Los Angeles Dodgers of Los Angeles 2005-06 Offseason Thread

[Hotblack Desiato]

Without a GM, manager or a single Major League coach, the Dodgers made their first move of the offseason.

PRESS RELEASE
11/04/2005 3:10 PM ET
Dodgers agree to terms with outfielder Jose Cruz Jr.

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Dodgers announced today that the club has agreed to terms with outfielder Jose Cruz Jr. on a one-year contract with a club option for 2007.

Cruz, 31, joined the Dodgers on Aug. 9 and was one of the club's most productive hitters down the stretch. In 47 games for Los Angeles, he batted .301 with six homers, 22 RBI and had a .366 on-base percentage. His .301 average ranked second on the Dodgers from the time he was acquired through the end of the season.

The Puerto Rico native finished the season with 193 career home runs, which ranks sixth on the active player list and 19th on the all-time list among switch-hitters. In the Sept. 7 game vs. San Francisco, he homered from both sides of the plate, becoming just the seventh Dodger in franchise history to accomplish that feat.

Cruz is one of just three switch-hitters in Major League history to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases in the same season, joining Howard Johnson and Carlos Beltran in that illustrious club. Cruz accomplished that feat in 2001, when he posted career highs in batting average (.274), homers (34), RBI (88), stolen bases (32) and hits (158) while playing for the Blue Jays. He also topped the 30-homer mark in 2000, when he tied for the American League lead in games played (162) while going deep 31 times.

In eight-plus big league seasons, he has a .250 batting average (1,049-for-4,196) with 193 homers and 585 RBI while playing for Seattle, Toronto, San Francisco, Tampa Bay, Arizona, Boston and Los Angeles. He was acquired by the Dodgers in exchange for infielder Tony Schrager.

Cruz won the Rawlings Gold Glove Award in 2003 and has a career fielding percentage of .985, having spent time at all three outfield positions.

He and his father, Jose, rank fifth on the all-time father/son home run list with 357, behind only the Bonds, Griffey, Alou and Bell families. Cruz's uncles, Hector and Tommy, also played in the Major Leagues in the 1970s and 80s.
http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/NA...t=.jsp&c_id=la

Depending on the terms, this could be a good move. He was outstanding for us down the stretch and we'll no doubt end up sorely needing a starting-caliber outfielder with everyone one of our prospective starters surrounded by questions. Can Drew stay healthy? Can Bradley stay sane or even in LA? Can Werth hit the damn ball? I'm sure with all the bouncing around he did this year, he will cost significantly less. Maybe more than Ledee money, but I can't see him getting more than $2 or 3 million.

[The Great Demo]

great signing.

[Karros270]

I hear the Dodgers got permission to interview John Hart. He's just about the only name left out there that people would respect as far as experience goes. McCourt is really scraping the bottom of the barrel right now.

[The Great Demo]

yea, john hart is not good for the blue crew. AT ALL. its bad enough the dodgers have lost quite a bit of respect in the majors, but there's no reason to going all the way down to texas ranger-like lack of respect.

[Hotblack Desiato]

Originally Posted by Karros270

I hear the Dodgers got permission to interview John Hart. He's just about the only name left out there that people would respect as far as experience goes. McCourt is really scraping the bottom of the barrel right now.

They contacted Theo and they're going to wait until next week to talk to him, even though he's going to turn them down. There's been a lot of talk about an Ng/Hershiser GM/Asst. pairing, which could be interesting. Ng has a LOT of experience and it would be great to see the Dodgers set another first.

[The Great Demo]

Originally Posted by Hotblack Desiato

They contacted Theo and they're going to wait until next week to talk to him, even though he's going to turn them down. There's been a lot of talk about an Ng/Hershiser GM/Asst. pairing, which could be interesting. Ng has a LOT of experience and it would be great to see the Dodgers set another first.

f*ck that. i dont want to see this team try out any experiments anymore. get a guy, implement the philosophy and more importantly STICK WITH IT!

let it play out first before you call it a bust.

