Dodger DEAD Line

Well, it isn't like I didn't warn you. In making my monthly trek back to the blog with a little pent up spirit, here I was thinking that the Dodgers were going to be serious players in this trade deadline market. I clearly see, I was just as caught up in all the speculation leading up to the deadline, which, for lack or better words, turned out to be a turd for most.

What is funny is that all the apologists are out in force. Dodger and LA Times bloggers are running rampant spreading the company line, "Teixera was never really a viable option in LA, and the Dodgers were never really players in that chase." Sure, I guess all that young talent that Ned Colletti doesn't want to give up and that everyone raves about were worthless seeing as how the Rangers, who would dress a monkey with a glove if they could, didn't want any part of them.

In reality, what came down was Colletti losing his spirit and his trigger finger, which in this case was a liability and not a blessing. A package of James Loney, Tony Abreu/Andy LaRoche, and another quality prospect was reportedly shot down by the Rangers. Yeah right. More like the Dodgers didn't to part ways with unproven guys because of some "pressure" that may exist in the media. Loney is a nice player, don't get me wrong, but the best he is going to do is Mark Grace and not Fred McGriff. Abreu and LaRoche, yeah OK, more unproven light hitters that can't adapt to big league pitching.

So then, was it that these guys really have that much promise and cannot be given in a trade, or is that the Colletti PR machine has been spitting out half truths about the true abilities of their prospects. I mean, Atlanta gave up far less then what the Dodgers offered, yet they managed to land two of the biggest prizes of the market. You're telling me the Dodgers, with all that wealth of talent, couldn't match or beat a Brave offer that was reminiscent of the bag of baseballs and stiffs that went to San Diego for the afore mentioned McGriff? That's a down right steal, and it isn't that John Shurholtz, Braves' GM, is that savvy, on the contrary, his moves are pedestrian at best with only one World Championship to show for it, a title that he and Bobby Cox won by default as Mike Hardgrove and John Hart were just as mediocre.

There is no telling what is going to happen in these final two months, but the talking point making the rounds that the other teams in the NL didn't do anything so it isn't that bad is also flawed. Sure, they didn't make any moves, but you forget that Arizona still has some young arms and bats that are hot at the right time and the Friars still have that pitching staff. So no, it's not the same because those teams are still hanging around and the Dodgers have played their best ball. Derek Lowe is hurt, Brad Penny is running out of quality starts, and the back of our rotation is a who's who of dead arms and deader heads. No it doesn't look good and, to top it all off, f'n Barry is in town and we have to deal with his steroid inflated ego in our town.