5 Offseason Moves the Los Angeles Dodgers Must Make

The Los Angeles Dodgers finished the season 82-79, a fairly unremarkable year, had it not been for the breakout of left-hander Clayton Kershaw and center fielder Matt Kemp.

The third place Dodgers ended up being one of the more exciting teams to watch down the stretch because of Kershaw and Kemp, despite the fact that they had no playoff aspirations. Both players were in pursuit of major hardware and milestones and it brought the entire team to life.

In addition to those two, there was the opportunity to watch potential young stars such as right-hander Nathan Eovaldi and of course shortstop Dee Gordon.

Next season, all of those guys are set to return. But there are a few more people the Dodgers should bring into the fold for 2012 and the long term, as well as a few they should dump.

No. 5: Re-Sign Jamey Carroll

Jamey Carroll has been one of the unsung heroes in Chavez Ravine the past two years.

He has been an every day player despite not having a starting role.  Carroll played extensively at shortstop, filling in for former Dodger Rafael Furcal. He has been a fill-in at second and third bases as well.

During his time in Los Angeles, he has been as good as a role player could be, batting .290 and playing in 146 games. However, he turns 38 in February and could command a contract higher than what the Dodgers are willing to pay.

If not Carroll, Aaron Miles could fill the void as well.

No. 4: Re-Sign Hiroki Kuroda

There's a reason why so many teams were trying to trade for righty, Hiroki Kuroda at the trade deadline.

He got the job done.

He finished the year 13-16 (a career high in wins and losses), a 3.07 ERA and 161 strikeouts. A 13-16 record usually isn't something to be touted, but Kuroda pitched six scoreless innings in 25 percent of his starts. He had 22 quality starts, pitching at least six innings having given up only three or less runs.

After vetoing every trade opportunity to a contender just to stay with the Dodgers, Kuroda is expected to re-sign in Los Angeles—if he stays in the country. At 36, some thought that he would want close out his career in his native Japan.

Dodger fans should hope he decides to stay because he has been a hidden gem the past few seasons.

No. 3: Sign Grady Sizemore

In 2011, the Dodgers had a revolving door in left field.

Tony Gwynn Jr, Juan Rivera, Jerry Sands, Jay Gibbons, Marcus Thames, Xavier Paul and Jamie Hoffman all saw time out there.

Jerry Sands is slated to be the starter in left, but Grady Sizemore would be an upgrade over him or anyone else already in the Dodgers' organization.

While Sizemore has certainly had his injury problems, he only played in 104 games in the past two seasons. When he is healthy, he is a very exciting player.

He has a good combination of speed and power and is a sort of poor man's Matt Kemp. With the potential of Andre Ethier being traded or simply leaving after 2012, Sizemore can move to right and Sands can takeover in left.

If he can be healthy for a full season, he will easily provide the Dodgers the bat that they've been missing. That is a big if, though.

No. 2: Lock Up Kershaw and Kemp

The 2011 Dodgers turned a terrible start into a respectable finish when it was all said and done.

And it was because of those two guys—potential Cy Young winner, left-handed pitcher Clayton Kershaw and potential MVP winner, center fielder Matt Kemp.

Kershaw won the pitching triple crown with 21 wins, a 2.28 ERA, and 248 strikeouts at only 23 years old.

Kemp, 27, almost won the first batting triple crown since Carl Yastrzemski did it in 1967 for the Boston Red Sox. In addition, Kemp almost became the fifth member of the 40-40 club. He finished the year with a .324 batting average, 39 home runs, 126 RBI, and 40 stolen bases.

Both stars finally put together the monster seasons Dodger fans have been waiting for since their debuts in Los Angeles, making the team exciting down the stretch, if nothing else.

Kershaw is up for arbitration this offseason and Kemp is a free agent after the 2012 season. Now is the time to lock up both players and build the franchise around them.

No. 1: Find New Owners

While this isn't in the hands of Ned Colletti whatsoever, it is 100 percent clear that the Dodgers need a new owner.

Frank and Jaime McCourt have done close to nothing to endear themselves to the fans. They've raised prices on everything around Dodger Stadium, especially the parking.

We haven't even touched on the divorce.

The past two seasons the McCourts have turned the Dodgers into a circus show centered around their divorce instead of the play on the field.

Needless to say, the Dodgers are long overdue for a change in ownership. Hopefully this is the year that the MLB Commissioner can force McCourt to sell the team.

Mark Cuban, anyone?