Player: Nomar Garciaparra
2008 Stats: .264, eight homeruns, 28 RBIs
2008 Analysis: Oh Nomar, what are we to think of you? When you are consistently healthy, you can still hit, but therein lies the problem. Nomar made three trips to the DL this season.
The weird thing is that I can't quite figure out how to judge Nomar this year. He played half of April, none of May or June, almost all of July, the second half of August, and parts of September. He didn't play one season this year, he played three or four, so it's hard to really say how Nomar did.
I will say this though, he did flash signs of his offensive goodness in places during the season. He also played in three of the four infield positions throughout the season (including playing shortstop for the first time since 2005), moving around to help out the team, and that's definitely a big plus.
2009 Outlook: Nomar is currently a free agent. Of course I don't know what Nomar is thinking, but if I could take a guess, I would assume Nomar would like to be a starter somewhere. I would also assume Nomar would like to still play for the Dodgers. 
Well, we have a hole at 3rd base that needs to be filled, and it seems like a good fit to bring him back. ...but here's the thing. As much as I like Nomar, I can't trust him. I'm not willing to just resign Nomar and ink him in for 3rd base for the 2009 season because of his surprising ability to get hurt. He did make it into about 120 games in both 2006 and 2007 for us, but he hasn't played in more than that since 2003, so I'm a little bit scared of having a big hole at 3rd base for a good portion of the season.
I would, ideally, like to resign Nomar to be our mega-utility infielder. I'd like to keep him on the bench to pinch hit and spot start at 1st or 3rd, or maybe even a little shortstop and/or 2nd base, but I want, in no way, to end up relying on him. I want him to be part-part time player, part-coach, part-Dodger ambassador, but I don't want to put much more on him other than that. I've been disappointed too many times in the past, and I don't know if I can be hurt by him anymore (*tear*)...
Player: Chin-lung Hu
2008 Stats: .181, nine RBIs, 23 Ks
2008 Analysis: Chin-lung Hu had a tough time at the plate. Well, that might be an understatement. Hu was getting buried at the plate. His at-bats looked bad. He was wailing away, hardly making contact, or not even doing that. There's been talk that he's had eye issues, and he did apparently adjust his contacts (or something like that) before going back to AAA, where he suddenly began to hit again. I think he has it within himself to be a good hitter, he just needs to hit. Easy enough, right?
Defensively, Hu was excellent. Only one error in 165 total chances between playing time at 2nd and shortstop (no errors in 121 total chances at short). But defense has always been Hu's strong point.
2009 Outlook: Hu is going to turn 25 before the season starts, so it's hard to say this is Hu's last shot, but if Hu can't crack it at Spring Training this year... well... Ivan De Jesus is approaching quickly. I'm willing to give Hu the benefit of the doubt though. I want to give him Spring Training to prove he can see well enough to hit decently, and if he can, I'd be willing to give him either of the middle infield positions to start the season (depending of course, on what the situation is there at the time). Hu is just a year removed from being the Dodger Minor League Player of the Year, so he does deserve another shot, but not too many more...
So, there's been a lot of talk about something Dodgers President Jamie McCourt said earlier this week.
From the L.A. Times:
"If you bring somebody in to play and pay them, pick a number, $30 million, does that seem a little weird to you?" Jamie McCourt asked in an interview at the Evergreen Recreation Center in East Los Angeles. "That's what we're trying to figure out. We're really trying to see it through the eyes of our fans. We're really trying to understand, would they rather have the 50 fields?"
Now, obviously, there has been a tremendous amount of backlash to this quote. The McCourt's insist they were speaking on a philosophical hypothetical level. Which very well could be the case. However, many are viewing McCourt's words to be something else... a testing of the waters.First off, when did both charity and free agents become mutually exclusive? Why not have both? In any case, should this be just a hypothetical statement, then all is forgiven.
If this statement is really inferring that the McCourt's won't be ponying up some cash to bring in quality free agents this offseason, then there are going to be some issues.
