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Los Angeles Dodgers State Of The Union: 2014 Preview

Clayton Kershaw agreed to a 7 YRs/$215 MIL extension in the offseason – that will run through the years of 2014 – 2020 with the LA Dodgers. The deal is slated for an opt out clause after the 2018 season by Kershaw, when he will be only 30 years old. This is the greatest single Annual Average Salary ALL – Time of $30.7 MIL per annum, and is the 6th biggest contract ever in the history of the MLB. Last year was his most dominant to date, with a 16 – 9 record, an NL Leading 1.83 ERA and 232 SO. The about to be 26 Year Old, also nailed down his 2nd NL Cy Young win in 3 years, and the other year he was the runner up in that time frame. He may be the single most important player to any franchise in the National League. Kershaw is the 3 time reigning NL ERA champ.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The Dodgers are beginning year 2 of potentially a half-dozen years of dominance. They have a team filled with ALL – Stars, superior Starting Pitching, and have deep pockets to seal the deal with necessary changes.
The NL West might be stronger this year with more competitive rosters from the D’Backs, Rockies and Giants, yet I still think the Dodger Blue will pulverize the competition, particularly in their own division.
Our Chief Writer Hunter Stokes wrote a great article on the Dodgers taking the 1st few series of the year not as seriously as the rest of the year here.
I fully agree with his stance, yet I don’t think it will make much of a difference.
Injuries aside this team is ready to take down the National League. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 29, 2014
David Ortiz wants an extension with the Boston Red Sox?
That’s nice, but he has clearly mistaken the Red Sox with a sentimental team.
That’s the topic for today’s episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
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To subscribe on SoundCloud, click HERE.
The Boston Red Sox Payroll In 2014 + Contracts Going Forward

Dustin Pedroia is an example of how to handle your own talent as far as payment. He was signed from 2009 – 2015 , which is 7 YRs/$55 MIL, and then they extended him from 2016 – 2021 (6 YRs/$85 MIL). Being a bit of a bargain on a yearly basis, this natural leader – and former MVP, has given the franchise money flexibility for every year during the duration of his deal. The now 30 Year Old, has a Career 3 Slash of .302/.370/.823. His numbers are great for his 162 game average, with 104 Runs Scored and 194 Hits. Pedroia is pesky with his 46 Doubles, 16 HRs per year.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024 & Jeff Kleiner (Org. Depth Chart Expert) Follow @prosportsroster
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The Boston Red Sox pulled of a major “Hoodini Act” by freeing themselves of the long term contracts of Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez and Josh Beckett in an Aug, 2012 trade.
The club used the dollars saved to reel in Mike Napoli, Stephen Drew, Shane Victorino and Jonny Gomes in 2013. All of these guys were massive contributors to the 2013 World Series team.
The Beantowners still live and die by their Starting Pitching. Jon Lester and unpredicted Jon Lackey had renaissance campaigns – while Clay Buchholz cobbled enough health together for a 12 – 1, 1.74 ERA season.
Replicating their championship season will be tougher in 2014.
David Ortiz Highlights
Los Angeles Dodgers Payroll In 2014 + Contracts Going Forward: Updated For Kershaw Deal

The Dodgers already have salary commitments that are over $225 Million now – with the $$ given to their reigning NL Cy Young Winner. Kenley Jansen and A.J. Ellis have yet to be paid in Arbitration. The club will certainly pass last years $235 MIL plus payroll. By doing the Kershaw deal also does not prevent them from trying to sign Masahiro Tanaka either. Last year, the Dodgers paid out around $10 MIL for their part in going over the Luxury Tax Threshold for the 1st time – at a 17.5% penalty. Under the current CBA, even if the team went to $300 MIL for 2014, they would only have to dole out roughly $25 MIL in penalties for a 2nd time offender. LAD have taken full advantage of the salary structure – and don’t look for them to relent any time soon. In 2014, the club will pay a 22.5% penalty for every buck spent over $189 MIL.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
I wrote an article just 16 months ago on how the LA Dodgers were going to force the economics of baseball the way they were conduct business with the new ownership.
As someone who has worked the majority of the time on the site for the last 3 years, I take great pride in my research. So far it has worked out.
The Dodgers following what I said is nice vindication as a writer.
I am not here to toot my own horn, but our website was also on the forefront of the Athletics renaissance a few years back, the Rays coming back to fight in the 2013 year, and also we were one of the 1st to report the Shields for Myers deal.
2013 NLDS Post Season highlights – Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is Advised
How All Of The Red Sox Hitters Were Acquired Onto The Roster + Analysis: Fall 2013

