Dodgers have to be liking the dreamer in Matt Kemp

Why you need to dream big ... sounds like the title of 32 different motivational books.

Matt Kemp, however, is dreaming really big. Record big. You’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me big.

His 2011 cry of “40-40” was impressive stuff, and he nearly became the fifth player in major-league history to pull it off, finishing the season with 39 home runs and 40 steals.

Now he’s upped the ante.

“Fifty-fifty,” Kemp said.

That’s his 2012 goal. And hey, why not? Yahoo Sports’ Tim Brown examines and applauds Kemp for giving himself lofty goals. Fifty-fifty never has been accomplished in a single season by any player in baseball history.

Of course, hitting 50 homers can get a little in the way of stealing 50 bases. Hard to steal when you’re trotting around the diamond.

Also on the Web:

-- Jonathan Broxton told the Associated Press he’s happy to be in the Kansas City camp and isn’t worried about his post-surgery velocity: “I could come out this year and throw 100 or come back and throw 95. You never know what your velocity is going to be.”

-- The Times’ Bill Shaikin reports on the Bryan Stow family charge that the Dodgers are using bankruptcy court to shield them from their liability claim.

-- In a Fox video, manager Don Mattingly looks to the team’s coming season.

   

 -- Veteran baseball writer Tony Jackson is ESPN/L.A.’s new Dodgers bloggers, and here reports on Rubby De La Rosa’s progress.

-- True Blue L.A.’s Eric Stephen is scheduled to be with the Dodgers all spring, and reports on Jerry Sands arriving at camp and wanting to start.

-- The Dodgers have claimed speedy outfielder Matt Angle off waivers from the Orioles, and in a corresponding move, placed De La Rosa on the 60-day disabled list to create roster room.

-- Mike Petriello gets in touch with his optimistic side in this look at the Dodgers’ coming season.

-- Reid Forgrave at Fox looks back on the historic effect of Dr. Frank Jobe’s ground-breaking Tommy John surgery.

-- Remember, he can play first! Jay Gibbons has signed a minor-league deal with the Brewers.

-- In a video from MLB, excited closer Javy Guerra says he thinks the Dodgers can win it all.

-- Steve Dilbeck

The offensive emptiness that is the Dodgers 2012 bench

Look real hard and you can find it. It’s there, just not exactly under the spotlight. Maybe not in hiding, though you could make the argument that the Dodgers will try it.

It is the Dodgers’ bench, such as it. And as it is, it’s wholly unimpressive.

Presenting your 2012 Dodgers in reserve: catcher Matt Treanor, infielders Jerry Hairston Jr. and Adam Kennedy, and outfielders Tony Gwynn Jr. and Jerry Sands.

There’s some versatility and some nice defensive elements, but offensively there just isn’t much there. The power hitter is Sands, he of the 194 career at-bats? The left-handed bats are Gwynn and Kennedy?

This is all as currently scheduled, of course. And these things almost never go as scheduled. Which would explain why the Dodgers started last season with Xavier Paul, Hector Gimenez and Ivan DeJesus Jr. on the roster.

General manager Ned Colletti said he thinks this year’s bench can be superior to last season’s, before quickly asking which Dodgers’ bench he should reference.

"Unfortunately our bench ended up playing," Colletti said. "The bench was really the second bench."

Which is why the 2012 edition is so scary. Chances are, some of them are going to have to play more than expected. And this is what manager Don Mattingly will have to choose from based on last season’s numbers:

Player                         Avg.                OBP                 SLG

Treanor                      .214                .338                .291

Hairston                     .270                .344                .383

Kennedy                     .234                .277                .355

Gwynn                        .256                .308                .353

Sands                         .253                .338                .389

And as a group, it’s not like it’s a bunch of kids approaching their prime. Kennedy is 36, and Treanor will be in March and Hairston in May.

Plus you have to remember the Dodgers’ regular everyday lineup is already going to have its risks. Rookie shortstop Dee Gordon batted .304 last season but in only 224 at-bats, so we’ve yet to see if pitchers adjust to the slight Gordon. And A.J. Ellis is going to be the main catcher, and has a career .262 average with zippo power in 206 career at-bats.

There’s not a strong pinch-hitter in the group, either. Career averages as pinch-hitters: Treanor .200, Hairston .174, Kennedy .223, Gwynn .288, Sands .000 (only four at-bats). There's not really a reserve shortstop.