The money that Dodger fans spend on going to games or purchasing merchandise is, at least by my assumptions, going back into the team. 
Yes, I know a lot of it is going into Frank McCourt's pocket, or to pay team President Jamie McCourt's salary. But I still assume the rest of it will go back into the team. It's bad enough when I see ticket prices being raised to Frank McCourt can build some kind of crazy super mall in the front of the stadium, but to think that the money I'm spending is going to be put into something that I'm never going to see the fruits of, then I'm going to start seriously reconsidering where I put my money.
I mean really, putting money into things you don't gain anything from? That's what property taxes are for.
If the McCourt's want to set up a foundation for building baseball fields, then do that, but keep the Dodger money away from the charity money. Those are two different piles of money, as well they should be.
Look, there's still obviously a lot to be seen with the backlash from all this. Will the McCourt's pay for quality free agents or not? Within the next couple months, we'll start to figure out what this all means. I'm not really ready to completely bash the McCourt's yet on some quote that might not mean anything in a few weeks.
But I am a little worried. And quite frankly, Jamie McCourt, if you really want to know what the Dodger fans think, these are the poll results from the L.A. Times:
That's right, folks. The Dodgers mean a lot to a lot of people. You can't even stick poor kids in between Dodgers and their fans. And I'm with them. Don't make us choose between the Dodgers and the kids, because first and foremost, I want my team to win. Is that really so wrong?
Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving people. They'll be a new player profile up tonight. It's Chin-lung Hu. Don't get too excited...
Ok, back to player profiles, continuing at shortstop where we left off.
Player: Rafael Furcal
2008 Stats: .357, five homeruns, 16 RBIs, eight stolen bases, .439 OBP, .573 Slugging
2008 Analysis: What an interesting year Rafael Furcal had. He played in only 36 games this year, his lowest ever since he came up to the majors in 2000. In those 36 games, however, he really made it count. By comparison, Furcal had about 80 less at-bats than Ángel Berroa and really demolished any and all of Berroa's stats.
For the first month and change, Furcal was, dare I say, looking like an MVP candidate. He was on fire! Then he was scratched from a few starts for some discomfort in his back. And then he needed a 15-day DL trip. Then that DL trip lasted over a month. Furcal tried to come back and made it through a couple AAA rehab games before feeling the discomfort again. Then he had back surgery. And yeah...
Furcal came back from back surgery late in the season and started all eight Dodger playoff games. He went .258, with a .378 OBP, and scored nine runs. It was a not-bad post-season, though Furcal did commit some very badly timed errors at shortstop that led to some losses. I'd chalk that up to coming back too soon from heavy surgery on his back, and I can really fault a guy for trying to help his team.
2009 Outlook: Furcal is currently a free agent and is getting a lot of interest from various teams. Personally, I'd like to see the Dodgers try and get Furcal back. I originally hoped to give him a short deal with incentives, but it looks now like despite the fact he had some injury questions, some team is going to give Furcal a good deal.
That being the case, even though he might be an injury question mark, I still want Furcal back. When healthy, he's probably in the Top 5 of all current lead-off hitters. He can hit for average, he's got some power, he can field, he can still steal bases. He's the spark plug for the lineup, and if we can be assured he healthy, I say give him whatever he wants, but maybe have Chin-lung Hu or Ivan De Jesus waiting in the wings...
Ok, the other awards are out of the way, it's time for the big one. The Dodger MVP. Here are your nominees:
Andre Ethier
-For a man who's starting job was in question coming into the season, and who had difficulty getting consistent playing time until halfway through the season, he finished the year with some fantastic numbers. .305 average, 20 homeruns, 77 RBIs, not too mention some solid defensive play. Plus, he was hot when it counted, down the stretch.
Derek Lowe
-I already laid out Lowe's stats in the Cy Young award post, and noted there as well, the Derek Lowe might have a better shot at the MVP award... and I wasn't lying. For all the interest around Manny during the last couple months of the season, Derek Lowe was quietly the anchor of the pitching staff. He wasn't as sexy to talk about, but almost as important.
