First off, big ups to all of the men and women serving our country that help preserve the freedom which we enjoy. Given that today is Veteran’s Day, a day to honor the sacrifices of our soldiers, I found it incredibly ironic that J.D. Drew opted out of his contract with the Dodgers, with 3 years and $33 million left on the table, leaving the team hanging in order to pursue a better deal......

The Dodgers weren't exactly limping going into Angel Stadium; after all, getting swept on the road isn't the most noteworthy stumble, and besides, they'd swept the lowly Pirates and salvaged the last game of the Seattle series just before that. Despite losing the division lead to San Diego, it wasn't like they were hopelessly out of first; even the division-trailing Diamondbacks were only four and a half games out, and nobody had really made......

Ned Colletti and the Los Angeles Dodgers have been busy trying to clean the mess left by former GM Paul DePodesta. In spite of the injuries that decimated the roster, there was no doubt that the pennant was winnable down the stretch.. Instead of banding together to try and salvage the season, infighting and poor play killed any chance the team had. Eventually killing not only their post-season hopes but costing the DePodesta his......

The Dodgers finished their disappointing season with a loss to eventual division champs San Diego Padres and closed the books on what was their worst season in over 10 years. We don’t know what was more frustrating, the fact that the Dodgers, just before the post season was to start last year, watched their first place team melt away under the misguided general management of the since fired Paul DePodesta. Or that the team......

Theo Epstein spoiled baseball. Not every sabremetric-oriented general manager who assumes control over a legendary franchise can propel his team to the World Series within two years, but I’m sure Dodgers owner Frank McCourt knew that. Or not. McCourt fired GM Paul DePodesta after two years of service littered with solid moves, bad luck and often undeserved criticism. In his first year McCourt delivered a division title, more than most Dodger fans were hoping......

The Los Angeles Dodgers have made it official, mutually "parting ways" with manager Jim Tracy. We've addressed the Jim Tracy situation several times, most recently in our season wrap-up of the Dodgers. Ultimately, it came down to philosophy. Jim Tracy is a good manager, but it's not like he's Casey Stengel. It is essential for a GM and a manager to be on the same page. If they aren't, then a change needs to......

Congratulations to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, on clinching the AL West. While we at LAist admit to a strong Dodger bias, and changing the team name didn't make us think the Angels were an LA team, we acknowledge them as a SoCal team. And we can't help but admire the work that Arte Moreno has done. In less than three years, Moreno has helped turn the Angels into media darlings in LA,......

The Dodgers added a little bit of power yesterday by trading for Jose Cruz Jr. Now before the Dodger nation blasts Paul DePodesta for doing too little, too late, we want to think about this rationally. Cruz does add some pop, which the Dodgers could use. He's a gold glover defensively. And this isn't meant to be an earth-shattering signing. This is simply meant to be a slight tweaking to a roster that could......

After a near no-hitter from Derek Lowe last night, the Dodgers suddenly find themselves just five games back of the Padres. Last week, we said the Dodgers should be sellers before the trade deadline. But we might have to take a mulligan. With five days before the trade deadline, giving up with just a five-game deficit would probably wreck the psyche of a franchise already walking a public relations tightrope. The public and the......

Every week, it seems like a new problem costs the Dodgers wins. First it was starting pitching, then the hitting, then the fielding, then the hitting again, injuries all the way through, and now it's relief pitcher Yhencey Brazoban who blew yet another game last night. As the trade deadline rapidly approaches, the Dodgers find themselves 8.5 games behind the Padres in the NL West with a pathetic 41-52 record. Paul DePodesta now has......

Responding to growing criticism for his offseason moves, Paul DePodesta reminded the press last month that the Dodger team he inherted was heavily flawed. "It's not like I broke up a dynasty," DePodesta said. No, it wasn't. And DePodesta can feel vindicated by how things have gone so far. His acquisitions of Jeff Kent, JD Drew, Derek Lowe, Jason Phillips, and others have helped propel the Dodgers to first place in the NL West.......

It was announced today that Jose Valentin partially tore three ligaments in his knee, and he's out for 8-10 weeks. LAist never ever wants a player to get hurt. But is it possible this is a blessing in disguise for the Dodgers? This was the Paul DePodesta offseason move that we actually questioned the most. Valentin is a low-average, high-power player, and historically those players have been awful at Dodger Stadium. Additionally, his third......

LAist felt the Dodgers would be good this season. But now we're really impressed. With an 8-6 come-from-behind win over Milwaukee, the Dodgers now are a Major League-best 11-2! Now, LAist knows not to make too much of a great early season start. But consider that the Dodgers have managed to play fantastic baseball without Eric Gagne, Brad Penny, or Wilson Alvarez yet. To all of those Dodger doubters, who think using new innovations......

See, we told you the Dodgers would be alright. Last night Jeff Weaver mowed down the Giants, pitching eight shutout innings in a 6-0 victory. It was the team's second straight victory over the hated Giants, and the Azul have hit every pitcher they've face so far except Jason Schmidt. So now is there any question that the Dodgers got the better of the Kevin Brown deal? Weaver has been one of the most......

The Dodgers made what might have been their best move of the offseason, by avoiding salary arbitration with Eric Gagne. In an otherwise hectic offseason, it's reassuring to know that Gagne and his ugly goatee will grace the Chavez Ravine mound for at least two more seasons. Paul DePodesta hates salary arbitration, and even though the Dodgers have an arbitration-dynamo in Kim Ng, some things are better left avoided. The last thing LA needed......