EDIT: personally, i'd like another moneyball type to finish what depo started

[Hotblack Desiato]

Originally Posted by The Great Demo

f*ck that. i dont want to see this team try out any experiments anymore. get a guy, implement the philosophy and more importantly STICK WITH IT!

Yeah, let's get the guy who assembled the Texas Rangers. Quite a job he did there, particularly locking up Chan Ho Park to a ridiculous contract when everyone knew he would tank in Texas.

Look, if we're picking between a typical BITGOD and a girl with a huge amount of experience for a repeated World Series team, I'll take the girl. May as well try something because if we're just going to hire one of Tommy's good old boys, we may as well get used to being the ****ing Mets.

[Green & Gold Heart]

Originally Posted by The Great Demo

f*ck that. i dont want to see this team try out any experiments anymore. get a guy, implement the philosophy and more importantly STICK WITH IT!

let it play out first before you call it a bust.

EDIT: personally, i'd like another moneyball type to finish what depo started

SEXIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111111

[The Great Demo]

Originally Posted by Green & Gold Heart

SEXIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111111

LMAO, good call. didnt mean it that way

[The Great Demo]

Originally Posted by Hotblack Desiato

Yeah, let's get the guy who assembled the Texas Rangers. Quite a job he did there, particularly locking up Chan Ho Park to a ridiculous contract when everyone knew he would tank in Texas.

Look, if we're picking between a typical BITGOD and a girl with a huge amount of experience for a repeated World Series team, I'll take the girl. May as well try something because if we're just going to hire one of Tommy's good old boys, we may as well get used to being the ****ing Mets.

i'd take ng over hart too, but i don't think this team is in rebuild mode either. and frankly, the fans in LA are restless of waiting.

i've already stated i dont like hart. but i dont think this IS the time to doing something for the sake of being a pioneer. I know jamie would probably like nothing better than that, but come on... hell, even Dan Evans would be a welcome sight.

[Hotblack Desiato]

Originally Posted by The Great Demo

i'd take ng over hart too, but i don't think this team is in rebuild mode either. and frankly, the fans in LA are restless of waiting.

i've already stated i dont like hart. but i dont think this IS the time to doing something for the sake of being a pioneer. I know jamie would probably like nothing better than that, but come on... hell, even Dan Evans would be a welcome sight.

Well, no, I wouldn't hire Nancy Bea Hefley as our GM. But Ng is qualified for it. She was assistant GM for the Yankees when they were going to the World Series year in and year out and she has held the same spot with many more duties since coming to LA. She assists with contract negotations and player transactions among other things, so she knows what she's doing. Whether she can deal with a Scott Boras, I don't know. I don't know what her attitude is like. But she has experience in the GM's seat (she's doing it now until someone else is hired, if anyone else is hired). The social pioneering is just a cool side effect. Just like they didn't just take some token black guy to be the first Major Leaguer, but the guy most people, even his fellow Negro Leaguers, thought was most fit to do the job.

What the hell is John Hart or Jim Bowden going to do for us that Kim Ng couldn't? She studied under Brian Cashman, Dan Evans AND Paul Depodesta and, frankly, the OOTP AI could run a team just about as effectively as either of those two guys. We have nothing to lose. Just hire her and Hershiser and see what happens. If nothing else, it would be more interesting having a woman and a city hero manning the franchise than having some lame-duck old white dude run it into the rocks like they've done so many times before.

[The Great Demo]

Originally Posted by Hotblack Desiato

Well, no, I wouldn't hire Nancy Bea Hefley as our GM. But Ng is qualified for it. She was assistant GM for the Yankees when they were going to the World Series year in and year out and she has held the same spot with many more duties since coming to LA. She assists with contract negotations and player transactions among other things, so she knows what she's doing. Whether she can deal with a Scott Boras, I don't know. I don't know what her attitude is like. But she has experience in the GM's seat (she's doing it now until someone else is hired, if anyone else is hired). The social pioneering is just a cool side effect. Just like they didn't just take some token black guy to be the first Major Leaguer, but the guy most people, even his fellow Negro Leaguers, thought was most fit to do the job.

