So far, the Dodgers are winning the Kemp-Grandal deal

Back on December 11, the Dodgers and Padres pulled the trigger on a deal centered around Matt Kemp and Yasmani Grandal.  It had been discussed for awhile, and when it finally happened, it was the end of an era for Kemp in LA.

It seemed like Dodger fans were split right down the middle on this.  Those who liked the trade pointed out how Kemp was often injured, on the downside of his career, and that Grandal was a huge upgrade over A.J. Ellis.  Those who didn't like it pointed to Kemp's second half success in 2014, and that at long last he looked healthy again.

Here we are a couple of games from exactly the midway point, and a couple weeks from the All-Star Game, and the Dodgers are in first place at 44-35, while the Padres are still struggling at 37-42.

So who got the better of the deal?  Sorry, Padre fans, but it's the Dodgers.

Let's look at their offensive stats:

Grandal: 59 games, .269 AVG, .380 OBP, 8 2B, 12 HR, 31 RBI, 1.1 WAR
Kemp: 78 games, .247 AVG, .283 OBP, 16 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 41 RBI, 7 SB, -0.2 WAR

While Kemp has more RBIs and steals, Grandal is leading in the home run department, and has a sky high OBP compared to Kemp.  Also, you have to remember that Kemp gets nearly all of his at-bats in the third or fourth slot, leading to more chances to drive in runs (he recently has started hitting leadoff thanks to his lack of power).  Grandal mostly hits anywhere between 5-7.  Big difference.

The other big difference is the reason why each guy was swapped in the first place.  The Padres were looking to make a splash on offense after years of futility, bringing in guys like Justin Upton, Wil Myers, Derek Norris, and Kemp.  Upton has certainly done his part, leading the Padres in practically every offensive category, including steals.  Norris has 20 doubles and 11 homers.  Myers has been hurt, so it's hard to judge him.  Kemp, however, has not found his power stroke at all.  That's been disappointing.

Grandal had a bit of an advantage when his numbers are compared to Ellis's.  OK, he has a HUGE advantage, especially since Ellis hit .191 with three homers and 25 RBIs last year.  That's almost comically bad.  Well actually, he's at .171, no homers, and three RBIs this year.  He's somehow topped his own futility.

Anyway, Grandal has been a big uplift regardless of how pitiful Ellis has been.  Take last night's 6-4 win over the Diamondbacks.  He hit a two-run homer to start the scoring in the second (two straight games with a homer for him), then added on insurance in the 10th with a two-run double, which were runs the Dodgers needed for the win.  At a time when the Dodgers are struggling to score, his seven homers is tied with Joc Pederson for tops in June.

Defensively, I don't think either guy will be confused with Bryce Harper or Yadier Molina.  Kemp is no longer even allowed to touch center field, instead patrolling right all season long.  Grandal has long been described as not the greatest defensive catcher, but a great pitch framer.  So there's that.

Grandal's Defensive WAR is -0.5, and Kemp's -0.8.  Neither is good, but Grandal's rates just a bit better.

To sum it up, the Dodgers have to be thrilled with what they've gotten out of Grandal thus far.  He's brought plenty of pop at the plate, and has thankfully yanked all sorts of playing time away from Ellis.  To be fair to Kemp, he might have another second half breakout in him like he did last year for the Dodgers, so we'll wait and see.  But it sure has been fun not to have to deal with the outfield drama that plagued the Dodgers last year.

Advantage: Grandal.

These are the days the Dodgers miss Hanley, Kemp, and Dee

Dee Gordon: .352 AVG, .373 OBP, 14 2B, 2 3B, 17 RBI, 23 SB
Hanley Ramirez: .273 AVG, .319 OBP, 5 2B, 14 HR, 36 RBI
Matt Kemp: .248 AVG, .287 OBP, 14 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 35 RBI, 7 SB

Those are the big guns the Dodgers gave up this past offseason, replaced in the batting order by guys like Howie Kendrick, Yasmani Grandal, and Jimmy Rollins.

How's it working out?  If these last three weeks are any indication, then the answer is "Not very well."

Before the season even started, I made mention of the Dodgers' new approach to offense in that they wanted to be "deeper" and not rely on a couple of names to do all of the damage.  On May 22, they stood at 22-10 after an 11-1 shellacking of the Marlins.  Things were looking good.

Now, they're still in first place in the NL West at 38-31, but are barely holding on.  Their offense, once so vaunted up and down the order, is practically on life support.

Yes, the Dodgers definitely miss the threesome they let walk in Hanley Ramirez, Matt Kemp, and Dee Gordon.

That's not to say their departures will leave a negative impact at the end of the season, but the Dodgers sure wish they had Dee's speed, Hanley's power, and Kemp's ability to put it all together when he's feeling good.  That was the risk Andrew Friedman took when he got rid of them, and right now, they miss them.

Of the three, Gordon is the one enjoying the most success.  He's first in the NL with hits at 101, a whopping 14 more than Paul Goldschmidt.  He's second in both stolen bases (23) and batting average (.352).  All he heard when he was traded was that last year was probably his peak, but so far, he's shutting everyone up.

The Dodgers have tried Rollins, Joc Pederson, and Yasiel Puig as leadoff hitters this year.  Well, Rollins terrible no matter where he hits, so that obviously hasn't worked.  Pederson and Puig are certainly impact hitters, but not in the leadoff spot.  Simply put, the Dodgers have yet to find a true leadoff hitter.  They certainly could use Gordon there.

Ramirez has only been one part of a disappointing Red Sox team, but the Dodgers could certainly use his 14 homers and 36 RBIs, which would put him second on the team to Pederson and Adrian Gonzalez, respectively.  Even in a "down" year for him, he'd still be near the top of the leaderboard in LA.

The one who's struggled the most away from LA is Kemp, who's been healthy, but has yet to bust out in San Diego.  He's been basically a singles hitter for much of the season.  If you know anything about him, however, it's that he gets hot as the season wears on.  For proof, take a peak at his splits between the first and second half of last season.  He's hit two homers in his last five games, so there's signs he's waking up.

With the way the Dodgers have been playing, there's no doubt they'd love to etch in a lineup that has Kemp in left and Hanley at short.  Dee is the only tough call, as Kendrick has played very well for the most part.  The tough part is that this team desperately needs a solid leadoff hitter, and that's what Dee has provided.  Who knows how it'll shake out in the long run, but right now, Dee at the top of the lineup looks pretty good.

When you look at the batting averages in June, you start to miss those three guys even more: Gonzalez (.211), Pederson (.234), Grandal (.232), Rollins (.200), and Ethier (.210).  Chris Heisey hit .176, but he's already been sent down, thankfully.  He was terrible.  The other guys don't look a whole lot better.  It's a lot of swings, a lot of misses, and a lot of weak little outs.  It's been that painful to watch.

Hanley Ramirez, Matt Kemp, and Dee Gordon won't be walking through that door, unless their teams visit Dodger Stadium.  It's time for the guys on the team to step up and play with much more aggressiveness at the plate.  It's also time to get rid of the dead weight and bring up Hector Olivera and Corey Seager.

Or, we can all continue to watch this team be outplayed night after night because their offense is pathetic.

2015 Season Preview: Outfield

Here is the last installment of my season preview series.  The outfield went through a big change by trading away Matt Kemp, and seemingly will now rely on Joc Pederson to be the next big thing in center.  Will it work?  Let's take a look.

