While I have an inexplicable fondness of Hall, to bring him in as the "primary" left fielder would be a mistake. Unless something changes with the Dodgers' money situation in the near future, the Dodgers won't have a "primary" left fielder. It's going to be a season-long platoon comprised of Jay Gibbons, Tony Gwynn, Jr., Casey Blake and maybe (but probably not) Xavier Paul.
An uninspiring bunch for sure. Adding Hall to the mix would be nice, as he has the versatility to play the corner outfield spots, third base, second base and even shortstop and center field in a pinch.
His bat leaves much to be desired, which is why he'd be a much better part-time player than "primary" left fielder. He has pop (18 home runs in 344 at-bats last season) and, surprisingly, doesn't exactly rake against left-handed pitchers.
Jon Heyman continues to report the Dodgers are still in on Kansas City Royals' RHP Zack Greinke.
"With the Rangers, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Nationals and Brewers believed to be in the mix pretty seriously, and the possibility of one or two more teams that fail to land Lee ready to dive in, Moore is said to be shooting for a 'haul'"and
"The Phillies are yet another team that's been connected to Greinke -- though the Rangers, Nats, Brewers, Blue Jays and Dodgers are seen as the early favorites."
The Dodgers have six starting pitchers. As I said in my previous post, acquiring Greinke could lead to a trade of Chad Billingsley. While it makes sense to have as much pitching as possible, Ned Colletti might be taking that message too literally.
If the Dodgers traded for Greinke and kept Billingsley, they'd have one hell of a rotation.
- Clayton Kershaw
- Zack Greinke
- Chad Billingsley
- Ted Lilly
- Hiroki Kuroda
That rotation could get head-to-head with the best of 'em, but the offense would still be an issue. I don't see the Royals taking a package of prospects from the Dodgers (Dee Gordon, Trayvon Robinson and a pitcher to start) for Greinke, but you never know.
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The Dodgers signed some minor-league depth, including a former Giant (I know, you're as shocked as I am). They signed catcher J.D. Closser, infielder Juan Castro and utility man Eugenio Velez.
Funny aside: I once got Castro to autograph a baseball for me during my second visit to Dodger Stadium in 1996.
Mike Petriello of Mike Scocia's Tragic Illness had a nice post on Castro and the Dodgers' refusal to sever ties with the fourth-worst hitter in Major League Baseball history.
Velez is not a good baseball player. He's a below-average hitter and fielder. His best attribute is his baserunning, which is merely average.
Still, he's just minor league depth. Having said that, I'd be shocked if he doesn't get some playing time in Los Angeles this season. He is a former Giant after all and we all know Colletti's obsession for guys who have "been there" and "knows what it takes to win." I mean, he is a World Series champion.
Excuse me while I go clean up because that last sentence made me sick.
