Keep Spending

[9RoyHobbsRF]

mlb radio did not agree with you

today they talked about the 2013 season and said the Dodgers have the most to prove with the least ability to do so

they specifically mentioned the weak starting pitching after kershaw

they also said the investment for the unproven korean player who would most likely be mid to best case scenario a 5th starter with a 4.5 to 5.0 era along with other spending would have been better suited to go after greinke or sanchez(?)

they said having an unlimited paycheck is one thing spending it wisely is another

[Honus Wagner Rules]

Personally I see the Dodgers as a serious threat in 2013. Throwing a bunch of guys together mid-season often doesn't work out, but they have a whole off-season to add parts, and an entire spring training to see them gel. If the Dodgers spend wisely, they'll be a serious force in MLB for the next several years. Give any team an economic advantage like that, and they'll be tough to beat. Money doesn't buy championships, but it gives you a leg up on the opposition from the get-go.

Right now the Dodgers have too much talent not to be a threat in 2013.

[jnakamura]

Dodgers keep spending...

LOS ANGELES -- Two weeks after hiring former Seattle executive Bob Engle as vice president of international scouting, the Dodgers on Monday announced the hiring of six international scouts: Pedro Avila, Gene Grimaldi, Patrick Guerrero, Pat Kelly, Jamey Storvick and Mike Tosar.

The Dodgers also hired Josh Bard as special assistant, player personnel and professional scouts Willie Fraser and Scott Groot. Former Dodgers third baseman Bill Mueller, who served as special assistant, player personnel, will become a full-time professional scout.

Avila will be coordinator of Venezuela operations, Grimaldi will be coordinator of European operations, Guerrero will be coordinator of Latin America, Kelly will be coordinator of the Pacific Rim, Storvick will be the special assignment scout in the Pacific Rim and Tosar will be coordinator of Cuba and Mexico.

The international hirings are the latest in a string of decisions aimed at boosting the Dodgers' presence outside North America, a stated priority of new ownership.

Avila has been scouting Venezuela for 16 years, working with Toronto (1996-99), Seattle (2000-08) and the Texas Rangers (2008-12). He was instrumental in the signing of Felix Hernandez.

Grimaldi returns to the Dodgers, where he began as an international scout from 1990-2000. He also scouted for the Minnesota Twins (2000-07), the Cincinnati Reds (2008) and the Mariners (2009-12).

Guerrero had been with the Mariners since 2000. The son of legendary scout Epy Guerrero worked for Toronto in 1995, the Baltimore Orioles from 1996-98 and returned to Toronto in 1999 before joining the Mariners. Guerrero was instrumental in the signing of right-hander Michael Pineda.

Kelly, who resides in Adelaide, Australia, returns to the Dodgers, where he was Pacific Rim coordinator from 2000-05. He left the Dodgers to join the Mariners for the past seven years. Kelly played nine seasons in the Majors with the Yankees, Cardinals and Blue Jays.

Storvick, the first American scout based in Taiwan, had been with the Mariners since 1999. His role was expanded in 2008 to include South Korea. Storvick is a graduate of Faulkner State College and Oklahoma City University and a native of Anoka, Minn. Tosar played in the New York Mets, Yankees and Montreal Expos organizations from 1991-95. He was a coach in the Twins organization in 2002 and turned to scouting the following year and eventually scouted for the Mariners from 2005-10.

Bard caught for 10 years in the Majors (2002-11). He joined the Dodgers in 2012 and was a backup for the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes. Fraser comes to the Dodgers from the Angels, where he has scouted since 2010. Fraser pitched parts of eight seasons in the Majors with the Angels (1986-90), Blue Jays (1991), Cardinals (1991), Marlins (1994) and Expos (1995). He also pitched three years in Japan.

Groot returns to the Dodgers, where he worked from 1998-2004. Prior to joining the Dodgers, he started his scouting career with Minnesota (1991-98). After 2004, he worked as a sports management consultant and teacher and returned to scouting for Kansas City (2010-12). Mueller, who played 11 years in the Majors, joined the Dodgers in 2009 as an assistant to general manager Ned Colletti. He will join the Dodgers' scouting staff in 2013.

[9RoyHobbsRF]

Right now the Dodgers have too much talent not to be a threat in 2013.

the red sox were going to be runaway winners recently

how did that work out?

[StanTheMan]

.... Championship

How many more would they have were it not for Zito during his years with possibly the worst success to salary ratio in all of baseball?

[Cap78]

the red sox were going to be runaway winners recently

how did that work out?

Angels too

[KHenry14]

Now spending money on good scouting is an excellent idea for any team. Signing players without having seen them play is something else though.

The Dodgers wont be that much of a threat unless they upgrade their starting pitching. There's still plenty of time to do that, but one wonders if they will be able to do that.

[9RoyHobbsRF]

How many more would they have were it not for Zito during his years with possibly the worst success to salary ratio in all of baseball?

8? 9?

really?????

[StanTheMan]

8? 9?

really?????

No.

But Giants fans pointing fingers at LA for a costly contract for a pitcher while perhaps the most lopsided $'s to performance pitcher of today's game wears the interlocked SF on his head is the epitome of pots, kettles, and blackness.

EVERY team has players who are overpaid/underperforming. Posting "Championship" and nothing esle? Third grade playground stuff...

[9RoyHobbsRF]

EVERY team has players who are overpaid/underperforming

not in record numbers at a record pace like the Dodgers and on very unproven players or players with checkered histories and bloated salaries .... that all press entities are commenting on

that you miss that subtlety is not unexpected

that you harp on a team with 2 world series wins in 3 years is not unexpected either

hindsight with Zito is just that and you fail to appreciate the off field effect as a veteran Zito has had on the Lincecums, Cains and Bumgarners of this world

[StanTheMan]

"Not in record numbers" as the Dodgers recently... Very well could be true. Good post.

"Zito's off field effects on the entire staff" through the years... Interesting. Have any links?

[DownUnderDodger]

mlb radio did not agree with you

today they talked about the 2013 season and said the Dodgers have the most to prove with the least ability to do so

they specifically mentioned the weak starting pitching after kershaw

they also said the investment for the unproven korean player who would most likely be mid to best case scenario a 5th starter with a 4.5 to 5.0 era along with other spending would have been better suited to go after greinke or sanchez(?)

they said having an unlimited paycheck is one thing spending it wisely is another

Did MLB radio take this into account:
Last season, Los Angeles ranked second in the NL with both a 3.34 ERA and a .238 opponents’ batting average, while striking out 1,276 batters, the fourth most in the league. Under Honeycutt’s tutelage, Clayton Kershaw (2.53) led the Majors in ERA for the second consecutive season and veteran starters Chris Capuano (3.72) and Aaron Harang (3.61) posted the lowest ERA of their careers in their first year with the club. That does not really spell weakness. The starting pitching may have looked weak more because of no run support by the offense.

[9RoyHobbsRF]

Lincecum started being chaperoned by Zito back in 2007 it is well known

[StanTheMan]

Lots of things Lincecum does away from the field are well known. I'll bet Zito wants no part of some of them.

So no links then to support the hyperbole? No problem...

[jnakamura]

Trying to justify $126,000,000 for a quasi coach/mentor. Priceless.

Third grade playground stuff...

This just about sums up the OP's intent of this and his other countless Dodger-bashing threads.