Down Goes Furcal

Our team spark plug is down and out for at least another 8 days. Rafael Furcal has been placed on the DL retroactive to May 6. That means the earliest he can come back is May 21 against Cincinnati. This is the same type of injury that laid him out late last season. As some of us know a lower back injury has the ability to sap all the life out of you. Doing simple task like getting out of bed, using the bathroom and just walking can be difficult. Hopefully Furcal can bounce back after having a chance to rest his weary back.

As Jon of Dodger Thoughts points out, the last time we panicked over a middle infield injury we went after Julio Lugo. (We gave up highly touted prospect Joel Guzman and CSUF Alum Sergio Pedroza to get him.) Fortunately, neither of these guys have become Major League regulars yet so it hasn't hurt us, but it could easily become fodder for years to come. On the flip side, Lugo really didn't provide the kind of relief trading two perceived strong prospects would garner. The lesson we can learn here is not to panic. Don't start trading away our prospects for overpriced veterans. We still have a long way to go and I remain hopeful that within a couple of weeks Raffy will be back to his old self.

Ned "The Busy Bee"

This has proven to be an exciting day for Dodger Baseball. We add a new 2nd baseman in Julio Lugo and future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux to anchor our starting rotation. In return we ship Caesar Izturis to the Cubs and send rookie prospects Joel Guzman and Sergio Pedrosa to Tampa Bay. Sergio went to my alma mater, Cal State Fullerton.

Lugo immediately starts at 2nd base until Jeff Kent returns. Who knows what happens when Kent is ready to play. I think Maddux will add poise and experience to a rotation that could use some leadership. His knowledge, skills and abilities will more than make up for any age related declines we may see in his performance this year.

Caesar, Pedrosa and Guzman where out of options with this new Dodger team. I am sad to see Caesar go. He remains my favorite defensive infielder. Pedrosa was not highly touted and may find some major league playing time in Tampa Bay. The promise of Guzman was overshadowed by the success of Ethier, Repko, Kemp and Loney. How many rookie prospect outfielders do we need?

Overall, I like the trades. We get some quality players for a title run without losing any of our top prospects. The future still remains bright. Ethier, Kemp, LaRoche, Loney, Billingsley, Hanrahan, Miller, Young, DeWitt, Abreau and Hu all stay. Good job Ned.

Wow! We Swept!

Considering the past 2+ weeks, I was not sure if the Dodgers would complete a series sweep again this season. Everything was looking dire, and disaster was around the corner. To come out of the gate in the 2nd half with a 1-13 record oftentimes means golf outings in October. Fortunately, the National League West is as weak as the coffee from my local donut shop.

We are still in it. A playoff berth is possible. The question, though, is should the Dodgers make some trades now to get us closer to an October series? Should we trade kids like Joel Guzman, James Loney or (god forbid) Matt Kemp?

Well, as you all know by now, the Dodgers traded Willy Aybar, Danny Baez and cash to Atlanta for Wilson Betemit. This is a lopsided trade that essentially acknowledges that the Baez trade was terrible. So terrible, in fact, that they chose to give away Baez and will pay the remainder of his salary this season. On the otherhand, Betemit for Aybar is an interesting move. I believe that Betemit is more proven at this time, but Aybar may have a higher potential ceiling. Nevertheless, I remember following Betemit when he was one of Atlanta's top prospects and I think he will do just fine.

Are more trades coming down the pike? Is Joel Guzman going next since he appears to be an odd man out in the outfield. How about Andy LaRoche? His slightly torn shoulder must have increased questions in the front office staff. He has huge upside and would probably command a high price. How about Loney? If Nomar signs a long term contract wouldn't that make Loney a valuable commodity? Today at 1:00 PM Pacific is the trading deadline. I guess we will find out soon if a blockbuster hit LA.

The Double Play

Man-O-Live... I go on vacation and end up missing so much. Gagne comes back today, and now I read that Joel Guzman has been called up. Wow. Another Rookie who can show us what the future brings. I'll miss the next few games, but I hope to see some great stats from these guys.

Anyway, I landed in Maui a couple of hours ago and I suddenly find myself transforming into an islander. My Filipino cultural blood is seeping out. I suddenly find myself at home. I could get use to it here.

Our Good Fortune

So far our Rookies have shown they can play. The progress of Repko was one of the first signs of a resurgent Minor League program. Andre Ethier, Jonathon Broxton, Hong-Chih Kuo, James Loney, Willy Aybar and Russell Martin have us excited about the season. Now, Matt Kemp gives us a taste of a future not so far away. He just might be ready soon than expected. Today, Matt went 2 for 3 on this Holiday Monday afternoon. After getting his first major league hit after 3 strike outs yesterday, Kemp followed up looking more relaxed. With each at bat he looked less tentative. With each swing his stroke came into life. I look forward to game number 3 for Kemp.

Other hopeful Rookies soon to grace their presence in Los Angeles include Chad Billingsley and Joel Guzman. Billingsley could be a very solid pitcher for a very long time. Guzman, once he finds a position and learns some patience at the plate, can be an offensive juggernaut for years to come. As a great man once said, "the future is looking bright."

Fortune Sign Generator