MLB Trade Deadline: 7 Ways Dodgers Ownership Situation Impacts Deadline Activity

Ah, how long ago does that happy picture look like it was taken? Well, 2004 is the correct year, when the old Dodgers were free of troubles and legal woes. Now it seems like a lifetime ago, and the end of this dramatic fall from grace seems nowhere in sight.

Honestly, the franchise has never been this low, and the hope in Los Angeles has waned to more embarrassing levels than ever before. However, the Dodgers still press onward and could potentially be major players in the upcoming Major League trade deadline on July 31st. 

Because of the fluctuating ownership situation in Los Angeles and the Major League Baseball takeover by commissioner Bud Selig, the Dodgers have been put into a predicament few teams have before. With a bloated payroll of over $103 million, not to mention the millions owed to previous players in back-payments, the Dodgers are in many ways bound into submission. 

Because embattled owner Frank McCourt is trying to remain in control while the MLB technically runs the day-to-day aspect of the team, this will dramatically affect how the Dodgers can act in terms of trades and contracts. 

Furthermore, with a 47-57 record and 13 games behind the NL West-leading San Francisco Giants, the Dodgers are in a foreign position of being sellers at the trade deadline. Many teams have inquired about Dodgers like reliable starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda and utility man Jamey Carroll.

The Dodgers, out of the playoff race unless a miracle happens, are going to be looking to build for the future but have no reliable financial basis. 

There are many ways the ownership debacle will affect the next few days, where general manager Ned Colletti could be attempting to salvage his job by getting young prospects in return for underperforming veterans with inflated contracts.

The question is: Will the Dodgers have to sell off one of their biggest stars in order to make payroll next season? Will Matt Kemp have to go if the team can not afford to give him the raise and extension he deserves? Will Andre Ethier be traded if the Dodgers cannot give him a multi-year deal because of a fluctuating ownership situation? 

Let’s find out what might transpire over the next crucial few days.

Effect #1: Dodgers Dump Ethier Because of Future Salary Restrictions

The 2011 season could not have been more disappointing for Dodgers fans so far, as all expectations have been thrown out the window. Now, all fans hope for is avoiding embarrassment. It has been a tough season, but it would only be compounded if the Dodgers made a huge mistake by trading All-Star sluggers Andre Ethier or Matt Kemp.

Ethier, an All-Star two years in a row and batting .297 this season with 10 home runs and 47 RBIs, has had a solid season after a great start. Ethier’s 30-game hitting streak was the only positive news in Dodgertown during the tumultuous first months of the season, where the club almost did not make payroll and had to give up power to the MLB. 

Ethier has become a superstar in Los Angeles and is making $9.25 million this season, well worth his value. However, with the emergence of Kemp and Clayton Kershaw as perhaps two of the best players in the game, Ethier might be on the outside looking in. 

With the ownership situation being so murky, the Dodgers front office might come to the realization that they cannot pay for all three superstars. They might choose to attempt to trade Ethier to get the most for him before he becomes arbitration-eligible this offseason. The move would not be accepted by Dodger fans and would bring back memories of the awful Mike Piazza trade of 1997. 

Could the Dodgers dangle Ethier in hopes of getting some phenomenal prospects in return? Knowing that he will cost well over $10 million next season to patrol right field, will Major League Baseball be active in trying to save money and help facilitate negotiations for Ethier? 

This is a long shot. But of all the big splashes the Dodgers could make in the next three days, this one could be the most shocking. Trading Ethier would alienate another generation of Dodger fans. No matter what prospects they received, the Dodgers might dig an even larger grave by dealing him. 

Effect #2: To Prevent Complete Bankruptcy, Dodgers Trade Kemp, Get 5 Prospects

The only other true offensive threat the Dodgers could crush hearts by trading is Matt Kemp. The embattled slugger has dealt with a lot of criticism during his tenure so far but has continued to improve and has had an absolutely incredible season. Kemp is batting .310 with 24 home runs and 75 RBIs—not to mention 27 stolen bases. 

Kemp’s play has electrified the empty and depleted Dodger Stadium this year, giving the faithful in the park hope for the future built around him. His defensive play has been spectacular at times, and he has molded himself into the positive clubhouse personality of whom naysayers were skeptical. 

Trading Kemp would be a shell-shocking move, prompting major backlash from fans. Kemp is a future cleanup hitter for the next 10 years, and at only 26, he could be a Dodger for a long time. However, the Dodgers will have to pay for his services this winter, and Kemp will be looking for a big contract. 

The Dodgers just have to find some money to sign him to extensions, which they might not be able to do. If Ned Colletti decides there is no way to pay Kemp, trading him now and getting multiple dynamite prospects, say five, would be a worthy trade. 

Kemp is invaluable to the team, and it is painful to think about a lineup with no Kemp because of his solo performance this season. But the Dodgers must find a way to pay for him this winter. 

Kemp could be the face of the franchise, so it would be a true shame if the front office executives decided to save some money and get rid of this MVP-quality center fielder. 

