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Some flattering bad vibes surrounded a Los Angeles Dodgers in 2011.

The authorization was expel in a disastrous light when dual Dodgers fans pounded San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow in a Dodger Stadium parking lot; owners Frank McCourt fundamentally ran out of income and was shortly squabbling with Major League Baseball for control of his possess team, and a group itself didn’t get on lane until a final month of a season.

It wasn’t all bad, though. Dodgers fans were treated to some fantastic pitching from NL Cy Young leader Clayton Kershaw and a near-MVP deteriorate from Matt Kemp. And given a disastrous hum that surrounded a group all season, handling to finish with 82 wins is indeed flattering impressive. 

Things are looking adult in 2012. The Dodgers didn’t make any outrageous moves in a offseason, nonetheless they brought in some plain players, and they’re returning substantially all of a players who had a palm in a team’s clever finish in 2011. 

Let’s take a demeanour during what’s in store for a Dodgers in 2012.

 

2011 Record: 82-79

 

Key Arrivals (Courtesy of Yahoo! Sports)

LHP Chris Capuano (FA), RHP Aaron Harang (FA), UT Jerry Hairston Jr. (FA), INF Adam Kennedy (FA), C Matt Treanor (FA), 2B Mark Ellis (FA), C Josh Bard (minor joining FA), LHP John Grabow (minor joining FA), RHP Todd Coffey (FA) and RHP Jamey Wright (minor joining FA).

 

Key Departures

3B Casey Blake (FA), RHP Jonathan Broxton (FA), INF Jamey Carroll (FA), C Rod Barajas (FA), LHP Dana Eveland (to Baltimore), RHP Hiroki Kuroda (FA), RHP Vicente Padilla (FA), LHP Hong-Chih Kuo (non-tendered) and RHP Jon Garland (FA).

 

Projected Rotation (Per Official Site)

1. Clayton Kershaw (21-5, 2.28 ERA, 0.98 WHIP)
2. Ted Lilly (12-14, 3.97, 1.16)
3. Chad Billingsley (11-11, 4.21, 1.45)
4. Chris Capuano (11-12, 4.55, 1.35)
5. Aaron Harang (14-7, 3.64, 1.37)
6. Nathan Eovaldi (1-2, 3.63, 1.38)

Projected Starters

C: A.J. Ellis (.271/.392/.376)

James Loney

Joe Murphy/Getty Images

1B: James Loney (.288/.339/.416)

2B: Mark Ellis (.248/.288/.346)

3B: Juan Uribe (.204/.264/.293)

SS: Dee Gordon (.304/.325/.362)

LF: Juan Rivera (.258/.319/.382)

CF: Matt Kemp (.324/.399/.586)

RF: Andre Ethier (.292/.368/.421)

Bullpen

Closer: Javy Guerra (R) (2-2, 21 SV, 2 BLSV, 2.31 ERA, 1.18 WHIP)

Kenley Jansen

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

Kenley Jansen (R) (2-1, 5 SV, 9 HLD, 1 BLSV, 2.85, 1.04)

Matt Guerrier (R) (4-3, 1 SV, 13 HLD, 1 BLSV, 4.07, 1.27)

Todd Coffey (R) (5-1, 10 HLD, 2 BLSV, 3.62, 1.26)

Mike MacDougal (R) (3-1, 1 SV, 14 HLD, 1 BLSV, 2.05, 1.46)

Scott Elbert (L) (0-1, 2 SV, 7 HLD, 2.43, 1.23)

Josh Lingblom (R) (1-0, 3 HLD, 1 BLSV, 2.73, 1.04) 

Scouting a Starting Pitching

You might be astounded to hear that a Dodgers starting staff was indeed one of a some-more effective rotations in round final season. Dodgers starters logged 94 peculiarity starts, tied for fifth-most in a majors. Dodgers starters posted a 3.41 ERA, third-best in a National League. 

Good news, Dodgers fans. The group mislaid Hiroki Kuroda over a offseason, nonetheless this revolution is still solid.

The Dodgers don’t have to worry about a thing during a tip of their rotation. Clayton Kershaw is an comprehensive stud. Even if he regresses in 2012, he’s still going to be a kind of ace that flattering most any other group in a joining would adore to have.

Behind Kershaw, a Dodgers can rest easy meaningful that they’re going to get plain work out of Ted Lilly. He’s frequency spectacular, nonetheless in a final 5 seasons, he’s generally been good for 195 innings, a 3.74 ERA and a sneaky-low 1.13 WHIP. Lilly doesn’t have a kind of things that allows him to get divided with mistakes (142 home runs authorised in a final 5 seasons), nonetheless he’s going to keep guys off a bases and give a Dodgers a possibility to win any diversion he starts.

Can’t ask for most some-more than that.

Chad Billingsley

Greg Fiume/Getty Images

As for Chad Billingsley…well, all we can unequivocally contend is that he should be better. His things is great, nonetheless he walks too many guys and creates too many mistakes within a strike zone. He usually seems vigilant on not vital adult to his potential.