2014
LF - Carl Crawford
CF - Yasiel Puig
RF - Matt Kemp
Bench - Andre Ethier, Scott Van Slyke, Joc Pederson

2015
LF - Carl Crawford
CF - Joc Pederson
RF - Yasiel Puig
Bench - Andre Ethier, Scott Van Slyke, Chris Heisey

Then Compared to Now:
Obviously, it's Kemp being gone.  After starting off 2014 so poorly in center that he mercifully was replaced by Ethier in late May, he turned things around to be a monster in the second half.  He even was responsible for leading the Dodgers to their only playoff win with a tiebreaking solo shot in the eighth.  He went from hitting .269 with 8 homers and 35 RBIs before the break, to .309/17/54 after, and that was with about 70 less at-bats.

Now the attention turns to a guy who was called up in September, someone who's absolutely torn up the minor leagues.  That guy is Pederson, and the Dodgers both before and during the Friedman Era have protected him from numerous trade inquiries.  Pederson struggled in September, going only 4-for-28, all singles.  That's a small sample size, but who knows if it's still something to be concerned about.

The rest of the faces stay the same, as Ethier appears to be on the outside looking in again.  About his only chance of getting regular playing time is if Crawford struggles or Pederson falls flat on his face in Spring Training.  Van Slyke is still a super sub off the bench with some power, and Heisey will look to play all three outfield positions if needed.

Individual Breakdown:
Crawford (2014 stats): .300 AVG, .339 OBP, 14 2B, 3 3B, 8 HR, 46 RBI, 23 SB
Boy, .300 looks a lot better than .299, doesn't it?  Anyway, when he was on the field, he showed that there was still some life in his bat with a good average.  Injuries and being on the wrong side of 30 have taken away his ability to relive his glory days from Tampa, but it was good to see him get on base and gather his most steals since his final year in Florida, 2010.  Defensively he won't give you much, so if he stops hitting, he'll find himself riding the pine in no time.

Pederson: .143 AVG, .351 OBP, no other stats to speak of
Much like Alex Guerrero found out, the young guy with tons of potential at the plate didn't make the most of his brief opportunity.  Unlike Guerrero, it appears as if a starting position is Pederson's to lose, as his terrific glove is center has already given him a leg up on the competition.  He's a major reason why Kemp was moved, as it opens up a logjam of outfielders, and will hopefully allow him to relax and show off the talent that made him one of the best players in the minors last year.  If he can shorten that swing a bit and not try to hit the ball to the Dodger Stadium parking lot with each hack, he could be in for a big season.

Puig: .296 AVG, .382 OBP, 37 2B, 9 3B, 16 HR, 69 RBI, 11 SB
What an interesting season it was for him, as he went from starting in the All-Star Game (and striking out all three times), to enduring a huge power outage in the second half.  He played center field for most of the year when Kemp and Ethier couldn't get the job done, and through it all seemed to stay out of trouble.  Now with Kemp and Hanley Ramirez gone, all eyes are on him to step up even more in his second full season (third overall).  Can he focus on the game and get it done?  If he can regain some power while taking the walks that are there, then he can definitely be back in the ASG.  If he goes back to his immature ways, then maybe the Dodgers will miss Kemp more than they thought.

Ethier: .249 AVG, .322 OBP, 17 2B, 6 3B, 4 HR, 42 RBI, 2 SB
What a disappointing seasons it was for him, and I'm sure just as frustrating for him.  He basically was in and out of the starting lineup like a yo-yo for much of the season before Don Mattingly made him strictly a pinch-hitter down the stretch.  Unfortunately for him, his lifeless bat didn't give Mattingly much of a reason to change his mind.  It's pretty surprising to see that he only had four long balls, the first time in his career he's been under double-digits.  I don't see playing time getting much better for him, so I fully expect to see him traded during the season at some point.  He above most others would probably benefit from the change of scenery.

Van Slyke: .297 AVG, .386 OBP, 13 2B, 1 3B, 11 HR, 29 RBI, 4 SB
His best moment came in the season's first game Down Under, as his homer, double, and two RBIs helped the Dodgers to a win over the Diamondbacks.  From there, he was mostly used as a spot starter all over the outfield, and would occasionally spell Adrian Gonzalez at first.  I can see him having a carbon copy of 2014 this season, as his pop off the bench late in the game is a good weapon to have.

Heisey (with Reds): .222 AVG, .265 OBP, 15 2B, 2 3B, 8 HR, 22 RBI, 9 SB
As far as utility players go, the Dodgers appear to have a good one in him.  He's shown a good amount of pop in limited playing time in the past, peaking at 18 homers and 50 RBIs in 120 games in 2011.  He's not one who will take a walk and just accept getting to first, as he wants the big hit instead.  Defensively, he's been on the plus side of the DWAR battle the last two seasons, so I can see him replacing Crawford in left late in games, as Pederson and Puig wouldn't come out.  That's probably the best he can offer the Dodgers right now.

Is Now Better Than Then?
On paper, no.  That's a credit to what Kemp did in the second half of last season, as he finally found some good health and was able to return to the superstar he was from a few years back.  Whether or not he can continue that good string in San Diego remains to be seen.

With Kemp out and Pederson in for this season, expect to see a lot of stat comparisons between the two as the season progresses.  Fair or not, that's the matchup that will go a long way in determining if the Dodgers made a smart more in trading away Kemp.  Let's also remember that Pederson turns 23 in April, so his progress will be measured in the years to come.  If he is the real deal and Kemp's best seasons are clearly behind him, then it's a great tradeoff.

As for this season, it's hard to take Kemp's bat away from the lineup and say that the Dodgers will be better.  They'll have less drama by not having to worry about Kemp's ego, so that could be a huge plus.  But still, 25 homers and 89 RBIs is 25 homers and 89 RBIs, so replacing his numbers won't be easy.  If Puig can keep building his resume and Young Joc shows everyone what he's made of, then Kemp's departure won't be as difficult.

Both trades official: Kemp an ex-Dodger, Rollins a current one

After being in a holding pattern for a week, the trades announced at last week's Winter Meetings became official today.  Matt Kemp is now on his way to play for the Padres, and Jimmy Rollins will be the Dodgers' new starting shortstop.

Here's what went down in both deals:

The Dodgers send Kemp, $32 million of his remaining $107 million salary, and Tim Federowicz to the Padres for catcher Yasmani Grandal, pitcher Joe Wieland, and pitcher Zach Eflin.

In turn, the Dodgers then flipped Eflin and pitcher Tom Windle to the Phillies for Jimmy Rollins and cash.

The holdup for the past couple of days was the physical taken by Kemp on Tuesday.  Supposedly the Padres found that he has arthritic hips, and all sorts of reports were floated that it could be a deal breaker, or not an issue at all.  Then it was reported that the holdup had more to do with the Padres demanding more money.  The Dodgers said no.

So in the end, we're right back to square one, which was the original deal agreed upon by both clubs last week. 

It will be really, REALLY strange seeing Kemp show up Opening Day in Dodger Stadium wearing the opposing team's uniform.  That will be one of the highlights on baseball's grand opening for the 2015 season.  I fully expect, and certainly hope, Dodger fans give him a great ovation in his first at-bat.  And if he then hits a home run, boo him from there on out!

But seriously, let's hope Kemp and Rollins can contribute on the field so these trades work for both sides.  Kemp is the one who has more years left in him, while Rollins is looking for one last run at a second ring.  This will all be a lot of fun to watch.

