High Tide (For Now)

Written by: Brandon Wahl on 25th March 2009

High Tide (For Now) | read this item

“It’s only when the tide goes out, do you realize who has been swimming naked.”

-Warren Buffet

Though the above quote relates more to the stock market and diversification, it could certainly apply to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Blue Crew has done everything necessary to win this season, except find a reliable 5th starter, and most importantly, secure PROVEN bullpen help. If yesterday’s loss to the Seattle Mariners doesn’t set off warning bells in Ned Colletti’s mustache, and motivate him to sign some help, then there is going to be lots of heartbreak around the corner. From Ken Gurnick…

The back end of the Dodgers’ bullpen, finally intact Tuesday night, unraveled and blew a four-run lead to ruin Clayton Kershaw’s overpowering start in an 8-6 loss to Seattle.

What could well be the club’s Achilles’ heel this year couldn’t get the job done against the Seattle Mariners, as closer Jonathan Broxton returned from the World Baseball Classic to blow his first save opportunity.

Broxton was charged with four runs on four hits, a walk and a wild pitch in a 25-pitch disaster his first day back in camp after missing almost a month while playing with Team USA. He retired only two of seven batters he faced, but manager Joe Torre gave him a pass.

“He hadn’t pitched in a week,” Torre said. “I’m not concerned.”

An inning earlier, Guillermo Mota allowed a pair of runs when, Torre said, he couldn’t throw his fastball for strikes.

The best news for the Dodgers was Kershaw, who threw five scoreless innings before being charged with a pair of runs in the sixth. He struck out six in 5 1/3 innings and avoided disaster in the first inning when a Jose Lopez line drive nailed him flush on the left hip, but he continued and said it didn’t affect his pitching.

But even if the Dodgers’ young starting rotation can hand leads to the bullpen, is there enough relief to preserve victories?

After all, there are 204 innings, 204 appearances and 20 saves for which to make up. That was the workload last year for closer Takashi Saito, swingman Chan Ho Park, lefty Joe Beimel and middle man Scott Proctor, and they’re all gone.

Twenty-five games into Spring Training and it’s not clear if — or how — the Dodgers will make up for their losses.

I (and I’m not alone by any means) have been raising the issue of a shaky bullpen for quite some time. However, Colletti watched as Juan Cruz, Joe Beimel, and several other relievers signed deals with different teams. MSTI points out there is still one player who could make a difference, but based on the lack of interest in other guys we better not get too excited. Signing Will Ohman would just make too much sense.

Right now, the tide is high. The Dodgers signed Manny Ramirez. They signed Orlando Hudson. They signed Randy Wolf who has been nothing short of amazing thus far. Kershaw and Kuroda are looking great. Josh Lindblom has got the fans talking. The Dodgers play in a weak division, and have been considered the favorite to win the NL West.

But the tide can turn fast, and if the Dodgers don’t shore up some bullpen help they just may find themselves standing naked in ankle deep water.

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Also, if yesterday’s game wasn’t a telling sign for the regular season then I don’t know what is. The announcing was crappy (thanks to a Vin-less broadcast), Manny hit a home run, Kershaw continued to instill great hope in us, Broxton did nothing to ease our concerns, and Jason Repko got hurt again. It’s only March, but it feels like the dog days off summer are upon us already.