Then again, Billingsley is a small snakebit. In any of a final 3 seasons, his FIP has been significantly reduce than his ERA. It would seem he has a robe of being among a joining leaders in bad luck.

The behind finish of a Dodgers revolution is solid. Aaron Harang puts a few too many guys on base, nonetheless he’ll during slightest yield innings. And it’s a good gamble he’ll keep his ERA in a low 4.00s or even a high 3.00s, as he did final year with a San Diego Padres. Behind him, a Dodgers could ask for a most worse No. 5 starter than Chris Capuano. Health permitting, he’ll give a Dodgers roughly 180 innings. They won’t be good innings, nonetheless any group should be happy with 180 innings out of a No. 5 starter.

Now, things could be flattering disorderly if (okay, when) somebody gets hurt, nonetheless on paper, this looks like a plain starting staff.

Scouting a Bullpen

The Dodgers starting staff was flattering good final season, nonetheless a bullpen had some-more than a satisfactory share of issues. Dodgers relievers were usually tasked with pitching 439 innings, nonetheless they gathered a 17-18 record and a 3.92 ERA, third-highest in a NL.

The pivotal problem was walks, as Dodgers relievers posted a 3.96 BB/9, a fourth-highest symbol in a NL. The Dodgers also had problems with stability, as Don Mattingly was forced to use a closer-by-committee proceed with Jonathan Broxton harm for most of a season.

Javy Guerra

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Well, Broxton is left now. With him out of a picture, Javy Guerra is flattering most a tighten to take over a team’s closer role.

Why a heck not, right?

Guerra nailed down 21 of 23 save opportunities final season, holding opponents to a .218 normal and permitting usually dual home runs in 46.2 innings. There’s some regard about possibly or not he can do it again, as he posted a FIP of 4.07, nonetheless I’m peaceful to give him a advantage of a doubt, saying as how that was usually year one.

Assuming he does start a year as a team’s closer, Guerra is going to have some plain arms environment adult for him. Kenley Jansen has proven to be a really effective reliever, and both Matt Guerrier and Mike MacDougal are good guys to have in a pinch.

We’re substantially not going to see any kind of extreme alleviation from this bullpen over final year’s performance. One thing that does amour me, though, is how things will vessel out if a Dodgers need to drop into their plantation complement for bullpen help. Their complement is light on a bats, nonetheless it is positively stacked with arms.

Because of that, I’m peaceful to trust that this bullpen will be means to keep from floating adult in 2012. Numerous other teams around a joining would adore to have that kind of assurance.

Scouting a Hitting

The Dodgers were a loyal middle-of-the-road descent bar final season. They finished ninth in a NL with 644 runs scored, eighth in on-base commission during .322 and 10th in OPS during .697. They were somewhere between bad and good adequate when it came to overhanging a bats.

On a splendid side, a Dodgers got to rest on Matt Kemp’s bat all season. He rebounded from a unsatisfactory 2010 deteriorate to strike .324 with 39 homers and 126 RBI. He also stole 40 bases. We’d famous for a integrate seasons that Kemp had a deteriorate like that in him, and, well, there it was.

Andre Ethier

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Andre Ethier was not so good. He was singular to 135 games, in that he saw his energy numbers take a poignant dip. He slugged usually .421 a year after slugging .492, and his OPS sagged to .789. The Dodgers are counting on him to be better.

He should be improved in 2012. His energy numbers took a dip, nonetheless Ethier’s batting normal and OBP stayed on standard with his career averages. He battled a knee problem in 2011, so maybe improved health will move improved energy in 2012.

The rest of a Dodgers lineup is kind of a churned bag. James Loney seems to have reached his rise as a player; Juan Uribe will yield some cocktail if he stays healthy; Juan Rivera is merely decent, and Mark Ellis hasn’t been value a damn as a hitter in years.

Ideally, youngsters Dee Gordon and A.J. Ellis will play good and shroud a diseased spots in this lineup. Even if they do, we don’t consider this lineup is going to strike significantly improved than it did final season. 

Pitching Stud

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

We’ve come to a partial of a module in that we geek out over Clayton Kershaw.

In a initial integrate seasons of Kershaw’s career, we kept articulate about how good he could be if he were to cut down on his walks. Well, he did that in 2011, obscure his BB/9 to 2.08. Sure enough, he remade from being a good awaiting to being a good pitcher.

Kershaw won a NL triple climax final season, heading a joining with 21 wins, a 2.28 ERA and 248 strikeouts. He wasn’t usually good. He was filthy.

It wasn’t all about floating hitters away. Kershaw was third in a majors with a 9.57 K/9, to be sure, nonetheless his BABIP was a rock-solid .269. Hitters usually couldn’t block anything adult on him, and there was zero fluky about his slight dominance. Kershaw’s FIP of 2.47 was really tighten to his tangible ERA.

I’m a small endangered that Kershaw could come behind to earth a small after pitching 233.1 innings final season. If he does, it will be since he’s walking guys again and withdrawal too many pitches over a plate.

