Dodgers Diaries

Let’s assume for a moment that Divorce McCourt came to an amenable resolution in the next three days, and that Ned Colletti miraculously found $10 million in the Dodger coffers to play with. Where exactly might the Dodgers upgrade?

They need a bat, says you. OK. In the outfield, Kemp and Ethier are fixtures, the cornerstones of the franchise. Left field is more problematic, with Manny expected to return from injury at some point in the near future. If you were to trade for a left fielder, what would you do with him if and when Manny returns?

In the infield, Casey Blake and Rafael Furcal are both signed through 2011. Any offensive upgrades at those positions would ensure an expensive unhappy bench player. James Loney has led the team in RBIs most of the season. There are half a dozen guys in the NL who are better than him, but you’d probably have to send him away in any deal to improve production out of first base. Blake DeWitt has shown little power at second base, but he’s cheap and gets on base enough. He’s the most likely candidate to sit for a proven veteran with some pop, but I don’t see a lot of Ryne Sandbergs on the trading block.

They need a reliever. Perhaps. But with Ronald Belisario returning from rehab (or whatever put him on the “restricted” list) and Kenley Jansen an unexpected gem, all of a sudden, a bullpen that looked awful a week ago could be looking awesome a week from now. You can never have too much pitching, of course, so a deal that brought a Joe Beimel or some other lefty specialist wouldn’t be too bad.

They need a starter. Roy Oswalt is the big name still out there. Would he come to Los Angeles? He thinks Houston is too hectic. He’d wither in L.A. Plus $10 million would still leave the Dodgers $6 million short on his salary, and he’s signed through 2011. The other available starters don’t impress me a whole lot more than Carlos Monasterios. Paul Maholm? Jake Westbrook? Maybe as innings eaters to take some load off Bills and Kershaw, but I wouldn’t give up much for them.

If I had to guess, I’d say the Dodgers do almost nothing before Saturday. Maybe sign a reliever, maybe a fourth outfielder type. But other than that, you’re looking at the team that will go the rest of the way.

-- JOHN ROSENTHAL