How are the ex-Dodgers doing?

While the Dodgers are enjoying a 12 of 16 run that has surged them back into a tie for first place with the Giants, I thought I'd take some time to look at how some of the 2013 Dodgers are doing.  That is, those who have since moved onto different teams.  Here we go.

Ricky Nolasco, SP, Twins: 4-6, 5.74 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, 69 K's in 95 2/3 IP
Wow, he's been a disaster.  He was very good for the most part with the Dodgers last season, giving them many quality starts over the second half.  Then he faded, and was barely heard from in the postseason.  Nonetheless, the Twins gave him four years and $49 to fix their awful rotation.  It hasn't worked.  Phil Hughes and Kyle Gibson have been pretty good, but Nolasco was brought in to lead that staff.  He looks like a huge waste of money right now.

Edinson Volquez, SP, Pirates: 6-6, 4.07 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 63 K's in 93 IP
I'm not sure what the Pirates expected out of him, but all things considered, he's been pretty decent.  Considering he has a career 4.69 ERA and 1.48 WHIP, his numbers this year look even better.  The Pirates lost A.J. Burnett to the Phillies after their great run last season, and the team as a whole is struggling to find their footing.  The thing with Volquez is that I'm not sure he can get any better than this.  A second half plunge wouldn't surprise me at all.

Chris Capuano, RP, (formerly of) Red Sox: 1-1, 1 HLD, 1 BLSV, 4.55 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 29 K's in 31 2/3 IP
The Red Sox tried to make Capuano their swingman, ala Paul Maholm with the Dodgers, but it didn't quite work.  He was designated for assignment on June 25 after getting shelled by the Mariners a couple days before.  He's certainly had his fair share of arm problems, and at 35, who knows if he has any chances left.

Ronald Belisario, RP, White Sox: 3-4, 8 SV, 6 HLD, 4 BLSV, 5.54 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 28 K's in 37 1/3 IP
Three days ago, Belisario was canned as White Sox closer after he was given a three-run cushion against the Blue Jays, but couldn't finish the job.  Maybe Robin Ventura has never walked to the other side of Camelback Ranch, because if he had, he'd have seen just how wild and unpredictable Belisario is.  There's no way he should've been a closer in the first place.  Ventura learned his lesson the hard way.

Javy Guerra, RP, White Sox: 0-0, 3 HLD, 1 BLSV, 2.40 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 16 K's in 15 IP
On the flip side, a pleasant surprise has been Guerra.  He spent the first couple of months in Triple-A and earned his way up in June.  Good for him, as his Dodgers' career ended with a thud, going from 21 saves and "closer of the future" in 2011 to barely existent thereafter.  Maybe he's found confidence again, who knows.  On a team like the White Sox full of horrible pitching, he's got a great chance in front of him, and so far, has made the most of it.

Carlos Marmol, RP, Reds: 0-3, 1 HLD, 1 BLSV, 8.10 ERA, 1.95 WHIP, 14 K's in 13 1/3 IP
It's been a tough road for Marmol this year, as the stats above all came with the Marlins before he was given his walking papers on May 19.  He was then signed to a minor league contract by the Reds about a week later, only to leave Triple-A without permission a couple weeks after that.  Weird stuff, but I think even he realizes he's at the end of the road.

Mark Ellis, 2B, Cardinals: .194 AVG, .276 OBP, 6 2B, 0 HR, 12 RBI, 4 SB
Ellis had a solid career with the Dodgers, but after the signing of Alex Guerrero, he was shown the door.  Guerrero hasn't emerged with the big club yet because he wasn't ready defensively, and has since had part of his ear bitten off by that nutcase Miguel Olivo.  Dee Gordon, however, has come on strong enough to be an All-Star candidate.  So, releasing Ellis was a smart move because Gordon is the everyday leadoff hitter, and Ellis is really struggling at the plate.  He'll never have big numbers, but the ones he has now are pretty bad.  It's hard not to like how hard the guy plays, but the bottom line is that he's just not producing.

Skip Schumaker, OF/2B, Reds: .242 AVG, .276 OBP, 6 2B, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 1 SB
Schumaker only played one season with the Dodgers, as he was a favorite of hitting coach Mark McGwire from their Cardinals days.  Like the Dodgers, the Reds have used him all over the outfield and at second base, making him the super utility guy.  His average continues to tumble, as this is the fourth straight year it's gone down.  But, like I said before, that's less of a concern because he's there to plug in holes when necessary.

