LA Dodgers: 12 Moves a New Owner Must Make To Win over LA

The Los Angeles Dodgers are in a unique situation for the next MLB season.  They were previously in the midst of some ownership drama and on top of that did not have a great showing either.

With the exception of a few players, the Dodgers organization looks to redefine what made them so special in the first place.

A new owner is most likely taking over with the projected dismissal of Frank McCourt.  Assuming a new owner is to take over, new rules as well as a new atmosphere around the clubhouse is inevitable.

Not only will the potential new owner have to make some serious player acquisitions, but he or she will now have to hold themselves to a higher standard to the public and the clubhouse.  Due to recent drama, it will take more than just spending more money to win over the fans.  He or she will have to prove themselves as someone the people want to be represented by.

Must Keep Mattingly

Don Mattingly has proved himself to be a capable and competent manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Even during times of mass confusion in the front office, he managed to keep the Dodgers' record above .500 and his players still playing hard.  

Mattingly is realistic when it comes to what the club can do and what its options are.  He has been with the team through the bad and good times.  He was there to witness the faltering of ownership between Frank McCourt, as well as the triumphant play between Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw.  

Maintaining stability is crucial for a team whose members are worrying about whether or not they will get paid at the end of the month.  Mattingly has done that to the best of his capabilities and has gained credibility among players, coaches and fans.  

Keeping Mattingly as manager will be crucial in building the franchise back to its former glory.  With a new manager potentially on route, it is going to be vital to keep him on staff and passionate about this ballclub.

Left Fielder

The question for management is whether or not this role wants to be filled in a trade, free agency or from the pieces currently in place inside the team.  

An option for the potential new owner is to re-sign Juan Rivera given the opportunity.  It might be tough with Rivera having options to go around the league, but Rivera played decently for the Dodgers even in a down year.

Tony Gwynn Jr. could also make his way into the Dodgers starting lineup next season.  Unfortunately with the uncertain payroll situation, it will be tough to sign a player who is definitely going to get a big raise from his previous salary of $675,000.  

Catcher

Once again, this is an area of potential need for the Dodgers from last season.  The franchise has an up-and-coming star in Clayton Kershaw and needs a good catcher to complement him.  It will be vital for them to find a viable candidate who will mesh well with Kershaw as well as the rest of the pitching lineup.

A.J. Ellis is a decent player.  However, he seems to be a decent role player more so than a starter.  He is definitely someone that the Dodgers want to keep and grow as a player, however it will be vital for them to find a viable starter.

It looks like Rod Barajas could be a steal for the Dodgers if they handle this correctly.  Just like David Freese with the St. Louis Cardinals, having a hometown guy in the lineup is never a bad thing.  He will help create a good team environment as well as a break on the payroll.

It looked like Barajas played well with the Dodgers and wants to stay with them.  This could be an area where the Dodgers could save some money for more pressing issues such as batters and other starting pitchers.  

Second Baseman

One issue that the Dodgers had was that many of the players in the lineup were closer to utility players than specialty players.  

It looks like the Dodgers would not mind having both Jamey Carroll and Aaron Miles.  However, this is most likely not happening due to their lack of performance at this position.  With Blake leaving, Juan Uribe is looking like he will be playing third base full-time.

What this means that there is not a regular second baseman on the team who is ready to take over this position.  This is a position that will most likely have to be taken care of through free-agency pickups.

A potential pickup at this position would be Orlando Cabrera from the Cleveland Indians.  He brings skills at this particular position with a pretty decent bat.  If the Dodgers are willing to put up the money, this could help push this team towards the ultimate goal.

A Big Bat

The Dodgers need some hitters in their lineup to help alleviate some pressure off of Kemp who has been a monster this entire season.  

A big free agent that comes to mind is Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals.  It is going to be tough to take Pujols away from a team that he just won the World Series with, however if they do not want to pay him the money he is asking for, it just may work out that he walks.

Picking up Pujols would be huge for the Dodgers if they can get the payroll to back it up.

A Big Bat

Along with the previous mention of Pujols, a big-name free agent is Prince Fielder from the Milwaukee Brewers.  This seems to be a more likely option for the Dodgers if they are willing to up their payroll.

