The trade deadline has come and gone, and there was significantly less noise this year than last. Well, it's darn near impossible to top getting Manny Ramirez and the complete tear he went on to last season, so it's tough to compare years. It's safe to say deals like that barely come around.
The Dodgers were looking to get an upgrade in both their starting pitching and bullpen. Half of that came true, with the Orioles' closer George Sherrill coming aboard for prospects Josh Bell and Steve Johnson. Sherrill will immediately be placed in late-game situations.
As for a starting pitcher... it didn't happen. And that's a bit of a disappointment.
One thing I'd like to make clear right away: I don't think it's fair to trash Ned Colletti for not getting something done. We have no idea what was being asked for the top pitchers he targeted. If the price tag was too high, then I can't blame him for not pulling the trigger. Remember, the majority of the team is made up of players groomed through the farm system.
But, when the Sherrill deal went down with only two prospects traded, there was a good feeling that Colletti was in a good spot to get Roy Halladay or Jarrod Washburn. Previously, they were in on Cliff Lee as well. Despite plenty of prospects and a few really good starting pitchers out there, nothing happened.
Near the deadline today, there was talk of acquiring Heath Bell, the Padres' closer. That, too, never came to fruition. So at the end of the day, the Dodgers never got that other arm they wanted.
The concern is that the Dodgers do not have good enough starting pitchers to carry the team in a short playoff series. Last year, they had Derek Lowe, who has plenty of playoff experience. After he took Game 1 in Chicago, Chad Billingsley and Hiroki Kuroda has less pressure on them, and were great.
Now, Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw are the top two pitchers, with Randy Wolf and Kuroda right behind them. While they're all solid pitchers, they can't compare to other aces that they could potentially face. Take a look at this list of pitchers the Dodgers could run into this October:
Tim Lincecum, Giants (only in the NLCS since two teams from the same division can't meet in the first round)
Matt Cain, Giants (ditto)
Chris Carpenter, Cardinals
Adam Wainwright, Cardinals
Cliff Lee, Phillies
Cole Hamels, Phillies
Rich Harden, Cubs
Those are some pretty impressive arms to say the least. The hope is that Billingsley can regain his form from early in the season and that Kershaw will continue to be lights-out. If they are on, then their names could be right on that list.
If not, however, then it sure would have been nice to have traded for a Halladay or Lee or Washburn.
The Dodgers were looking to get an upgrade in both their starting pitching and bullpen. Half of that came true, with the Orioles' closer George Sherrill coming aboard for prospects Josh Bell and Steve Johnson. Sherrill will immediately be placed in late-game situations.
As for a starting pitcher... it didn't happen. And that's a bit of a disappointment.
One thing I'd like to make clear right away: I don't think it's fair to trash Ned Colletti for not getting something done. We have no idea what was being asked for the top pitchers he targeted. If the price tag was too high, then I can't blame him for not pulling the trigger. Remember, the majority of the team is made up of players groomed through the farm system.
But, when the Sherrill deal went down with only two prospects traded, there was a good feeling that Colletti was in a good spot to get Roy Halladay or Jarrod Washburn. Previously, they were in on Cliff Lee as well. Despite plenty of prospects and a few really good starting pitchers out there, nothing happened.
Near the deadline today, there was talk of acquiring Heath Bell, the Padres' closer. That, too, never came to fruition. So at the end of the day, the Dodgers never got that other arm they wanted.
The concern is that the Dodgers do not have good enough starting pitchers to carry the team in a short playoff series. Last year, they had Derek Lowe, who has plenty of playoff experience. After he took Game 1 in Chicago, Chad Billingsley and Hiroki Kuroda has less pressure on them, and were great.
Now, Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw are the top two pitchers, with Randy Wolf and Kuroda right behind them. While they're all solid pitchers, they can't compare to other aces that they could potentially face. Take a look at this list of pitchers the Dodgers could run into this October:
Tim Lincecum, Giants (only in the NLCS since two teams from the same division can't meet in the first round)
Matt Cain, Giants (ditto)
Chris Carpenter, Cardinals
Adam Wainwright, Cardinals
Cliff Lee, Phillies
Cole Hamels, Phillies
Rich Harden, Cubs
Those are some pretty impressive arms to say the least. The hope is that Billingsley can regain his form from early in the season and that Kershaw will continue to be lights-out. If they are on, then their names could be right on that list.
If not, however, then it sure would have been nice to have traded for a Halladay or Lee or Washburn.
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