Effect #3: Dodgers Manage to Dump Veterans, Sign Andre and Matt Long Term

The crippling effects of the ownership situation have turned the Dodgers into not just sellers—but beggars. With the bloated contracts of Rafael Furcal (a free agent after the season), Juan Uribe (in the first of a three-year contract) and Ted Lilly (also in the first year of a three-year deal), the Dodgers are tied up financially. 

With the Dodgers unable to spend a lot of money this offseason because they don’t know who will be writing the checks, it is imperative to get rid of some money in order to sign Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and Clayton Kershaw to extensions. 

The Dodgers have been shopping pitcher Hiroki Kuroda furiously, trying to sell Kuroda’s $12 million contract to a contending team. Kuroda is 6-13 with a respectable 3.11 ERA, pitching well but getting no run support. 

The Dodgers have been in talks with the New York Yankees. Other teams such as the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers have inquired about the Japanese-born righty. 

Furcal is getting less play on the market because of his injuries and his declining performance. Furcal is still batting less than .200 on the year and has struggled to stay on the field, detracting teams away from him and towards utility man Jamey Carroll, who is only earning $1.8 million this season. 

Uribe will be the hardest sell after being a complete bust in his first year. After signing a three-year, $21 million contract in the offseason, Uribe has looked terrible at the plate and lost in the field. Currently batting just .204, no team is going to take that contract unless they truly believe he can reclaim some of the magic he possessed last year during the playoff run with the Giants. 

Ned Colletti is going to have to work magic to unload some salary. But it is necessary to free up some money to sign Kemp and Ethier to long-term deals now. Kershaw can still be re-signed until the end of next season. 

Effect #4: Dodgers Package Loney or Billingsley with Veterans to Save Money

In order to get rid of a very overpriced player such as Juan Uribe, the Dodgers might have to package a young talent in order to get the contending team to bite. The Dodgers might have to dangle Chad Billingsley or James Loney to the other team and actually part ways with the young players.  

Billingsley has been very effective this season. He is also due a raise this offseason, so the Dodgers could save some money with him. However, he has been an extremely effective No. 2 pitcher this season. 

Loney, on the other hand, has disappointed yet again offensively. Batting .257 with only four home runs and 33 RBIs, his power threat and presence in the lineup is nonexistent. The Dodgers could give up on Loney and see if another team will take him, and then usher in the Jerry Sands era at first base, giving the prospect a chance to start full time. 

Effect #5: Major League Baseball Blocks Proposed Trades Because of Payroll

In a hypothetical world, the Dodgers would be able to trade James Loney for a good player. If this player was, say Chone Figgins of the Seattle Mariners, the Dodgers might not be able to complete the trade. Since Figgins is making $9 million this season and is signed to a four-year, $36 million contract, Major League Baseball could block the Dodgers from making the trade because it takes on too much salary. 

Even if the Dodgers got rid of salary, let’s say Ted Lilly’s $11 million a year, $33 million over three years salary, Tom Schieffer (pictured here) and the people at MLB can make or veto any decision they want. 

This makes Ned Colletti’s job even tougher, as he is basically working for two bosses. Since he must answer to Frank McCourt, he is attempting to follow McCourt's desires while also pleasing the MLB leaders who are overseeing the Dodgers currently. 

The Dodgers should not be trying to raise their payroll and take on salary. But if the situation was right to take on some salary to get an impact player for the future, look for the MLB to block a trade and send it back to the drawing board. 

Effect #6: Players Veto Trades to Los Angeles Because of Lack of Security

Even if the MLB does not veto a trade, there is a strong possibility that if a player with a no-trade clause is traded to Los Angeles, he will veto that trade. Many players have openly stated that it is unfair to Dodger players to not know where their paycheck is going to come from and who their leadership is going to be. 

Some players around baseball have stated they pity the players and the Dodgers, which has to be the greatest embarrassment for Dodger leadership. To be a part of the Dodgers storied franchise is a great honor—or was a great honor, before this terrible debacle. 

Hiroki Kuroda, pictured here, has openly stated he does not want to play anywhere but Los Angeles, so at least the Dodgers have maintained some dignity. In fact, no player this year has openly complained, a huge accomplishment for manager Don Mattingly, who has suppressed any frustrations by focusing the energy on the field. 

Let’s hope if the Dodgers acquire someone of merit, they will look toward the future like the rest of Dodger fans. 

Effect #7: Frank McCourt Attempts to Raise Payroll by Trading for Barry Zito

In the off chance the MLB overseers fall asleep, Frank McCourt could attempt to sabotage his own team and try to acquire Barry Zito from the San Francisco Giants. He could then re-sign him to a seven-year, $126 million contract. 

Is this a joke? Well, maybe. But when the Giants signed him to that contract, it was also a joke. As a writer, anytime I can take a jab at the Giants and insult McCourt, I’m going for it. 

McCourt has overseen some horrendous trades, no worse than last year’s trade of James McDonald to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Octavio Dotel. He could try to do something drastic and drastically terrible at that. 

McCourt has proved time and time again that he is nothing but awful for this organization. The best thing he can do is stay out of the picture until the courts take the team away from him.