If the Dodgers feel like making up ground on the two teams ahead of them in the NL West, whom happen to be their biggest rivals, now is as good a time as any.  The Blue Crew currently sit 7 games back of NL West leader San Diego and 3.5 games back of the Wild-Card leading Giants of San Francisco.  They’ll have a chance to inflict direct damage on their competitors beginning tonight as they stroll into the bay for a three game set.  After that, the Padres head to Chavez Ravine for four.

Tonight won’t exactly be easy.  The Dodgers will throw out their resident fifth starter of the week, Carlos Monasterios, against the two-time defending Cy Young known as “the freak.”  Ironically, it was Tim Lincecum whom the Dodgers last had success against offensively by tagging the right-hander for 5 runs in 4.2 innings, yet we all know that saying about how lightning usually doesn’t strike….well I’ll try not to go there.  If there’s a sliver of hope tonight, it’s that Monasterios threw really well in his last start (5 shutout innings) before succumbing to injury.

Unfortunately, the acquisition of the mighty Scott Podsednik didn’t jump start the offense in his debut as we all expected last night (just wanted to see if you were paying attention).  Whether the Dodgers make another move will be determined in less than 20 hours when the deadline of the baseball trading season arrives.  Don’t expect anything flashy, ladies and gentleman.

In the meantime, let’s hope the team understands the significance of the next several games and plays with a collective sense of urgency.

The Dodgers finally got their bat.  Unfortunately, his name is not Prince Fielder, Dan Uggla, Jose Bautista, or Adam Dunn. Ladies and gentleman, meet your new left fielder, Scott Podsednik .

The Dodgers sent minor league catcher Lucas May (Triple A) and pitcher Elisaul Pimentel (low-A) in exchange for the 34 year old speed demon.  Before you ask whether they really missed Juan Pierre that badly, it’s worth noting that Podsednik has had a fantastic year for the Royals.  Despite the lack of name recognition for the journeyman outfielder, Ned Colletti deserves credit for casting a wide net in his search for players that can positively impact the club’s hunt for the playoffs.  ”Pods” is an acquisition akin to that of Casey Blake, George Sherrill, and Jamey Carroll.  Ned is obviously hampered by payroll restrictions and accordingly, the price he has paid to acquire some of the aforementioned veterans has been extremely steep.  Yet, they have made an immediate impact for the most part (ok, not Sherrill so much).

Pods can do the same.  He’s hitting .309 on the season, with a solid OBP of .352 and an impressive 30 stolen bags on the season.  He provides tremendous speed in the outfield and is a big upgrade over the likes of Xavier Paul and Garrett Anderson, who could be the odd man out now.

I like the fact that Scotty has nearly identical numbers in 2009 and 2010.  It establishes a reasonable baseline of performance.  He’s actually been even hotter than that for the last month.  In 88 July at-bats, he’s hit at a whopping clip of .364 with a .404 OBP and .515 SLG %.  I like getting hitters who are warming up, not cooling off.  And frankly, I’m pretty tired of waiting around for that Manny guy.  I also like the idea of seeing Furcal and Pods wreak havoc at the top of the lineup with their running ability and potential to form a mean hit-and-run combination there.

Of course, Podsednik will have to undergo a bit of an adjustment by moving to the National League.  He could end up fading offensively, but his contact skills, speed, and defense will benefit the ballclub.  And it’s not like we’re giving up a stud such as Carlos Santana.  Lucas May is a decent hitting prospect, but is already 25 years old and a mess as a defensive catcher.  The young pitcher could end up becoming something solid, but he’s not close to being one of the team’s best pitching prospects. Thus, the  lack of downside in this trade is the main reason why I’m actually looking forward to the Scott Podsednik era in Los Angeles.

In today’s version of “The Dodgers’ Desperate Hunt for A Fifth Starter,” the newest name bandied about the rumor mill is Cubs lefty Ted Lilly.  They have been after Roy Oswalt, but the number of complications in a potential deal involving the Houston ace make a match between the Astros and Dodgers extremely unlikely.

Oswalt has a partial no-trade clause and he has been vocal about staying close to his home in the Midwest.  He is owed 15 million in 2011 and has expressed a desire to have his 2012 club option for 16 million picked up immediately by his new employer.  Furthermore, the Astros have requested an exorbitant package for the 32 year old: an elite young player from the major league roster, two top prospects, and another minor league player with upside.  The young major league player requested from the Dodgers is rumored to be James Loney.  Suffice to say, the Blue Crew will not consider something along those lines.  Loney is a .300 hitter and LA does not have the luxury of sparing offensive talent.

Which leads me to my main point.  Why exactly are the Dodgers so eager to upgrade their pitching?  They managed to take 3 out of 4 from the Mets, despite scoring a whopping total of 7 runs in the series.  They’ve watched their starting pitching dominate since the All Star break, while the offense has mustered an average of 2.2 runs a game since.  Heck, even temporary 5th starter Carlos Monasterios threw 5 shutout innings in his last start before succumbing to injury.

