I’m new to Lasorda’s Lair and as you’ve gathered by now, I’ve chosen to start off my first article by taking a closer look at Dodger starting pitcher Ted Lilly.  Lilly is the forgotten man in the new look rotation.  He’s listed as the #8 starting pitcher on mlb.com.  He hit the DL last May 24 with a left shoulder injury, and despite the rehab assignments, bullpen sessions and talk of a return he ended up going under the knife.  Shoulder injuries can spell death for pitchers.  Then why Lilly you ask?

Lilly, like a lot of lefties, relies not on an overwhelming arsenal but rather pitching smarts and guts.  His surgery was officially described as a “cleanup procedure” and if he did happen to lose a tick or two from his fastball it will not affect him nearly as much most other pitchers. He fits the stereotype of the crafty left in every way.

So how does Ted Lilly do it? He throws his mid to high 80’s fastball about half the time and mixes in a slider, change-up and his signature 70 MPH curveball.   He has excellent control, racks up a decent amount of strikeouts, induces a lot of pop-ups and gets better results than he looks like he should.  Ted Lilly is an above average and undervalued starting pitcher.  He also gives up a lot of home runs, is on the wrong side of 35 and is coming off a “cleanup procedure”.  Ted Lilly is not a star and is not going to anchor the rotation of a team with playoff aspirations.  He’s unexciting and was a boring signing at 3 years, 33 million dollars.  As you remember though, under the old regime that represented one of the larger moves Colletti made.

The hot stove has churned Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano rumors all off-season long.  The most recent whispers have had Harang in talks with San Diego, however; Capuano has understandably drawn more interest and is the more likely candidate to be dealt.  Chad Billingsley opted for a plasma injection instead of Tommy John surgery, which makes him an unknown quantity at this point.  Reports are that he hit 94 in a sim game in November so there is promise, but even if he proves himself in spring he’ll still have to stay healthy during the season.

Lilly will get his starts.  Lilly doesn’t need to be flashy and he will provide solid results, give our boys the chance to win some ball games, and yes, he will serve up the occasional meatball that ends up deep in the left field pavilion.  Ted Lilly will be Ted Lilly, and I for one am glad to have him back.  What about you?

Coming soon… Sign Scott Hairston!

Chavy! 3B/DH Eric Chavez appears to be making a comeback. Or at least trying to make a comeback. (Photo Courtesy of yardbarker.com)

Upon reading a post about former A’s great 3B/DH Eric Chavez possibly being on the Dodgers radar, I just had to voice my own opinion about the possibility of ‘Chavy’ joining the Dodgers in L.A.

In the post, which was written by Dodgerfan.net, the author explores the possibility of Chavez’s chances in actually landing a spot—or invitation for that matter—from the Dodgers. Personally, on the surface of things, anything can happen. Chavez, 32, will turn 33 next month in December, and that’s still relatively young.

As noted in the piece, the author suggests that Chavez could share time with Casey Blake on third base for the Dodgers. Chavez, who won six consecutive Gold Glove awards from 2001-06 with the A’s, has not been able to stay healthy enough to play the infield in recent seasons. So this idea of Chavez playing third for the Dodgers could be out of the question.

Chavez has had numerous surgeries for various ailments over the past four seasons or so, and it has become quite apparent that those surgeries have taken a toll on his body. Chavez, who played in just 33 games this past season with the A’s, hit just .234/.276/.333 with a homer and 10 RBIs before landing on the DL with pair of bulging disks in his neck.

In the past four years, Chavez has managed to play in just 154 games. Over that time period, Chavez has hit a grand total of 18 home runs and collected just 71 RBIs. Chavez’s back is in poor shape, and his surgically repaired shoulder has not been tested recently, so there’s no way of knowing whether or not Chavez could handle third base if he was asked to do so.

If the Dodgers do decide to take a gamble on Chavez, the deal would probably be very low in base salary, but full of lucrative incentives. Like I said, Chavez will be turning 33 next month, which is not exactly old. So there’s always the possibility that he may have one or two more productive seasons left in him.

It is noted in the post that Chavez is healthy, but who hasn’t heard that before? He’s also interested in staying in California, which leaves only the Angels, Dodgers, Padres, and Giants (A’s do not count, since he ruled them out). But if he is for the first time in years, actually healthy, then Ned Colletti might just take a chance on Chavy.

So what do you think? Should Chavez attempt another comeback? Or should he stay within the A’s organization (where I think he belongs) as a broadcaster or some sort of coach?