What the hell is John Hart or Jim Bowden going to do for us that Kim Ng couldn't? She studied under Brian Cashman, Dan Evans AND Paul Depodesta and, frankly, the OOTP AI could run a team just about as effectively as either of those two guys. We have nothing to lose. Just hire her and Hershiser and see what happens. If nothing else, it would be more interesting having a woman and a city hero manning the franchise than having some lame-duck old white dude run it into the rocks like they've done so many times before.

alright, point made. what about pitching coach. I'd like to see Orel Hershiser try his hand at pitching coach with the Dodgers, before eventually graduating to manager.

[Jeremy Weimer]

Originally Posted by Green & Gold Heart

SEXIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111111

G&GH 4 lyfe.

[Karros270]

I like Ng, a lot. I just don't know enough about her to really be confident in her abilities but that doesn't mean I wouldn't be for taking a chance on her. She's lasted this long under McCourt's tyrannical purges so she's got to be something of substance.

Supposedly Theo and DePo are pretty close, like almost best friend types and DePo has cautioned Theo against going anywhere near the "dysfunctional Dodgers organization." As much as I'd like to see Theo get the job it really doesn't make sense for him to leave behind the turmoil in Boston for what seems to be an even more chaotic organization.

[Hotblack Desiato]

Originally Posted by The Great Demo

what about pitching coach. I'd like to see Orel Hershiser try his hand at pitching coach with the Dodgers, before eventually graduating to manager.

I'd love it, but the Rangers are unlikely to allow another team to interview him for the job he already has in Texas. I was really gunning for Roger McDowell but this process has been so drawn out that we lost him to Atlanta. Right now I have no friggin clue who could do it. Maybe they could get Fernando out of the broadcast booth.

[Hotblack Desiato]

Originally Posted by Karros270

Supposedly Theo and DePo are pretty close, like almost best friend types and DePo has cautioned Theo against going anywhere near the "dysfunctional Dodgers organization." As much as I'd like to see Theo get the job it really doesn't make sense for him to leave behind the turmoil in Boston for what seems to be an even more chaotic organization.

Yeah, I don't remember where I read it but someone called Depo one of Theo's 10 best friends. That right there kills any hope of him coming to LA for me. Let alone the fact that he's smart enough to know what he's in for and not want any part of it.

[The Great Demo]

Originally Posted by Hotblack Desiato

I'd love it, but the Rangers are unlikely to allow another team to interview him for the job he already has in Texas. I was really gunning for Roger McDowell but this process has been so drawn out that we lost him to Atlanta. Right now I have no friggin clue who could do it. Maybe they could get Fernando out of the broadcast booth.

i thought orel's contract just ran out? the dodgers asked for permission to interview him because they didn't want him to go elsewhere first. i could be wrong, however.

[Hotblack Desiato]

Originally Posted by The Great Demo

i thought orel's contract just ran out? the dodgers asked for permission to interview him because they didn't want him to go elsewhere first. i could be wrong, however.

Hmm, seems you're right. I didn't know it would be up. Add another job to the mystery Wheel of Employment.

[The Great Demo]

Originally Posted by Hotblack Desiato

Hmm, seems you're right. I didn't know it would be up. Add another job to the mystery Wheel of Employment.

why did Tracy have to take Colborn (he took lett too, but meh)

take two out of three, you greedy pirates!

[The Great Demo]

Originally Posted by Hotblack Desiato

Hmm, seems you're right. I didn't know it would be up. Add another job to the mystery Wheel of Employment.

also, that's another thing that has me anxious for them wanting to hire a GM.

you need a GM to hire a manager. you generally want a manager to assemble his coaching staff...

who knows how long orel will be patient for before taking a job elsewhere?