Ben Cherington pulled off the biggest salary dump in MLB History in 2012, with his clearing the deck of Gonzalez, Crawford and Beckett. He replaced them with saavy, playoff tested Veterans – on lower value, and year contracts. His club won the 2013 AL East with the revamped squad – that improved almost 30 Wins from 2012. So how did the entire roster of hitters all come to be Boston Red Sox Property? We will now tell you.
How All Of The Red Sox Hitters Were Acquired:
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @mlbreports
At the MLB Reports, we intend to show you the Roster Tree for the Boston Red Sox – and how they assembled their current roster for hitting and Pitching. It will work in a six degrees of separation like format.
Once we figure out the origin of how many trades going back in time it takes to see where the tree started, it will be time to dissect how the team fared on the deals.
If a player has never left the organization at all, the tree will be easy – as it will just be the year they were drafted or signed. Today, we will cover the Hitters.
For all of the Rosters, Depth Charts, State of the Unions and Salaries that we do, please visit our dedicated page link here.
David Ortiz Talks Up The Boston Crowd After The Boston Tragedy – Warning: Explicit Word Used – Parental Discretion Is Advised
The Red Sox Left Town With A Series Win, But Left The Dodgers With So Much More In 2012

A year after the big blockbuster Red Sox/Dodgers trade, both clubs have benefited from the salvation is created. The Red Sox were able to hit a reset button on their finances – and spend money on key Free Agents: Mike Napoli, Shane Victorino, take on Jake Peavy’s Salary, pick up Jonny Gomes and have a slightly lower payroll overall still. For the LA Dodgers, they received a bonafide Leadoff hitter in Carl Crawford, plus a lethal Left Handed Bat in 1B Adrian Gonzalez. The LA club was also willing to eat the $$ owed on bust Josh Beckett. Los Angeles could bury lots of money for little given away talent wise. Little did all of us know, that they had an electric ballplayer like Yasiel Puig ready to bust out. Boston is leading the AL East, and the Dodgers are killing it in the NL West. Perhaps this might be an October showdown?
BY Enrique Rivera (MLB Reports Dodgers Correspondent) Follow @mlbreports
It has been a year since that big blockbuster Red Sox/Dodgers trade that sent a loaded bank of salary to the Dodgers along with superstar players like Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett and Nick Punto.
After a first half of struggles and criticism and watching the Red Sox play better baseball, the Dodgers have proven that the trade benefited them as well.
The Dodgers lead the NL West 9.5 games after being down by 9.5 earlier in the season. Meanwhile in the AL East, the Red Sox lead the division by 1 game.
Adrian Gonzalez’s first AB as a Dodger last year resulting in a HR
Should He Stay Or Should He Go: The Mattingly Job Security Drama
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Follow @mlbreportsSunday May.26/2013

Dodgers skipper Don Mattingly is in his third and final season in his Dodgers contract. He is currently 187-185 but has started the 2013 campaign 20-27 last place in the NL West and 6.5 games behind first. Our own Lead Writer has suggested that Donnie Baseball will be fired from Los Angeles, before resurfacing in Flushing Meadows, NY for the Mets at a future date.
By Enrique Rivera (MLB Reports LA Dodgers Correspondent) Follow @eriqwiththeq
There is no doubt about it, the Dodgers season has been very disappointing. Marking one of the highest salary caps in baseball, the Blue Crew has started the season 19-27, last place in the NL West and 6.5 games behind first place.
After having a fresh start with former Red Sox players Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto then signing ace Zack Greinke the Dodgers expected a much better record than the one they currently have.
But as everyone knows, things happen during the regular season that make a player and a team perform worse than they’re expected. In this case, Hanley Ramirez, Greinke, Beckett have hit the DL. Matt Kemp is still trying to come back from a season in which he hit the DL for quiete some time.
Hanley Ramirez getting hurt at a game against the San Francisco Giants earlier in the month
Greinke Return Can Turn The Dodgers Season Around
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Follow @mlbreportsFriday May.17/2013

