Dodgers at the deadline: No mega-deal comes forth, but they're left improved [Updated]

Well, that’s over with. Feel better? No? Aren’t ready to order those playoff tickets just yet?

The non-waiver trade deadline ticked off Saturday, leaving the Dodgers with a new starter in their rotation, a new reliever, a new second baseman and extra outfielder -- and the same left-fielder, at least if he ever actually gets healthy. Who knew getting in touch with your female side was so time-consuming these days?

No blockbuster deal suddenly reared its head. No fresh star power, nothing to really get the juices flowing for the Dodgers’ faithful.

So they move on without a Cliff Lee, Dan Haren or Roy Oswalt. Move on without the addition of a serious bat.

Is the result disappointing for a team in the second-biggest market in baseball? Absolutely. Is it surprising? Sorry, silly question.

We’ll leave ruminating over the size of the L.A. market versus the size of the Dodgers payroll for another day -- or several -- and instead focus on the immediate question:

Are the Dodgers a better team today than they were last week?

And -- deep breath here -- the answer is: yes.

Ted Lilly is not the legitimate No.1 starter the rotation craves, but even at 34, he is a positive addition. Granted, his 3-8 record is not impressive, nor was his last little visit to Dodger Stadium.

In his three starts since, however, he has a 1.80 ERA (four earned runs in 20 innings). And his record is somewhat deceptive, given that the Cubs provided him the second-lowest run support (3.77 per nine innings) in the majors, second only to Oswalt's (3.07).

So a rotation of Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Hiroki Kuroda, Vicente Padilla and Lilly is solid, one through five. That’s progress. The Dodgers will go out knowing they should have a chance to win every night.

[UPDATED:] Plus, the addition of the left-handed Lilly will enable to the Dodgers to again make Carlos Monasterios a reliever and unload one of those slugs dragging down the bullpen.

In a true deadline move, the Dodgers acquired reliever Octavio Dotel from the Pirates for James McDonald and minor-leaguer Andrew Lambo. This is another deal that makes it clear the Dodgers are focused on winning this season.

Dotel is 36, but had been closing for the Pirates (21 saves in 26 opportunities) and should be a good addition for this season. Lambo, 22, is an actual prospect and losing him could come back to haunt. But he’s twice been suspended for testing positive for a drug on the banned list. McDonald never delivered on his promise; perhaps he benefits from a fresh start.]

Scott Podsednik is a solid addition to the outfield and a serious step up from Xavier Paul, Garret Anderson, and even Reed Johnson.

Essentially swapping Blake DeWitt for Ryan Theriot straight up is not exactly an exciting upgrade. Many of their numbers are fairly similar, and Theriot is six years older than DeWitt. Still, Theriot (who does have a scary .320 on-base percentage) is arbitration eligible next season, so this could be the Dodgers’ second baseman for a while.

And then there is the deal that wasn’t made, unloading Manny Ramirez to the White Sox. Their offer: We’ll pay $1 million on his remaining contract.

The Dodgers didn’t bite, and for very good reason. Whatever you may think of Ramirez, he is still a productive hitter when healthy. When healthy, alas, being a key phrase here.

If the Dodgers had dumped Ramirez, they would have essentially said they were giving up on the 2010 season. Which would go against every other move they made, and be the kind of move that would never fly in Los Angeles.

The Dodgers are struggling to score and need to add offense, not subtract it. If Ramirez comes back in a week or two, he’s certainly capable of giving the offense a spark.

So, sure, it’s disappointing the Dodgers couldn’t pull the trigger on a significant deal to get the masses all excited. Still, in the short term, the moves Ned Colletti made have left the Dodgers an improved team.

[UPDATED: Said Colletti: "I don’t know if it was a great trade deadline or not. We’ll find out. I know that we set out to add a starter and add a bullpen piece, and see if we can add some more speed and versatility to the lineup, and we did that. How it all turns out, we’ll see."]

And hey, next year Carl Crawford is a free agent …

-- Steve Dilbeck

Comments

[Greg]

This team is horrible with little chance of improving in the next few seasons. A weak second baseman, a shortstop that is as good as his back holds up, an over-the-hill third baseman and left fielder and a weakening catcher. Do we have replacements in AAA or AA for second, third or catcher? I don't think so. This is a 81-81 team for the forseeable forever.

[Tom]

Boy-cott all Dodger merchandise and games.