The good and bad of trading Kemp

By now, we've all had some time to recover from the absolutely insane couple of days at the Winter Meetings for the Dodgers.  I don't think we've seen anything like it before, and probably won't see anything like it again.

Through all of the comings and goings, perhaps none hit closer to home for Dodger fans than moving Matt Kemp to the Padres for catcher Yasmani Grandal.  It's a move that wasn't exactly surprising considering the trade rumors involving Kemp for years, but still may have been hard to accept that it actually happened.

Technically the trade isn't official yet, as medical exams still need to be completed.  But let's just go ahead and call it a done deal for the sake of this post.

Now, let's take a look at the positives and negatives of trading away a guy who at one point was the clear franchise player:

Good
* Andrew Friedman clearly did not see him as being a franchise player anymore, so it was the perfect time to sell high (ala Dee Gordon).  There are countless amount of teams out there that are willing to ignore his weak first half (.269, 8 homers, 35 RBIs), and want a whole lot of his second half (.309, 17, 54).  Considering how much noise is being made about a lack of right-handed power hitters, now was the time to make a deal.

* Don Mattingly can now go to the ballpark each day only worrying about managing a baseball game, and not managing egos on top of that.  Make no mistake about it - Kemp had a massive ego at times.  That's not necessarily a bad thing, as he wanted to be the everyday center fielder for the Dodgers.  But reality is that injuries have cost him much of his athleticism, and it wasn't coming back.  Without him around anymore, that's one less headache to worry about.

* As I said above, Kemp had a great second half of 2014, and was probably the best hitter in the lineup.  But before that, he hadn't done much since the very beginning of 2012, and then it was a laundry list of injuries.  It's not like he was trying to get hurt, but he's on the wrong side of 30 now, and one would think that without the luxury of days spent in the DH spot, the risk of injury again is right around the corner.

* Those two Gold Gloves he won in 2009 and 2011?  Let's just say that it won't be happening again.  That guy is a thing of the past.

* Friedman and his friends clearly are looking for guys who can get on base.  Kemp averages nearly a strikeout per game over his career, and that's probably not going to change.

Bad
* Dodger fans have long waited to see the Kemp circa 2011 (when he was robbed of the MVP by Ryan Fraud), and they saw lots of glimpses of that guy at the end of '14.  That seemed like a great reason to keep a guy around, not trade him away to a division opponent.

* After playing in 106 games in 2012 and 73 in 2013, Kemp was on the field in 150 games this past season.  It seemed like that would never happen again, but he finally found a way to stay on the field and not in the trainer's room.

* How many people realize he was third in the Majors in home runs in the second half of '14, and second in RBIs?  No, that's not just that National League, it's in all of baseball.  That's very impressive.

* While Clayton Kershaw has taken over the "franchise player" label, there was still a soft spot for Kemp, as he was as dynamic as they came in that magical 2011 season.  Fans will never forget .324 with 39 homers, 126 RBIs, and 40 stolen bases.  There may have been boos scattered in the few years since then, but the second he showed he was right, he was instantly a fan favorite all over again.

* Even if fans accepted Kemp being traded, did they really envision the return being a catcher from the Padres who was suspended 50 games for PEDs and has torn his ACL and MCL?  I'm guessing that's a no.

Add it all up, and there's no definitive answer to whether or not this was a smart trade.  Only time will tell on that.  Maybe Kemp goes to San Diego, is miserable on a bad team, gets the injury bug again, and kind of fades away.

Or, maybe he goes to San Diego, becomes the team leader that franchise has been looking for, and resurrects his All-Star career.

At the end of the day, whether he plays well with the Padres or not, I know that I will miss him, as it's going to be very, very weird seeing him in that ugly jersey.  I won't miss the drama that was associated with him at times, as it seemed that too often he was the last to realize how lousy he was performing on the field.  But I will miss the stud who showed up down the stretch for the Dodgers last season, and the guy who hit the game-winning home run in their only playoff win.

We won't have to waste much time in seeing Kemp again, as the Dodgers host the Padres on Opening Day April 6, 2015.  Just thinking about the first inning of Kershaw vs. Kemp gets me excited for the return of baseball already!

Gordon and Haren traded to the Marlins

Day Three of the 2014 Winter Meetings will go down as a very big, and a very busy, one for the Dodgers.

First there was the acquisition of Jimmy Rollins from the Phillies.  That alone seemed like enough for the day.  Except it wasn't.

One day ago the Dodgers were both being linked to and denying a Dee Gordon trade to the Marlins.  Well, it's happened, and Dan Haren will go along for the ride.

The Dodgers have traded Gordon and Haren to the Marlins for top pitching prospect Andrew Heaney.  Also coming from Miami are second baseman Enrique Hernandez, right-handed pitcher Chris Hatcher, and catcher Austin Barnes.

First, let's take a look at Heaney.  MLB.com has him ranked as the #18 overall prospect, and the #2 overall left-handed pitcher.  He's stands 6'2" and will turn 24 next June.  His profile describes him as a guy who throws up to 95 mph with a "wipeout" slider.  Sounds like another lefty on the Dodgers right now.  He also has developed a changeup for his third pitch, which has really raised his stock.

By the way, who's the #1 ranked lefty?  Julio Urias... of the Dodgers.  Nice!

The other three players are more for depth.  Hernandez has one year of big league experience, appearing in 42 games with the Astros and Marlins, hitting .248.  Hatcher has appeared in 81 games for the Marlins, all out of the bullpen, with a 4.82 ERA.  Barnes has never played above the Double-A level after being drafted in 2011.

So, the big chip is obviously Heaney, who will join Urias as the next big guns ready to step in for the Dodgers.  This makes me think that the new management might not be afraid to trade Zack Greinke this upcoming year if they really do think he'll opt out of his contract.  At least they have some very good arms ready to step in, plus they can get more value in return via trade.  We shall see.

I discussed Gordon more in-depth yesterday, so check out my post about him here.  I will say that I very much enjoyed watching him emerge as an everyday player this past season, as there is simply no match for his speed.  His defense at second was much-improved throughout the season, so I hope the Marlins leave him there.  If he can cut down on his strikeouts and not be tempted to crush the ball too often, he'll be an All-Star again for sure.

Haren certainly had an up-and-down year in LA, as he looked like steal of the free agency class to start the season, fell into a horrible slump around July, then settled back down for some good starts down the stretch.  He finished at 13-11 with a 4.02 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 32 starts.  All things considered, he did his job for the most part at the back end of the rotation.  I just wish he was more consistent, as when he was bad, he was REALLY bad.

With Rollins in the fold and Gordon and Haren shipped out, the next big name on the list is Matt Kemp.  There's still plenty of talk about him going to the Padres, so don't fall asleep on that yet.  Considering how rapid fire the moves on this day have gone, it could only be a matter of "when" and not "if" this will happen.

Kemp to the Padres is heating up

For the first time in his career, Matt Kemp could be on his way out of LA.

I know, I know... we've certainly been through this before.  Kemp has battled trade rumors his whole career, save for a couple of years in which he turned himself into an MVP candidate.  But after coming off a season in which he hit .287 with 25 homers and 89 RBIs, perhaps the Dodgers feel the time is right to move him while he's healthy and his stock is high.

That leads us to his likely destination, the San Diego Padres.  The latest talk is that Kemp would move to the Padres for catcher Yasmani Grandal and a prospect.  The holdup appears to be just who that other prospect would be, along with how much of Kemp's contract the Dodgers would have to eat.