Zack Greinke hits an RBI single in his first at-bat since his return from the DL. Greinke earn a quality start against the Nationals 5.1 innings and only allowed 1 ER with 4 SOs.
By Enrique Rivera (Dodgers Correspondent for MLB Reports) Follow @eriqwiththeq
I think it’s pretty safe to say that the Dodgers haven’t had a very mary month of May and with halfway through the month, they are 4-9. This includes an eight-game losing streak that went from May 1st to May 10th.
During that losing streak, the Dodgers committed a Dodger sin by being swept against their Rivals the San Francisco Giants at AT and T Park.
Usually when this happens to a team with a lot of talent, fans begin pointing fingers and try to figure out what the issue is. Either that or begin giving up on the team’s season right away.
Fingers have been pointed at many different things-from Dodgers’ skipper Don Mattingly to the injuries themselves. The biggest blow for the Dodgers was the injury that made their expensive new pitcher Zack Greinke miss several starts.
ESPN analysts Manny Acta and Alex Cora analyse Zack Greinke’s comeback
Felix’s Flaw: The Boston Red Sox Starter May See Some Bullpen Time
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May.08/2013

Felix Doubront had 167 K’s in 2012 in just 161 IP, but he also had 71 BB’s in that same span. His K/9 and BB/9 rates have both climbed slightly in the small sample size that has been his 2013 season to this point. Surprisingly, Doubront was the clubs best pitcher in 2012. He hasn’t been so lucky in his second go around of the Major Leagues.
By Ryan Dana (MLB Reports Writer and Red Sox Correspondent): Follow @ryandana1
Per usual, I had a good start on an article for the week that I had to put on hold. Something always seems to come up, and this week it is the Starting Pitcher from Friday night’s game.
Felix Doubront, 25 Year Old southpaw from Carabobo Venezuela, had a rough night this past Friday. He lasted just 3.2 IP and exited after surrendering 12 Hits, 6 Earned Runs, 1 Walk, and managing only 2 Strikeouts on the night.
Doubront now has a 5.67 ERA through 5 Starts this year. During his promising rookie campaign in 2012 his season ERA was only 4.86.
Carl Crawford Is Off To A Surprisingly Hot Start As The Dodgers Leadoff Guy
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Follow @mlbreportsTuesday Apr.30/2013

Outfielder Carl Crawford has been red hot offensively hitting .307 with team leading 4 HRs and 6 RBI. He has been a huge surprise in his comeback season. The former Rays and Red Sox player is hitting far above his Career 3 Slash Line of .293/.333/.706 – by posting a line of .308/.388/906 to date. More importantly than any other statistic – Crawford has crossed home plate 20 times in 25 Games Played in 2013. This would put him on pace for about 130 Runs this campaign. This is lieu of Matt Kemp’s slow start and Hanley Ramirez not being in the lineup at all.
By Enrique Rivera (Dodgers Correspondent) Follow @eriqwiththeq
When the Dodgers acquired Outfielder Carl Crawford last year, they definitely didn’t know what they were getting, it was a pretty much a gamble they were able to afford. With the Dodgers’ new ownership willing to spend the big bucks on big players, this trade seemed like the ideal move to do for General Manager Ned Colleti.
Crawford wasn’t able to perform at all right away after he got traded to the Dodgers as he was rehabbing from his Tommy John Surgery but he was able to get healthy just in time for Opening Day. He has been healthy ever since.
Dodgers’ skipper Don Mattingly right away decided to make Crawford the leadoff hitter since Opening Day and has not disappointed. Through April 29th, 2013, Crawford is hitting .307 with OBP. of .390 (obviously doing his job as Leadoff hitter) with 4 SB and has been caught twice. He has also walked nine times but perhaps the most impressive stat is his team leading 4 HRs.
Slow motion video of Carl Crawford’s Home Run swing
Dodgers Struggle After Brawl With Padres
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Matt Kemp has begun the year hitting .182 with no HRs and 5 RBI in 15 games. Kemp hopes to get out of his slump by visiting an American League ballpark for the first time in the season. Last year, the big man torched through April, smashing 12 HRs and adding 28 RBI – to go along with a .417 Batting Average.
By Enrique Rivera (Dodgers Correspondent): Follow @eriqwiththeq
After the brawl last week with the San Diego Padres, Dodger fans were wondering if Dodgers’ slugger Matt Kemp would get out of his early season slump and start getting clutch in the series at Arizona and the series back at home against the Padres but Kemp was still unable to get out of that slump. Kemp went 4 for 22 (.182) in those two series but did collect 4 RBI.
The Dodgers managed to win only one game in those six games including a three-game sweep by the Padres at home. They were also shut-out twice in Arizona.
The most devastating one was the Sunday game as they let an amazing pitching performance by Josh Beckett go to waste in the 9th Inning. The final score of that game was 1-0. Beckett had 9 SO on that game with only one Earned Run.
Dodgers’ skipper Don Mattingly might have criticized a bit by letting Beckett continue on with the game.
Harrison Ford throws out first pitch on Jackie Robinson Day for Dodgers
Dodgers 1st Week In Review
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Follow @mlbreportsMonday Apr.08/2013

