Player: Eric Stults
2008 Stats: 2-3, 3.49 ERA, 30 Ks, 1 CG shutout (7 starts)
2008 Analysis: Stults came up mid-season to make a handful of starts for the injured Dodger pitching staff and he wasn't too bad.
He had three quality starts (including the complete game shutout of the Chicago White Sox on June 25th) and four shorter outings (though none he never gave up more than four runs in an outing).
The interesting thing is that Stults made as many starts for the Dodgers as Greg Maddux, and for the most part, out-dueled him. He had the same amount of wins, fewer losses, a lower ERA, more strikeouts, and more complete game shutouts.
That's not bad for a kid who's really, sadly becoming a AAAA player.
2009 Outlook: It is a bit hard to pencil in Stults name in the 2009 starting rotation, even as a 5th starter. It's really a kinda tough predicament.
He's not been bad. In fact, he's shown signs of quality and he's left handed, which is a plus for any rotation. Still, there's a certain untangable about him that makes me feel uneasy about giving him 30 or so starts at the major league level.
Then again, the way this offseason is heading, who's to say who the Dodgers will have lined up for the 2009 season. Stults might very well find himself in the position by default ...which I guess I wouldn't have too much of a problem with...
Player: Greg Maddux
2008 Stats: 2-4, 5.09 ERA (7 starts) (Full Season: 8-13, 4.22 ERA)
2008 Analysis: Greg Maddux was acquired by the Dodgers on August 19th from the San Diego Padres and made seven starts from then until the end of the year. And frankly, he wasn't too impressive.
He did have three fairly good starts (September 1st, September 14th, and September 27th), and four pretty bad ones (August 22nd, August 27th, September 8th, and September 19th).
He did spend some quality time with our younger pitchers, though, and that almost makes his sub-par performance worth it.
2009 Outlook: Well, seeing as Maddux retired earlier in the offseason, I'm guessing his 2009 season will be spent with his family. I do hope though, that if he ever decides on becoming a coach, he does it with us. He's one of the better baseball minds in the game, and having him around our team can only bring good results.
Player: Brad Penny
2008 Stats: 6-9, 6.27 ERA, 51 Ks (17 starts, 19 games)
2008 Analysis: Wow, is it just me or does it seem like Brad Penny made way less than 17 starts this season? I guess I just had him in my head as being out most of the season. I suppose that's because he made only eight appearances after May, and two of those were giving up three runs over two games (one combined inning of work) in mid-September.
Yes, there was obviously something wrong with Brad Penny this year.
Which is too bad considering that when he's on his game, he's really a fantastic pitcher (see 2007).
On June 17th, Penny went on the 15-day DL, and for all intents and purposes, ended his season. He did make two starts in August before going back on the DL, and the aforementioned to appearance in September before going on the DL a third time (and most likely, his last as a Dodger).
2009 Outlook: Penny's option was not picked up by the Dodgers at the beginning of the offseason, which makes him a free agent. It looks like the Boston Red Sox are going to pick him up cheap, which is not a bad idea. Like I said before, Penny, when he's on, is an excellent pitcher. The Red Sox are gambling that he'll be that pitcher for them in 2009.
Player: Clayton Kershaw
2008 Stats: 5-5, 4.26 ERA, 100 Ks (21 starts, 22 games)
2008 Analysis: For a kid who turned 20 during Spring Training and started the year in AA, Kershaw certainly had a pretty good year for the Dodgers.
Despite being limited in innings to try and keep his arm fresh, he still made 21 starts, and in those starts, the Dodgers record was 13-8. Not bad for someone who can't legally gamble in Las Vegas yet.
His best stretch in the season probably came in five starts from July 27th to August 17th when he went 2-0 with a 1.45 ERA in 31 innings, also striking out 29 in the process. Not bad for someone who can't legally drink yet.
2009 Outlook: Barring some unforeseen mega-trade for a big name player, Kershaw should be in Dodger blue in 2009, and most likely in the starting rotation, probably, I would guess, right behind Kuroda.
Player: Hiroki Kuroda
2008 Stats: 9-10, 3.73 ERA, 116 Ks, 2 CG Shutouts (31 starts)
2008 Analysis: Though the stats seem somewhat pedestrian, Kuroda actually had a pretty good year in his rookie campaign. Well, rookie only in name, as Kuroda had many years experience in Japan, but still, his first year in the states served him pretty well. And not bad for a guy who was really a question mark coming into the season. Would he be more Daisuke Matsuzaka or Kei Igawa?
Well, turned out he was a little more on the Matsuzaka side.
His two complete game shutouts led the team, and both were incredibly impressive. One of them came June 6th against the Chicago Cubs. Kuroda gave up only four hits over the nine innings, while striking out 11. His other start came July 7th against the Atlanta Braves, where Kuroda gave up only one hit while striking out six.
At the same time, he was prone to the horrible outings every now and then. Six times he gave up five or more runs out of 31 starts. That's almost 20%. That includes a couple starts where he gave up six runs in less than three innings.
Ultimately, Kuroda had a slightly Jekyll-and-Hyde-ish, more Jekyll than Hyde, but my-oh-my, was the Hyde ugly.
2009 Outlook: Kuroda's pretty much a lock to make the rotation next year as long as he's healthy. He's still got a couple years on his contract and he seems pretty solid... there's no reason to suspect he won't be our #3 starter (or thereabout) next season.
Player: Chad Billingsley
2008 Stats: 16-10, 3.14 ERA, 201 Ks (32 starts, 35 games)
2008 Analysis: Chad Billingsley had a breakout year for the Dodgers.
He set a new career low in ERA, and new career highs in starts, wins, and strikeouts. And he collected his first complete game shutout of his career on July 30th.
He also found himself in several top ten statistical lists in the league (7th in ERA, 7th in wins, 6th in strikeouts).
Yeah, it was a pretty good year for just his third year in the league.
2009 Outlook: Billingsley slipped on some ice earlier in the offseason and broke his leg, which is something you definitely don't want to hear about. Luckily, his cast is already off, and doctors say he should be ready for Spring Training.
...and as such, he should be ready to be our #1 or #2 starter next year.
Ok, now that position players are done, we'll move onto pitchers, starters first, then relievers.
Player: Derek Lowe
2008 Stats: 14-11, 3.24 ERA, 147 Ks (34 starts)
2008 Analysis: After a slow start to the season, Derek Lowe really kicked it into gear and started pitching like a man who was going to be a free agent in the offseason.
I detailed some of his more impressive stats in this post, but simply put, Lowe had an excellent year.
2009 Outlook: Lowe is currently a free agent, and it doesn't look like he'll be returning to the Dodgers for 2009. The Mets are making a strong push for him at the moment.
The Dodgers have yet to make him an offer other than arbitration, and Lowe hasn't done much to show he wants to be back. In fact, several times during the season, Lowe dropped quotes indicating that he wouldn't resign with the Dodgers and that he'd be looking to return to the East Coast and/or an AL team.
I'm sure Lowe will get a nice multi-year contract with some other non-Dodger team, and we... well, we'll get a draft pick for that, so that's ok.
2008 Analysis: Stults came up mid-season to make a handful of starts for the injured Dodger pitching staff and he wasn't too bad.
2009 Outlook: It is a bit hard to pencil in Stults name in the 2009 starting rotation, even as a 5th starter. It's really a kinda tough predicament.