Manny Ramírez
-Manny had a great year, in the span of two months. In just 53 games for the Dodgers, Manny batted .396, had 17 homeruns, and drove in 53 RBIs. He was vital in the Dodgers' drive toward the playoffs. I could talk on and on about how good he was with the bat, but anyone who watched the Dodgers the last two months of the season knows how important Manny was to this team.
Chad Billingsley
-Again, his stats were presented in the Cy Young post, and on top of those good stats, he was the "J's Dodger Blog 2008 Cy Young Winner." Big plus.
James Loney
-Loney, despite having a somewhat slow year (at least for what many were hoping for from Loney) still managed to bat .289 with 13 homeruns and lead the Dodgers with 90 RBIs. Sure, it seems like a somewhat quiet 90 RBIs, but 90 RBIs is nothing to scoff at. Impressive for a kid in just his 3rd season with not a lot of power.
...and the 2008 Dodger MVP is...
Manny Ramírez.
Yes, Derek Lowe was fantastic down the stretch. Andre Ethier and Chad Billingsley had excellent breakout years. James Loney led the team with RBIs.
But let's face facts. In 2008, there wasn't one player who meant more to the team than Manny. He gave the team the much needed spark when they were just average around the trade deadline. He single handedly won games with his bat. Most of all, he made the players around him better, and he pushed us to the playoffs. There was no real competition.
Without a doubt, Manny Ramírez is the "J's Dodger Blog 2008 MVP."
The nominees for the 2008 Dodger Cy Young Award are:
Derek Lowe
-After a mediocre start (an above 4.00 ERA for most of June), Derek Lowe really kicked it into high gear. In his last 10 starts, he went 6-1 with a complete game and a 1.27 ERA. He finished the season 14-11 with a 3.24 ERA in 34 starts.
Chad Billingsley
-Excellent throughout the year, Billingsley really blossomed into the player Dodger fans have been hoping to see. He went 16-10 with a 3.14 and 201 strikeouts and he collected the first complete game shutout of his career. His ERA was good for 7th in the league, his 16 wins tied him for 7th, and 201 strikeouts placed him 5th.
Hong-Chih Kuo
-Well, on top of all the good stuff I've mentioned he's done this season in the previous awards I've given out, he's also the winner of the "J's Dodger Blog 2008 Reliever of the Year."
...and the 2008 Dodger Cy Young winner is...
Chad Billingsley
Hong-Chih Kuo was good, but nowhere near as good as the two starters on the list. Yes, this was mostly a two-horse race.
And while Derek Lowe might actually be a better candidate for MVP considering how well he pitched down the stretch, if you consider the Cy Young Award to be the award given to the best pitcher, then Chad Billingsley definitely wins, as he bested Lowe in both wins, ERA, and strikeouts.
So, for his statistical dominance of the pitching staff, Chad Billingsley wins the "J's Dodger Blog 2008 Cy Young Award."
There were a handful of rookies that came up this year for the Dodgers, but only three really made an impact. Here are your nominees for Rookie of the Year:
Clayton Kershaw
-Kershaw debuted May 25th and had a strong six inning outing against the St. Louis Cardinals. He appeared in 22 games in 2008, going 5-5 with a 4.26 ERA, striking out 100 batters in 107.2 innings. His best outing came on August 7th, in St. Louis, when he gave up one run over seven innings while striking out seven.
Cory Wade
-Wade got called up and made his first appearance April 25th. He brought his ERA down from 3.00 to 2.35 on May 9th, and from that point until the end of the season, his ERA never cracked 3.00 again. He went 2-1 with a 2.27 ERA in 55 games in his rookie season.
Blake DeWitt
-DeWitt won the starting 3rd base job by default coming out of Spring Training, but showed he had some staying power. By the end of a terrific May, DeWitt was batting .303 with five homeruns and 29 RBIs. He settled down after that, but finished 2008 batting .264, with nine homeruns and 52 RBIs and started over 100 games combined at both 2nd and 3rd base.