Mattingly managed the Dodgers to a nice record in the NL West during the first few months of the 2012 campaign – before injuries crippled their chances to continue as the leaders. 2013 gives the former Yankees a fresh start with the biggest payroll in the game and lots of ALL-Star talent. Can he unite the players to gel? In the last year of his contract, he has guided the Dodgers to a 4 – 2 record so far in 2013. The pitching has been dominant, particularly only yielding just 2 run to the Pirates in a 3 game Series over the weekend, plus throwing back to back Shutouts on Friday and Saturday. All they need now is for Matt Kemp to come around!
By Enrique Rivera (Dodgers Correspondent): Follow @eriqwiththeq
Dodgers skipper Don Mattingly began his third season as Dodgers manager with a four-man rotation. Clayton Kershaw opened on Monday – and pitched a Complete Game Shut-out – with a Game Winning HR at the plate himself against the defending world champs San Francisco Giants.
On Saturday night, Kershaw went on to pitch a Seven-Inning Shutout against the Pittsburgh Pirates – with 9 SO and only 2 Hits surrendered. He’s currently 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 16 SO, 6 H and only 1 Walk.
Hyun-Jin Ryu (another Left-Hander) went on Tuesday to make his Major League debut and lost. His official line seems a little off but in 6.1 IP, he gave up 10 hits , however the end result was only one Earned Run – with 5 SO and O Walks.
On his second career start, Ryu was able to pick up his first career win by defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates. He pitched 6.1 Innings once again, allowing 2 Earned Runs (a two-run shot to Pirates Center Fielder Andrew McCutchen), Striking out six – allowing only 3 Hits and 2 Walks on Sunday afternoon.
Ryu Interviews after his 1st start:
Kershaw Smacks 1st HR And Nets Win In Dodgers Opener – Before LA Loses 2 In A Row
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Dodger Stadium was at full capacity (53,138) on Monday’s Opening Day. It was 66 Degrees at Game Time. With the MLB’ s biggest payroll right now, the Dodgers have heavy expectations in 2013. They won 4 – 0 on Mondays game – before dropping back to back games to the Giants Starting Pitchers Bumgarner and Lincecum. Matt Kemp is still hitless on the year – and Adrian Gonzalez had not had a base knock since his 2nd AB of the Year. On a solid note, Carl Crawford has looked great with 5 Base Hits in 9 At – Bats. The team has switched Luis Cruz to Shortstop and Juan Uribe to 3rd after a brutal Game #2 by Justin Sellers (which featured a couple of errors).
By Enrique Rivera (Dodgers Correspondent): Follow @eriqwiththeq
Everything just went right for the Dodgers. Crawford got two hits (including a Double), Adrian Gonzalez got a hit, Ethier got a hit, Kemp scored a run, just what the Dodgers expect out of their stars.
The Dodgers made Matt Cain throw 35 pitches in the 1st inning – including Kemp drawing a 11 Pitcher AB, with several Foul – Balls before finally Striking Out.
This still jacked up Cain’s pitch count, causing the Giants to lift him before the Bottom of the 7th. After the 8th Inning HR, the club even scratched out two runs on Infield grounders!
Without signing a contract extension during the winter, the 2011 Cy Young Award winner (and 2012 runner-up) Clayton Kershaw did more than expected for the Dodgers as they defeated the reigning World Champs – and Dodger arch-rival San Francisco Giants 4 – 0.
Not only did he picked up the win, he earned himself his first Shutout of the season. He allowed only four hits and Struckout seven hitters.
Clayton Kershaw is interviewed on Opening Day HR:
LA Dodgers Payroll In 2013: And Contracts Going Forward
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Thursday Mar.28/2013