[Tom]

Frank McCheap destroyed a crown jewel. Go back to Boston jerk.

[jesus.gendel]

They shouldn't have gotten rid of Blake for Theriot. Blake is starting to get it. I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes a .300 hitter in the future. His .obp is better than Theriot's, their batting averages and power numbers are about the same. Plus, DeWitt is only getting league minimum. I'm glad they got Lilly, but getting Theriot for DeWitt was a mistake.

[Dallas]

they are not better steve as they can't produce the runs for lilly, or any other sp for that matter. the 2b trade is a washout, but better they are not.

[Jim McVeigh]

They are so improved that they will now finish six games out instead of seven. And Broxton in the cccccccccclutch it is probably more like eight. KUO for CLOSER and Broxton to another team. Every big game he is in he screws up.

[alanw19]

Steve is right - marginally better for 2010. Enough to overcome the Pads? Probably need to sweep next week to get in position for final 7 weeks. Otherwise, probably not going to happen. San Diego improved as well and has a shot at 95 wins - which will win the division.

But it was done on the cheap, which we expected, and without a true significant move - again, which we expected.

2011 ramifications? There's no reason to believe the Dodgers will be significantly better than this year. It'll be the cheap again to put together whatever is behind the everyday 8, as well as the nucleus of the pen. Probably, Podsednik is the LF and Theriot the 2B.

So, barring a Colletti-style August pickup or two on the cheap, the player movement is essentially done until next July. There won't be offseason deals - just ain't going to happen. McCourts can have their divorce, judge can decide who gets the team - please make them sell to the devil we don't know, and Torre can decide he's had enough of this limbo roster crap.

Make no mistake - if Torre opts out, clean house with coaches and managers. The inexplicable outs on the basepaths, failure to develop pitchers in their early or mid-20s who are eventually shoved off in trades, there are sure signs we need something new if we're not going with the regime we have. If Mattingly is the guy, then why do we have a deuce a game offense? He ain't it, folks.

I hate the Yankees, like all good Dodgers fans do, but there's no getting around that the late Steinbrenner was the kind of owner that was good for his team despite his shortcomings. Yeah, he got in the way too much early on, but he finally got it right as he aged and just made sure the money was spent for the product on the field. You could tell by his actions that your team would be given a chance to win the World Series, not just win or make the playoffs.

And its been a while since the Dodgers could honestly believe that was the case for our club.

[Dallas]

now, for the future, i would keep only these 4 players; kershaw, ethier, furcal & loney. kemp, blake, martin, etc. are gone.

martin is a complete waste of a position - his average has gone down each season since # 1, he has an average, at best, arm & i am sick & tired of his constant whining when he takles another strike 3 pitch w/ risp! oh, that's right dread traded our 2 best catching prospects away for nothing.

look, we need a power hitter at 3b, a true 40+ hr guy, a solid catcher & a few starters. bills for either a slugging OF or 3B, kemp for an ace of a starting pitcher while he has most of the league still believing he's a superstar like so many here have proclaimed. but to keep nickel & dming this team for the presnt isjust not working !

[kjp]

Yes, moving Monasterios to the bullpen will allow the Dodgers to dislodge one of the "slugs," as you so aptly put it.

But the Whale has to go, too, at least from the closer's spot.

Jon Miller noted just before the Whale blew today's game that since the infamous Yankee meltdown the Whale has lost 6-8 mph off his fastball. Everybody in the league knows this. Everybody in the league is beating him like a gong.

The Whale can no longer be this team's closer. Period.

[kjp]

I have no problem with Colletti. It is not his fault that he works for a couple of goofs who are like a cross between Green Acres and Dynasty.

Too, does no one remember the hideous reign of The Fountainhead—Paul DePodesta, the Ayn Rand cultist who sought to parlay the Dodger GM position into a career in politics?

Who can forget such three-fisted brainshowers as signing Derek Lowe, a ground-ball pitcher, and then trading for stonegloves like Jose Valentin and Antonio Perez to play behind him?

Yes, who can forget that season that began against the Giants, Lowe on the mound, third-baseman Valentin losing the game when he "lost the ball in the chalk"? The season that ended with Valentin limping out to left field, in a brace that prevented him from either hitting or fieldling the baseball? Our third baseman by that time the immortal Mike Edwards, who makes Scott Podsednik look like Henry Aaron? Our catcher Jason Phillips, off whom opposing teams could steal second even when the runner crawled on his belly all the way from first?