Those two things certainly aren't minor, so keep in mind that no matter what is reported, nothing is a guarantee until both sides make it official.

To take a quick look at Grandal, he's mostly a catcher who can sprinkle in some first base as well.  He's an emerging power threat from the right side of the plate, and is only 27.  Last season he hit 15 homers, 19 doubles, and 49 RBIs in 128 games.  So you can see why the Dodgers would like to add him, especially with the virtually non-existent numbers from A.J. Ellis last year.

The downside is that Grandal has already been busted for 50 games in 2012 for PEDs, and tore his ACL and MCL in July of 2013.  For his case, you hope he's already been through the worst of things.

One other guy who has been whispered to come along with Grandal is pitching prospect Matt Wisler, who is the Padres' #2 ranked prospect according to MLB.com.  He's a righty with both good movement and good control, so you can see why he'd be coveted.

Stay tuned to see if the Dodgers and Padres indeed do pull the trigger on this.

Maybe Kemp is the one who gets dealt

Interesting story from baseball insider Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com this week, as he's hearing from sources within the industry that Matt Kemp is drawing strong trade interest from other teams.  So while the Dodgers would prefer to move guys like Andre Ethier and Carl Crawford, Kemp could be the more realistic deal.

The bottom line?  Andrew Friedman and the Dodgers are serious about moving an outfielder, and making Don Mattingly's life a lot easier in 2015.  Good for them.

There are seven reasons listed by Heyman as to why Kemp could be moved.  To view them, click on the link above.

Here's a few highlights from his article.  If the Dodgers are serious about dumping cash, then Heyman thinks teams would be willing to take on the entire $107 million left on Kemp's remaining five years.  The reason?  Kemp finished with 25 homers and 89 RBIs, and that was mostly from just one good half of the season after the All-Star break.  With power at such a premium, especially from the right side, Kemp could be coveted that much more.

Joc Pederson's presence in center could muddle things up a bit as well.  There's no doubt he's the guy to roam center for years to come.  That would bump Yasiel Puig back to right, which is his best position.  And Kemp?  Back to left, where he was clearly unhappy after being yanked from center early last season.  Kemp seemed to embrace going to right, but for whatever reason, wants nothing to do with left.

The final highlight is about "chemistry issues" in the clubhouse, and how Kemp might not exactly be helping things.  Who knows how true that is, as only the guys who are actually in the clubhouse day in and day out truly know what's going on.  But there's no secret that when things aren't going well, Kemp might not be the happiest guy to be around.

I'm sure the Dodgers would love to enter 2015 with a starting outfield of Kemp, Puig, and Pederson.  The reality is that if they want to lower their payroll and straighten out the crowded outfield, then Kemp could be the guy to go.  I've already accepted that, and at this point, I'm waiting for it to happen.

And if it does, whom will the Dodgers bring in?  More bullpen help?  A replacement for Hanley Ramirez at short?  Help for the end of the rotation?  Stay tuned and we will see.

The outfield logjam could soon be cleared

Reports are surfacing in recent days that the Dodgers are finally serious about clearing up their crowded outfield.  According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the main goal of president Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi at the General Managers' meetings is to move an outfielder.

Or two, maybe.

Right now, the Dodgers have four main guys (Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Carl Crawford) and one rising prospect (Joc Pederson).

With that said, let's take a look at each one.  In addition to their 2014 stats and remaining money owed, I'll discuss the pros and cons of each player, along with the possibility of each being moved.

Yasiel Puig
2014: 148 G, .296 AVG, .382 OBP, 37 2B, 9 3B, 16 HR, 69 RBI, 11 SB, 5.3 OWAR
Remaining Contract: Four years, $24 million

Pros: Simply put, when Puig puts his total game together, it's hard to find many who are better.  He can hit, run, and throw all at a very high level, which only guys like Mike Trout and Andrew McCutchen can claim to do.  His power was down this year, but he's shown in the past that he can certainly straighten that out.  He can hit anywhere in the order thanks to his speed.  And on defense, opposing runners are largely learned not to test his arm.  At 24 next season, the sky is still the limit.

Cons: There's always going to be questions about his maturity, as he showed way back in the first home game of the season that he can be hard to be relied upon when he was late to the park and scratched from the lineup.  A big swing shows his reluctance to get adjusted at the plate, as he was completely lost for nearly all of the NLDS.  Is he too stubborn to make changes?  That's still a question that lingers.

Trade Him?  Nope, I just can't see it happening.  There's way too much talent in that body, and for a team that desires to get younger, it's hard to imagine them getting rid of a chip like him.

Matt Kemp
2014: 150 G, .287 AVG, .346 OBP, 38 2B, 3 3B, 25 HR, 89 RBI, 8 SB, 3.8 OWAR
Remaining Contract: Five years, $107 million

Pros: It looked like it took awhile, but he finally reached a point in his recovery from all sorts of injuries where he put it all together in the second half of 2014.  He turned himself back into an MVP-type player, as the ball was jumping off of his bat.  He also found a home in right field after being so reluctant to switch from center.  It worked, as he was a huge reason why the Dodgers claimed the NL West.

Cons: With his recent success is also a reminder not to get too excited, as we've seen this before.  Fair or not, he's an injury-prone player, and when he's hurt, he's very easy to pitch to.  It's unknown if he'll ever be ready to be an effective center fielder again, as he's made it crystal clear that that's where he sees himself playing again.

Trade Him?  After watching him come back to life this past season, it's hard to see it happening.  Then again, maybe this is the time to get something good back for him if the Dodgers think he's already peaked.  I'm sure they would rather keep him, but if the offer is there, I bet they pull the trigger.

Carl Crawford
2014: 105 G, .300 AVG, .339 OBP, 14 2B, 3 3B, 8 HR, 46 RBI, 23 SB, 2.3 OWAR
Remaining Contract: Three years, $62.25 million

Pros: After battling his way back from injuries, he showed that he still has some magic back in that bat.  It's not as much, but much like Kemp, when he's locked in and feeling good, he can be an effective piece in the lineup.  He can still steal a base as well, albeit not at the humongous rate like he once did.

Cons: He'll turn 34 next August, but seems like he's much older.  His career has gone downhill since signing that mega-contract with the Red Sox back in 2011, which is the same contract the Dodgers must now deal with.  At this point he's a decent outfielder and a pretty good bad when healthy, but has not played in more than 116 games the last three seasons.

Trade Him?  Absolutely.  The Dodgers would love to make it happen, but it will come at a price.  Nonetheless, I would think they'd be OK with that, as he's obviously on the wrong side of his career, but can maybe still get something decent in return.

Andre Ethier
2014: 130 G, .249 AVG, .322 OBP, 17 2B, 6 3B, 4 HR, 42 RBI, 2 SB, 0.8 OWAR
Remaining Contract: Three years, $56 million

Pros: Ethier got squeezed out by the logjam more than anyone, but has won both a Gold Glove (2011) and Silver Slugger (2009) in the past, which could earn him a starting job somewhere.  He can play any outfield position pretty well, as he originally took over for Kemp in center back in May.  Is much more effective against right-handed hurlers.

Cons: Another guy who's past the magic age of 30 (will be 33 next April), and isn't looked at as "Andre the Giant" like he once was.  What hurts him even more is his atrocious numbers against left-handed pitchers, as he's all but useless against them.  His power numbers are practically a thing of the past.

Trade Him?  Just like Crawford, absolutely.  In Ethier's case, it would appear to be an easier move, as he's a little younger, healthier, and has a slightly more manageable contract.  He's given LA many good moments, but it's time to move on, which is something I bet he wants more than anyone.