Nick Punto, 2B/SS, A's: .235 AVG, .336 OBP, 5 2B, 0 HR, 10 RBI, 2 SB
Much like Schumaker, Punto is mostly there for his utility work, as he's appeared mostly at second and short, but also a little third and right field.  He's getting a pretty good amount of at-bats on a very good team, and thanks to 20 walks, has a decent OBP.  He appears to be well on his way to his fifth postseason in his career, and that experience is where he's truly most valuable, just like when he was a Dodger last year.

Nolasco packs his bags for the Twin Cities

He better dress warm.  It's slightly colder in Minnesota than it is in LA.

While Ricky Nolasco might not have gotten the enormous five-year, $80 million deal he was originally seeking (or at least floated out there to inflate his own value), he signed a four-year, $49 million contract with the Twins on Wednesday.  The Twins had an astronomical 5.26 ERA from their starters last season, so you can understand why they're desperate to bring any arms of value into the fold.

Kudos to both Nolasco and the Dodgers on this one.  First, let's give credit to Nolasco for what he brought to the table in LA after being acquired from the Marlins in early July.  The Dodgers went 10-2 in his first 12 starts, as he personally went 8-1.  He was big part of the Dodgers' red hot summer run, and gave them four great starters along with Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, and Hyun-Jin Ryu.

And here's where the Dodgers deserve credit - they recognized that he's probably not that good, as his final few appearances were rather poor.  After going 5-0 with a 1.66 ERA in August, he went 2-2 with a 6.66 ERA in September.  He fell off so badly that he only got one start in the playoffs, losing Game 4 of the NLCS at home against the Cardinals, lasting only four mediocre innings.

Oh ya, he also was skipped over in Game 4 of the NLDS, as Don Mattingly chose to put Kershaw on the mound with only three days of rest.  The same Kershaw who eventually ran out of gas in getting drilled in the NLCS Game 6 to end the season.  Could the two things relate to one another?  Who knows, but you have to wonder.

So, while we all know the Dodgers have incredibly deep pockets, I'm happy to see them stay away from throwing around $50 million at Nolasco for multiple years and instead give Dan Haren $10 million for a year.  It makes much more financial sense, and while Haren won't get as scorching hot as Nolasco did in August, he can still be a very effective 4-5 starter in that rotation.

Good luck to Nolasco in Minnesota, who most likely becomes their #1 starter by default.

Nolasco wants the big bucks

But then again, don't we all?

As Ricky Nolasco hits the free agent market, he let it be known what he thinks he's worth: five years and $80 million.

Yes, really.

Maybe the two-year, $35 million contract that Tim Lincecum signed to remain with the Giants made guys like Nolasco think they can raise the bar even higher.  And you know what?  It might just work.

Let's take a look at Nolasco's 2013 season.  He started off the season making 18 starts with the Marlins, going 5-8 with a 3.85 ERA and 1.22 WHIP.  He was then moved to the Dodgers in early July and went 8-3 with a 3.52 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 16 starts.

Looking at those numbers, it's safe to say that the trade worked out for the Dodgers, and his numbers improved.  And that would be true, as he was as red hot as a pitcher could be through his first 12 starts.

And then September 14 hit, and Nolasco was absolutely pummeled at home by the Giants, and everything fell apart.  His two starts after that weren't any good either, and his Game 4 start in the NLCS only lasted four ineffective innings against the Cardinals, putting the Dodgers in a 3-1 hole.

So, we've seen the absolute best and worst of Nolasco in a short amount of time.  Obviously he's going to sell his first 12 starts to prospective teams, as well as the innings he eats, as he's hovered around 190-200 the last three years.  For teams hard pressed to find quality starters, that's tough to ignore.

Unless Nolasco is willing to ease his contract demands, there's no way we should expect to see him back in Dodger blue next season.  Keep in mind that Chad Billingsley and Josh Beckett are still lurking, and guys like David Price and Masahiro Tanaka could be sought after.

Teams that are being linked to Nolasco are the Giants, Twins, Padres, and Phillies.  There could always be more, but my guess is more in the two to three year range, not what he currently is asking for.  Even the big money Dodgers have to draw a line at that.

