Injuries and the Dodgers: Ned's New Approach

When Colletti first became the GM of the dodgers he acted like many of us do when promoted to a position of higher authority, he tried too hard. He overdid his job. If there was a hole in the roster, he didn't just fill it, he filled it and proceeded to erect a monument over the hole that once was. Go hurt infielders? Trade for an all-star starting shortstop from another team and make him a super utility guy! Your rookie starting catcher goes down and your other rookie catcher is doing great? Go and trade for another starting catcher and make him a backup! I coudl go on but you probably are familiar with most of the crazy piling on of th eroster Colletti has done of the last few years. (psst...if you haven't seen the newest south park episode you must see it, it is the funniest one in a long time. You can't go wrong with a storyline that involves cat piss)

He's calmed down though. He hasn't gone the Bill Mueller route at third base despite the avalanche of injuries. If I were superstitious I would bellieve Pedro Guerrero cursed third base. Ned also wasn't afraid to go after the best free agent hitter that would most help the team in Andruw Jones, despite his pet Juan Pierre currently occupying the position. I don't think this was a case of piling on as it was getting a hitter that can protect whichever youngster proves himself a number three hitter out of Kemp, Ethier, or Loney. They finally got their big bat. He also added a solid pitcher in Kuroda. He gave up no young players this winter. I'd have to say mission accomplished this offseason.

Colletti has some other faults that I believe he's overcome. He's made panic moves in the past. J.D. Drew bolts town and he signed Juan Pierre in a flash. I think Ned realizes his mistake and won't make it again. Injuries hit the infield near the deadline with the dodgers in contention and nNed threw some prospects at Tampa Bay and got back Julio Lugo. Problem is he never had a chance to adjust from being a starter to a guy asked to play second base and third base sporadically. He could never get it going, and maybe didn't have anything to give as he's sucked as the Red Sox shortsotp since leaving. He's either learned to put more trust in the talent of his farm system, or he's been taking the advice of Logan White all along and used stop gaps when and used top gaps when Ned was advised by White that the young players weren't ready yet but now the advice is not to use stop gaps as the kids for those positions are ready. I don't know which it is, I'm just gad the young players get to play now. As an aside, the dodgers have gone heavily to youth despite the Muelleresque signings the dodgers have made over the last 2-3 years. He integrated the following young players since he took over in '05, sometimes a bit slow to my liking (like Chad Billingsley):

1. Russell Martin grabbed the job from another rookie.
2. Navarro, the other rookie still counts even though he's been traded away.
3. Broxton is still on the closer in waiting job path.
4. Billingsley's had his ups and downs with efficiency but has a solid hold on a rotation slot.
5. Loney had to show and prove a bit too much before they moved Nomar to third.
6. Kemp blew the mind of the club and jumped form AA. He could be an all-star this year if his development continues.
7. Ethier seems to finally have the starting job he deserves. He's played beyond what scouts believe he's capable of
8. Abreu has been turned to multiple times, if he can stay healthy he could have the second base job once Kent retires.
9. LaRoche is in a similar boat. The dodgers have tried to give him the job (kind of) only for him to be injured, but he's also been roadblocked for a couple of years by Mueller, Aybar, Betemit, and Nomar...
10. Kuo is the pitching version of the two above. He has a job as long as he's healthy, but he can't manage to stay that way long enough to have the job.

That's ten young guys who were given (or semi-given) significant roles on the dodgers that are 25 or younger...that's a strong youth movement over the last 2 years or so despite some of the veteran stopgap hiccups along the way.

He hasn't even gone crazy with acquiring a bunch of middle infielders. I would have bet that the Ned of 2 years ago would have swiftly pulled a Joe Crede trade and signed Marcus Giles leaving everyone wondering what the hell is going to happen once Jeff Kent, LaRoche, and Nomar are back to full speed. He hasn't done it, and I don't think he's going to because if he was going to he woul've pulled the trigger already. That makes me a happy panda and more confident that Ned, through trial and plenty of errors, has become a decent G.M.. He's no Campanis or Rickey, but he's competent now. He still needs to work on getting more back in trades for young players, but he's fixed his primary problems of panic moves and collecting middle infielders like the Nats collect toolsy outfielders.