Adrian Gonzalez flew into LA last year and paid immediate dividends as he clubbed a 3 run HR in the 1st Inning with his new team. Gonzalez is in the 3rd year of a 7 YR/154 Million Dollar Contract. At age 30, he is a career .294 hitter with 214 HRs and 750 RBI in 1176 Games. Perhaps a full season back in California will re – ignite his MVP like numbers with the Padres during the 2009 and 2010 seasons – where he hit 71 HRs, drove in 200 RBI and hit for an OPS well over .900. He also is a 3 Time Gold Glove Award Winner in the National League.
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst And Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
I must say I am completely shocked at the Dodgers spending as much money as they are since the ownership change. I listened to Magic say how he ‘was not going to do anything stupid’, I will give him this much. However, the amount of payroll the team has taken on is enormous. The Dodgers are going to be over 200 Million Dollars in Payroll for years to come.
After I put their top ten salaries on the board, I will break down the rest of the roster to analyze some more projections for salary. The Dodgers have about 218 Million Dollars in signed contracts.
If you can believe this next part, they even are paying Manny Ramirez 8.33 Million Dollars still in 2013, Andruw Jones 3.375 Million and Huroki Kuroda 2.0 Million. That is roughly 13 Million Dollars on guys that are no longer in your organization.
Back to the trades that have brought in several players. I do agree for the mentality of it. The Dodgers fans were given a raw deal by the past management and the new guys are showing the rest of the MLB that they intend to be the big dog.
With Cole Hamels re-signing with the Phillies, their coveted starter was no longer available in Free Agency. Gonzalez was there to be had if they would take on the Carl Crawford/Josh Beckett contracts.
The team went out and signed Zack Greinke (15 – 5 with a 3.48 ERA split between the Brewers and Angels) instead.
Here is a nice highlight clip of Carl Crawford below. As a side note: The only inside the park Home Run I have ever witnessed at a game live was hit by Carl Crawford at Us Cellular Field in 2008. He was one of the best lead-off hitters back then.
Carl Crawford Highlights – Mature Lyrics So Parental Guidance is Advised:
Burnett’s Career Comes Full Circle With 1st Opening Day Start
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The Yankees Dealt Burnett to the Bucs prior to the 2012 season. NYY ate 20 of the 33 Million Dollars remaining for 2012 and 2013 years. Burnett was was 10-2 in the 1st half for the Bucs.
By Brad Cuprik (Pirates Correspondent) Follow @bradcuprik
It’s hard to believe that in just a couple weeks time, Arkansas native A.J. Burnett will be making his first Opening Day start on the mound. The 36-year-old Burnett has been in the Major Leagues since 1999, pitching for the Marlins, Blue Jays, Yankees and now enters his second season with the Pirates. It also happens to be the last year of a 5-Year, $82.5 Million Contract he signed in December 2008.
His tenure in the Bronx was simply put, a disaster. When a player signs a contract of that magnitude and then posts an ERA nearly a run over his career mark for a ballclub like the Yankees, you can forgive a player for wanting to fade into obscurity. That’s not Burnett. He did not want to leave the Yanks, stating he had unfinished business but his trade to Pittsburgh and a return to the National League has been a blessing.
AJ Burnett takes a bunted ball to the face in 2012:

















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