I just heard about this on am570 about 30 minutes ago. What does this mean for our outfield? Anderson/Ethier/whatever's left of Jayson Werth? Even if we do re-sign Nomar, I don't like the idea of him in the outfield, and Kemp didn't inspire too much confidence last year (in limited action).

If Drew would have opted out sooner would the Dodgers have had more interest in the pusuit of Matsuzaka?

2 Doubtful, I think now the sky is the limit for two of the following:

Aramis Ramirez
Carlos Lee
Alfonso Soriano
Barry Zito
Jason Schmidt

Actually Nomar now comes back into the equation if he is willing to switch positions.

This means that L.A. like Philly can boo freely whenever Drew plays at Dodger Stadium.

I posted this in the other thread:
I don't want Nomar back. Nomar is 33, his body is breaking down and he's going to demand a 3 year deal. JD Drew was the one guy you could count on to get on base. You could pretty much pencil him for .300/.400/.500. Ned likely won't bring back Drew. I think the Dodgers seriously need to consider trading for Sheffield now because I don't see any other hitters on the market who can replicate Drew's production. We aren't getting Soriano unless Ned wants to spend $17+ million on an average defensive corner outfielder. Carlos Lee is a DH in the making. Drew opting out really complicates the situation because now the Dodgers have even more holes to fill. They now need two big bats and a top of the rotation pitcher. This is going to have a negative impact on our farm system.

does he really think hes going to get a 5 yr deal for 50+?

actually in this market
he prob will

well now the dodgers can save that 10 mill a yr and put it towards zito and ramirez

and play kemp in rf

Awww, rats. I was really thinking that keeping Drew for 3 more at $11M per was turning into quite a bargain, especially since he stayed healthy this season, and really, last year too, (given the flukiness of the injury he did suffer).

Unfortunately, Drew also apparently thought he was too much of a bargain.

Rats.

Jon, actually I see Drew opting out as an indicator that Ramirez will be less likely to be signed, because now there are 2 spots in the outfield to be filled.

Any thoughts to having Nomar and Loney, one in right and one at first?

6 - who plays center?

Would be nice to have Abreu right about now.

I say no way on Sheffield. He's old and just coming of an injury.

But on the other hand, the possibility of watching him fight in the dugout with Jeff Kent might be worth it, especially for the Dodger Blues guy.

10 - I think that we are going to sing a different tune. There is no free agent replacement for Drew at that price, and while this could be good for either Kemp or Ethier I don't think it is good for the Dodgers. I am skeptical that Ned will sign an OBP guy to replace Drew and that was the strength of our offense last year. I think we should use Ethier and Kemp in the corner outfield spots and go for a CF and a 3B.

All I can say is: Not Juan Pierre in CF.

Jon, I think ultimately this makes Depo's contract smarter than ever. He got a top 10 MVP vote getter, who was injury prone, to sign a 2 year contract. I would prefer to have had him for 3 more years, but this is still a win in my book.

say it aint so!!, i'm so heart broken!

There is a very simple solution for all this.

Sign Zito, Soriano and Gary M. Jr. Trade Repko for some bullpen help and let Ethier and Kemp fight for Right field supremecy.

14 - and you have to give Grady Little a lot of credit for resting Drew as much has he did; no DL trips at all.

Am I deluded to think he might agree to stay. Maybe for a token raise or an extra year? No harm in looking elsewhere.

And shoot, we brought back Odalis Perez as a free agent immediately after his contract ran out.

If Colletti really doesn't want him back, then I think Colletti is nuts. I can't believe that he'd let Drew go out of spite, just because Drew was a DePodesta signing. That'd smack of way too much insecurity (especially after a year on the job and all the kudos for the playoff appearance).

There's no way Colletti's doing better in the FA market for OFers, (please, no Luis Gonzales), and I even doubt that the $11M (or a little more) could be better spent at another position than on Drew. If I had to choose straight up between Drew and Schmidt/Zito, I'd take the guy who plays every day. Yes, the team seems to NEED pitching more than hitting, but really, all it needs to do is outscore the opposition, whether it's 7-6 or 2-1.