Revisiting some postseason questions

Back on September 30, I took a look at five reasons the Dodgers could win the World Series, along with five reasons why they wouldn't (read my original report here). 

Well... we obviously know they didn't, so let's take a look at each key point and break it down.

Reasons They Will

1. Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke as the 1-2 punch.  Everything was working out quite nicely for this... and then Game 6 of the NLCS hit.  And that's when Kershaw had his worst start of the season with seven runs in four innings.  Even with that clunker, he had a 3.13 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in four October starts, striking out 28 in 23 innings.

Greinke was also solid, recording a 2.57 ERA and 0.76 WHIP in three starts.  The only downside is that he twice surrendered a 2-0 lead to the Cardinals, and on the losing end against the Braves, though that was hardly his fault.  He was signed to be the ace right behind Kershaw, and that's what he did.

All in all, these guys definitely provided the punch, but their offense did not give them the love they needed.  They both went in the first couple of games in St. Louis, and both were loses because of virtually no run support.  In other words, there wasn't a whole lot more they could do.

2. Hanley Ramirez is the best hitter around.  Absolutely yes for the NLDS.  No way for the NLCS.

The reason?  It's simple - Joe Kelly beaning him in the ribs in Game 1 of the NLCS.  Ramirez was already banged up enough from the season, but this is the injury that caused his average to tumble from .500 after the NLDS to .323 five games later (he sat out Game 2).  What a shame, too, because the offense was never able to overcome his lack of production.

3. Yasiel Puig on the big stage.  Of the regular starters, Puig's .333 led the team for the postseason.  He was much better in the NLDS, as he had a hit in all four games, including multi-hits in three of them, all wins.

With that said, he was pushed back to the #5 spot right before the start of the postseason, and he only had two RBIs the entire way.  Not exactly the type of production you'd want from a guy in that spot.

4. Brian Wilson and Kenley Jansen closing out games.  Both men brought the goods, and both more than delivered.  Wilson did not allow any runs in six appearances, and showed the world that he's ready to close again in 2014.  Of course, staying on to be the top setup man would be nice as well!

Jansen only had one slip-up in Game 5 of the NLCS by allowing a couple of runs, but the Dodgers still won, so it didn't matter.  He had a whopping 10 strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings, good for an incredible 20.77 K/9.  He collected a couple of saves as well.

5. Road Warriors.  The Dodgers played four games away from home, and only won one of them.  They split in Atlanta before wrapping it up at home, and lost all three games in St. Louis.  The injury to Ramirez was definitely a big reason why, but for a team that finished tied for tops in the Majors with 45 wins away from home, their play on the road in the postseason was a disappointment.


Reasons They Won't

1. No Matt Kemp.  Absolutely this turned out to be a big issue.  There were countless amounts of times the Dodgers had runners on, failed to drive them in, and I'd think about Kemp getting the job done.  Not the beat up Kemp, the version that is feeling good and the ball is jumping off his bat.  As we saw in the NLCS, a run here or there could've meant a World Series trip for the Dodgers.  We'll never know.

2. Injury prone.  Oh boy, did I call this or what?  Everything was going quite smoothly until Kelly plunked Ramirez, and the Dodgers were never the same. 

The numbers don't lie: in the NLDS they averaged 6.5 runs a game, and in the NLCS they averaged 2.2, including two shutouts.  Of course, it's not like everybody was hurt, as guys like Andre Ethier and Juan Uribe did a big pile of nothing against the Cardinals.  It sure seemed like a trickle down effect once Ramirez was clearly not the same.

3. Yasiel Puig on the big stage.  I already pointed out his solid .333 postseason average.  But, there were bumps along the way.  He started off 0-for-10 with six strikeouts through two games of the NLCS.  When he did start to hit, he infuriated the Cardinals with his antics on the bases in celebration.  Then there was his bad overthrows in the Game 6 blowout. 

Bottom line is that you have to take the good with the bad with him, and hope there's more good.  There was a lot of good against the Braves, but not so much with a World Series berth on the line.

4. Streaky offense.  Just look at my numbers from above about the runs averaged per round.  When you get to the NLCS and fall over four runs shy per game than the previous round, all the pitching in the world probably won't get you the wins needed to advance.  That's exactly what happened.