...and the Rookie of the Year is...
Cory Wade
Blake DeWitt was all the rage for the first couple months, and he was important, don't get me wrong, but he seriously faded after that. Clayton Kershaw was hyped up, and while he wasn't lights out, he was still impressive.
However, Cory Wade received no hype but was quietly one of the best and most consistent members on the pitching staff. He settled right into the bullpen and pitched like a multi-year veteran. He might not have the most brilliant career of the three players mentioned here, but if you want to talk about who had the best year this year, it was Cory Wade.
There you have it, Cory Wade, "J's Dodger Blog 2008 Rookie of the Year."
It would be kind of pointless to give out a Gold Glove for each position on the team, but I will give out a Gold Glove to the best fielder on the team.
The nominees for the 2008 Dodger Gold Glove are:
James Loney
-Loney played a strong 1st base, committing only 13 errors in 1,498 total chances, good for a .991 fielding percentage.
Matt Kemp
-Kemp handled both center field and right field during the year, and yes, while at times he certainly seemed shaky, he committed only three errors on the season (.991 fielding percentage) and had 16 outfield assists.
Andre Ethier-Ethier, in playing both left field and right field committed only two errors during the season (.991 fielding percentage). He also collected 11 outfield assists.
...and the 2008 Gold Glove winner is...
Matt Kemp.
James Loney was downright solid at 1st base, and Andre Ethier played a strong right field (though his left field was weaker) but it's hard to overlook what Matt Kemp did.
Yes, he was shaky chasing down some of those fly balls, but he only got charged for three errors, and gunning out 16 people from the outfield is incredibly impressive.
For the glove and the arm, Matt Kemp is the "J's Dodger Blog 2008 Gold Glove Winner."
There are six players up for Reliever of the Year:
Chan Ho Park
-4-4, two saves, 3.40 ERA in 54 games (95.1 innings).
Joe Beimel
-5-1, 2.02 ERA in 71 games (49 innings).
Hong-Chih Kuo
-5-3, one save, 2.14 ERA in 40 games (80 innings).
Cory Wade
-2-1, 2.27 ERA in 55 games (71.1 innings).
Jonathan Broxton
-3-5, 14 saves, 3.13 ERA in 70 games (69 innings).
Takashi Saito
-4-4, 18 saves, 2.49 ERA in 45 games (47 innings).
...and the Reliever of the Year is...
Hong-Chih Kuo
It came down to three players for me. Joe Beimel, even though he had a very impressive ERA, had some issues with letting inherited runners score. Cory Wade was a close second, but Hong-Chih Kuo had a better ERA in more innings.
On top of that all, Kuo was 5th on the team for strikeouts, trailing only four Dodgers starters, who of course, had more innings under their belts.
So, congratulations to Hong-Chih Kuo for winning the "J's Dodger Blog 2008 Reliever of the Year."
Now that all the awards have been given out in baseball, it's time for me to give out my rewards, so we'll take a quick break from Player Profiles to hand out some rewards. First up: Comeback Player of the Year.
Just three nominees for the Comeback Player of the year:
Ángel Berroa
-After playing only nine games in the majors in 2007 and being sent to the Kansas City Royals' AAA team, Berroa was picked up by the Dodgers midseason. He then proceeded to start 64 games at shortstop for the Dodgers. He hit his first homerun in two years and played solid defense down the stretch.
Chan Ho Park
-Playing on three different teams after leaving the Dodgers before the 2002 season (including playing only one game in the majors in 2007), and not having an ERA below 4.80 over that time, Chan Ho returned to the team that first signed him. He made 54 appearances in 2008 (including five spot starts) and went 4-4 with a 3.40 ERA.
Hong-Chih Kuo-Kuo made it into only eight games in 2007, posting a 7.42 ERA while struggling with injuries throughout the year. Always an injury threat, Kuo made it through most of the 2008 season, appearing in 42 games (including three spot starts) and went 5-3 with a 2.14 ERA.