I’ve written before about the limited positions free to upgrade amongst the starting position players.  It’s difficult to find catching, so upgrading from Martin is not really a plausible option.  Casey Blake is a veteran and clubhouse leader signed until 2011 at third base.  Given the youth on the team, his presence is deemed necessary to maintain clubhouse chemistry.  And of course, there’s the 20 million dollar albatross in left field who hasn’t actually been on the field much.  So it’s not like I don’t understand the difficulties in finding the right fit offensively.  Yet, that is truly the only area in need of upgrades.  The rotation has been lights out.  The bullpen is as good as it gets and the recent call up of flame-throwing reliever Kenley Jansen solidifies it further.

One guy seems to fit the profile offensively: Toronto’s resident Major League home run leader Jose Bautista.  He is able to play third base and the outfield.  He could step in for Manny in left or play third base, moving Casey Blake to second (or can he play second base himself?).  Obviously, having Bautista or Blake at 2B is not an ideal situation but the Dodgers don’t have a ton of options at this point.

Will the Dodgers land Roy Oswalt? (Photo: Courtesy of Yardbarker.com)

With the trade deadline right around the corner, the Dodgers still remain idle spectators to everyone else in the league. The question of will they or won’t they make a deal this season is driving most fans crazy right now, especially since the team could certainly benefit from the services of let’s say, Roy Oswalt. The Astros’ asking price of Oswalt, which is deemed as an arm and a leg, could be too expensive for the Dodgers. Still, the front office should be doing everything within their power(s) to make this team better for a run at the post-season.

At 53-46, the Dodgers currently sit in the third-spot of the NL West, and trail first-place San Diego by six games. On Tuesday, the Dodgers enter a series against the Padres, and must make the most out of the series. In fact, the Dodgers play the Padres a whopping seven times in the next ten games. So, if the Dodgers play well against the Padres, as they have all season, they could close the gap between themselves and San Diego.

On the year, the Dodgers are 4-1 against San Diego. The Dodgers hope that Chad Billingsley (8-5, 4.22 ERA) can counter San Diego’s Jon Garland (9-6, 3.61 ERA). The Dodgers’ offense, which is without Manny Ramirez, will have to help the team keep its recent hot-streak alive. Winners of four out of their last five, the Dodgers will need their offense, which is 8th in the MLB with a .263 average, to keep on scoring runs. Andre Either, Matt Kemp and James Loney are among the Dodgers’ best hitters, and will need to get things done without Manny in the lineup.

The question of will they or won’t they make a big trade in order to help alleviate some of the pressure will continue to be a frustrating question up until the deadline. Until then, however, there’s no question that this upcoming stretch of ten games will be very crucial for the Dodgers—with or without Roy Oswalt.

A mere 5 days remain before the July trade deadline for baseball and the Dodgers haven’t done squat.  Their freeway neighbor Angels have already made two significant moves in acquiring SP Dan Haren and IF Alberto Callaspo, despite sitting 7 games back of Texas in their hunt for a Red October.

Will the Dodgers strike?

Few things to discuss today in the Lair.  First off, a big tip of the hat to Hiroki Kuroda and his 8 innings of shutout baseball on Thursday night to defeat the Mets 2-0.  I told you guys not to panic about his brief struggles!  What’s interesting is with the trade deadline only a week away and the Dodgers rumored to be after practically every starting pitcher on the market, they instead were gifted with three dominant performances in a row by Kershaw, Billingsley, and Kuroda.  Coupled with the dominant return of Vicente Padilla from the DL, the Blue Crew has a pretty reliable top 4 in the rotation.  Adding one more guy to the mix to replace John Ely (who’s performed admirably) would give the team a chance to win every night.

Second, another shout out to the other-worldly Hong Chih-Kuo.  Coming off elbow surgery, the staff has been careful with his workload and prevented him from pitching on consecutive days thus far.  It’s worked wonders and Kuo was actually handed the ball in the ninth over Jonathan Broxton to close out the Mets on Friday.  Kuo, surging with confidence, has even told management that it’s time to take the shackles off him and let him pitch more often.  I don’t think you’ll hear Joe Torre arguing vociferously on this one.

Next, the Dodgers have called up flame-throwing converted infielder and now reliever Kenley Jansen from double A where he flummoxed minor league hitters with his 100+ mph heat to the tune of 50 K’s in a measly 27 innings pitched.  Jansen is undoubtedly raw and still developing as a pitcher, but the team couldn’t resist using his power arm to help the team down the stretch.  Can’t really argue with them, either.  Anything’s better than calling up Jack Taschner.  To make room on the roster, LA designated P Justin Miller for assignment.