Joc Pederson
2014: 18 G, .143 AVG, .351 OBP, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB, -0.1 OWAR
Remaining Contract: ? (No information found)

Pros: Right now, we're judging him solely on his work in the minors.  Luckily for him, he did some very impressive things down on the farm, including 33 homers and 30 steals in Triple-A last season.  He also plays some great defense, as he's already been viewed as the next center fielder for years to come.  All in all, he has largely been considered the next big thing for the Dodgers.

Cons: The funny thing about potential is that you haven't actually done anything yet.  He still will get plenty of time to, but in his brief stint in LA during September, the game looked to be a little too big for him.  Granted, it's a very small sample size with only 28 at-bats, but no extra-base hits shows he has plenty of work left to do.

Trade Him?  No way.  There's too much untapped talent to move him now.  The management team before Friedman took over did not want to move him, and I can't imagine that changing now.

Kemp's redemption hits new heights in Game 2

After blowing another lead in the NLDS, the Dodgers needed a hero to emerge to avoid the dreaded 0-2 hole heading to St. Louis.

Enter Matt Kemp.

Kemp delivered the big blow when a demoralized Dodgers team needed it the most, as his eighth inning solo shot proved to be the game-winner, lifting the Dodgers to a 1-1 series tie with a 3-2 victory in Game 2.

For all of the injuries, trade talk, and generally poor performance on the field since that magnificent 2011 season, Game 2 of the NLDS showed just how much of an impact Kemp can still make when he's feeling right.  And guess what?  It looks like he's FINALLY feeling right.

People tend to forgot just how good he was to start the 2012 season, fresh off of being robbed of the MVP award by Ryan Fraud... I mean Braun.  In that April, he hit a ridiculous .417 with 12 homers and 25 RBIs, and far and away looked like the best player on the planet.

Then the injuries hit.  And with that came more injuries, frustration, and little results on the field.

It's certainly been a long journey for the guy nicknamed "Beast Mode," as through May of this season he was only hitting .248 with five homers and 15 RBIs.  He got booted from center field in favor of Andre Ethier, who was just as bad a hitter at the time, if not worse.

After a stint in left field, Don Mattingly settled on Yasiel Puig in center, a returning Carl Crawford in left, and Kemp over to right.  Simply put, it worked.  All three men looked comfortable, and Kemp seemed to finally find a spot where he looked natural at this point in his career.

His play in the field carried over to the plate, where he hit .309 with 17 homers and 54 RBIs after the All-Star break.  He quietly went about his business in the second half, regaining his power stroke as the Dodgers held off the Giants in the NL West.

I think it was perfectly fitting that Kemp was the guy to make be the difference in Game 2.  Just when J.P. Howell gave up a two-run shot to Matt Carpenter (who completely owns the Dodgers for whatever reason), Kemp led off the bottom of the eighth by depositing a 2-1 pitch deep into left off of All-Star reliever Pat Neshek.  A deflated Dodger Stadium came back to life.  A 1-2-3 ninth from Kenley Jansen kept them happy.

Good for Kemp, as he took flak from just every baseball writer in America for already looking washed up.  His bat has forced his way back into the lineup everyday, as Mattingly doesn't have to worry about playing the numbers game and possibly putting in Ethier or Scott Van Slyke over him.  He's the cleanup hitter, and hopefully it stays that way.

Now the Dodgers need him to carry that hot bat into St. Louis and at least earn a split.  With the way he's raking, that's looking like a pretty good bet.

How the NL West was won

It was all good in Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night, as Clayton Kershaw dominated, Yasiel Puig homered and showed off his amazing arm, and the Dodgers rolled right by the Giants 9-1.  The NL West once again belongs to the good guys.

Just how did the Dodgers get to be back-to-back division champs?  Here's how:

* Clayton Kershaw.  Unbelievable.  The guys has done it all this season.  After mowing right through the Giants in the clincher, he finished this season at 21-3 with a 1.77 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and 239 K's in 198 1/3 innings.  He even added an RBI triple last night.  There's simply nothing the guy can't do on the field, as he embraces putting the Dodgers on his back and carrying them.  That's what they'll need in October, too.

* The second half resurgence of Matt Kemp.  Before the All-Star break, he hit .269 with eight homers and 35 RBIs.  Decent numbers, but nothing special.  Plus, his defense in center was so bad, Don Mattingly pulled the plug in late May.  After the break?  A whole new player at .303, 16 homers, and 51 RBIs.  As for his defense, it was a whole heck of a lot better in right.  He's peaking at the right time, and is once again a true power threat in the cleanup spot.

* First-time All-Stars Dee Gordon and Puig.  Both guys took a step back in the second half, but still play major roles on this team.  Gordon has an MLB-leading 64 stolen bases, and has even outlasted the blazing fast Billy Hamilton.  He also is tops in triples with 12.  Puig is certainly an enigma at times, but there's no denying the high ceiling of talent he possesses.  He went through a huge power outage in the middle of season and finished with 16 home runs, but is still a big threat every time he steps up to the plate.  Oh ya, moving to center has been a great move, as he continues to gun down runners.

* Zack Greinke, baseball's best #2 starter.  How many other teams would he be the ace?  The All-Star has more than settled into his role with LA, and his eight-inning gem on Tuesday helped put the Dodgers on the brink of the division title.  Overall, he finished at 16-8 with a 2.74 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 201 K's in 197 1/3 innings.

* Kenley Jansen and his 44 saves.  It was a bit of a bumpy ride at times in the first half of the year, as he seemed to be too reliant on throwing the same pitch (cutter) over and over.  Since the start of July, however, he's given up five earned runs in 29 appearances, lowering his ERA from 3.67 to 2.67.  He's as close to automatic as closers come.

* Justin Turner, the unsung hero.  What an end to the season he has had.  He cranked two home runs in support of Greinke on Tuesday, and finished the year by hitting .333 with seven homers and 41 RBIs in 106 games.  Clearly, he's a sparkplug when he's in the lineup, and has become a big weapon for Mattingly to deploy off the bench.  Plus, he's versatile enough to play all four infield positions, which is huge when making double switches in the playoffs.

* Last, but certainly not least, MLB's leading RBI man, Adrian Gonzalez.  Quite an accomplishment for a guy hitting .201 against left-handed pitchers.  After hitting the cover off the ball in April, it looked like it was going to be a lost season with a very rough May and June.  That all turned around with a big July, and he reached the 20 RBI plateau in each of the last three months.  The Dodgers would be lost without all the big at-bats he's had.

Kemp getting after Puig is a good thing

In case you haven't heard, the Dodgers extended their lead in the NL West to four games with an 11-3 drubbing of the Rockies on Monday.  That, combined with the Giants falling to the Diamondbacks, only pushes the Dodgers closer to their goal of back-to-back division titles.

The eight-run sixth inning should've been the biggest news of the night, but it wasn't.  Instead, it was Matt Kemp appearing to be very angry with Yasiel Puig, as he was seen yelling at him in the dugout.  It's not like they threw punches, but the little that we saw on video showed that Kemp was clearly PO'd.

What caused Kemp to get so angry?  Well, it was ironically something Puig did during that big sixth that set Kemp off.  With Puig on first from a walk and Dee Gordon on second, Adrian Gonzalez stoked an RBI double to right.  Puig, for some reason, never advanced to third, perhaps getting a bad read on the ball, or just not thinking he'd make it. 