...And the Comeback Player of the Year is...
Chan Ho Park.
Ángel Berroa was a solid enough replacement at short stop, but not incredibly impressive. Many always knew Hong-Chih Kuo was a good pitcher but just needed to stay healthy, and when he did that, he proved how good he could be. His comeback was not nearly as good as say...
Chan Ho Park, on the other hand, had a great year for someone who's career was looking in question coming into the season. Despite his dropoff near the end of the season, Chan Ho still had his lowest ERA since 2000. In fact, if not for a handful of bad games near the end of the season, Chan Ho had an ERA below 3.00 for most of the season. He played three different roles out of the bullpen (spot starter, short reliever, long reliever) and did it all well.
So with that, Chan Ho Park is the "J's Dodger Blog 2008 Comeback Player of the Year."
Player: Ángel Berroa
2008 Stats: .230, one homerun, 16 RBIs
2008 Analysis: Who would have thought before the season that Ángel Berroa would play more games at shortstop for us than any other player? And play he did. In fact, he made it into 84 games as a Dodger, more than half. And over that span, he did, well... eh...
He did have a couple good weeks of offensive play, but mostly the bat wasn't there. In fact, he didn't collect an RBI with us until July 21st... which doesn't sound too bad for a mid-season acquisition, except Berroa played his first game with us on June 8th.
Defensively, he was, well... eh... He had a .975 fielding percentage (eight errors in 318 chances) which was a step up from his career fielding percentage and for the most part is solid, but still, eh...
2009 Outlook: Berroa's option was declined by the Dodgers, so he's a free agent-ish. I'm not sure, I think we have first rights towards resigning him, but I don't know that the market is blazing hot for Ángel Berroa. I'm getting the same vibe for Berroa that I have for Pablo Ozuna. He's not good enough that he needs to be resigned, nor does he have an unmatched skill-set. I don't think we'll need him back for 2009.
Player: Luis Maza
2008 Stats: 18-79 (.228), one homerun, four RBIs
2008 Analysis: Maza was very similar to Pablo Ozuna, in both hitting and defense. He had one homerun this year, the first of his career, though that's mostly because he's spent his entire career in the minor leagues and finally got to debut this year. His numbers in AAA were impressive, but he didn't produce nearly as well once he reached the majors.
Defensively, Maza found his way into games at both shortstop and 2nd base, though, for a shortstop, he had a surprisingly weak arm. His throws were slow, and almost didn't seem to make it to 1st. He played 50 more innings at 2nd than at shortstop, but committed two errors at each position. He ended up with a .971 fielding percentage this year.
2009 Analysis: Remember what I said about Pablo Ozuna? He can't really hit, he can't really run, he doesn't really play a great defensive game. Well, Luis Maza does those things even less better than Ozuna. I feel there's no place for him on the team next year.
Player: Pablo Ozuna
2008 Stats: 7-32 (.219), one homerun, three RBIs
2008 Analysis: A mid-season acquisition from Chicago, Ozuna appeared in 36 games for the Dodgers, and got 32 at-bats. He did hit a homerun, the third of his career. Mostly though, Ozuna served as a utility glove off the bench. In fact, Ozuna made it into games as a 2nd baseman, a shortstop, a 3rd baseman, and an outfielder. He didn't commit an error, though, in 53 total chances, so that's... something...
2009 Outlook: Ozuna has a .959 career fielding percentage, he doesn't hit well, he doesn't have really good speed... I don't feel like there's any need for the Dodgers to bring him back next year, especially because if we really desperately need a utility infielder, there are enough alternatives (both from within our own farm system or on the free agent market) out there.
Ok, moving on to 2nd base.
Player: Jeff Kent
2008 Stats: .280, 12 homeruns, 59 RBIs
2008 Analysis: Was it just me, or did it seem like Jeff Kent missed more than just 41 games this year? In any case, Kent played well... for a 40-year old 2nd baseman though underperformed by his own standards.