5. Ricky Nolasco fading.  In 10 games, Nolasco only made one start, which was Game 4 of the NLCS.  With the Dodgers trailing in the series 2-1, he lasted only four innings and gave up three runs, taking the loss.  He wasn't awful, but certainly wasn't good either.

He was lined up to start Game 4 of the NLDS, but Mattingly went with Kershaw on three days' rest instead.  That move ended up working, but who knows if Kershaw felt some long-term effects from that.  Maybe he had a dead arm in the last start?  Nobody knows for sure, and he's definitely not telling anyone if he was less than 100%.  It's just a shame that after such a fantastic start, Nolasco faded so badly that the rotation in the playoffs was thrown a bit out of whack.

Iffy times for Dodgers' Games 3 and 4 starters

If the Dodgers are going to finish off the Braves at home, it might be in spite of their scheduled starters, and not because of them.

Hyun-Jin Ryu has recently raised questions about the health of his arm after throwing a bullpen session on Friday with Don Mattingly and team doctor Neal ElAttrache watching closely.  Predictably, that has people wondering if he's truly feeling right heading into a very important Game 3 of the deadlocked NLDS with the Braves.

So is Ryu hurt, or simply being careful?  If you are to listen to him, it's the latter.  What we do know is that his bullpen apparently looked clean, and he's saying all the right things by insisting he's fine.  Perhaps we just need to take his word for it, but with the way the Dodgers have cycled through one injury after another this year, it's natural to be concerned.

The numbers suggest Ryu is healthy, because despite a 1-3 record in September, his ERA was 2.88.  His WHIP was a monthly-best 1.08.  It's entirely possible he was pitching somewhat injured all along, and it worsened recently.  Dodger fans just have to hope this is all much ado about nothing.

Say the Braves get home field back by winning Game 3, then the Dodgers could be in trouble.  Game 4 will see Ricky Nolasco take the mound, and while he's fully healthy as far as we know, his numbers of late certainly aren't.  He was fantastic through two September starts, then was bombed in his last three, causing his ERA for the month to skyrocket to 6.66.  Geez, just look at that number, 6.66.  That's scary on many different levels...

Anyway, if the Dodgers want to win at home, they're going to have to have much better situational hitting than they did in Game 2.  Usually their pitching takes care of itself, and maybe Ryu and Nolasco will be great, but there's definitely more uncertainty with them than Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke.  That goes without saying.

Hopefully by Tuesday morning, the Dodgers will either be preparing for the Cardinals or Pirates, or preparing for a winner-take-all start from Kershaw.  If not, then the starters at home most likely let them down.

Ryu will go in Game 3 of the NLDS, Nolasco in Game 4

In what shouldn't come as a surprise to anybody, Don Mattingly made offical today that Hyun-Jin Ryu will get the start in Game 3 of the NLDS against the Braves, and if necessary, Ricky Nolasco will go in Game 4.  Both games will be in Dodger Stadium.

Hopefully one of these games will be a closeout game considering Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke go first two games in Atlanta's Turner Field.  Then again, baseball can be a strange sport, so Ryu and Nolasco might have the responsibility of keeping the Dodgers alive.  You never know.

What we do know is that based on the end of the season, Ryu is clearly the better choice for Game 3.  He ended up 14-8 with an even 3.00 ERA in 30 starts this season, and the Braves do worse hitting against lefties (.239) than against righties (.252).  Plus, he's much better at home (2.32 ERA) than on the road (3.69 ERA).

Of course, Nolasco made the decision much easier for Mattingly by getting shelled his final three starts.  For awhile, it sure looked like he'd leapfrog Ryu for that Game 3 start, but that all came to a crashing thud in mid-September.  Hopefully, and especially if he is pitching to keep the Dodgers alive, he's figured out what has ailed him and the bats can back him up.  He still ended up 8-3 with a 3.52 ERA in 15 starts with the Dodgers, so the history of success is there at least.

5 reasons the Dodgers will win the World Series... and 5 reasons they won't

Here we go, postseason time!  The Dodgers open up in Atlanta in the best-of-five series for a trip to the NLCS.  And from there, in what would be their first trip back in 25 years since winning it all in 1988, the Fall Classic.

Let's take a look at five reasons the Dodgers can win it all, and five reasons they might not.

Think Positively!

1. Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke as a 1-2 punch.  There are plenty of great arms on display in the postseason, but none quite as good as what the Dodgers can roll out to the mound the first two games of any series.  No matter who is in or out of the lineup, Don Mattingly knows the Dodgers have a great chance with Kershaw and Greinke toeing the rubber.

Based on the second half of the season, it's no stretch to say that these guys are also the top two pitchers in baseball right now.  We all know how fantastic Kershaw was in what will be his second Cy Young Award won (16-9, 1.83 ERA, 0.94 WHIP ), but Greinke's stats after the All-Star break have been phenomenal as well (7-2, 1.85 ERA, 0.98 WHIP).  If your numbers approach Kershaw's, even for half the season, then you've done something pretty special.  Despite playing at home for the first couple of games of the NLDS, the Braves can't feel that great about their chances.  The numbers back it up.

2. Hanley Ramirez is the best hitter around.  There's no doubt that 2013 has been the season that has put Ramirez back on the map, despite playing in only 86 games because of various injuries.  But by hitting .345 with 20 homers and 57 RBIs, he reminded everyone just how well-rounded a hitter he is.

Now is the time for Ramirez to put the offense on his back and get the big hits needed to win.  With Matt Kemp out for the playoffs, it's even more important that he hits well.  Yes, he's still banged up, but even at less than 100%, he's a great hitter.  After only gathering 11 at-bats in April and May combined, he ended July with a .365 average, 10 homers, and 34 RBIs.  I don't think at any point this season he's been fully healthy, so that stats show just how good he is anyway.  A big month of October will not only lead the Dodgers to a title, but a big fat contract extension as well!

3. Yasiel Puig on the big stage.  There's just something about Puig and his flair for dramatics that can get Dodger fans excited.  After making a big splash in Spring Training, he was called up on June 2 with the Dodgers at a pathetic 23-32. Puig lit a fire in this team that helped carry them to the NL West title.

His lack of big game experience shouldn't be a factor at all, because if anyone is ready and willing to go all out, all the time, it's Puig.  He's the type of player that can strikeout his first four at-bats, then hit the game-winning homer in his fifth.  He can also make the big diving catch to save a game.  I think he's chomping at the bit to get out there and prove what kind of a great player he is.

4. Brian Wilson and Kenley Jansen closing out games.  It's taken only 18 games for Wilson to prove that not only is he back, he's just as dominant as ever.  Combine his arm with Kenley Jansen's, and the Dodgers have to feel very confident with a lead after seven innings.

Wilson carries an 0.66 ERA into the postseason along with three holds.  He's a more reliable option than Ronald Belisario, who continues to go from good to bad one game to the next.  Wilson also has the obvious postseason experience having won two rings with the Giants, including closing out the World Series over the Rangers in 2010.  Jansen was sensational in the closer's role with 28 saves, a 1.88 ERA, and 111 strikeouts in 76 2/3 innings.  They're both ready to let it loose.

5. Road warriors.  The team with the best record away from home?  That would be the Dodgers, which tied the Rangers for tops in the Majors at a 45-36 clip.  Thanks in large part to their historic 15-game road winning streak around the All-Star break, the Dodgers appear just as comfortable away from home as they do at Chavez Ravine.

Of course any team would rather open up the postseason at home, but keep in mind that Kershaw and Greinke are going the first two games in Atlanta, so the Dodgers' confidence has to be high.  Basically they need to take one game on the road to regain home field advantage, which seems doable.  And based on their great road record, it can certainly happen.


Watch Out!

1. No Matt Kemp.  As Don Mattingly correctly pointed out as news of Kemp's shutdown hit on Sunday, the Dodgers went 42-8 at one point without him.  Kemp has only played in 179 games the last two seasons, so they're certainly used to not having him around.

But with all of that said, there's just no way the Dodgers won't miss him.  Opposing pitchers have to gameplan a whole heck of a lot more against Kemp than they do for his replacements like Skip Schumaker, or even Andre Ethier, who might also miss the NLDS.  Kemp has the type of impact bat that could give the Dodgers a big lead late in the game with a home run.  That's so hard to replace.  And since all signs were that he'd be back for the postseason, only to get the bad news after the last regular season game, there's no doubt it's a big blow for everyone.