Next up stepped Kemp with runners on first and second, and he struck out.

Apparently, Kemp wasn't happy about Puig not getting to third, and giving Kemp an easy RBI opportunity, especially in hitter-friendly Coors Field.

A lot has been made of this today, as Kemp was seen walking the length of the dugout giving Puig a piece of his mind.  It wasn't the most demonstrative situation, but Kemp was clearly making his point that Puig needs to run the bases better.

And for that, I say this: Good for Kemp.

After Friday night's shellacking in San Francisco, the Dodgers' offense had to pick things up.  In the three games since then, they certainly have, scoring 32 runs, or about 10.7 runs a game.  I'd say they certainly responded.

Still, the Dodgers have had consistency issues on offense all season, and as good as they have looked of late, that can quickly turn around if they fall asleep again.  Kemp has had a resurgent season, and because he has the numbers again, I applaud him for stepping up and calling out Puig for not doing the little things the right way.

Ultimately, Puig ended up scoring, the Dodgers won in a runaway, it was another good night at the ballpark.  But the point remains the same that it's good to see the veterans on the Dodgers hold everyone to a high standard.  Much like $215 million man Clayton Kershaw competes every game as if he's trying to make a big league roster, Kemp is showing the young buck how to take care of business.

And who knows, maybe Puig was dogging it a bit, and now got the message that he can't do that anymore.  That little bit of extra hustle could be all the difference in October.  Kemp knows that, now let's hope Puig does as well.

Whenever Kemp and Hanley hit, it's a good thing

Saturday night was a struggle for the Dodgers.  They just come off getting slapped around 8-2 by the Cubs the night before, the offense couldn't get anything going against a bunch of no-name pitchers, and it actually started raining at Dodger Stadium.

So whom did the Dodgers need to turn to in order to get some scoring?  Matt Kemp and Hanley Ramirez.  And it worked.

Kemp continued his scorching run in recent days with a two-run homer in the fourth, and Hanley hit his first career walk-off home run in the 12th to give the Dodgers a 5-2 victory.  The Mets beat the Giants, so the lead in the NL West is back up to 3 1/2.

Both Kemp and Hanley were especially needed on a night where Adrian Gonzalez and Yasiel Puig didn't start and each pinch-hit.  A-Gon predictably struck out, and Puig singled only to be picked off of first after a replay review.  So their contributions to the offense were pretty much nothing.

Their injuries were another reason why the bats of Kemp and Hanley were sorely needed.  Kemp is hitting .367 with four homers since the break, and looks like a guy who is finally ready to quit making excuses and sulking about where he's playing in the field, and just freakin' play.  What a sight that is.

Hanley hasn't exactly been torching the ball of late, as he entered this game 1-for-15 in the last four games.  In this one, he went 3-for-5 with two runs, a double, three RBIs, and the walk-off blast.  If the Dodgers absolutely needed someone to step up and be the man to get a win, it was him, and he did just that.

Taking a look at the lineup, it was Hanley at #3, and Kemp right behind him cleaning up.  In a perfect lineup, the top of the order would be Dee Gordon, Puig, Hanley, Kemp, A-Gon, and Uribe.  Might as well ride Kemp while he's hot, put him in an RBI situation, and see if he keeps responding.

Above all, it's just good to see the Dodgers get a win because their two big dogs led the way on a night of injuries and rain. 

Other thoughts from the game:

* Hyun-Jin Ryu seemed to struggle at first, as the Cubs probably left some runs off the board.  But as Ryu typically does, when he's settled in, he's really good.  He lasted seven innings for nine hits, two runs, one walk, and six strikeouts.  He did have a chance to exit with the lead, but a two-out RBI double by Arismendy Alcantara tied the game at two.

* The bullpen combined to pitch the remaining five innings and didn't give up a run.  It was a complete reversal from the night before, when that clown Chris Perez pitched.  On Saturday it was Brandon League (2/3 IP), J.P. Howell (1/3), Kenley Jansen (1), Brian Wilson (1), and Jamey Wright (2) who closed the door and allowed the offense a chance to win it.

* It's a good thing Hanley got the big hit when he did, because most of the night was lifeless baseball for the second straight night.  I think it's fair to say the Dodgers play to their competition.  They smacked around the Braves, always a solid team, and let the Cubs make them look pretty foolish.  Thankfully they came through when needed.

* We should all be especially thankful even more to Hanley, because if you took a close look at the bullpen as his homer was leaving the yard, there was Perez warming up.  If that guy entered the game, Vin Scully may as well have just gotten on the PA system and announced to everyone that the game was over and to go home.

Sunday afternoon is a big start for Josh Beckett, as he's really looking to get back on track after his hip injury.  Another poor start probably means he's hurt worse than he's letting on, and we can forget about seeing the Beckett from the first half.  Let's see how he responds.

It's tough to envision Kemp being traded now

Say what you want about Matt Kemp, but I'll give him this - he's left a hell of an impression on the Dodgers at the perfect time.

The last five games have been fantastic for Kemp, as pretty much any chatter about moving him at the Trade Deadline has all but disappeared.  Never say never, but what he has done is remind everyone just how impactful his bat can be when he's clicking.

Here's a look at his last five games:

7/25 @ SF: 3-for-5, 3B, 2 RBI
7/26 @ SF: 1-for-3, BB
7/27 vs. ATL: 2-for-3, BB
7/28 vs. ATL: 3-for-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI
7/29 vs. ATL: 3-for-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB

And just for good measure, his walk-off single in the 10th inning on Wednesday night gave the Dodgers a season-high five-game winning streak.  It also keeps them three up on the Giants in the NL West.

What exactly has caused this sudden power surge?  Who knows for sure, but I would think comfort being in right field combined with knowing he's etched in the starting lineup everyday can only help.  Don Mattingly has settled in on Yasiel Puig in center and Kemp in right, and I wouldn't expect that to change now.

The book on Kemp for most of this season was that his bat was slow in the zone.  In other words, if you throw him the hard stuff, he won't catch up to it.  Well, three homers in two days will only start to quiet those reports.

I remember last season when the Dodgers were cruising towards a playoff berth, I commented many times how they can really use Kemp's bat to put them over the top.  Unfortunately, that never happened thanks to his ankle injury he sustained in late July that eventually led to surgery.  Who knows if he would have been good enough to lift the Dodgers over the Cardinals, but they definitely could have used him at least.

As I said before, never say never when it comes to a trade.  Considering the fact that Kemp has raised his average 20 points the last five games, and that the Dodgers are winning and playing some inspired baseball of late, I think he can comfortably settle in without worry.

Now let's see if this is an aberration, or if Kemp really has turned things around and is ready to mash again.  Because if he is, that will be a lot of fun to watch.

It's time for the outfielders to put up or shut up

The Dodgers are in a tailspin entering Sunday night's game in St. Louis.  They've dropped two straight, their offense is a disaster, and their outfielders aren't doing much to help.

Take away Yasiel Puig, and there's a whole lot of nothing left.  Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and Carl Crawford combined to go 0-for-5 on Saturday with a big strikeout in the eighth (Kemp) and a game ending double play (Ethier).  Those guys are making about $57 million combined this season.

And to that, I say this: Boys, it's time to start performing on the field.  Or get out of the way and let others do it for you.

How many times are we going to go through this?  There's a whole lot of talk about what they've done in the past, but not a whole lot about what they're doing this season.  Probably because they're doing a big pile of nothing for the most part.