He brings a big bat which is something the Dodgers struggled with last season.  Although Kemp played well, Loney and Ethier did not play to the highest of standards.  Hopefully with those two playing better next season and Kemp continuing to play the way he has while adding Fielder to the batting lineup, the Dodgers can have a formidable team.

The new owner is going to have to be willing to put out some money to pick him up.  However, it does seem like a more viable option than Pujols due to the lack of success the Brewers had in terms of winning the World Series.

Pitching

The Dodgers could opt to go after some good pitchers.  One that comes to mind is CC Sabathia of the New York Yankees.  However, it looks bleak with how much money Sabathia would probably demand.

Kershaw played at an MVP caliber last season and looks poised to become one of the league's best but the team could use some backup in their pitching rotation.

With Hiroki Kuroda being surrounded by true LA drama of whether or not he will stay or go, the franchise has to try to keep him on the team.  Kuroda is a good player and a good teammate who has been with the Dodgers all his MLB career.  

If it comes down to money, it will most likely be that he stays wearing the Dodger blue.  If it comes down to personal feelings towards ending his career in Japan or the United States, then the team will just have to wait for his decision.

Pitching

If the Dodgers can keep Kuroda and Kershaw in their clubhouse, then the need for more pitchers might not be as pressing as they do have talented young prospects.  

However, adding one more pitcher to the lineup to help solidify a three- or four-man rotation would help tremendously.

Some big names out there are CC Sabathia, Roy Oswalt and even Adam Wainwright.  Obviously it will be tough to just acquire these players due to the size of the contracts they will most likely demand.  

Having another ace in the starting rotation would only help strengthen a squad whose pitching and overall defense was in the top 10 in the league.

A New Owner Must Have Credentials

Every new owner needs to come in with a plan and the background or expertise to execute it.  No team has ever accepted a new player, coach or owner without knowing that they were qualified to excel at that position.

As shown in the Chicago Cubs' employment of Theo Epstein, the hype surrounding the hire was mostly grounded on the claims that Epstein can turn a troubled franchise around.  It was shown through his work with the Boston Red Sox and will hopefully continue with the Cubs.  

If a new owner is going to come in =to the Dodgers clubhouse, he or she is going to need to have the background of knowing how to run a team as well as have proof of success.  For a franchise that has so much history and talent, it is hard to see them hiring someone based solely on potential.  

Hopefully the team can be sold to an owner who is willing to make tough decisions and a smart business man.

Showing Transparency

The last thing a team needs from a new owner is someone who has shady business tactics.  The Los Angeles Dodgers do not want an owner who is going to try to meddle in all the small details of a team either.

Any new owner that comes in has to be willing to show the coaches, players and workers their intentions and how they are going to go about it.  

Previous incidents with management will hurt the new owner in the beginning, however with all the plans laid out, it will be helpful for the rest of the club to get on board.  

Frank McCourt’s divorce battle put a huge burden on the team, however one of the better decisions he made was to not interfere with the team’s actions.  He stayed away from the inner workings which allowed the players to focus on their play.

Character

The last pressing matter for a new owner, in terms of personal portrayal to the public, is he or she showing that they embody the characteristics the franchise wants to portray.

In recent times, the public relations of the Dodgers has started to go downhill from the beating of the Giants fan up to the ugly divorce battle between the McCourts.  

With the McCourt drama that is ensuing, if the Dodgers end up being bought out by a new owner, it will be vital for he or she to show that they are not there to mess around but to win championships and do it the right way.

He or she would have to present themselves in a manner consistent with the feel of a championship team.  Also, they would have to show that they are good people who can lead a team.  It will be important to the fans that the ownership will be handled by someone who will bring a better light onto the organization.

Formulate a Game Plan

As Theo Epstein subtly hinted at in his conference with the Chicago Cubs, it is necessary for any new management to understand the time table that is required to build a franchise to World Series standards.

If this new owner comes in oblivious to what is needed, it is going to be long couple years in Los Angeles.  

The potential new owner will need to sit down with the current or potential staff and determine a game plan with expected years till completion.

Having these new goals and ideas explained and executed will result in a bright future for the LA Dodgers and the fans of that live and die Dodger blue.