MLB Preview: Los Angeles Dodgers

The 2007 Los Angeles Dodgers had to feel like they had something stolen from them. After enjoying first place for the better part of the spring and early summer, everything came apart for the team in late July.

The demise of the Dodgers coincided with the injury to Derek Lowe, and although Lowe came back he never fully recovered and the Dodgers never were able to recover from their July slump.

The front office hopes it solved it's woes by bringing in Andruw Jones from the Atlanta Braves on a two year deal. The team looks to be loaded at every position this year, but playing in the NL West will be no easy chore for this team.

Now it's time to answer three questions about the 2008 Dodgers.

(1) Will Joe Torre be the right man to lead the Dodgers over the top?

Although there has been extensive research done that has determined a manager has very little direct impact on a team's performance, there still is a certain clubhouse component that is not measurable.

The clubhouse dynamic is something that Torre would likely score very highly on, as he turned around the Yankees franchise in 1996 by leading them to their first title, in half of a generation. The Dodgers have been right on the edge to becoming a consistent winner on the west coast, but haven't been able to make that leap yet.

The front office is hoping Torre's calming influence will be what the team needs to take the next step. One of the reasons Torre was brought into LA was the fact that there was a growing disconnect between some of the veterans and the talented young phenoms on the Dodgers.

Grady Little wasn't able to handle this dynamic, and Torre with his World Series rings, and his reputation should be able to keep this problem from resurfacing. It is important to note that Torre has had some detractors in the past, players like Gary Sheffield and Raul Mondesi have been outspoken in their contempt for the way Torre handled things in New York.

(2) Will the Dodgers finally give the necessary playing time to their young players?

Last off-season the team decided to sign Juan Pierre to an outrageous 4 year 44 million dollar contract, and this season they brought in Andruw Jones for 2 seasons at 20 million. The Jones signing is hard to fault as he still is one of the best CF's in the game. Pierre has been a huge mistake, and one the Dodgers will have to be reminded of for the next three seasons.

Pierre is by no means a poor player, but his age, and the fact that the team has so many talented young OF's does not make LA a good fit for him. It's still possible the team may decide that they are paying him too much money to sit on the bench, and if the Dodgers do this they will be making a mistake that may cost them the NL West this season.

Matt Kemp came on last season, and showed the team he was deserving of an everyday position in the lineup has he batted 342 and slugged 10 homeruns in only half a season for the Dodgers. The team also saw significiant progress in Andre Ethier who also could be squeezed out if the Dodgers decide to play Piere on an everyday basis.

Ethier hit a respectable 284 and hit 13 home runs while playing the majority of the season with the Dodgers last year. The Dodgers would like to see the power numbers increase this season, and if Ethier is able to move out of the #7 or #8 slots in the batting order, he should likely increase those numbers.

The Dodgers also had a dilemna at third base, but an injury to prospect Andy Laroche, likely means Nomar Garciaparra will hold on to the job until at least June this season. Russell Martin was one of the only Dodgers given a chance to play everyday over the past two seasons, and he has become the best catcher in the game. The Dodgers also handed over the first base reigns to super prospect James Loney who was on fire since the All Star Break last season.

(3) What can the Dodgers expect from their pitching rotation this season?

This is the million dollar question for a lot of teams this season, but very few teams could see their rotation fluctuate as much as the Dodgers this season. The talent is perhaps second to none on the Dodgers rotation, but health is a huge concern as we head into opening day.

Last season the team lost Jason Schmidt and Ryan Wolf for the majority of the season, the one blessing from those injuries was the fact that it gave Chad Billingsley a chance to earn a spot in the rotation. Billingsley never looked back as he became one of the staff's most consistent pitchers during the 2nd half of the season.

The team is hoping to get Schmidt back at some point this season, but even if they don't they still have plenty of solid options. Brad Penny was perhaps the games best pitcher in the first half of the season, but he broke down during the 2nd half, and has simply not been able to stay healthy for much of his career.

The Dodgers also have Derek Lowe, who has been an innings eater throughout his career, but did show signs of wearing down last season. Lowe is a great pitcher for his ballpark, and simply hasn't gotten the respect he deserved for some time now during his career.

The Dodgers made an interesting signing during the off-season by acquiring Hideki Kuroda from Japan. Kuroda is 33, and has looked impressive thus far in Spring Training. Kuroda will be aided by the fact that many MLB players haven't seen him pitch, which should allow him to get off to a fast start in 2008 while hitters make the necessary adjustments.

The 2008 Dodgers have as much talent as any team in MLB, and if the rotation stays healthy could find themselves playing deep into October. The team's season quite simply relies on how much playing time they give their more talented young phenoms, compared to the aging veterans who have won out in the playing time battle under previous management.