Bleacher Report - NL West

LA Confidential: Dodgers Owner Frank McCourt Is Running Out of Money

PJ Ross — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:23:02 -0500

I was foolishly under the impression that things couldn’t get any murkier for the Los Angeles Dodgers front office.

Then I came across a startling article in the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday that claims Dodgers owner Frank McCourt is running out of money.

Uh-oh.

The piece, written by John Emshwiller, details some very disturbing facts that have emerged from the divorce papers filed between Frank, the team owner, and his soon-to-be ex-wife Jamie, former Dodgers CEO.

To quickly summarize what has happened up until this point, the heart of the divorce hearings will be to decide whether or not Frank is the sole owner of the team, a claim that Jamie argues is completely false.

She insists that they have joint ownership of the club, valued at $800 million, and is entitled to half of the club and its assets.

Jamie is fighting to gain back that lost share because Frank fired her shortly over a month ago, citing insubordination—in the form of an alleged affair with a personal security assistant—and her insufficient performance in the front office.

A judge has already upheld her dismissal from the club, and the couple is waiting for what will be an ugly showdown during their court proceedings in which a Los Angeles county court will divide the couple's assets.

Taking things back to the Wall Street Journal article, the most shocking thing revelation is how Frank is “essentially living from paycheck-to-paycheck” and only has $1.2 million of cash assets at his disposal.

It even goes so far as to say his liquid assets dropped as low as $167,000 recently after making a $700,000 payment to his wife for her expenses.

That may seem like a hefty sum of cash to most people, but for the owner of a professional sports team it amounts to merely pennies.

Additionally, Jamie says that Frank is behind on mortgage payments—which started as high as $28 million to pay off two homes in Malibu valued at $45 million total.

Jamie currently has more accessible liquid assets than Frank, and she has offered to buy the team from him outright, but he insists that it’s not for sale.

The current unrest highlights worries that have been present ever since the McCourts bought the team in 2004.

There have always been lingering questions as to how much money Frank really has in his name and if his funds are enough to fully support the organization.

Whatever the case may be, the bottom line is that these new revelations could have damning implications for the Boys in Blue.

The focus of the baseball world will now be thrust upon the impact that the McCourt divorce will have on one of the most storied franchises in all of sports.

Not only does it leave the future in doubt, but it also raises questions about recent transactions and the effect the upcoming divorce may have had on them.

Clearly, both Frank and Jamie saw this divorce coming, because we all know that 700 sheets of divorce papers don’t just come out of nowhere.

We also already know that at the present time, the organization is making an attempt to be financially responsible, which has already resulted in the team exiting bidding for John Lackey despite the glaring need for a top-end starting pitcher.

So is it possible that the pending divorce case prevented the Dodgers from trading for Cliff Lee or Roy Halladay at the trading deadline?

I think the answer is most definitely yes.

What a shame it is—that the Dodgers could have had their ace if Frank and Jamie McCourt could have just figured out their personal matters.

More worrisome is the litany of young players headed to arbitration in the next two years, including Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Chad Billingsley, and Clayton Kershaw.

From this point forward, it appears that Frank is on a collision course with being forced to sell the team, as demonstrated last year when we saw the San Diego Padres owner sell the team as a result of a nasty divorce.

A change of ownership would be a gigantic issue, especially with so many players headed to arbitration, and the team could face a scenario where they lose most of the young core of this top-end team.

Whether Frank has to sell his share of the team to Jamie, or to a third party, the ownership flux in Los Angeles will be a colossal detriment to the Dodgers' title hopes.

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Hot Stove Rumors: Adrian Gonzalez the Focus of Padres-White Sox-Angels Talks

Todd Kaufmann — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:05:32 -0500

Rumors have been flying about him since the trade deadline last July. Padre fans, as well as the San Diego media, sat on the edge of their seats as the hours and minutes ticked away, wondering if Adrian Gonzalez was about to be traded.

The deadline came, and the news that followed shocked everybody when it was learned that it was Jake Peavy that had been dealt and not Gonzalez.

Now that the offseason is in full swing, the Gonzalez rumors have started to fly once more—though this time they don't involve the Boston Red Sox.

Corey Brock of MLB.com talked about an Internet rumor that came a week ago that might have legs.

According to this rumor, the Padres have been in discussions with the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles (don't call me Anaheim) Angels. The deal would send White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko and a handful of prospects from both teams to San Diego.