2. Injury prone.  To go along with Kemp, it seems like there are so many guys who are only a play away from being done for the season as well.  Ethier is most likely either scratched from the NLDS or is only a pinch-hitter.  Ramirez has been banged up all season.  Puig has been battling through a few ailments lately as well.

Don Mattingly is used to mixing and matching his lineup on a daily basis, but still, it's tough not to be able to write in his big guns everyday and let them do their thing.  The fact that Schumaker is the probable starting centerfielder is a reminder just how things can change so quickly.  Can you imagine what would happen if Kershaw, Greinke, or Jansen got hurt as well?  Man, that would be awful.

3. Yasiel Puig on the big stage.  Yes, you read that right.  As much as Puig is about to embrace the bright lights of October, it could turn out to be a disaster if he gets out of control.

We've already seen Mattingly and his own teammates get on his case for throwing temper tantrums, and trying to throw guys out from about 800 feet away, allowing runners to move up.  Plus, there have been a whole lot of swings and misses of late, mostly because he looks like he's trying to kill everything.  Expect pitchers to make him expand the zone and challenge him to be patient.  What if he doesn't want to walk?  He'll be an easy out from the leadoff spot if he can't control himself, and the offense will suffer.

4. Streaky offense.  It's true that the final three-game series against the Rockies was meaningless in the big picture, but take a look at their run production: 11, 0, 1.  That's not exactly the most encouraging way to enter the postseason.

Their runs scored has dipped quite a bit in September.  In August they scored 128 runs (4.4 AVG), good for third in the NL.  This past month that fell to 102 (3.8 AVG), which was ninth.  Granted, some of those games were played with quirky lineups thanks to being the first team to clinch the division, but plenty of the regulars still got their swings in.  Maybe the offense is ready to roll again with a set lineup, but they'll have to prove that.  And with Kemp not in there, it'll be even tougher.

5. Ricky Nolasco fading.  After shutting down the Diamondbacks on September 9, Nolasco stood at 8-1 with a 1.82 ERA in 12 starts with the Dodgers.  It sure looked like the Dodgers had a huge advantage in the first three games of any series with Kershaw, Greinke, and Nolasco, not to mention Hyun-Jin Ryu after that.  Life was good.

And then life was bad.  His next three starts were an unbelievable disaster, as he got bombed by going 0-2 with a 12.75 ERA.  He seriously went from unhittable to batting practice.  There really was no in between.  I firmly believe he would've been the Game 3 starter, but not anymore.  Suppose the Dodgers are down 2-1 in the NLDS, how confident are they sending him to the mound?  It's hard to say they would feel that good about it right now.  That's how badly things have turned around for him.

Did Nolasco pitch his way out of an NLDS start?

Ricky Nolasco took one last start in the regular season on Wednesday night in San Francisco, looking to erase some bad vibes from his previous two starts.

The result?  Uh, not good.

The Giants had little trouble hitting him around in a 6-4 win, as he gave up six runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.  The only good news was that he struck out seven and only walked one, but it hardly mattered.  He's been hit around really hard his last three trips to the mound, and now the question has to be if he'll even get a start in October.

It's a pretty big turnaround from his first 12 starts with the Dodgers after coming over from the Marlins.  In those he went 8-1 with a 1.82 ERA, and in 10 of those starts he surrendered two or less earned runs.  And let me tell you, he sure looked like he was going to overtake Hyun-Jin Ryu for that Game 3 start, because his stuff looked incredible.

And then came the start he made at home on Saturday, September 14 against the Giants in which he was absolutely shelled.  He only lasted four outs, giving up seven runs (five earned) on seven hits, walking three, and recorded no strikeouts.  Boy was he bad that night.

The hope was that that game would be an anomaly, but thus far, it sure hasn't looked like it.  The Diamondbacks got to him for six runs in five innings on September 19, and then last night's game against the Giants.  Add up those three starts, and he's 0-2 with a 12.75 ERA.  Talk about a big dropoff.

So, let's pose the question right now: Will Nolasco get a start in the NLDS?

One thing that we have to keep in mind is that the NLDS schedule plays a big factor in Don Mattingly's decision when to use his pitchers.  While the times will need to be worked out, the days the games occur has been set: October 3, 4, 6, 7, and 9.  In looking at this, Clayton Kershaw will make a Game 1 start, then go on Game 5 if necessary on five day's rest.  Zack Greinke will go in Game 2 and could also pitch in Game 5 since he'd be on four day's rest.  But, I can't imagine him getting the call over Kershaw.