According to reports, Derek Lowe could be a Dodger for four years at $36 million as early as today. This would probably conclude the most bizarre Dodger offseason in recent memory (and there have been quite a few contenders). LAist only hopes Paul DePodesta knows what he's doing. LAist confesses that its always been a Derek Lowe fan. The guy has great stuff, and rose to the occasion in the postseason this year for......

As a Jewish baseball fan in Southern California, I've always been a big Shawn Green fan. So it is in many ways unfortunate that the Dodgers are about to ship Green off to Arizona. This trade may work out, but there are some questions and large variables which go into evaluating it. First off, it is curious that the Dodgers have been so eager to get rid of Green's contract. Yes, he's getting paid......

The Dodgers offseason continued on its unusual course today as they officially announecd the signing of JD Drew to a 5-year $55 million contract. We've stated before that it's a little odd that the Dodgers couldn't pony up $2 million more a year to get Adrian Beltre instead of Drew. In reality, after losing Beltre, the Dodgers became desperate for some form of offense and probably felt compelled to overpay for the Boras-represented Drew.......

Phew! That was close. What for a second looked like the worst trade in Dodger history became absolutely nothing, as the Dodgers backed out of widely reported trade that would have brought Randy Johnson to the New York Yankees. While LAist has always been supportive of Moneyball GM Paul DePodesta, we're not sure what he was thinking here. Javy Vazquez is probably better than he showed in the second half this past season, but......

Today is a dark day for Dodger fans. According to ESPN's Peter Gammons and The Sporting News' Ken Rosenthal, Adrian Beltre has signed a five-year contract with the Seattle for somewhere between $60 and $65 million. Come on, Frank McCourt. You can't compete with that? Paul DePodesta is an excellent general manager, who will maximize his resources as well as anyone in baseball. But if Frank McCourt wasn't going to raise payroll enough to......

You can forget all of that silly Plaschke hubbub about the Dodgers disrespecting Jim Tracy. The LA Manager was never going anywhere. Today he signed a 2-year contract extension to remain with the Dodgers. Tracy is a good fit for the DePodesta Moneyball philosophy, not because he necessarily believes in it, but because Tracy has always been a "yes man" of sorts. Kevin Malone hired him because, unlike Davey Johnson, he wouldn't diss Dodger......

Rumors are swirling that the Dodgers and Mets are talking about a potential Shawn Green for Mike Piazza swap. If this is true, it will mean that Paul DePodesta will have joined Tommy Lasorda, Kevin Malone, Dan Evans, and probably Dave Wallace in being another Dodger GM who has tried to reacquire Mike Piazza. Hindsight is 20/20, but it's pretty obvious today that the Mike Piazza trade was the worst move in Dodgers history.......

LAist can't believe it either. The Boston Red Sox are World Series champions. How did the Red Sox break an 86-year "curse?" By thinking outside the box. The Red Sox are the first "Moneyball" team to win a World Series. When John Henry, Tom Werner, and Larry Lucchino took over the Red Sox, they were determined to embrace new ideas which were revolutionizing baseball. So in came Theo Epstein, who hired Bill James and......

It appears that Paul DePodesta and the Dodgers will retain Jim Tracy as manager after this season. If so, then it's a move we support. Let's be honest. Jim Tracy is a "yes man." He's a company man. Kevin Malone hired him because he knew Tracy would go along with whatever he wanted, unlike Davey Johnson. Dan Evans kept him, because, well, Tracy always stayed in line. And now Paul DePodesta is likely keeping......

Since the Dodgers controversial trades three weeks ago, their only problem has been what was arguably the best bullpen in baseball. We've discussed the Dreifort/setup role extensively, but after last last night's 6-5 loss to the Braves we are suddenly worried about the "invincible" Eric Gagne. It is absolutely inconceivable that Eric Gagne could lose two straight games, and three games in the span of a week. And the Dodgers division lead has dwindled......

The hounds will be out for blood in tomorrow's paper after Darren Dreifort blew a second game in the eighth inning since the Dodgers gave up Guillermo Mota. Dreifort had a 5-3 lead going into the eighth, before the Reds came back to win 6-5. At LAist, we acknowledged that the riskiest part of Paul DePodesta's deadline deals was giving up Mota. But let's hope Jim Tracy and the Dodgers realize one thing: Darren......

That gust of wind you just felt coming from Silver Lake was actually Paul DePodesta heaving a huge sigh of relief. ESPN's Peter Gammons is reporting that Brad Penny will miss just one start, after an MRI revealed a stretched nerve in his right bicep. That's great news for Dodgers fans because--there's no other way to spin this--if Penny's injury had been any worse then it would have been a total disaster for the......

Oh, so that's why. Those questioning Paul DePodesta's extreme makeover of the Dodgers should realize they failed to account for the "good pitcher" element in their chemistry sets. Brad Penny was phenomenal in his Dodger debut, pitching eight shutout innings, and giving up just two singles in the Azul's 3-2 victory over the Pirates. Ironically, Eric Gagne gave up two runs, but he got the save anyways. Penny proved that no matter what the......

Paul DePodesta has been taking a beating in the press lately for his trade dealine moves. Much of is completely unfair, and most arguments against the trade are without any understanding what Billy Beane, Moneyball, and the new ideas of baseball performance analysis have taught us. Ironically, the same idiots who all season claimed the Dodgers needed to make some big moves in order to be successful are the same people claiming the team......

The media whines as Paul DePodesta makes his first bold moves as GM of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers traded away fan favorite Paul Lo Duca, superlative set-up man Guillermo Mota, and, in an addition-by-subtraction, the contract of OF Juan Encarnacion. Let's have an LAist moment of silence for Lo Duca. ... In return, L.A. gets First Baseman Hee Seop Choi and Pitcher Brad Penny, two young and promising impact players. DePo also picked......