Where the Angels come in on this deal is not clear, though they will be looking for a DH once outfielder Vladimir Guerrero hits free agency after this season. They could find that DH in Juan Rivera, opting to keep Gonzalez and his Gold Glove defense at first base.

As for Gonzalez himself, he seems to think that he's in a good position whatever happens.

"If I get to stay here with the Padres and stay in my hometown and live here at home and be with these great fans and great city, then I'm in a winning situation," he told Brock. "If I end up getting traded, I'm getting traded to a team that more than likely will be in the playoffs and will be contending for a World Series title."

There's been no word out of the Padres' camp of the validity of the rumor, though the team has been known to be quiet about potential trades. That was evident when Peavy was traded, as there were no rumors, or any talk at all, that there could be a trade in the works for the right-hander.

The Padres are in the driver's seat with any deal that they are approached with. They are in no way obligated to trade their star first baseman, and they have no problem hanging on to him and possibly working on a long-term extension.

Don't count out the Boston Red Sox in any deal. They made their interest known prior to the deadline last year, and there's no doubt they'll have it on their mind when the Winter Meetings get underway on Dec. 7.

For San Diego, they would have to sell their fans on the players they get in return if they were to trade Gonzalez, the current face of the franchise, especially after the heat the team took after not re-signing Trevor Hoffman and trading Jake Peavy—neither of which went over real well with the Padre fans.

If a deal is made, the Padres would have to be absolutely overwhelmed with the players they'd be getting in return. It's the exact reason a deal wasn't struck before the deadline last season because San Diego wasn't getting back what they wanted.

With Kevin Towers no longer the general manager and Jed Hoyer stepping into his spot, there's no telling what kind of package the new regime will be looking for. One thing is for sure: The team will be all too happy to have Gonzalez on their Opening Day roster.

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We Don't Want No Drama: Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp Standout for the Dodgers

PJ Ross — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:05:28 -0500

Thus far, the offseason for the Los Angeles Dodgers has been mired in speculation about the divorce of Frank and Jamie McCourt.

Does the team have enough expendable money to fill their roster holes?

Will Frank have to sell the team to a third party?

Is this organization dedicated to winning even with the front office distractions?

But no amount of off the field drama can sour the recognition being earned by Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp.

Both players would be the first to admit that personal accolades mean nothing, even after they each earned Silver Slugger awards and both finished in the top 10 in MVP voting.

On top of that, Kemp won a Gold Glove for his play in center field.

Ethier came in sixth and was sandwiched between two fellow NL West players, Troy Tulowitzski and Pablo Sandoval. The Dodgers' right fielder received two second place votes, three fourth place votes, and 113 total points.

Kemp finished 10th, earning two nods for fourth place and totaling 49 points.

When asked to comment about the awards, each young star will surely downplay the recognition they are receiving.

Don't let that fool you though, as the recognition of the youngsters will go a long way in the clubhouse. Having two players acknowledged as being amongst the elite in the National League is a positive experience for the entire team.

It motivates pitchers, knowing that they have two outstanding bats to support them for at least a couple more years.

It encourages those in the Dodgers' farm system that an organizational talent like Kemp can excel in the majors at such a young age.

It provides the Los Angeles fan base with alternative options, aside from "Mannywood," to rally around when they go to Chavez Ravine for a game.

And while celebrating the accolades of Ethier and Kemp might seem trivial with the absence of a trip to the World Series, we have to remember that championship teams aren't always built in one season, and sometimes not even two.

Joe Torre has guided the Dodgers to back-to-back NL West titles but has failed in each postseason against the Philadelphia Phillies, yet there is no manager in baseball better equipped to bounce back from such disappointing conclusions to consecutive seasons.

Torre knows that with two or three new pitchers, a new second baseman, and a (hopefully) rejuvenated Manny Ramirez, this team is very capable of taking home a World Series championship.

Which brings us full circle, right back to the organizational unrest.

Is there enough money?

Are there going to be new owners?

Will the front office be committed to winning for the long-haul?

So take a deep breath and enjoy the awards won by Ethier and Kemp, because this could be one long, dramatic offseason experience.

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Anthony Gwynn: A $12M Player?

Daniel Gettinger — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:18:01 -0500

This Article Originally Appeared on Friar Forecast

I was browsing the Padres page on Fangraphs this evening and came across something absolutely shocking: Fangraphs estimates Anthony Gwynn was worth $12.6M last season.