Last year the Dodgers wanted to start the season with a bench of Dioner Navarro, Jamey Carroll, Aaron Miles, Tony Gwynn Jr., Marcus Thames/Jay Gibbons. Navarro and Thames were busts, and Gibbons couldn’t overcome vision issues. Yet they still might prove a better group.

The Dodgers 25-man roster is basically set. If everyone makes it through spring healthy, there are no position openings.

 ``If it goes the way it’s planned, the team has some flexibility to it but not a whole lot,’’ Colletti said.

On days when Juan Rivera or James Loney don't start, the bench will get a boost but it could use plenty more. It could have used a Coco Crisp, but Colletti denied an interest in the outfielder before he re-signed with the A’s.

``Never had a conversation,’’ Colletti said.

Colletti is operating under budget constraints unworthy of a team playing in the second-largest market in the country, but such are the times when your team is in bankruptcy court.

And such is the bench.

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-- Steve Dilbeck

Photo: Dodger Stadium. Credit: Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times.

Presenting your 2012 Dodgers lineup (Updated)

One thing about having an almost entirely set 25-man roster  -- you can start figuring out what the daily lineup is going to look like. Even if it is still December.

The Dodgers’ heavy off-season work, or at least their modest lifting, is all done. Unless you’re still the kind that holds out hope of an unexpected Prince Fielder signing.

But if no significant additions are coming, it’s not hard to visualize the Dodgers’ main daily lineup, at least against right-handers:

Shortstop Dee Gordon (L), second baseman Mark Ellis (R), right fielder Andre Ethier (L), center fielder Matt Kemp (R), left fielder Juan Rivera (R), first baseman James Loney (L), third baseman Juan Uribe (R) and catcher A.J. Ellis (R).

And let the rest of the National League tremble in its wake.

This is not necessarily a terrible lineup, though it’s dependent on a lot of things going right. Probably way too many things, but then the same can pretty much be said for the rest of the National League West.

Gordon hit .304 with 24 stolen bases in his 233 plate appearances of his rookie season. But he had only seven walks, leaving him with a .325 on-base percentage. Still, that’s a fairly small sample size at a young stage in his career. He figures only to get better, and is such lightning on the bases, he has to be given the leadoff spot. Anyway, there’s really no one else in that lineup to bat leadoff.

Mark Ellis split his time last season batting second and seventh, but hit .297 in the two spot, as opposed to .215 hitting seventh.

The Dodgers are gambling that a trio of hitters returns to form next season -- Ethier, Loney and Uribe. Ethier, 29, will be key. Coming off minor knee surgery, he has the most upside. And the Dodgers will need it if they bat him third.

All they want from Kemp is more of the same, which is the same thing as asking for everything. Kemp, who came in second in the N.L. MVP voting, could have a slight drop-off and still be one of the game’s premier hitters.

[Update: In the orginal post I had a brain cramp and wrote Kemp started the season batting third and late in the season was moved to fourth, which is actually reverse from what happened. My my No.1 fan, Benjamin Villarreal Camacho, ever-so kindly pointed out my mistake. Kemp actually hit slightly better in the cleanup spot (.647 vs. .569 slugging), so it remains to be seen which way Manager Don Mattingly goes in 2012.

Batting Rivera hitting behind Kemp was given credit for Kemp’s strong finish, so wherever Kemp bats, Rivera is likely to follow. Kemp hitting third, Rivera fourth and Ethier fifth only happened nine times in 2011.]

Mattingly could bat Uribe sixth instead of Loney, but he seems to like alternating his left-right bats in the lineup.

Uribe is coming off one of the most disappointing seasons in Dodgers history. He has a lot to prove, and at age 33, not much time to prove it. The Dodgers are counting on Loney being the hitter he was the second half, which is understandable but difficult to depend upon. Anything offensively from A.J. Ellis is a bonus.

Against left-handers, Mattingly could choose to sit Loney and play Rivera or Jerry Sands at first. Ethier, too, could get spelled if he doesn’t improve against lefties (.220 last season).

Outside of Gordon and Kemp, it's a lineup devoid of speed. It could have decent power, but after Kemp, that's no lock either. There are plenty of "maybes'' with this group, but that could prove a season's theme.

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-- Steve Dilbeck

Jerry Sands would still be better off playing every day in minors

That would be Jerry Sands, the one Dodgers prospect with power close to being ready to play every day. The question is, how close?