He did have 440 at-bats this year, which isn't a full season, but enough of a sample size. His batting average and OBP was the lowest it's been since 1997 (his slugging was its lowest since 1996) and despite having only 54 at-bats less than he had in 2007, he had eight less homeruns and 20 less RBIs.
Defensively, Kent, who never was a Gold Glove 2nd Baseman to begin with, was sometimes difficult to watch playing 2nd. He's lost a step or two... his range is obviously much less than it used to be. 
His fielding percentage was .976 in limited chances. But then again, Kent's defense was never his strong suit.
2009 Outlook: There are a couple possible scenarios for Jeff Kent:
1. Kent decides to retire. If he does, then good for him. He's had a good long career (Career: 377 homeruns, 1518 RBIs, .290 average) and is most likely Hall-of-Fame bound.
2. Kent decides to keep playing. If he still wants to play, the best place for Kent is probably the DH position on an American League team. If he's willing to accept that DH role, he could have another year or two of swinging the bat left in his tank. However...
3. Kent decides to keep playing, but wants to remain a 2nd baseman. Jeff Kent is a man of pride. He might not want to play in the watered down position of a DH. Should he still want to play, and remain a 2nd baseman, he might be able to find a team willing to give him that role. The Dodgers, however, with Blake DeWitt in the wings, might be ready to move on. If that's the case, Kent will have to look elsewhere, possibly out of his comfort zone (his adopted state of Texas or his homestate of California) to find the job, which could be much less appealing.
How do I think this will all go down? Most likely, I feel like Jeff Kent will choose option 1. He's missed time due to injury the last three years, and his stats are falling, if only slightly. It might be time to ride off into the sunset. Kent certainly has some outside interests that would keep him busy. He's made it clear in the past that baseball doesn't mean everything to him. I think he might go choose to enjoy retirement on his ranch and wait a couple years for the Hall-of-Fame to come calling. But then again, Kent has never been an easy guy to read. Who knows? Maybe his desire for a World Series ring will having him coming back for another go at it. Whatever the choice is, I'm sure we haven't heard the last of Jeff Kent.
Mark Sweeney played two games at 1st base this year, and an inning in left field once. I think that makes him a 1st baseman...
Player: Mark Sweeney
2008 Stats: .130, 12-92, 5 RBIs
2008 Analysis: Mark Sweeney had 12 hits this year. That's it. For comparison, in the seven games from August 6th to August 12th, Matt Kemp had 13 hits. Matt Kemp matched Mark Sweeney's entire 2008 offensive output in one week, and he did it in 60 less at-bats. Better yet, Manny Ramírez collected 14 hits in five games from August 26th to August 30th. He did that in 70 less at-bats than Sweeney.
How bad was Mark Sweeney? Had not one, not two, but three instances during the season when he went over 20 days without a base hit (and I'm not counting his time on the DL). And all these people who said he supposed improved by the end of the season? From August 26th till the end of the season, he collected one base hit. Just one.
2009 Outlook: Mark Sweeney filed for free agency at the beginning of the offseason. I can't imagine he'll find a manager on any other team that would treat him as well as Joe Torre did. Mark Sweeney should have been cut before June started, and Torre kept him around for the entire season, even sacrificing better, younger players to keep a spot on the bench for good old Sweeney.
My hopes for 2009? I hope I don't see Mark Sweeney anywhere near a Dodger uniform unless it's as Coach Sweeney. Ok, let me rephrase. I don't ever want to see Mark Sweeney reaching for a bat in the Dodger dugout again. Ever.
Alright, now that catchers are done, we'll move around the diamond. On to 1st base...
Player: James Loney
2008 Stats: .289, 13 homeruns, 90 RBIs, 85 strikeouts, 45 walks, seven stolen bases
2008 Analysis: It's hard to say that a player that lead the team in RBIs with 90 had a disappointing year, but James Loney had a disappointing year.