Gwynn’s value is not derived from the bat, where he was about two runs below average. Instead, it comes almost entirely from his fielding.

Gwynn’s UZR, in only 113 games was was 13.6, or 19.4/150 games. He was exceptional both in CF, as well as RF.

As usual when dealing with fielding statistics, it is important to keep in mind the small sample, but Gwynn appears to have been a good fielder during his time in Milwaukee as well. In 51 games with the Brewers (over the 2007 and 2008 seasons), Gwynn compiled a UZR of 4.4 (nearly 13/150 games).

In Tango’s fan’s scouting report, Gwynn does not rate nearly as highly, garnering a fairly average 3.63 mark. However, only 16 votes were cast for Gwynn, so it is tough to tell what to make of his score there.

I am not convinced Gwynn is truly such a great fielder. The sample we have on him is incredibly small, and I certainly never thought he looked outstanding in the outfield, but if he does in fact prove to be an excellent defender, Gwynn could be a nice fourth outfielder.

With his decent speed, ability to play all of the outfield positions well, and affordability, Gwynn could prove to have actual value, not just a great last name.

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Considerations for a No. 4 Starter: Who Will the Diamonbacks Sign?

Jeff Summers — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:23:35 -0500

With the trade for Aaron Heilman the Arizona Diamondbacks addressed one of their needs for the 2009 offseason. Going into the free agency period Arizona general manager Josh Byrnes publicly stated he was interested in finding a reliever, a veteran bench player, and a No. 4 starter for the rotation.

Now that the free agent market is officially open the Diamondbacks are free to negotiate with any of the current crop of players on the market. The deadline for filing for free agency is now closed meaning we now know who is available.

Given their budget constraints you can safely conclude the Diamondbacks will not be major players in the free agent market at least not for the big name players. You should probably not hold your breath waiting for an announcement from Chase Field that the Diamondbacks have signed Matt Holliday or Jason Bay.

Nor will you hear the Diamondbacks are in serious negotiations with John Lackey’s agent on a multi-year deal. Instead, the Diamondbacks will target the lower tier of free agents, those who may not be a team’s first choice and may be available as spring training nears.

There are reasons why these players are usually still available. Either they are coming off a down year or in some cases there are questions about their durability or injury status.

Some of these players will sign performance based contracts rewarding them for durability or achieving key statistics. Others will take a one year deal hoping to prove they are healthy to sign a multi-year deal next off-season.

These types of players are a high-risk/high-reward kind of decision. Choose wisely and you are rewarded with a player who exceeds expectations. Pick poorly and a team may find itself paying for a player who spends most of the season on the disabled list.

Last year the Diamondbacks thought they found the answers with Tom Gordon and Jon Garland. In Garland’s case he gave them perhaps more than they were expecting. His performance gave the team the ability to move him at the trade deadline receiving what they hope is their second baseman of the future.

In the case of Tom Gordon he never did pan out sustaining injury after injury. Finally as the season was winding down the Diamondbacks released him getting very little if anything from their investment.

Given the current crop of pitchers on the free agent market, which ones should the Diamondbacks target to potentially add to the 2010 roster? Of the 171 players who filed for free agency the MLB web site lists 46 starting pitchers.

From this list there are several that jump out as someone who could definitely help the Arizona Diamondbacks. My personal picks of pitchers to target in order of preference include: Jason Marquis, Randy Wolf, Ben Sheets, Brad Penny, Joel Pineiro, and Rich Harden.

Jason Marquis has had a lot of success in his career. He has a 94-83 lifetime record with a 4.48 ERA. In three seasons he pitched over 200 innings in a season and in two others he pitched 190 plus innings meaning you are getting a durable pitcher. For the past three years he has seen his home runs allowed decrease, an important thing for pitching at Coors Field or Chase Field.

Randy Wolf was on the Diamondbacks radar last season as the team made a run at signing him. Wolf instead signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers and was a thorn in the side of the Diamondbacks throughout the season both on the mound and at the plate.

Wolf is another durable pitcher who eats up innings. Last season he limited batters to a .227 average. His 3.23 ERA and 1.10 WHIP both show how difficult Wolf is to get on base against. The problem is one of location. Wolf prefers to pitch on the west coast and will likely re-sign with the Dodgers or perhaps the cross-town Angels.