The Dodgers’ current outfield has Matt Kemp in center, Andre Ethier in right, and for the most part Juan Rivera in left. Rivera could split time with Tony Gwynn Jr., Jerry Hairston Jr., and the theory goes, Sands.

Only I’m thinking, despite his strong September, Sands would be best served starting next season as an everyday player back at triple A.

He’s 24 and still needs to play regularly. And even if Manager Don Mattingly goes all lefty-right splits and plays Rivera some at first for James Loney, or Sands or Rivera for Ethier, I doubt he’s going to get the kind of at-bats the still-young hitter needs to continue to develop.

And despite saying otherwise, maybe the Dodgers are thinking the same thing. There is a report at MLB Trade Rumors that the Dodgers and Cubs are talking to Coco Crisp about playing left field.

Crisp, 32, is a  speedy switch-hitting outfielder who put up some very respectable numbers last season for the A’s (.264, 27 doubles, 49 steals, 69 runs). He would no doubt be a solid addition for the Dodgers, but one who would need real playing time.

How seriously the Dodgers are about this is uncertain. Crisp earned $5.75 million last year, so it could be as simple as his agent calling the Dodgers and saying his price has come down, are you interested? Of course, you would think it’d have to come down fairly significantly to pique the bankrupt Dodgers’ interest.

Daily Dodger in review: Juan Rivera earns return engagement

JUAN RIVERA, 33, outfielder/infielder

Final 2011 stats: .258, 11 homers, 74 RBI, .319 on-base and .382 slugging percentages in 466 at-bats (combined Dodgers/Blue Jays).

Contract status: Signed this month for next season at $4.5 million.

The good: Picked off the scrapheap when designated for assignment by the Blue Jays at the All-Star break, Rivera was a pleasant surprise, particularly early. Of course, he was being compared with the right-handed bat he replaced in left field, Marcus Thames.

What Rivera did best was drive in runs. He had 46 RBI for the Dodgers (sadly just one behind Rod Barajas for fourth on the club) in just 219 at-bats and hit .344 with runners in scoring position. He was given much credit for giving Matt Kemp protection in the batting order and helping to ignite the team’s improved second-half offense.

Played left, right and first base.

Dodgers make it official, sign Juan Rivera for $4.5 million

The Dodgers made it official Thursday, re-signing outfielder Juan Rivera to a one-year contract for $4 million. Jerry Sands was probably not doing cartwheels.

The Dodgers also have a $4-million option for next season on Rivera with a $500,000 buyout, meaning he’s essentially getting a guaranteed $4.5 million for the 2012 season.

Rivera, 33, earned $5.25 million last year with the Blue Jays, where he bombed (.243, six homers, 28 RBI in 275 at-bats) and was designated for assignment at the All-Star break.

The Dodgers, going nowhere at the time, took a small gamble and picked him up on July 12.

The former Angel prospered once back in Southern California, hitting .274 with five homers and 46 RBI in 242 at-bats.

Orioles to interview Dodgers' De Jon Watson for GM post

Dodgers farm director De Jon Watson will interview for the Baltimore Orioles’ vacant general manager position, according to a baseball source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Watson has been the Dodgers’ head of player development for the last five years. His system sent the likes of Javy Guerra, Dee Gordon, Jerry Sands, Nate Eovaldi and Justin Sellers to the major leagues this year, sparking a turnaround that allowed the bankrupt club to finish above .500.

Watson hasn’t had much to work with: The Dodgers rank last in player development spending, according to a filing in bankruptcy court by Major League Baseball.

Watson interviewed for the Arizona Diamondbacks’ general manager position last year, losing out to Kevin Towers.

-- Dylan Hernandez

Daily Dodger in review: Wanting so very much to love Jerry Sands

JERRY SANDS, 24, outfielder

Final 2011 stats: .253 batting average, four homers, 26 RBI, .338 on-base percentage, .389 slugging percentage in 198 at-bats, plus no errors and six assists.

Contract status: Under team control.

The good: After being called up a second time when rosters were expanded, he hit .343 in September with a .413 on-base percentage and a .493 slugging percentage. Included was a 14-game hitting streak. Showed a strong, if not always perfectly accurate, arm.