We would do Bobby Abreu for Hong Chih Kuo ;) deal or no deal!! we even throw in Carl Pavano and pay his money!!:P

14 Well for us it both a safe 2-year contract and a risky 5-year contract.

8 - You could be right. I was thinking that Colletti might grab Ramirez and trade a 3B.

I'd rather have Luis Gonzales or Moises Alou on a one year contract rather than Carlos Lee or Alfonso Soriano on some overpriced multi-year deal. And I've never been fond of either Gonzo or Alou.

Does this mean the Dodgers now suddenly become very interested in Pat Burrell? Ace middle reliever Mark Henrickson would look great in a Phillies uniform.

I can't wait to see how Boras/Drew spin this one. If he signs with an East Coast tell, he'll say that he wanted to be closer to home. What's he going to say if he signs with a team like the Chicago Cubs?

16 - will be deleted forthwith.

I love how the guy is villified as overpaid for 2 years and you read this on the wire...
The Red Sox, Mets, Rangers, Tigers, Orioles, Angels, Mariners, Astros and Padres are among the teams that figure to be interested.

Drew is free to return to the Dodgers, but it doesn't seem likely that they'll feel like having Drew extract more dollars.

this "christian boy" is all about the money & i swear if the Dodgers get him back i'll be the first to bombered them with negetivie posts!!

25 - The Cubs don't believe in OBP, so that is unlikely. On the other hand I don't think any team could use him more than the Cubs.

26

sorry Jon i didn't mean any disrespect

Drag. I'm surprised and sorry to hear this, but his agent is Boras, right?

I liked JD as a #2 or #3 hitter - putting a big banger (I want Ramirez) between him and Kent would have us pretty well set offensively.

Please Ned, let's replace him (or re-sign him) through free agency. Has Soriano said he wants to go back to the infield, or did he end up liking the outfield okay?

Until this, I thought Ramirez and Zito (Schmidt's too old) would be enough. Now we need those two and Soriano.

24- didn't think of Burrell. He is a very good offensive player, but his defense is atrocious. He's also guaranteed something like $27 million over 2 years. That would still be a lot better than giving multi year contracts to Soriano @ $17 million per year or Carlos Lee $15 million, though. Like others here, I'm concerned about replacing Drew's high OBP. I don't want to see the Dodgers acquire a free swinging power hitter like Joe Crede.

15, 16 Easy on the bold, there, BB. You're entitled to your opinion, but shouting is unnecessary.

Plus, I can't for the life of me fathom your disdain for Drew. No, he's not ebullient or overtly intense, but that doesn't mean he doesn't work his butt off. And you've always declared yourself a fan of great defense, andt Drew is the best defensive outfielder I can remember in Dodger Blue for years and years (Bradley was good too). That he seems effortless shouldn't be held against him. In fact, wasn't that one of the things you liked about Izturis - that he just seemed so smooth and effortless in his efficiency? Neither guy is "Web gem" machine, precisely because they don't have to make spectacular plays to compensate for bad jumps or routes. Drew was also everything Izturis wasn't on offense. OBP-riffic, great baserunner, line drives...

Feh. I hope he comes back, and especially that Colletti tries to make that happen.

31 - I bet Ramirez will get a bigger contract than Drew, but I think Drew will ultimately be more valuable over the next 3-5 years. His OBP is so much better than anything out there right now, although his power has seemingly gone down a bit in Blue.

Loyalty is a two way street but didn't he give us some mid-season nonsense about how the opt-out clause was only intended to protect his family if they didn't like LA but having been here for two years they have become part of the community yada yada yada and so he would not opt-out? Didin't he say this or am I immagining it?

What figure does Boras have in mind for Drew? 4 yrs./$60 mil?

What do you guys think Ned's opinion is on OBP? Is he a big fan or batting average, or do you think he gives more credence to OBP and SLG?

37 hard call right now, but the Dodgers did get on base a lot while hitting very few HRs this year, of course i kinda doubt that was by design.

A little off topic, but if you watch The Office, definitely definitely watch it tonight. Great episode.

35
Maybe JD Drew and his wife decided that Pasadena was no place to raise a child. They were upset that on New Year's Day, it was hard to find a place to park on Colorado Blvd.

