2012 Lineup

If the Dodgers pull another 2011 they will be playing in front of crowds like this in 2012 if they don't make any real changes. I am assuming McCourt will still be owning the team even if it is obvious it wont be for long. The Dodgers are not a terrible team but not a very good one as well. Their pitching is solid if not great. They truly just need some offense. Kemp's MVP type season is being wasted because other than Either there really is no one else that gives other teams any reservation to pitching to in key moments. Makes Kemp's stats that more impressive. I don't think the team needs to be blown up but it does need to adjusted. I love Pujols and would love to have him on our team but at his age and asking price I wouldn't pull the trigger. Now, if you can get him at a high annual ( 30M ) over 3-4 years than maybe that is doable. Other than that the Dodgers are going to have to overpay to get someone of worth here. I think if you can get Prince Fielder to come here at a 5 yr 125-140M you can secure the present and future at the same time. So if you can get him for only 5 years and not the crazy 8-10 year deals that are out there you won't be saddled with an aging star at 37 but one that you can let go at 33 and bring up someup from the minors or another free agent and he can on to be a great DH in the AL. The two most important members of the team are Kemp and Kershaw and we need to show them that we are serious of winning or you can say goodbye to Kemp in 2013 no matter how much he says he loves LA. Man wants to win. Using Prince as your 1st baseman I would set up the lineup as such.

• SS Dee Gordon
• RF Andre Either
• CF Matt Kemp
• 1B Prince Fielder
• 3B Juan Uribe
• LF Jerry Sands
• C A.J. Ellis ( or another minor leaguer )
• 2B Justin Sellers
• P

Bench would include Gwynn, Rivera, Carroll and obviously you would need some other players. Andre is not your typically 2 hole player but it is what it is. You can keep your lefty righty split and finally have some protection for Kemp and if Andre comes into form then that is a formidable 2-4. I fully expect Andre to have his last go around next year but with Kemp and Prince in the lineup with hopefully the maturity of Dee and Jerry you can build on the future while contending in the present. I plugged in Sellers for 2B but that can be worked on if that is not the solution. We have money coming off the books this year ( Broxton, Loney, Blake, Kuroda though I hope he stays and might with a brighter future, Barajas, Navarro, etc ) that this is feasible. I think McCourt can make either one big purchase or alot of little ones. This past year proved that alot of "little" ones hasn't worked. Time to go for the big gun and get some offense so when your starting pitchers in two games give up just two runs to the hottest team in baseball that you don't think its already a lost game. Time to man up Dodgers.