Los Angeles Dodgers 2013 Team Preview

Clayton Kershaw

Flat nasty.

That’s what I think of the 2013 Los Angeles Dodgers as things begin. It’s not a bad thing for baseball if these guys are restored to relevancy.

It would be unrealistic to think that all of these former superstars will put together superstar seasons at the same time. However, if just a few of them manage it while the others become solid contributors, the Dodgers are going to be one tough out in the National League.

Major offseason moves:

  • Signed SP Hyun-Jin Ryu
  • Signed SP Zach Greinke to a 6-year, $147 million contract
  • Traded minor leaguer Jake Lemmerman to St. Louis for Skip Schumaker
  • Signed RP JP Howell
  • Signed RP Brandon League to a 3-year, $22 million contract

Of course, let’s not forget all the damn moves they made at the end of last season. They acquired a small army of misfit toys in getting Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, and Josh Beckett for basically nothing.

After the jump, we’ll take a look at the Dodgers from top to bottom.

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Sam Miller of Baseball Prospectus on Harper’s Best AB’s

My buddy M.J. Lloyd and I were talking one day about some of our favorite baseball writers. He tossed out a name about one of the guys who was ‘the next big thing’ in his mind, Sam Miller formerly of the OC Register Angels blog. I am starting to become a believer.

Miller produced one of my favorite posts of the year thus far at Baseball Prospectus yesterday. It’s called ‘Pebble Hunting’ and it details Bryce Harper’s toughest at-bats. Miller takes us through five at-bats that Harper has had against the five pitchers with the highest K-rates: Aroldis Chapman, Jason Grilli, Craig Kimbrel, Kenley Jansen, and Johnny Venters.

It’s all about young power vs. power match-ups. Miller gets creative with gifs and screen shots and all the fixings. Please check it out.