No. Never again.

[VA Dodger]

Agree that Ned did what he could given what he had to work with. But I also agree that long-term, many changes have to be made. The "go-young" idea only worked well when you had Manny being (the good) Manny in the middle of the order and the other guys could be the solid role players that they are. Other than occasionally Ethier, the young guys haven't proven capable of bringing this team to greatness.

So where does that leave you? Trade some of them now, or in the offseason, for proven producers of a similar age or slightly older, who you know will out up numbers. You've got to break up the nucleus of Martin-Kemp-Loney-Ethier and replace with some better pieces now before everyone else finds out their their ceiling is lower than we all hoped.

[Dallas]

this season is one thing, with limited funds re: mcdork lying to all Dodger fans when he said is divorce won't affect the team! dread should have just stayed put as these guys will be gone; a SP at 34 & a huge contract & a 36 year old "closer", will also be gone. so how you say you have no problem with Dread is beyond me. why trade away a promising catcher & sp for walk-aways that won't help us a bit this season is a complete waste of money & more so, of young talent.

and when mcdork did have money, you're okay with him tossing 170 Mil+ into the dumper for ont one single player in a dodger uniform ? if so, you are part of the problem - you keep on going to the games, buying tickets, concessions, souvenirs, paying for parking & mcdork will be satisifed you keep going/spending. if you're okay with 22 years of mediocrity, then go ahead, spend your $$ & watch a sub par product.
and dread nees to grow a pair & speak his mind & publicly call outy the owner! but no, dread is a weanie who first loses 170 mil of the owners, then just sits back & collects his salary for a few cosmetic moves, to fool the casual fans into thinking they are actually trying to improve this team!
i have followed this team since they landed in so cal & this mess is a freaking shame, to see this once great franchise, reduced to this by a horrible gm & an even worse owner - geez frank, sell a few houses, cars, other real estate & put it into the team that you once told us you would! but i see your point, you can count on 3 or so mil each season, so why spend anymore money! you owe all those casual fans a great big thank you, frank! but us long time, hard core fans see right thru you, you little weasel - do the right thing, sell this once great team & take moron dread with you!

[Buddy]

U so called dodger fans make me sick... This trade will help out big time... It put lilly as our 5 starter and puts Carlos back into the pen where we are horrible at and he's been good at... Dotel has more saves than broxton on a last place team, so put him in the 6/7 innings and this shortens the game with dotel kuo and big John... Now theriot was a starting SS that is great on defense and switched to 2b, he's hitting 284 14 pots better than Dewitt and same amount of bombs but now our defense is much better up the middle... We also haven't been hitting the ball with theriot at the bottom of line up and pod and furcal at the to we have speed to start playing small ball when r big guns go into slumps as of now... These trades did better the dodgers... Yeah i wish we could've got a Dunn or top player but we have a great team already with just a few holes to fill and we did that and now all we need is a 5 game winning streak and we are 2 out of first place, so all u fake fans saying ur gonna go support art and the angels go ahead cause they worse of than dodgers u fake fans... Go dodgers

[Dallas]

This in no way is a plus! IF you think the Dodgers will win the division or it helps them to get there, but most people don't believe they will even get there, myself included!

Am I to the part where this helps the team yet ?

You are forgetting one very big thing; this team cannot hit on a consistent basis & with very little power! A 5th starter who will walk away & a Closer at 36 & in want of a large contract will also walk away!

So tell me whow is this a good deal ?

So we lose our best catching prospect we had left, thanks to dread & if you had noticed, we have an oveweight, undeachieving gnome behind the plate in Martin, the perpetual whiner who can't hit for average, rarely is able to hit the other way, has warning track power, can't throw anyone out & you think it's okay to toss away another catching prospect ?

Is this the good part yet ?!

We also give up a few solid pitching prospects - Lilly is a 5 so he gets little use & will not be a difference maker on this club, so we lose young pitching for a 5th starter that will walk ?

Now are we at where this "deal" helps this team ?!

The ONLY way these deals help, is IF both Lilly & DOtel stick around, but mcdork has shown he is not shelling out big $$, so both pitchers will walk & had we landed a big bat to help get somwe runs, maybe Lilly would b worth a few months, but Podsednik, while a solid ball player with speed, that is not what this line up needs!

I'll be back here at Season's end telling you I was right - where will you be ?!