Hm. I'll be honest - I forgot about the opt-out clause.
Now that I'm over the initial surprise, a few thoughts:
1. This certainly frees up a good chunk of change for '07, doesn't it? Of course, it'll take a bigger chunk of change to sign a decent FA.
2. I agree with the take that DePo's gamble worked out well.
3. BB87, it speaks poorly of your character to crack on Drew's faith.
4. Given that Drew is a Boras client, as is Gagne, I can see a small upside in case we want either back - there's no fear of the unknown when dealing with Boras. Some teams go out of their way to avoid Boras clients, especially during the draft, because Boras is who he is. The Dodgers know what they're getting.
5. Boy, the team's power problems are even more pronounced now.

31 - Soriano has said he's especially proud of his defense in the outfield, and that actually probably raises his value. Basically, he's better than Ethier in the outfield, but worse than Kent at second base.

Sori's career rate2:
2B: 94
OF: 107
Ethier: 95
Kent: 100

Sori's Career Zone Rating:
2B: .806
OF: .876
Ethier: .872
Kent: .824

"He led the club in RBIs. You just don't snap your fingers and find another player like that," Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said on a conference call. "He wants out, he can have out. He's moving on, we're moving on. We'll find players who like playing here. If he doesn't want to be here, he has the right to leave, and he's exercising that right."

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-dodgers-drew

So where will Drew end up? Boston?

Colletti Does not sound happy

....
"He led the club in RBI. You just don't snap your fingers and find another player like that," Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said on a conference call. "He wants out, he can have out. He's moving on, we're moving on. We'll find players who like playing here. If he doesn't want to be here, he has the right to leave, and he's exercising that right."

While Colletti refused to say he was angry, his feelings came through during a 30-minute conference call.

"I hang onto my feelings," Colletti said. "You try to use some diplomacy right now."

"The last time I spoke with him, we had a nice conversation," Colletti said. "I don't really need to (speak to Drew) at this point."

But the GM also said: "I know J.D. is a spiritual guy and a man of his word. I guess he changed his word. You learn never to be surprised when you're dealing in this arena. People change their minds. People change their word. They move on."

I see the Dodgers sacrificing a bit of OBP for a lot of SLG. I would, and I don't think it's so terrible to consider. Colletti has the power to sign the big free agents, as we saw last year, so bring me Alfonso Soriano.

46
Wasn't "Bring Me the Head of Alfonso Soriano" a movie with Marlon Brando in it?

"I know J.D. is a spiritual guy and a man of his word. I guess he changed his word."
C'mon, Ned, don't be naive. Drew's contract was his word, and he lived up to it just fine.

he better not end up in anaheim somehow.

Ned said this later in that same story:

"It opens up payroll, certainly, for the next three years," he said. "It doesn't change the options out there. There's only one more player out there, one we're not going to pursue. It does change how much money we have."

Is he talking about Barry Bonds?

Not sure about Soriano - I know he had a great season, but it was his walk year, and pursuing him seems like a serious "buy high" move.

Is he talking about Barry Bonds?
I took it to mean he was speaking about Drew himself.

yeah, i think he meant drew as well.

I think what upsets me about this the most is how a guy who had a decent, but not spectacular year, walks away from one of the most storied franchises in sports that was going to pay him 33 million over the next 3 years. This sport has really gone into the tank in respect to playing the game for the game.

That being said, we have to move on, and I don't think renegociating with Drew for what would have to be more money is the answer, but we do have a few holes to fill in the outfield. I'm not impressed with anyone on the FA market in particular, and our farm isn't quite where it needs to be for supplying an immediate replacement, although Kemp for a whole year intrigues me. I'd explore some trade options if I were Ned. Once promising prospect and now disgruntled player Ryan Church might be had pretty cheap. Another option might be Crawford, albeit more expensive than Church, would most likely be a top run producer on this team.

After Drew's surprise, I would be amazed to not see Moises Alou in left field next year with Ethier, Kemp and Kenny Loggins splitting time in CF/LF???

44 - I think Boston (replacing Nixon) or Toronto (who went hard after Giles last year, and is likely to trade Wells).

Cleveland could be a possibility too, as apparently they were in the running for Sheffield before dealing for Kouzmanoff for Barfield.

This sport has really gone into the tank in respect to playing the game for the game.
This is a business - period.
And it always has been.