I'll give Ethier and Crawford this - they at least appear to play hard.  They're not getting the results that justify their contracts, but they aren't dogging it.  I'm doubt that makes anyone feel better, but it's something.

I'm not sure I can say the same about Kemp.  Saying you want to be the everyday center fielder is commendable, but not taking ownership for just how awful you've been is not.  As I pointed out the other day, it would be great if he said something along the lines of, "My bad, I've been terrible.  I've got to play better."  But have we?  Nope.

Instead, we've seen a lot of swings and misses, a lot of hanging his head, and defense that is so bad, it's gotten to the point where analysts are ripping apart how he chases after the ball.  Seriously.  I'm not sure I've ever heard an outfielder being criticized so harshly for how he simply runs after the ball.  That's pretty pathetic.

Ethier should be very thankful that Kemp is getting so much attention, because his offense has gone MIA.  Right now he's hitting .249 with four home runs and 34 RBIs.  He's slugging .374, by far the lowest in his career (.421 in '11 is his second lowest).  There's absolutely no reason to fear him at the plate.

True, he is ridiculously better in center than Kemp, but playing him so much there is at the expense of the offense.  He has no power left, doesn't get on base well (.313 OBP), and strikes out way too much.  There's just no magic left in that bat.

The odd man out was supposedly going to be Crawford when he came off the DL right before the All-Star break.  Kemp can be thanked again, this time for being so atrocious that plans changed.  But is he an upgrade?  It's hard to make that case.  In 49 games, he's hitting .255 with four home runs, 19 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases.  Not exactly numbers that get a manager excited to pencil his name in the lineup.

At this point, the Dodgers are stuck with these guys, at least for this season.  Every other team in baseball looks at their contracts and just starts laughing.  And after they get done laughing, they say, "Thanks, but no thanks" when it comes to talking trade.  Unless the Dodgers take on a BUNCH of cash remaining on their deals, you can forget about them going anywhere.

If these guys want to play as much as they think they deserve, then show it on the field.  If you're not in the lineup, then stay ready for when you eventually will be.  Because taking away Puig in right, there's two positions remaining in the outfield that have yet to be fully claimed, and we're at game #100 tonight. 

Show why you deserve to play.  Get a hit.  Take a walk.  Move a runner over.  Cut down the strikeouts.  Just do SOMETHING.

Or, accept the fact that your best days are behind you, and let someone else (Scott Van Slyke?  Joc Pederson?) come in and play that spot.

As the headline says, it's time to put up or shut up.  Make a choice.

Will the Dodgers look to trade Matt Kemp?

If it's up to Kemp, it might just happen.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported on Wednesday that Kemp's agent Dave Stewart, the former All-Star pitcher, acknowledged that if Kemp doesn't get a chance to play everyday in center field again, he'd be open to a trade.

That's not exactly the same as flat out saying he wants out, but it's not exactly a ringing endorsement of staying with the Dodgers long-term either.

Now let's ask the question - Should the Dodgers be willing to trade him?  I think so.

If you've read my recent posts, then you've seen that I haven't exactly been thrilled with the amount of strikeouts and bad clutch hitting Kemp has shown lately.  He did hit well in June at .317 with three homers and 16 RBIs, but in July it's .231 with no homers and four RBIs.  He's striking out once every three at-bats this month (13/39), and generally looks like he's lost.

That's not to mention his horrific play in center, which sent him packing to left in late May.  Don Mattingly hasn't appeared to entertain the thought of moving him back to his original position yet.

This is a bit of a tough call, because we've all seen how good he can be when he's on.  We'll never forget just how awesome he was in 2011, hitting .324 with 39 homers and 126 RBIs, while stealing 40 bases.  There was no better player in baseball that year, even though the soon-to-be busted Ryan Braun claimed the NL MVP award.

Since then, it's been a series of injuries, which has caused him to lose a step.  Or even two steps.  Basically, he looks like a shell of his former self.

Right now, the Dodgers have a couple of examples of guys who have turned things around after playing some atrocious baseball: Juan Uribe and Brandon League.  Uribe is one of the best defensive third basemen in baseball, and is hitting .297; League had a 5.30 ERA last year, and now it's 2.09.  So, it's very possible Kemp can start playing better.

Here's why I would be in favor of seeking out a trade: I have yet to hear Kemp say anything along the lines of "my bad."  I've heard him say he'll go to left for now, I've heard him say he would like to play everyday, and now I've heard him say he'd be open to being traded.  But when have you ever seen Kemp come out and admit he's been awful and needs to pick things up?

If he has, then I certainly missed it.  It would be nice if he just acknowledged how poorly he's looked rather than acting like he's owed what he wants.  Not on a team contending for a championship, and not on a team with four other legit starting outfield options.  No way.

Rosenthal pointed out that last year the Red Sox and Mariners expressed interest in Kemp, and the Sox were known to have scouted the Dodgers this year as well.  Were they looking at Kemp?  I wouldn't be surprised, as the Sox' offense has been horrible.

This is definitely a story to keep an eye on, as the trade deadline is a couple of weeks away.  Maybe the Dodgers aren't even considering this, but maybe they've been thinking about this for quite awhile.  I tend to lean towards the latter.  We'll all soon find out.

Puig in the Home Run Derby? Not so good...

Move over, Mike Piazza.  You have new company in the infamous Home Run Derby Donut Hole Club.

Just like the great Piazza did in 1993 and 1994, Yasiel Puig went homerless in the Derby.  He had a monster shot to left in his final swing that went foul.  That's about it for "highlights."

Seriously, it wasn't pretty.  I had a bad feeling that Puig would either get hurt or barely hit any out by overswinging.  Well, there aren't any reports of him getting hurt thankfully, but a lack of experience and most likely some nerves led to a goose egg.

Puig still brings a lot of eyeballs to the tube, so I wouldn't be surprised if he appeared in this again soon.  Teammate Matt Kemp participated in 2011 during his monster season, and only hit two.  He came back the next year and tried his luck again, and only hit one.  That was kind of strange because at the time, he was recovering from injury and didn't appear in the All-Star Game.  Guess he was healthy enough to hack away in the Derby, though.

Tonight is the All-Star Game, and Puig is hitting second for the National League.  You know he has redemption in mind, so he'll be swinging away full force against Felix Hernandez.  I predict either a home run or a bad looking strikeout.  Tune in and see for yourselves.

Dodgers lacking a true Big Bopper

If you're looking strictly at box scores and standings, then you saw that the Dodgers beat the Padres 1-0 on A.J. Ellis's sac-fly RBI in the ninth inning on Saturday, putting them back in first place of the NL West.  You also saw that with the win, the Dodgers have the best record in the National League.

If you're someone who watches the game closely like I do, then you know the truth - the Dodgers are very fortunate to be in this position because their offense is practically on life support.  Those guys better be buying the pitching staff a whole lot of gifts.

Right now, the Dodgers don't have that one guy who strikes a whole lot of fear in the opposing team.  Last year it was Hanley Ramirez and Yaisel Puig, and even Adrian Gonzalez at times.  Before that it was Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier at various points.  Even before that, it was all about Mannywood.

Outside of MAYBE Puig, the offense is really struggling to find that one guy to step up and lead the way.  And even though Puig is starting in the All-Star Game and is in the Home Run Derby, he's hit one home run since the end of May and has seen his average dip from .344 to .307.  So he's on the list of struggling players as well.

