The Dodgers, apparently content with the likes of Jeff Weaver and Shawn Estes, chose not to pursue two of the best bullpen options available in Juan Cruz and Joe Beimel.
I’ve never been a huge believer of the lefty/lefty matchup (at least not to the extend of former Dodgers manager, Jim Tracy), but it is certainly beneficial for a club to keep a southpaw specialist at the ready.
This is not a case for Joe Beimel or Juan Cruz, as much as it is a cry for bullpen help. Hong-Chih Kuo, given his injury history, might be best suited for left-handed spot work, but that leaves a void in other areas of the ‘pen that seldom men could replace.
The bullpen plays a crucial role in the outcome of a game, especially in the playoffs, and can often be the difference between winning or losing. With the off-season signings of Rafael Furcal, Manny Ramirez, Randy Wolf, and Orlando Hudson the Dodgers appear to be in “win now” mode. However, if they plan on making a serious run deep into October, they better get some back-end help to aid the success of their frontline bunch. Scott Elbert simply isn’t going to cut it.
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