52 Ah, right, of course. Must just have been me projecting. ;D

whoa, clearly been at work too long

55 ...Kenny Lofton...

54 - And the Dodgers signed Gagne fair and square, and he injured himself on the job, and given the opportunity, after all the joy Gagne had brought, the Dodgers decided to walk away from him as well.

It's not pretty, but it's just how it goes.

Is he talking about Barry Bonds?

most people think I'm crazy, but it wouldn't shock me in the least bit if Colletti at least put effort into landing Bonds.

Can you guys imagine what would happen if Bonds was a Dodger? I think my head might explode simply because we'd be in the twilight zone.

"with Ethier, Kemp and Kenny Loggins"

Naw, he hasn't been the same since Footloose. ;)

So LA needs a CFer and a RFer (Ethier is a LFer, pure and simple).

Minimal options on the FA market. Does LA go after Andruw Jones or Vernon Wells now?

Immediate thought about the possibility of Bonds as a Dodger: Because of the curving OF corners, you can hide a bad - or immobile - outfielder at Dodger Stadium.

48- here are some direct quotes from Drew
"I don't plan on (using) it," he said Tuesday. "I've enjoyed my time living in Los Angeles. That's what it was there for – to make sure (wife) Sheigh and I didn't come all the way across the country (from their native Georgia) and get stuck in a situation we didn't like."
"You know what – I don't think so," said Drew, who also has a limited no trade clause. "Ultimately it's my decision, and we're happy where we're at. We love our house in Pasadena. My wife is happy. She's made a lot of friends in our neighborhood and with the other players' wives. That's really the thing that was nerve-wracking about it (free agency) for me.

"At some point, you make those commitments and you stick to them."

Colletti has a legitimate reason for being upset. Drew had the right to opt out. The problem is, he didn't tell the Dodgers that he was going to this do far enough in advance where they would have more time plan on looking for alternatives. Drew/Boras come out look like jerks here much the same way Carlos Boozer did a few years ago when he reneged on his verbal agreement with the Cleveland Cavilers. Boras/Drew didn't break any rules, but they do come away looking like people you wouldn't want to deal with in the future. It's a shame that Boras is such a prominent agent. I guess he didn't take business ethics in college. This honestly shows me that Boras/Drew care about nothing besides money. I don't expect loyalty in baseball, but I still think it's wrong what Boras/Drew did.

If the Orioles offer him enough money, I'd expect to see him playing in Baltimore next season. Drew's character has been questioned many times.

Do you think Loney to RF is a serious consideration? It's probably easier to find a first baseman than a right fielder.

I'd expect Colletti to try to sign gary mathews/lofton/roberts and a high profile pitcher, probably zito.

65
That will be the last time JD Drew and Carlos Boozer are ever compared at the same time.

34 - Yes, I would have liked to have them both. Maybe we still can.

42 - Thanks. If Soriano would be happy in the outfield, we should consider him.

Ethier, Kemp (CF), Soriano, Werth, Anderson in the OF.

65 - Frank McCourt is now praying he won't suddenly be struck blind.

I've said this here before, but now I'll scream it.

WHY ISN"T ANYONE TALKING ABOUT CARLOS LEE?

We need this guy bad.

Wouldn't it be beautiful if Drew had to take less money somewhere else? Bring back collusion!

51 - he's had consistent power, and it's easier to go yard in Dodger Stadium than RFK. Besides, I think the NL transistion may have helped - not to mention that his division is easier to hit homers off of (Oakland and Anaheim had pitching, Atlanta, New York, Philly did not). The NL West is going to be a little tougher, but balancing that with DS factors, I think he'd be all right.

His OBP is probably also a function of that. Given the Giants are losing Schmidt, the Dbacks probably aren't gonna have anyone impressive besides Webb in the rotation, and the Rockies may not hold up, I'd expect about a .280/.343/.550 with 40 HR out of Sori in LA (compare to .277/.351/.560 with 46 HR in DC).

71 - Carlos Lee is overrated IMO (he's never OPS'd over .900 for instance). He's a good hitter, but not someone I feature as a centerpiece of an offense (read: 5 years at $12-15M per).

