Despite a strong second half, an MVP candidate and a Cy Young winner, 2011 was a dark year for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Bryan Stow incident and owner Frank McCourt's ongoing legal battles with his ex-wife and commissioner Bud Selig overshadowed the positives in LA.
The dark days are nearing an end, though, as proceedings of the team's sale have already begun, giving Dodgers fans hope for new direction and a bright future as another season approaches.
That's the story off the field. McCourt is on the way out, and judging by bids already submitted, big spenders are on the way in. The story on the field may be overshadowed at the moment, as the front office appears to be in a holding pattern as far as major moves, but there is at least hope the maddening legal distractions can soon be forgotten. And the status quo isn't all bad.
En route to a Cy Young Award in his fourth major league season, Clayton Kershaw nabbed baseball's pitching triple crown with 21 wins, 248 strikeouts and a 2.28 ERA. Having converted that into a freshly minted two-year, $19 million contract at the age of 23, Kershaw leads a rotation that also returns veteran Ted Lilly and Chad Billingsley, who looks to find the form that made him an All-Star in 2009.
Matt Kemp emerged as a franchise player in 2011, finishing second in NL MVP voting and falling just one home run shy of the fifth 40-home run, 40-stolen base season in MLB history. In light of Milwaukee left fielder Ryan Braun's failed drug test and pending appeal, many argue now that Kemp was the rightful MVP, but he's more focused on maintaining his big-time production for another crack at the award this year.
Holdovers Andre Ethier and Juan Rivera flank Kemp in the outfield and should provide decent offensive punch. And while the rest of the lineup has more of a patchwork feel, the Dodgers appear to have done a reasonable job of spending frugally to fill created by free agency. Perhaps the more encouraging sign was their late, albeit unsuccessful, run at free agent superstar Prince Fielder.
The starting rotation lost Hiroki Kuroda to the Yankees, but the Dodgers replaced him with Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano, both of whom had bounce-back seasons a year ago, winning a combined 25 games.
Elsewhere, general manager Ned Colletti plugged Mark Ellis in at second base after Jamey Carroll left for Minnesota, and added a pair of veteran utility men in Jerry Hairston, Jr. and Adam Kennedy. Hairston played a big part in Milwaukee's run to the NLCS last year, earning a starting role at third base.
Spring training will offer a welcome distraction from the legal proceedings as the Dodgers plug in and test out their new parts, even as the bigger impact on the future of the franchise plays out behind closed doors.
Who’s new: Chris Capuano, P (free agent); Mark Ellis, 2B (free agent); Jerry Hairston, OF/IF (free agent); Aaron Harang, SP (free agent); Adam Kennedy, 2B (free agent); Todd Coffey, RP (free agent); John Grabow, RP (free agent); Matt Treanor, C (free agent).
Who’s gone: Rod Barajas, C (free agent, Pittsburgh); Jonathan Broxton, RP (free agent, Kansas City); Hiroki Kuroda, SP (free agent, Yankees); Jamey Carroll, 2B (free agent, Minnesota); Jon Garland, SP (free agent); Vicente Padilla, RP (free agent, Boston); Hong-Chih Kuo, RP (free agent, Seattle).
Battle grounds: With Barajas' departure via free agency, A.J. Ellis takes over behind the plate, but he has just 87 games of major league experience over four seasons. Free-agent signee Matt Treanor isn't likely to take the job away, so Ellis figures to keep it by default despite his offensive shortcomings. Tim Federowicz is expected to start the year in Triple-A, but if he impresses enough in the spring, he might be not be far away from the major leagues. … The third base job will depend largely on how Juan Uribe performs after a disappointing and injury-riddled season. If his conditioning is lacking and he struggles to get going, Hairston could get a look, though he might be best suited in a platoon.
Health watch: Ethier missed most of September last year after surgery on his right knee, something he recently said had bothered him for two years. He's had plenty of time to rehab and should come to camp strong. … A sports hernia ended Uribe's season in July, but that was only one of a few injuries the 32-year-old battled while playing in just 77 games. He's expected to be ready for spring training, where he'll need to start making up for lost time.
Sneak preview: Right-handed starter Chris Withrow had a frustrating 2011 in Double-A, going just 6-6 with a 4.20 ERA. The 2007 first-round pick notched 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings, so there's clearly talent there. … First base and outfield prospect Scott Van Slyke will be in big league camp and might be the future at first base. The 25-year-old impressed in Double-A last year with 92 RBI and a .427 on-base percentage. If James Loney struggles in 2012, Van Slyke could get a shot.
Spring training info: Camelback Ranch - Glendale, 10710 W. Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ. First workouts: Feb. 22 (pitchers and catchers), Feb. 28 (full squad). First game: March 6. Tickets: dodgers.com.