The bad: In his first call-up, surprisingly on April 17, he hit .200 with a measly .294 on-base percentage and .328 slugging percentage. Had trouble pulling the ball. Considering expectations for the Dodgers'  reigning Minor League Player of the Year, a disappointing start.

What’s next: All things are possible. His strong September has likely earned him a spot on the team next spring, though that’s hardly assured.

When James Loney was off to his rotten first half, there was thought Sands might be moved to first. But Loney’s strong second half has probably assured his return, unless of course, you’re a believer in the team signing Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols or Jimmie Foxx. In which case, there is even the remote possibility of Loney moving to left.

Dodgers Web musings: Don Mattingly doubts big bat is coming

Say this for Don Mattingly: He usually does not try to snow you. He might, understandably, favor the company line, but he is a straight shooter.

That was on display again this week during a radio interview with 710 AM's "Mason and Ireland," when Mattingly first stated the obvious -– that the Dodgers most need an impact bat -- but then acknowledged he was not counting on that happening.

"I can't say I'm confident that we're going to be able to do it," he said. "We've talked about different things. ... You hear Prince [Fielder], you hear Albert [Pujols]. Those are nice thoughts; there's a lot of teams talking about those type of guys ... but you got to have a Plan B, a Plan C. How do we put offense together if we can't do something like that? That's the biggest thing.

"And obviously, I don't know where we're going to be as far as what we're going to be able to do. Are we going to go backward with the budget, are we going to go forward? ... It's hard to know right now."

Got that right. Hard to know the budget when you can’t be sure who will own the team come next spring.

Dodgers web musings: Court battle is where the entertainment is

Are we having fun yet?

Nerves appear to become just a tad frayed as the Dodgers’ bankruptcy moves forwards. The big showdown doesn’t even start until Halloween, but already attorneys are sharpening their fangs.

Accusations have been flying the past two days. Turns out calling Major League Baseball’s proposed loan a "deal with the devil" may have must been a mere warmup.

On Tuesday it was MLB again threatening to kick the Dodgers out of the league, Fox threatening not to air their games the final two years of their existing contract and Frank McCourt’s attorney accusing the MLB of choking off McCourt's money supply in a dastardly scheme to oust him as owner.

By Wednesday it was a Fox attorney accusing McCourt of holding their existing TV rights hostage, MLB accusing McCourt of not turning over documents involving an IRS investigation, McCourt’s attorney suggesting MLB and Fox were trying to put off a media rights auction to "chill the market" and a dispute over a mysterious locked cabinet left behind by trustee Tom Schieffer in his former office at Dodger Stadium.

Just wait until Commissioner Bud Selig and McCourt take the witness stand.

Also on the web:

-- Howard Cole makes his case for how James Loney remains with the Dodgers at his blog at the Register.

-- MLB Trade Rumors takes a look at the arbitration cases looming for the Dodgers this winter, and estimates that if Clayton Kershaw wins the Cy Young he’ll earn a record $8.4 million for a first year of eligibility and that Matt Kemp could be looking at a much as a $16.3 million award.

-- The Times’ T.J. Simers finds it curious McCourt is fighting so hard in court to maintain ownership of the team when he’s been almost invisible as the team steward.

-- Josh Fisher at Dodger Divorce wonders exactly what McCourt is fighting for, because even if he should emerge victorious in bankruptcy court, his fan base has deserted him: "There’s nothing left to win."

-- Since Mike Petriello of Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness doesn’t believe there’s any chance the Dodgers will actually acquire an impact bat, he argues the best way for them to improve is to simply quit giving playing time to lousy players.

-- Chad Moriyama, probably leader of the sabermetrics crowd that worships Matt Kemp, attempts to take an unbiased statistical look at his MVP candidacy and concludes –- are you ready? -– he is the deserving winner.

--  Bryan Stow, the paramedic beaten into a comma on opening day at Dodger Stadium, has left the hospital and been transfer to a rehabilitation facility. His family said in recent weeks he has shown marked improvement and become conversational.

--  D. Clay Best of the Smithfield (N.C.) Herald reports that Jerry Sands plans to wed his high school sweetheart, Morgan Pace, in November and play winter ball in the Dominican Republic.

-- And don’t say Sands isn’t game for a good time. Here’s a video of Sands the superstar in a Dodgers.com video:

-- Steve Dilbeck

Twitter.com/stevedilbeck

Photo: Dodgers owner Frank McCourt. Credit: Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times