Ben Sheets is coming off surgery and missed the entire 2008 season. According to his agent he should be ready by spring training. Sheets has by far the best upside of any pitcher in the free agency market. The question is one of durability. He has had a long history of injuries and there is no telling how many innings he could be counted upon next season.

In 1996, the Arizona Diamondbacks drafted Brad Penny out of Broken Arrow High School. He, along with Nick Bierbrodt and John Patterson formed the “three phenoms” and were counted on to be the future rotation. Penny was traded to the Florida Marlins in 1999 for Matt Mantei and went on to a very good career.

Now as he enters the backside of his career the Diamondbacks would love to have him return to where he started. Penny has had great success in the National League especially the NL West. He has had some injury problems but when healthy can give you 150-180 innings.

Joel Pineiro saw his career rebound after going to St. Louis. He is another pitcher who is capable of giving you 200 innings of work, a rare but valuable capability from a number four starter. Pineiro’s 3.49 ERA and 1.14 WHIP are both very good. The only question is whether Arizona would make an offer lucrative enough to convince Pineiro to walk away from St. Louis.

Rich Harden is another one of those cases with an interesting risk/reward proposition. When with Oakland Harden showed a lot of promise. He and current Diamondbacks starter Dan Haren are good friends which could help lure him to the desert.

There are questions of durability. Harden has never pitched more than 140 innings in a season. The Diamondbacks would have to factor this in when putting their roster together to account for the lack of innings over the course of the season.

Any of these pitchers would add the necessary depth to the Diamondbacks starting staff to give them a chance to compete each time they take the mound. Given the production from the number four slot last season that is all you can really ask from a pitcher.

Don’t expect a quick decision from the Diamondbacks on this.

They will probably take the same stance as they did last off-season and patiently wait for the market to determine the value and settle for the pitcher willing to accept a one-year contract meaning we will go through this again next off-season.

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Diamondbacks Fill 40-Man Roster

Jeff Summers — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:12:28 -0500

Shortly after the postseason ended, the Arizona Diamondbacks made changes to their 40-man roster, designating players and moving them around, leaving the team with 35 on the roster. The addition of Aaron Heilman brought the total to 36, still four short of the maximum.

The Diamondbacks today filled out the remainder of their roster, adding players and reinstating others from the 60-day disabled list.

Outfielder Conor Jackson and pitchers Chad Qualls and Brandon Webb were activated from the 60-day disabled list. Additionally, Arizona added outfielder Cole Gillespie and pitchers Roque Mercedes, Daniel Stange, and Jordan Norberto to the roster.

Gillespie has been playing in the Arizona Fall League and has opened eyes since coming over with Mercedes from the Milwaukee Brewers in the Felipe Lopez trade on July 19. Gillespie played well this season, hitting .273 in the minor leagues.

During the Arizona Fall League Gillespie hit .333 in 20 games with seven doubles and a home run. He also had two stolen bases. For the most part he played left field and exhibited good range and a decent arm. Given his performance, look to see him challenge for a backup outfielder job with Arizona next spring.

Mercedes was assigned to the Diamondbacks' Double-A affiliate Mobile after the Brewers trade, where he appeared in 15 games, compiling a 3.32 ERA, striking out 25, and walking 10. Mercedes looks to be headed back to Mobile to begin the 2010 campaign, but a good spring may push him onto the Reno roster.

Daniel Stange was a seventh round draft pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2006 amateur draft. He played the entire 2009 season for the Double-A Mobile Bay Bears, appearing in 39 games and pitching 51.2 innings. Stange had a 4.88 ERA, striking out 44 and walking only 15. Stange led the Bay Bears with 10 saves.

Jordan Norberto is a 22-year-old left-handed pitcher from the Dominican Republic who spent time with Mobile as well as Visalia in the California League. He struggled in 19 games with Mobile and was sent down to work on his control. In 29 games in Visalia he dominated, pitching 44.2 innings with a 1.61 ERA. He struck out 59 while waking 22.

With the roster now full, any additions the Diamondbacks make through free agency or trade will need to come with an accompanying roster move in order to make room. This makes you wonder what general manager Josh Byrnes might be planning given his statements that at least one of the team’s needs will be filled through free agency.

The winter has only just begun, yet the Diamondbacks already have made moves that leave the fans and baseball insiders scratching their heads. Hopefully someone has a plan; otherwise this is going to be a very long offseason.

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