“Wait ‘Till Next Year”! So Has Next Year Finally Arrived For The Blue?

No Comments March 13, 2017 Dodgers By John Stellman

So close. Yet so far away!

The Dodgers had it within their grasp.

Something they had coveted for 28 seasons.

Would they be able to end the heartache?

Would they be able to heave that huge sigh of relief?

End The Nightmare?

Was that ever present monkey finally off their back?

Could they finally slay the dreaded dragon?

Bury The Past!

Could they finally lay all those frustrating summers to rest?

Had the nine hard months of the daily grind finally been rewarded?

Could they finally taste the champagne instead of drowning their sorrows in tears?

Had they finally reached that elusive pinnacle?

Another Disappointment

Could the Dodgers finally, and once again, call themselves World Series Champions?

Sadly, when it was all said and done, they were still haunted.

Destiny had the Cubs punching that ticket to the Fall Classic.

They dispatched the Dodgers in six games, priming Chicago for a celebration the Windy City hadn’t experienced in 108 years.

After coughing up a 6-3 advantage in Game 7, the Cubs scored twice in the 10th inning and then held on for nerve wracking 8-7 World Series clinching victory over Cleveland.

Painful Celebration?

A hangover may still be lingering.

Does that headache persist this season?

The Dodgers may have been denied by a mere whisker last October.

But there’s no reason to believe they won’t be in the thick of the race again this summer.

Solid Nucleus

Twenty one of those players who were responsible for the Dodgers 91 wins are back in the fold.

It is perhaps astounding the front office was able to keep this franchise together.

The approximately $200 million they spent on free agents was the most in baseball.

And $169 million of that went to keep their own – Kenley Jansen, Justin Turner, Rich Hill and Chase Utley.

Roberts Shocked

Following the loss that ended their season in Wrigley Field, manager Dave Roberts couldn’t fathom the possibility of Dodger management keeping the team practically intact.

“I would have said, first off, ‘Sign me up.’ But then I would have said it’s almost impossible.”

Impossible, NO. Costly, YES!

When the owners and players negotiated a new, long term Collective Bargaining Agreement last winter, they increased the penalties for teams that exceed the salary cap.

And the Dodgers will be among the hardest hit.

The penalties will go into affect if a team’s payroll exceeds $235 million, which the Dodgers have in each of the last four years.

Scratching Their Collective Heads

While Dodger President and CEO Stan Kasten trumpeted both sides for reaching agreement, the hierarchy now must plan their best course of action.

“There are pluses economically for the Dodgers as well as minuses, I think that’s true for every team,” Kasten said.

Although the Dodgers payroll has shrunk since Andrew Friedman became President Of Baseball Operations, they will pay penalties again this year.

Nothing New.

Beginning in 2013 and moving through the 2015 season, the Dodgers’ total luxury tax payments exceeded $80 million. And that includes a record 43.7 million a year ago.

If that’s not bad enough, as three time offenders their overage in 2016 will be taxed at 50 percent, which could result in another $40 million contribution to Major League Baseball’s Emergency Assistance Fund.

Roberts, last year’s National League Manager Of The Year, is excited. And for good reason,

“The whole narrative for me is going to be – and Andrew and I have talked a ton, and Farhan (Zaidi) and all the guys in the front office – we have to get to a place where people that are here are choosing to be here.

Bleed Blue!

“They want to be nowhere else but here, playing with the Dodgers.

“And if they’re not the right person or the right player, then we turn them away.

“From Rich to Kenley to JT to Chase to Sergio Romo. all these guys are leaving money on the table and that means a lot,” the skipper concluded.

“We know the kind of guys we have on the team and we’ve been there now.

“We lost to the best and we feel we could have won,” said catcher Yasmani Grandal.

“We were one or two games from getting to the World Series in October.

“If we can continue with the same team and keep building, I think we’re in good shape.

“We’ve added (Logan) Forsythe and we’re in position to do like the Cubs did last year when they added (Aroldis) Chapman (at mid-season).

“… Add another impact player maybe and we’ve got a World Series winner,” chimed in Joc Pederson.

The Dodgers employed 15 different starting pitchers last season. Ten have returned.

Clayton’s Ready And Raring!

And that includes the one they missed the most – Clayton Kershaw.

In six of his seven previous seasons, the soon to be 29-year old (March 19) hurler started at least 31 games. In nine major league seasons Kershaw has averaged 34 starts.

On five occasions he has taken the mound over 200 times. He has averaged 227 innings per season.

Kershaw is the ultimate workhorse.

And after pitching in just 140 inning over only 21 games last season, the 6-4. 225-pounder is not only healthy, but he is chomping at the bit.

His goal this season?

Make Every Start

“I’m not a big futures guy.

“I just want to pitch…I’ll do whatever I can to make that next start.

“I’ll worry about the next years when I need to.

“If it costs me somewhere down the road, it does.

“But I’m here to make every start this year.

“I feel like that’s what I’m suppose to do,” Kershaw concluded.

Deep Bullpen

Even on that occasional off night, Kershaw can look to a deep bullpen that now includes Romo, who closed for the Giants last summer,

Forysthe, an upgrade at second base, and NL unanimous Rookie Of The Year Corey Seager, anchor a solid infield.

And the plethora (nine) of quality outfielders he has at his disposal doesn’t bother Roberts one iota.

Mix in the aforementioned Utley and Franklin Gutierrez, signed as a free agent, and a versatile bench should be stronger.

Some analysis are projecting a 95 win season.

So maybe we’ve heard the last of that age old cry, “Wait ’till next year!”

Maybe NEXT YEAR has finally arrived!

The Southern California News Group Contributed To This Article

Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: USATSI-262888 ORIG FILE ID: 20160925_gav_sv5_036.jpg

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John Stellman

I was born with sports in my blood. I began coaching little league baseball at 15. I was the sports editor of my high school newspaper. I did football play by play for the college radio station. I broadcast high school basketball for a local commercial station. But baseball was always my passion. During the 1970's I covered the Angels for the Orange County Register. And now I am back where I belong...