Don't get me wrong, 90 RBIs is a big plus. However, for all the promise he showed in 2007, his first full season in 2008 was a big drop off. His power wasn't there. He had a little more than 250 at-bats in 2008 than in 2007 and hit two less homeruns. He also saw a drop off in his batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. I'm going to chalk this up to a sophomore slump (even though this is really his third season in the majors).
On a side note, Loney did flash a little speed, going seven for 11 in stolen base opportunites. Not bad for a 1st baseman.
Defensively, Loney showed some good improvement. For now, he's solid with the glove, and many predict he's only getting better. He committed 13 errors in 1498 total chances (.991 fielding percentage). That's an improvement from 2007. He only committed four more errors in 2008 than he made in 2007, with 700 more chances. That's a step in the right direction.
2009 Outlook: For 2009, I fully expect to see James Loney starting 160+ games for us at 1st base. There's not much reason to think this won't be the case. Though James, let's hit up the weight room a little more during the offseason, huh? 13 homeruns from our 1st baseman is a little underwhelming.
Player: A.J. Ellis
2008 Stats: 0-3, one run scored
2008 Analysis: A.J. Ellis came up as a September call-up and made it into four games, getting his only at-bats in the final game of the season. They weren't too impressive, but, of course, were hardly enough to judge him by. He did bat .321 during the season with Triple-A Las Vegas.
2009 Outlook: A.J. Ellis's minor league career has, for the most part, consisted of backing up Russell Martin. If Danny Ardoin, or a similar type backup catcher, can't be signed for relatively cheap, then I wouldn't mind giving Ellis a shot to back up Martin in the season.
Player: Gary Bennett
2008 Stats: .190, one homerun, four RBIs
2008 Analysis: Bennett had a bit of an odd year. He had one excellent game offensively, coming May 15th against Milwaukee when he collected his one homerun and all four of his RBIs for the year. The rest of his year, though, was noted by his inability to throw the ball directly back to the pitcher. He was placed on the 15-day DL on May 21st with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. I have no idea what that is, but it must have been bad, because Bennett was not seen from during the rest of the year.
2009 Outlook: The Dodgers had a $900,000 club option on Bennett for the 2009 season, with a $50,000 buyout, which the Dodgers have exercised to make Bennett a free agent. I definitely think Danny Ardoin would be a much cheaper alternative, and one who would probably put up better numbers anyway. I don't doubt that Bennett will be able to find a job with another team, but I don't think it'll be with the Dodgers.
In my last post, I covered starting catcher Russell Martin. In these next posts, I'll cover everyone else who played catcher this year.
Player: Danny Ardoin
2008 Stats: .235, one homerun, four RBIs
2008 Analysis: After starting the season in the minor leagues, Ardoin came up to replace an injured Gary Bennett and did an adequate job. He didn't hit that well, but he was better than Bennett. He also provided adequate defense, though again, he was better than Bennett. Still, I start to wonder what it is that we really require from a backup catcher. What kind of stats we would have to get from a backup catcher that would make me want to have him back the next year?
2009 Outlook: If Ardoin can be brought back for cheap (and I mean cheap), then he wouldn't be a bad option as a back up catcher. Ideally though, I would like to get a better hitting catcher so that we could give Russell Martin more days off without having to worry about a black hole of offense coming from the #8 spot.
2008 Analysis: Oh Nomar, what are we to think of you? When you are consistently healthy, you can still hit, but therein lies the problem. Nomar made three trips to the DL this season.
Well, we have a hole at 3rd base that needs to be filled, and it seems like a good fit to bring him back. ...but here's the thing. As much as I like Nomar, I can't trust him. I'm not willing to just resign Nomar and ink him in for 3rd base for the 2009 season because of his surprising ability to get hurt. He did make it into about 120 games in both 2006 and 2007 for us, but he hasn't played in more than that since 2003, so I'm a little bit scared of having a big hole at 3rd base for a good portion of the season.