Finally, it’s been written that the Dodgers actually have extra money to play with in the trade market.  The team will be freed of 33 million in salary commitment after the year, due to the impending free agency of Manny Ramirez and Hiroki Kuroda.  While names like Roy Oswalt and Dan Haren litter the rumor mill, the savviest potential acquisition would be SP Fausto Carmona from the Indians.  Carmona is a young, innings-eating power arm who’s struggled badly the last couple of years, but has turned things around big-time in 2010.  The fact that more marketable, veteran arms are also available could help the Dodgers acquire him for relatively cheap.  If I were Ned Colletti, I’d insist to GM Mark Shapiro that he owes me one after I gave him his future face of the franchise, Carlos Santana, for practically peanuts.

How badly needed was that??  Chad Billingsley delivered the team’s FIRST complete game by a starting pitcher in 2010 and single-handedly put a tally in the victory column upon defeating the Giants 1-0 at Dodger Stadium.

It was the first time all season the Dodgers didn’t have to use their bullpen.

It was the first shutout thrown by a Dodgers pitcher since May of 2009 (Eric Stults? Really?).

It was the first time Billingsley went 9 innings since July 30, 2008 (he shutout the Giants 4-0, at least he knows what opponent to bring the A-stuff against).

Amazingly, it was the fourth 1-0 game the Dodgers have come out on top of in 2010.  Their record in 1-0 games stands at 4-2 thus far.  Billingsley has won two 1-0 games already this year.  Maybe he’s developing the “stopper” mentality that many did not think he had within his DNA.

It gave the franchise a sliver of hope that Kershaw and Billingsley are capable of leading the rotation, provide big innings, and carry the team to the post-season.

It came at an incredibly good time for the Blue Crew.  With the trade deadline a mere 9 days away, Joe Torre and company were given an outstanding audition by the 25 year old Ohio native.  It could sway their desire to acquire a veteran, upper-echelon starter or even use Billingsley as trade fodder (who was sought by Seattle in talks for Cliff Lee).

It was the start of something big for the 2010 Dodgers.  (fingers crossed)

(Carlos Santana made his major league debut in 2010 and is already an offensive monster at the catcher position with a .438 OBP and 32:20 walk to strikeout ratio in merely 120 AB)

The Dodgers are on the prowl.  At a point when people were starting to wonder what the direction of the team was, it is becoming clearer that they won’t settle for 4th place without a fight.  The Dodgers are dead serious about upgrading the talent on the 25 man roster and are willing to overpay in minor league talent in exchange for salary relief.  As a whole, there has been more trade chatter at the cusp of this year’s deadline than in the past, which can be attributed to increased parity throughout the league.  More teams are legitimately in the playoff hunt, including four teams in the NL West.  It should make for one exciting trade deadline.

Yet, as a Dodgers fan, I’m not exactly sure what to make of the team’s willingness to deplete the farm.  The last time GM Ned Colletti pulled off a trade along these lines, a superstar-in-the-making (C Carlos Santana) was shipped off for a journeyman third baseman (Casey Blake).  If I’m an opposing GM, I’m spending all my time on the phone with Ned trying to swindle him of exceptional minor league talent.  The Dodgers seem to think they have a very narrow championship window and are constantly looking for short-term, band-aid solutions to supplement the young talent and put the team over the top.  Unfortunately, that’s hardly the case.

Take a look at the Dodgers roster.  It actually has excellent foundational pieces.  Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp are young, under club control for several years, and super talented.  Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley form a nice power starting pitching combo at the top of the rotation.  The bullpen is set with the dynamic Jonathan Broxton and Hong Chih-Kuo.  A smart GM would surround these players with more long-term talent and create a group that learns to win together.  Instead, the Dodgers find it more prudent to give away their long-term talent for short-term marginal upgrades.  Carlos Santana was shipped off.  Josh Bell shipped off.  Now, prospects like SS Dee Gordon and SP Chris Withrow could be next.

Let’s just hope they bring more in return than average major league baseball players for once.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, who are in fourth-place in the NL West, have placed OF Manny Ramirez on the 15-day DL with a strained calf. Ramirez, who is in his last year of the two-year deal he signed in 2009, was hitting .317/.409/.516 with 8 home runs and 39 RBIs. The Dodgers, who entered Tuesday 5.5 games behind the San Diego Padres, will know more about Ramirez’s injury within the next week or so. Ramirez’s response to the treatment will be closely monitored and will be the determining factor as to whether or not he will make a quick return.

In response to Ramirez’s placement on the DL, the Dodgers activated catcher Brad Ausmus from the 60-day DL. Another roster move is anticipated to come tomorrow, when the club will most likely send AJ Ellis to Triple-A, and add an outfielder.

Despite the set-back, the Dodgers still have guys like Xavier Paul, Garret Anderson and Jamey Carroll to help fill Manny’s void. The Dodgers also retain the same focus they’ve had all season, and should be O.K. going forward.

(“You want to help the team out, bro?”)

The sad tale of Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers took another ugly turn when the outfielder had to leave after the top of the first inning on Friday against St. Louis.  He will undergo an MRI on his calf today, so hopefully we have some good news regarding his availability.  The Lair will keep you posted.