World Serious

Hello folks, I’m sure I speak to our dozens of fans who have been missing the regular posts the last few weeks. The truth? Total and absolute depression about the Dodgers. I got over the Game 5 roll-over pretty quickly but I had absolutely nothing left in the tank as far as writing goes. Don’t think I didn’t watch every pitch of the ALCS though—is there a better story than the Tampa Bay Rays playing in the World Series (outside of the first black man elected President of the US, of course)? I say no. Rays-Phillies…not the ratings bonanza I’m sure MLB was hoping for but unless you work for FOX who the hell cares? Not this guy. Give me the best team in the AL and the hottest team in the NL and color me happy. Plus look at the truly AMAZING fantasy players that are out there for your viewing pleasure. We’ve got potential/perennial top 30 picks in: Howard, Utley, Rollins, Longoria, Crawford, BJ Upton; amazing value guys like Pena, Burrell, Victorino and Navarro; and enough pitchers to field a competitive rotation—PLUS the best closer in the NL. And people wonder how these teams made the World Series…oh, and I’m taking the Rays in 6, just for the record.

In Dodger news:
A lot of chatter about Matt Kemp to the Yankees for Robinson Cano and Ian Kennedy and also Kemp + Kershaw + Prospects to the Pads for Peavy. Look, I know he looks like an absolute space cadet at the plate but there is NO WAY the Dodgers move Kemp. It’s not like these are bad players that are theoretically being offered in return it’s just that Kemp has a ceiling as high as anybody’s in the game and what GM is going to want to be known as the guy who traded away Matt Kemp when he’s threatening 40/40 on a yearly basis. Ask any Dodger fan how they feel about Delino Deshields and you’ll end up hearing a whole lot about Pedro Martinez.

Everybody wants to know if the Dodgers are going to re-sign Manny and, according to bodoglife.com the Dodgers are the front runners but I’m still not convinced he’s the answer if the deal calls for anything over 3 years. Baseball contracts can be a lot like a marriage…they’re good at first but once the shine starts to come off, you’re left with an overweight, unhappy shell of a former star but you’re still paying for production from years past. If the Dodgers are going to over-pay for Manny it had better be in dollars and not in years. As awful as the Andruw Jones contract was, at least it was only for two years. I’d rather have him under contract for 18MM and only one more year than say 8MM over each of the next two. Just sign a short deal and get on with it.

* Free agents the Dodgers should try to keep: Offer Furcal a one year deal and see if he’ll take a home-town discount before he tests the waters in 2010 after what would hopefully a productive, healthy year. It would be great to keep D. Lowe but he’s gone, might as well come to terms with that now. Manny for < 3 years.

* Free agents the Dodgers should let go: all of the rest. It’s been great, fellas.

* Free agents the Dodgers should sign: CC Sabathia. Everybody knows he wants to stay on the West Coast and why sign with the arthritic and decrepit Angels? Other than the fact that they will win the AL West for the next five years of course? Come on, McCourt, back that truck up and let’s see if we can come within $30MM of what the Yankees are going to offer and see if he’ll bite.

And that's about it for now.