Mr. Falcon's 2009 Plan (pt. 3 Third Base)

This position has been musical chairs for the Dodgers ever since the departure of Adrian Beltre (which I'm still peeved about).

Last year was particularly turbulent at the hot corner. Nomar and Laroche got hurt in one spring training game. DeWitt came outta nowhere and was great in the first month of the year. However, he came crashing down and was likely the worst hitting 3B in the NL over his tenure (.728 OPS). We then acquired Casey Blake who got a bunch of cred from Ned and Kevin Kennedy. However, Blake only hit .250 and OPS'd only .773 over 211 ABs. That just won't cut it for 3B. Laroche was let go in the Manny deal. Nomar may retire and his congenital scar tissue condition won't let him be an everyday player regardless.

Despite overwhelming need there has been no mention of Ned looking for outside help. All the hot-stove discussion have been related to re-acquiring Casey Blake. This is pathetic and seems almost conspiratorial. We all remember Ned/Kennedy/etc on the McCourt's payroll dramatically praising Blake when discussion the key mid-season acquisitions. It often seemed as though there was a company directive to deflect attention from Manny and credit Blake despite his mediocre performance. It was like McCourt knew he wasn't going to pay Manny and really thinks that LA fans will believe any stupid shit that comes out of Ned's mouth. Nobody wants to give Blake a three year deal. Most recently the Twins (his other primary suitor) have pulled their offer after refusing to go to 3 years. How does Ned respond to this lack of competition and nobody interested in giving Blake 3 years??? He offers Blake 3 years. The heights of stupidity are unreal. Also, we traded notable Mexican guitarist, Rob Thomas collaborator, and catching prospect Carlos Santana for this wreckage. Santana is now listed by Baseball America as the Indians #1 prospect. Matt LaPorta, the centerpiece of the Sabathia deal, is their #2 prospect. Yes, we gave up a more highly touted prospect for Blake than was given for Sabathia. I knew hiring a beloved Nintendo character to run the organization was a bad idea.

As for outside help I think the two primary options we should be looking at are (1) Adrian Belte and (2) Joe Crede. I believe Beltre only has one more year on his deal at $11MM and Seattle has been rumored to be shopping him. He managed a .327 OBP last year to go along with 25HR (would have led the Dodgers). He also plays stellar D. Not sure what Seattle would want for him, but they're going nowhere fast and might treat any such deal as a salary dump. This would be a significant/low-risk upgrade and would be a great PR move. People remember the absolutely monster year he had in 2004. Crede is a proven power hitter when healthy (17HR in only 335 ABs), but a significant step down from Beltre. However, he only boast a career .306 OBP has back issues making him a significant injury risk.

Recommendation = Trade for Beltre using 2 mid-level prospects

Prediction = Resign Casey Blake at 3/$20MM