But like we said, Kershaw is still going to be a good pitcher even if he does regress. He has an superb arm and superb stuff, and we saw final year that he knows how to pitch. I’d be astounded if he didn’t contest for a Cy Young again in 2012.

 

Hitting Stud

Harry How/Getty Images

Matt Kemp was usually plain fun to watch in 2011. To contend that he came into his possess would be an understatement.

I wish there was a systematic approach to explain why Kemp was so most improved final deteriorate than he was in 2010, nonetheless we consider it had all to do with him being focused. Most notably, he didn’t have to understanding with a daze of carrying a luminary partner in 2011. Quite a few Dodgers fans censure Rihanna for Kemp’s subpar deteriorate in 2010.

You can’t disagree with results. Kemp’s numbers jumped adult opposite a board, for a integrate of opposite reasons. He took some-more walks, for one, nonetheless he also saw his ISO burst adult from .201 to .262, and his BABIP was an startling .380. When he strike a ball, he strike it where they weren’t. In a majors, usually Adrian Gonzalez had a BABIP as high as .380.

Was Kemp a small too good in 2011? I’m prone to contend that a answer is yes. He had a deteriorate for a ages, and things like that should not be approaching to turn routine occurrences.

But is Kemp one of a chosen players in all of baseball? You improved trust it. He’s on his approach to carrying a good career.

 

X-Factor

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

It’s Dee Gordon. He began final deteriorate as a club’s tip position-player prospect. He starts this deteriorate as a intensity star watchful in a wings.

Gordon put adult medium numbers in his rookie campaign, nonetheless he showed in Sep that he has a ability to be a difference-maker during a tip of a Dodgers lineup. He strike .372 and posted an OBP of .398 in September. Since he was on bottom so much, he was means to take 12 bases.

One can usually fathom how dangerous Gordon will be if he could stay unchanging via an whole season. He has substantially no power, nonetheless his speed creates him a big-time hazard for inexpensive doubles and inexpensive triples, and it wouldn’t be during all startling if he determined himself as one of a tip bottom stealers in all of baseball.

The Dodgers are anticipating that Gordon will settle himself this season. All he has to do is get on bottom consistently. The rest will take caring of itself.

Prospect to Watch

Joe Murphy/Getty Images

I’m perplexing to bashful divided from prospects who have logged time in a uncover when we do these previews, nonetheless we have to make an difference in this box so we can speak about Nate Eovaldi.

Eovaldi came adult and done 6 starts for a Dodgers during a finish of final season. Predictably, he struggled with his control, walking 17 hitters in usually 32 innings as a starter. In 34.2 innings overall, Eovaldi’s BB/9 was 5.19. That’s approach too high to cut it in a majors.

But we have to adore Eovaldi’s stuff. He throws in a mid-90s, and he facilities a pointy slider that he can chuck as tough as 90 miles per hour. Very few large leaguers can chuck a slider that hard, and my mind came adult vacant when we attempted to consider of starters who can.

Eovaldi is going to have to infer he deserves a revolution spot, nonetheless he’s going to get a few starts this deteriorate one approach or a other. There will be injuries and a like, and Eovaldi might be propitious adequate to get a starting pursuit this season.

Either that, or he could acquire one in open training. If he does, demeanour out.

What a Dodgers Will Do Well

This Dodgers group should representation usually fine. They have some good arms in their revolution and a few some-more good arms in their bullpen. It helps that they’ll play half their games in Dodger Stadium, one of a best pitchers’ parks in baseball.

Let’s not blink this team’s defense, either. The Dodgers are clever adult a center with Gordon during brief and Ellis during second, and Kemp usually won his second Gold Glove this past deteriorate (he didn’t merit it, nonetheless oh well).

So in a nutshell, pitching and invulnerability won’t be a problem for this group in 2010. In theory, anyway.

What a Dodgers Won’t Do Well

I adore Kemp, and I’m looking for a good year from Ethier, nonetheless there are most improved lineups than this one out there. The Dodgers won’t be as destroyed overhanging a bats as, say, a Oakland A’s, nonetheless they’re not about to plea a 1927 Yankees for all-time attack supremacy.

The Dodgers will measure their satisfactory share of runs, nonetheless things are going to be severe on nights and days when Kemp and Either are hold in check.

Final Thoughts

The Dodgers are not a bad team. In fact, we consider this is a improved group than people realize. They merely have to demeanour past a team’s tenure situation.

However, we don’t consider a Dodgers are prepared to contend for a NL West utterly yet. The Giants and Diamondbacks are both improved teams, and we entirely design them to duke it out for a multiplication climax in 2012.

The Dodgers won’t finish in last, mind you. They’ll usually be an “also-ran.”

Projected Record: 85-77

 

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Zachary D. Rymer is a lifelong round addict with an considerable collection of Nomar Garciaparra rookie cards and a knuckleball that is entrance along. He loves the Red Sox and hates the Yankees, nonetheless he has a huge mancrush on Derek Jeter and he would like zero some-more than to have a few beers with Nick Swisher. He’s always down to speak some baseball, so feel giveaway to strike him adult on Twitter: