If it's cool with everyone else, I'm going to wait on the gloom/doom or joy decision until we see what happens our fourth outfielder situation.
If Pierre is playing somewhere else next year, than this is a great move. If Pierre is in left for the Dodgers next year, it's a lateral move.

Still, hope springs eternal.

Let me join in the invocation: please oh please, let it be Pierre who is traded.

Reasons to keep Kemp and Ethier:
(1) They're better than Pierre (might as well begin with the obvious)
(2) Jones has a short term contract, and the Dodgers do not have much outfield depth in the system. All the more reason to keep some young outfielders.
(3) As a left-handed hitter, Ethier provides some balance to the heart of the lineup -- otherwise, only Loney hits left. Yeah, Pierre is a lefty as well, but that's less important batting after Furcal or in the 8 slot.
(4) Kemp could hit 40. Keep him. Keep him. He stings the ball like no one I've seen play for the Dodgers since, well, Piazza.

trade pierre not kemp, trade pierre not kemp...

You know there is a word for that. (Well not really a word.) Geez, you go away for a few days and your forgotten.

Banish Juan to Baltimore now please. Thanks.

Keep Ethier and Kemp!

An outfield like that makes me wanna buy season tickets.

I think we should have, however, signed him to a longer deal. In the very likely event that he rebounds, we will have missed out on a bargain.

1) Frank Robinson
2) Eddie Matthews
3) Johnny Bench

I was LATed.

Is that an appropriate use of the term?

(Us relative newbies -- we're just so uninformed)

Not that I can negotiate anything. I get taken to the cleaners by dry cleaners.

I will be positively ecstatic if they dump Pierre instead of Ethier or Kemp, but remember that we should still get a quality return if we do trade one of the youngsters.

My ideal scenario: trade Pierre for whatever, let LaRoche play 3B
Worst-case scenario: Kemp is traded at less than full value for a suboptimal choice (i.e. someone like Rolen)
My bold prediction: Kemp, Hu, and Meloan to the Orioles for Bedard and Tejada

Let LaRoche and Nomar battle it out at 3rd. I still think LaRoche is an undervalued prospect. Another pitcher would be nice in lieu of the Schmidt disaster, but a Schmidt, Penny, Lowe, Bills, Loazia/Kuo rotation is at least okay on paper.

on the other hand, i guess the angels paid hunter close to that much over 5 years, which is even worse.

Furcal SS
Martin C
Loney 1st
Kent 2b
Jones CF
Kemp RF
Eithier LF
LaRoche 3b
Penny P

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3143653

doom and gloom is not an option. kemp and either are not leaving. if anyone leaves it will be pierre. I don't know how it happened but the dodgers are making all the prudent moves. fear not these are golden days

Well, not our right outfielder - that's Kemp.

If it requires Ethier to get Bedard, well, OK. Otherwise, I sure hope not.

I suspect that, short of something like that (and how many "somethings" are there like Bedard?) they won't trade any outfielder. Ethier will start the year as 4th outfielder, but will have to be given chances in both left and right field, like last year. This year that will displace Pierre much more often than Kemp. Before the trading deadline, if Ethier is the good Ethier, Pierre will be on the verge of being 4th outfielder, and will instead get traded by the deadline, Dodgers eating much of the salary, for whichever part of the pitching staff needs bolstering (or, god forbid, some other position ruined by injury).

Well, we can hope,

According to Webster's it's "KERR-uh-sau," unless you're from Britain, or you're Vinny, then it's "KERR-uh-so."

And don't get me started on Jones' first name. Why on earth has a random letter "U" caused so many people to butcher the first name as "ON-drew"? It's not even part of the same syllable, people! Rick Monday, I hope you're listening. Just pretend you're saying "Andrew."

I can certainly live with that lineup. Nice balance too. Also, great defense as all are above average defensively except Kent at 2nd (Abreu will be a late inning defensive/pinch runner replacement often).

Pierre - Fredo (hat tip to Brock)
Logan White - Tom Hagen
Scott Boras - Hyman Roth
Jeff Kent - Sonny
J.D. Drew - Tessio
Bob Daly - Jack Woltz
Grady Little - Moe Greene
Larry Beinfest - Virgil Sollozzo
Tom Lasorda - Frank Pantangeli
Ned Colletti - Senator Pat Geary
Paul DePodesta - Apollonia

I agree. There is some more support for the rotation in case of injury this year. I wouldn't count on Kershaw yet though. I think he is a 2009/2010 arrival unless he gets his control under control from the get go in 08.

Jones will receive a $12.2 million signing bonus, of which $5.1 million is payable next year, $2.1 million in 2009 and $5 million in 2010. He well get salaries of $9 million next year and $15 million in 2009, and also will receive a no-trade clause

Now the Dodgers need to give Jones a bit more rest than Cox allowed. And Jones probably needs to get in better shape.

Doubt Jones ever gets back into peak form. He has too big of a swing, chases too many sliders. But a 115 OPS-plus, 30 HRs and good defense are realistic.

/end sarcasm

2008: $4m
2009: $5.5m
2010: $6.75m option ($250k buyout); arb eligible if option bought out

Source: Cots Baseball Contracts

Whether they sign Kuroda or trade for Bedard or his ilk, I expect the final payroll will be in the $115-$120m range, barring some other blockbuster or unexpected major move.

Anyway, I expect a big season out of Jones. Often times when a guy has an uncharacteristically bad year he follows it up with a big one. Think Mike Lowell 2006 or Paul Konerko 2004.

furcal
martin
kemp
jones
loney
kent
ethier
laroche
pitcher

May be wishful thinking on my part, but I think this does improve the chances of LaRoche getting a meaningful opportunity to win the job. Rolen's bat becomes less appealing, I suspect -- and maybe the Rolen stuff was a ruse relating to negotiations with Andruw.

If Kent comes back, you now have Martin, Loney, Kent, Furcal, Ethier/Kemp/Pierre/Jones and 3B. You can play LaRoche in that situation and Ned is now saying that the job will be up for grabs this spring.

My fear was that if Kent didn't come back and they did not add someone like Andruw Jones, the Dodgers would be more inclined to go after someone to play 3B.

Like I said earlier, we will have a better idea tomorrow when I am sure there will be a press conference or conference call but for now, hey I think we are back doing good moves now lets see if we can make a great move.

But wasn't Ethier one of dePodesta's acquisitions, or am I misreading that last graf?

Pitching need solved! :)

Haha, no! Ethier for Bradley/A. Perez ring a bell?

Kent has a contract in theory, he is on the 40 man roster, he does not get paid until Opening Day so really, the Dodgers cannot really force his hand until he is contractually bound to perform.

He cannot go to another team, demand a trade or anything. He could retire but I believe the Dodgers would still retain his rights if he tried to quit and then resign with someone else.

My hunch is that the Jones deal is enough for Kent to sign on, if they were to deal for a pitcher, that would clinch it.

That, or they started reading Dodger Thoughts since they keep stealing our ideas :)

There's no real guessing the batting order, and no reason to assume it would be the same from game to game anyway. Your points about Loney are valid, but even in your order there are three righties in a row.

I have Ethier batting eighth on the assumption that Nomar will be the opening day third baseman, and that he wouldn't bat eighth.