71 - Dunno about Lee. He'll be 31 at the '07 ASB. Then again, so will Drew.
But Lee will want mad money. If he'd take what LA was to pay Drew - $33MM over three years - then sure.

crap. this isnt good. one more friggin hole to fill. so much for doing only one or two things.

72 - It might not require collusion really. To quote Tim Harford (of "The Undercover Economist" fame), "Never attribute to conspiracy what can easily be explained by incompetence."

Which is to say, maybe everyone will think he's going to break again, and 20 homers isn't impressive enough - it may be a ceiling after the wrist injury.

FWIW, Soriano also will be 31 at the ASB. I thought he was younger.

48. I think Ned definitly has a right to be mad. Drew's is legally entitled to leave but he does profess to be a man of his word and he represented that he would not be opting out. It appears Ned relied on that representation and planed his forthcoming off-season based on JD comments. I think Ned's relance was reasonable and justified. J.D. is not in breach of his contract but it is a lousy thing and Ned is entitled to be pissed.

68
well, unless we get a glimpse of JD's overwhelming chest hair in the near future

Vernon Wells, anyone? Apparently, Toronto is looking to deal him.

I'm concerned about replacing Drew's high OBP.

are you concerned replacing his made of glass body!!????

79 - I can understand Ned being upset, though I wouldn't overplay the "no time to prepare" angle. Ned had to work much more quickly last year. And certainly, if Ned didn't consider the possibility that a Scott Boras client would spring this, then that is a bit naive.

I'll tell you who had better get indignant. The McCourts. I seem to recall them going back on their word around this time last year - and that wasn't the only time they weren't above board.

80 - Reminds me of Lefty Gomez's line about Charlie (King Kong) Keller: "He wasn't scouted; he was trapped."

Lee never topped 100 strikeouts, but on the other hand his ISOPatience is going to be about .060. What makes him less attractive is that he doesn't have the speed, and he's a bit of a defensive liability (career Rate2 of 98 in left field, ZR of .858 in left, compare to 107 and .876 respectively for Sori).

82
games played last 3 yrs

145, 72, 146.

not exactly a glass body. also, please see rule 6.

146 games last year, Bluebleeder. At some point, the ranting grows tiresome.

82 - He's coming off a career high in games played, you know.

i have visions of drew wearing sonoran red with his brother...

i also have a feeling we get soriano and stick him in right field. probably at around $12-14 per.

furcal, soriano, nomar/loney (nomar switching in and out with loney betemit at first and third, loney switching with nomar and kemp), kent, ethier, kemp, betemit, martin isn't a terrible lineup.

add zito to the rotation, and a good bullpen arm and i'm happy.

Beyond the $$$--if it's possible to get beyond it--could Drew want to go to AZ to play with his brother? Does that make any sense for the Snakes?

60 Colletti apparently has closed the door on Drew, and he's justified doing it. But he hasn't closed it on Gagne...has he? The Dodgers walked away from a $12Mil option but hope to bring him back for much less, I understand? Or have they indicated they don't want him at all?

At least folks who didn't like Drew won't have him to kick around anymore. (Seems like some former president said something like that once)...

89

i like the sound of that plan, but i expect zito to command huge money, maybe more than we're willing to spend.

I would sign Alou to one year deal. his defese is atrocious but the man can still hit and get on base his OPS+ the last 3 years:
2004: 128
2005: 141
2006: 132

I would make a run at soriano as well. have a 4 outfield rotation of kemp, soriano, ethier and alou will be productive.

i am pretty made at Drew All that talk was just a bunch of BS.

89
It's Sedona red.
It's Sonoran gold.

Sheesh, everybody knows those colors! They're part of my Crayola box of 2056 colors!

[83] do you mean better not get indignant? because if the mccourts were, it would be hypocritical.

92 - nate, I'm surprised you're in for Soriano. He's looking for 7 years, 6 minimum.

the production looks good, but the health the last 2 yrs does not. that and he's bad for clubhouse chemistry because no one will want to high five him.

[89] oh yeah, duh. i've been to sedona. i knew that.

on the other hand, i never had a crayola box bigger than 64.

I still think Colletti should make the smart move and offer arbitration to Drew. He knwos he wont accept and we will defnately get a high pick for losing him.

Colletti cant let his emotions cloud his judgement on this situation.