliant. New management were the ones who brought in Brad Penny, Yhancy Brazoban, and Steve Finley in the first place. Assuming the trade comes through, they've replaced a 33 year old catcher who chronically fades in the second half with one of the best catching prospects in baseball. They ditched Encarnacion and his 236/299/405 line and replaced him with Jayson Werth, who hit better and cost the league minimum. They have a third base prospect in place. And in case you didn't notice, they signed Jeff Kent. Under old management, the Dodgers finished last in runs scored. Now, they have a division title, and a real shot at a second. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sass 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2004 The Dodgers no longer have anyone on the team who hit over 20 homers. Beltre, Finley and Green are now as good as gone. The McCourts should have never been given permission to takeover the Dodgers. Beltre should have been re-signed, simple as that. Becoming a family man and having a new child to look after changed him. He finally became a man. Beltre is probably going to supply the M's with many productive years while the Dodgers watch their unproven prospects develop. The McCourts are cheap-trash owners who short-changed Paul DePodesta when he probably could have put together a decent team. But he needed the cash to do so and he got cut off there. I feel bad for the rookie GM who is going to have his name dragged through the mud. It's not his fault that things went sour with Beltre's negotiations. He just wasn't give the right amount of resources. Shame on the McCourts for giving Dodgers fans the false hope of re-signing Beltre with no problem. I pray that this low ball bullshit does not continue with the Dodgers. Jim Tracy should have told the McCourts to piss off when they low balled him in contract negotiations after the improved season he had. Signing an aging Jeff Kent was the wrong move. They needed to reload with younger talent and instead they pick up a guy who is only getting older, with his numbers diminshing as well. Kent hasn't played 3rd base in several years and that's the position that it looks like he'll be playing. Luckily the Padres and Giants appear to be in limbo on paper but that could change during the season. "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss" - the Who, wiser people than Dodgers management. Dan Evans must be laughing at all this considering he was the one who scouted for Beltre and is now a consultant for the M's who probably used his assisstance in reeling in Beltre. What a bummer this season is shaping up to be. I hope the Dodgers finish strong in their division next season. I really, really hope so. Good luck Mr.Beltre, your presence on the team will be missed. Besides, whose gonna keep Milton Bradley from going to jail now? Fuck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sass 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2004 Ditching Lo Duca, Mota, Encarnacion, Roberts and Penny hasn't left Dodger fans bitter. It did at first, particularly with Lo Duca but he burned out at the end of the season like he's done before. None of these guys did anything that made fans regret losing them after the season was over. Roberts won the World Series with the Red Sox but that's cool. Shawn Green has been too inconsistent over the years so losing him won't be rough. Locker room leader my ass. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
geniusMoment 0 Report post Posted December 18, 2004 This means the Dodgers will probably try to sign JD Drew. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sass 0 Report post Posted December 18, 2004 Chris Clement would be a *really* nice signing right now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EVIL~! alkeiper 0 Report post Posted December 18, 2004 When Beltre got a 5 year/$64 Million offer from the Dodgers, he was as good as gone. Beltre's year might have been a fluke, and it may not have been. But $64 Million is a hell of a lot to gamble on that. In my view, it was simply an unmatchable offer. Jeff Kent may be 36, but it is not a long term offer, and Kent was the second best second baseman in baseball last season. He's also a better defensive player than people give him credit for. I honestly don't think he'll suffer a rash decline over the next two seasons. Whether the Dodgers can fill third base will determine their future this season. Placido Polanco could work. Joe Randa is an option. If the trade goes through, Eric Duncan is a future starter for the team. The Dodgers have some great prospects right now. Delwyn Young is tearing the cover off the ball in the minors. If Dioner Navarro and Eric Duncan come over, they have big time prospects in their weakest positions. Given the weak state of the Rockies and D'backs, and the clock on the Giants (toast when Bonds retires), I see no reason to panic about the Dodgers. Besides, if anyone can win on a budget, it's Paul DePodesta. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Failed Mascot Report post Posted December 18, 2004 Chris Clement would be a *really* nice signing right now. is this some kind of Brandon Arroyo joke? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
treble 0 Report post Posted December 18, 2004 Whether the Dodgers can fill third base will determine their future this season. I propose a trade: Eric Hinske for Eric Gagne. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HarleyQuinn 0 Report post Posted December 18, 2004 The Dodgers also have a slew of great pitching prospects. Guys like Chuck Tiffany, Chad Billingsley, and Ryan Ketchner who's already hit AAA at the age of 22 are just a few of the names. If anything, I'd put the Dodgers' minor league system in the top 5 with confidence. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EVIL~! alkeiper 0 Report post Posted December 19, 2004 Apparently the Dodgers new third baseman will be Jose Valentin, according to Peter Gammons. Here's how the Dodgers' 2005 team shakes out... C David Ross 1B Hee Seop Choi 2B Jeff Kent SS Cesar Izturis 3B Jose Valentin LF Jayson Werth CF Milton Bradley RF Shawn Green SP Brad Penny SP Kaz Ishii SP Jeff Weaver SP Edwin Jackson SP Elmer Dessens RP Eric Gagne RP Yhancy Brazoban RP Duaner Sanchez RP Darren Dreifort RP Giovanni Carrera RP Scott Stewart Bench ------- Tom Wilson Ricky Ledee (platoon with Werth) Olmedo Saenz Jason Grabowski Alex Cora Chin-Feng Chen or Joe Thurston The Dodgers may have another signing in them, so we'll see how this team shakes out. They've done a decent job at filling Beltre's absence. Valentin is a downgrade from Beltre, but Kent is an upgrade from Alex Cora. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spicy McHaggis 0 Report post Posted December 21, 2004 I hope you're right about their farm system. However, I'm not so sure about messing with one of the best middle infields in baseball. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