With that in mind, it appears as if Mattingly will have to use four separate starters in the NLDS, as the schedule, barring a rainout, won't allow anything different.  So, Nolasco looks to be in good shape to at least be a candidate for a Game 4 start.  Being a candidate and actually getting the start are two different things, though.

I'm not sure anybody thought they'd see this happen, but Volquez's start tonight against the Giants could play a big part in who gets an NLDS start.  I would say Nolasco is still the clear favorite, but say Volquez pitches a gem, would Mattingly make the switch?  I'm not so sure, it's something to keep in mind.

Mattingly did say after Wednesday's game that he's not concerned about Nolasco, and perhaps he's being completely honest.  It's just a shame how bad Nolasco's timing is, as the last thing the Dodgers need is to be in a must-win game with a guy on the mound they lack confidence in. 

But then again, the Dodgers may not have any other choice than to take their chances.  We will see.

With injuries mounting, Dodgers lean on rotation even more

As the regular season winds down with only 13 games left before the Dodgers take on the Diamondbacks in Arizona on Monday, the dreaded injury bug has once again struck.  This past weekend, as the Giants took three of four in Dodger Stadium, Hanley Ramirez, Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier, and Yasiel Puig all missed various amounts of time with injuries.

That's not to mention Matt Kemp, who looks to finally be activated following his ankle injury.  But who knows how healthy he is.

Only Puig is ready to return to for Monday's game, as the Dodgers will again throw together a makeshift lineup that includes Nick Punto leading off at short, Skip Schumaker in center, and Chili Buss in left.

What does all of this mean?  If the starting rotation wasn't already important enough, they're even more so now.

I can't even imagine what would happen if Clayton Kershaw or Zack Greinke go down.  Ditto for Hyun-Jin Ryu and Ricky Nolasco, who are a notch below the big dogs, but still pretty damn good when they're on.

At this point, the offense basically has nearly three weeks to get things figured out.  The magic number remains at four, so if the Dodgers split with the DBacks this series, then it's all over in the NL West.  I wouldn't say there's pressure on those guys to play through the injuries, but the closer they get to sealing the division, the more they want to just get it over with

Even if those guys are able to rest and get back into the lineup, if this season has taught us anything, it's that the next injury could be right around the corner.  I think the Dodgers just have to hope that the playoffs happen to be during a time of good health, as these guys seem to get a big hit one moment, then are limping off the field the next.

So that takes us back to the starting rotation, and the huge role they will play in October.  In a perfect scenario, the starters would pitch into the sixth or seventh, and the lineup featuring the likes of Puig, Kemp, Ramirez, Ethier, Crawford, and Adrian Gonzalez would give plenty of support.  Now, I'm not so sure the offense can be counted on.  That means the starters have to bring their ultimate "A" game night in and night out.

In other words, with the offense in flux, I'm not so sure it'll be good enough to give up 3-4 runs per start.  It may have to be more like 1-2, and hope the offense does just enough to win.

I think that's the beauty of this rotation, though.  They are absolutely capable of doing just that.  They can go four deep and have the advantage against any rotation.  Plus, they have a dominant closer in Kenley Jansen to hand the lead to.  The score might only be 1-0 or 2-1, but that's way it goes.

Let's hope the Dodgers take care of the division soon, the big guns get their proper rest and are ready to go, and the postseason features the Dodgers at their best. 

If not, it's up to the rotation to see how long they last in the bright lights of October.

Dodgers add rotation depth with Nolasco

The Dodgers made the first "splash" in the trade deadline season by acquiring Ricky Nolasco from the Marlins on Saturday.  The Dodgers have agreed to take on the remaining $5.5 million of his contract, which surely was a huge breaking point of the deal.  In exchange, the Marlins get three minor league pitchers in Josh Wall, Steven Adams, and Angel Sanchez.

In addition, the Dodgers continue to add to their international signing bonus with another $197,000.  They did a similar move when they swapped Matt Guerrier for Carlos Marmol a few days ago.  For a team that claims it's serious about rebuilding the international market, this is a good and logical step.

Over the past week or two, the Dodgers have been linked to Nolasco, along with possibly Matt Garza.  I imagine the price to get Nolasco was cheaper, as getting someone like Garza perhaps meant parting with guys like Stephen Fife and Matt Magill.  That's not a big price either, but giving away three minor leaguers who don't figure into the Dodgers' long-term plans makes more sense.

This season, Nolasco is 5-8 with a 3.85 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 90 K's in 112 1/3 innings.  You can practically throw the record out the window when you pitch for a team like the Marlins, who would be a decent Triple-A team at best.  How anyone in the world can root for those guys and not go crazy, I have no idea.

The MO for Nolasco his whole career has been "potential," but doesn't seem to live up to it.  He has an overall winning record at 81-72, but with an ERA of 4.44 and WHIP of 1.29.  The positive is that even on a really bad team this season, his numbers (ignore the record) are better.  And that's what made him tradeable.

I like the move, as the Dodgers needed to do something with their 4-5 starters.  Fife has done his part with a 2.76 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in eight starts, so he deserves to keep going.  Chris Capuano, on the other hand, has been bombed his last two outings, and should be moved back to the bullpen as the long reliever.  He's just way too inconsistent, and only getting worse.

I would think the Dodgers can now roll with their rotation of Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Nolasco, and Fife.  The focus will mostly turn to improving their bullpen, as adding Marmol is OK, but hardly the only answer.  With the offense much-improved thanks to some rare good health, pitching in the late innings should now be the key issue.

I guess this is why the Dodgers want to trade for pitching

There's really only one way to sum up Friday night's 16-1 shellacking to the Phillies: it sucked.

End of story.

It was the worst home loss the Dodgers suffered since moving from Brooklyn, if you want to look further into it.  Chris Capuano was absolutely horrific, and the bullpen of Peter Moylan, Matt Guerrier, and Brandon League were just atrocious.

Oh, Skip Schumaker pitched a scoreless ninth.  That might be the most embarrassing stat of the night.

For those of you wondering why the Dodgers would be linked to a guy like Ricky Nolasco of the Marlins, this is it.  I wrote the other day about how the Dodgers were getting good production from the back end of their rotation during this recent six-game winning streak.  Well, you can throw that out the window after Friday.  It's hard to imagine Capuano being much worse.

Nolasco seems to be the biggest name out there so far, at least well before the trade deadline at the end of July starts sparking new names.  He's the type of guy who certainly has the potential, but is notorious for not living up to those projections.  And guess what?  He was hit around by the Padres at home before the Dodgers took the field on Friday, giving up five runs and 11 hits in five innings.  Not exactly the type of start that encourages Dodger fans.

Still, would making a move for Nolasco be worth it?  There's understandable concern that Capuano, Stephen Fife, and Ted Lilly are not the answers down the stretch.  I like the way Fife has looked lately, so perhaps he'll be fine, but I can see why management wants an upgrade to solidify the fourth and fifth rotation spots.

This season, Nolasco is 4-8 with a 3.93 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 83 K's in 103 1/3 innings.  Those numbers aren't bad, but he's in a rough patch right now.  He was only 1-4 in May, but with a 3.57 ERA.  In five June starts, he's fallen back at 1-2 with a 4.55 ERA.  One step forward, one step back.

Money is no object for the Dodgers anymore, so they can easily cover the remaining $6 million left on Nolasco's deal.  When it comes to players with big money owed, you can automatically link the Dodgers to them after the Red Sox trade from last year.  So that gives them an edge over teams reluctant to take on all that money.

Before Friday's game, I would have said that the Dodgers should steer clear of him.  But Capuano was so bad and so discouraging, I'm completely rethinking that stance.  I can't imagine the Dodgers would have to give up much to get him as long as they take his contract, so no major players would be on the move to Miami.  Maybe Nolasco is one of those "change of scenery" type of players where getting away can only help.  Rick Honeycutt has had success with all sorts of different pitchers, so I'd like to see what he can do with Nolasco.

As for the bullpen, I haven't seen any specific names linked to them, but that will change soon.  There's no way they can feel confident about winning anytime they give the ball to guys like League, Moylan, and Guerrier.  Ditto for Ronald Belisario.  The only ones they feel good about are Kenley Jansen, J.P. Howell, and Paco Rodriguez.  As much as Don Mattingly would like to, he can't put them in there EVERY game.