How about the other guys?  Well, let's take a look:

Kemp?  He continues to look like a shell of his former self more and more each game.  Two more strikeouts last night, including one in the ninth when Gonzalez led off with a double, making it nine K's in the last five games.  Before that, he walked leading off the seventh, but was quickly erased on a stolen base attempt.  There's no life in his bat, as he can't catch up to fastballs and is constantly tricked by breaking balls.  What a waste.

Gonzalez?  He was hitting .337 with eight homers and 24 RBIs through April, but that has dramatically changed.  In the three months since then, he's hit six homers with 36 RBIs.  So while you look at the bottom line and see that he's fourth in the NL with 60 RBIs, the truth is that he did most of that damage at the start of the season.  A .182 average against lefties has really hurt him.

Ramirez?  Last year he was able to perform at a MVP level when he was on the field for half the games.  This season he seems to be getting hurt every two minutes, and when he does play, it's a nothing special.  He's hitting .275 with 11 homers and 48 RBIs, which aren't bad numbers, but again, nothing great.  It's his contract year, so I'm sure that's weighing on him heavily.  But the bottom line is that his injury history and lack of production is not giving him a good outlook for that huge contract he's seeking this offseason.

Ethier?  Let's just say that the days of "Andre the Giant" are long gone.  Much to his credit, he plays hard each time he takes the field, which is why he's claimed the starting job in center field.  But at .252 with four homers and 34 RBIs, there's barely any magic left in that bat.  Plus, he's just as lousy against lefties as A-Gon is, hitting .190.  Wow.

With all of this talk about the Dodgers trading for guys like David Price or Cole Hamels, I think it's only a matter of time before we start hearing about upgrading the offense.  Why not?  The guys I just listed above are either hurt, past their prime, or both.  They're certainly not showing any signs of turning things around.  Maybe they can, but most likely it wouldn't be anything drastic.

At what point does Ned Colletti decide to bring up young studs like Joc Pederson or Alex Guerrero?  They'd clearly add some life to an offense that lacks punch and consistency.  I'm sure that would lead to hard feelings if some of the rich boys have to sit, but so be it.

I have all the confidence in the world the Dodgers will make the playoffs.  They have a starting rotation that can give them plenty of chances to win.  But do they have the offense?  That's the part that really concerns me.

Without the big threat on offense to get the job done, then it will be another year without a ring.

I don't think Crawford will be a bench guy for long

Before Clayton Kershaw's scoreless inning streak was snapped at 41, the news of the day for the Dodgers on Thursday was the return of Carl Crawford.  He was activated off the 15-day DL, and Clint Robinson was DFA'd to make room.

Don Mattingly has gone on record as stating that Crawford will strictly be a bench player for now, as he will leave Matt Kemp in left field.  The Dodgers' better play of late is the prime reason.

And to that, I say this: Carl, don't get too comfortable on the bench.  I see some starts in your near future my friend.

There's a couple of reasons for this.  The first, and biggest, has to do with Kemp.  While he did hit .317 in June, he's down to .242 this month and .271 overall.  His slugging % is a mere .435.  He has five stolen bases and has been nailed four times.  So not only is he pretty much a singles hitter at this point, it's not like he's going to run wild on the bases and make things happen.

Then there's his defense in left.  Right now his Defensive WAR is -2.4, by far the worst on the Dodgers to Hanley Ramirez and his -1.1.  It should be noted that he's still adjusting to left, so some mistakes are almost bound to happen.  However, the reason he was moved there in the first place was because he was so bad in center, Mattingly had no choice but to make a switch.  So before people complain that it's unfair to critique Kemp so harshly in left, just know that he was a disaster in center before that.

The second reason is strictly a money thing.  Crawford's contract runs through 2017, and he still is owed over $80 million.  Unless the Dodgers have dreams of a team like themselves coming in and swooping a big chunk of that contract away, he's not going anywhere.  We need to get used to that.

Do you really think someone who's getting paid as much as Crawford will just sit by and settle for pinch-hitting the rest of the year?  Especially since he's backing up a guy in Kemp who is shell of his former self?  I don't think so.

While I appreciate Mattingly's desire to keep a consistent lineup, I don't think it's an issue at all to split Kemp and Crawford in left.  The same can go for Andre Ethier and Scott Van Slyke in center.  Kemp and Ethier have been given plenty of playing time of late, and neither one of them has set the world on fire.  I'm not saying they've been bad - that's not the case at all.  But their days of All-Star caliber play are far behind.

If I'm Crawford, I'm carefully biding my time until I get back in the starting lineup.  Kemp and his slow bat can't possibly hog all the time in left field the rest of the season.  Crawford's time will come.  Just wait and see.

Dodgers still searching for offensive consistency

What's the best way to follow up a season high, 12-run explosion?

Apparently by not coming anywhere close to doing it again the next night.

That was the story of the Dodgers on Sunday night, as they were held to a three runs in a 5-3 loss to the Pirates.  That handed the Bucs three of four in Dodger Stadium, a place where the Dodgers don't seem to like playing at a whole lot with a 12-17 record.

Zack Greinke was not his normal self, scuffling through six innings of four-run ball.  Andrew McCutchen just owned him with a long double and an even longer 435-foot solo homer.

Despite all of that, the biggest culprit, once again, was the sorry offense.  Not even the sight of washed up Edinson Volquez could make them put more runs on the board.

Let's take a look at this four-game set.  First we'll toss away Saturday's outburst.  The other three games (all loses), saw them score 3, 1, and 3 runs.  That's about 2.3 runs a game, which makes it hard to beat anyone, even with the great starting pitching.

If you're looking for positive signs from the offense, it's that they somehow scored 139 runs in May, good for third in baseball.  The problem is that their runs have come at a pretty uneven rate.  Take a look at the last week in May (25-31).  They scored 6, 4, 6, 3, 3, 1, and 12 runs.  And then yesterday it was back down to 3 runs.  It seems like the second they start showing consistency, they then trend the opposite way.

Obviously, it will be hard to win if some of the big guns don't contribute.  I've covered this ad nauseam, but here I go again.  One day after Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez, and Matt Kemp combined to go 9-for-12 with 8 RBIs, they go 1-for-10 with no RBIs.  Lo and behold, one day is an easy win, the next day a close loss.

Right now the Dodgers' offense looks like Yasiel Puig and a bunch of other guys not pulling their weight.  Here's my evidence to back that up, looking at Puig and the three others I just mentioned in the month of May:

Puig: .398, 8 HR, 25 RBI
Kemp: .266, 1 HR, 7 RBI
Ramirez: .255, 6 HR, 21 RBI
Gonzalez: .231, 4 HR, 13 RBI

About the only positives, other than Puig, are the high power totals from Hanley, and some decent pop from A-Gon.  Kemp... well he hasn't done a damn thing, other than bury a hole for himself deeper and deeper each plate appearance.

One other guy who's cooled off, maybe a bit under the radar, has been Dee Gordon.  He was awesome in April by hitting .333, but that went way down in May to .244.  In fact, he's only had one multi-hit game in his last 19.  That's not exactly getting it done from the leadoff spot.

What Don Mattingly has to hope will happen is a couple of things.  One, that Puig will continue to lead the way with his bat and not cool down drastically.  Even if he slows down a little, he's still having a great year.  Two, that the other four guys I mentioned just plain get more hits.  Turning it on and off one game to the next gets them to right about where they are, hovering around .500.

With the starting rotation finally healthy, it's time the offense backs them up some.  Getting more guys on base will only help.