I think our season depends on how quick Ned and Grady are willing to bring in someone else for a struggling player. How long till Loney, Kemp, and La Roche get called up? If some starters are not being effective, how long till we see Billingsley or Kuo in the rotation? As one can see, I expect the young players to get the shaft.

I suspect the new free agents to get the benefit of the doubt for awhile, but someone like Tomko may get the quick hook. I am not really sure if there is any position player that would get a quick hook.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2807935

What is your prediction for Randy Wolf's pitching line this season?

And do you think Dodger fans will have the stomach to stick with him given his history of slow starts and dominant second halves he developed before running into the injury tree?

Has there ever been an infield that each it 20 HRs? I'm guessing that the Dodgers have an outside shot at doing it this year.

If Billingsley is forced into the rotation now I think the pitching will be better for it through July and then as Billingsley begins to tire, suffer in September. I think the Dodgers will be best served if Kuo and Bills don't get into the rotation until mid May and until then keep their pitch count well below what it would be if they were starters at the beginning of season.

Offensively, the answer is simple. Move Nomar to third and assume Kemp will be ready by June to be the needed right handed bat.

Thanks! But really, I think Jon and Reg and company do much more for baseball blogging. ;-)

I hope that the Dodgers bomb Trachsel today and Tomko is lights out. So the O's can see they still need another starter and that Tomko is their man. Or Joe Mays.

Speaking of being bombed, yikes, Tony La Russa.

As a fan, all I can do is hope that they show similar impatience that they showed in trading Navarro and promoting Saito and kicking Baez to the curb.

I will say that ALL FAITH WILL BE LOST if Wilson Valdez makes the team over Loney. If they want Valdez that bad, they need to cut Martinez and eat his relatively small contract. I swear I will kick a hole in the wall of my house if Loney gets the shaft.

3 Thanks, even though I have a hard time believing you :).

Anyone know who's in the booth with Charlie? An asst. GM?

To lighten the mood, and particularly to entertain Bob T., here's a quote from Gary Huckabay's Giants forecast on BP:

1. Get real about expectations. That means dump Russ Ortiz now, because there exists no plausible circumstance where he can help the club as a starting pitcher. The Giants are not a team that momentum and time are going to help. They need to be active, and trim the roster of guys who have absolutely no upside. Better to take a chance on someone, anyone, who has a semblance of stuff, upside, potential, electricity—whatever you want to call it. Russ Ortiz is not one of those guys. A good rule of thumb applies here—if a ballplayer seems like he would have been at home on the 2005 Orioles, ship him out.