[ThePundit]

2006 FINISH (88-74) - Tied-First (NL West); Wild Card, lost to NY Mets in NLDS

KEY OFFSEASON ADDITIONS: SP Jason Schmidt; OF Juan Pierre; OF Luis Gonzalez; SP Randy Wolf; C Mike Lieberthal; RP Rudy Seanez

KEY OFFSEASON SUBTRACTIONS: OF J.D. Drew; RP Eric Gagne; OF Kenny Lofton; SP Greg Maddux; SS Julio Lugo; OF Jayson Werth; C Toby Hall

PROJECTED LINEUP: Rafael Furcal (SS); Juan Pierre (CF); Nomar Garciaparra (1B); Jeff Kent (2B); Luis Gonzalez (LF); Wilson Betemit (3B); Russell Martin (C); Andre Either (RF)

PROJECTED ROTATION: Jason Schmidt (RHP), Derek Lowe (RHP), Brad Penny (RHP), Randy Wolf (LHP), Brett Tomko (RHP)

PROJECTED CLOSER: Takashi Saito (RHP)

MANAGER: Grady Little

OVERVIEW

Last season can hardly be viewed as a failure for the Los Angeles Dodgers, except maybe in their own eyes. After a disappointing fourth-place finish in 2005, the Dodgers' front office opened their collective wallets and brought in some free agents (Rafael Furcal and Nomar Garciaparra being the most prominent) to make a run at what was perceived as a weak division.

The moves paid off as Los Angeles finished in a tie with the San Diego Padres for first place in the NL West, earning them a wild card spot before being swept by the New York Mets in the National League Division Series.

However, the division has gotten stronger this year. Barry Zito (San Francisco) and Randy Johnson (Arizona) have come west and the standings could be tight again this year.

But the Dodgers didn't sit idle this winter themselves. For the second straight year, Los Angeles landed a big free agent prize. After signing Furcal in 2006, the Dodgers lured free agent pitcher Jason Schmidt away from the Giants this winter with a three-year, $47 million contract .

Mix in that transaction with the signing of 29-year-old speedy center fielder Juan Pierre to a five-year deal, and the Dodgers are ready for another postseason run.

INFIELD

Nomar Garciaparra and Jeff Kent will be under two different microscopes this season. While Garciaparra was a feel good story last season en route to winning the NL Comeback Player of the Year award, Kent will be out to prove this year that his skills are not declining.

Garciaparra, 33, joined the Dodgers before last season and made the switch from the left side of the field. He batted .303 with 20 home runs and 93 runs batted in while learning a new position and playing in over 100 games for the first time in three seasons. Garciaparra did, however, battle through a variety of injuries last season, including a partially torn left quad muscle in the postseason.

His re-signing to a two-year contract this offseason showed Los Angeles isn't quite ready to hand over first base to 22-year-old James Loney, who batted .380 in the minors last season.

Kent, meanwhile, didn't have as much success last season as his first baseman. He played in just 115 games last season, his lowest total since a 107-game campaign with the New York Mets in 1994. So now Kent, who missed time last year due to a sprained wrist in May and a strained oblique muscle in mid-July, must hear the whispers that he is over the hill on the heels of signing a contract extension with the Dodgers. The 39-year-old Kent managed just 14 homers and 68 RBI last season -- his lowest totals since 1996 -- but did hit .292.

Furcal enjoyed the best season of any Dodger infielder in 2006. In his first campaign with LA, the shortstop set career highs in games played (159), average (.300) and runs batted in (63), and also tied his best mark with 15 home runs out of the leadoff spot. He took a step back from a year ago in stolen bases, stealing just 37 bases to 46 in 2005.

Wilson Betemit will man the hot corner again for Los Angeles this season after the club picked him up last July from Atlanta. Betemit batted .263 last season with 18 homers, but hit just .241 after being traded to the Dodgers. He will continue to hold down the position until highly regarded prospect Andy LaRoche is ready.

The Dodgers headed into last season a bit unsure of their catching situation and it was a surprise candidate who ended up seizing the job. Los Angeles began the season with youngster Dioner Navarro and 39-year-old Sandy Alomar Jr. at the spot, but Navarro eventually lost the starting job to Russell Martin, who never looked back. Martin ended up playing in 121 games and the 24-year-old hit at a .282 clip with 10 homers and 65 RBI. Navarro was traded to Tampa Bay in late June.

OUTFIELD

The Dodgers' outfield will have a much different look this season. Replacing J.D. Drew -- who opted out of the final three years of his contract with LA -- in right will be Andre Either, who will shift over from left field to make room for Luis Gonzalez. The Dodgers signed Gonzalez to a one-year deal this offseason. Finally, Pierre takes over for Kenny Lofton in center field.

Pierre will most likely bat behind Furcal in the second spot this upcoming season and will give the Dodgers a high dose of speed at the top of the order. The lefty swiped 58 bases last season with the Cubs, the second highest total of his career, and hit a healthy .292 with 13 triples.

Gonzalez, 39, comes to the Dodgers after spending the last eight seasons in Arizona. Gonzalez has hit at a .271 clip the past two seasons, but like Kent, has seen his power steadily decrease. The left-handed hitter jacked 57 home runs in 2001 with 142 RBI, but hasn't reached the 30-homer mark since. Last season, he hit just 15 homers with 73 RBI.

Finally, promising youngster Either rounds out the all left-handed hitting outfield. In his rookie season last year, the 24-year-old turned in a solid .308 batting average with 11 home runs and 55 RBI. He also hit seven triples in 396 at bats over 126 games.

STARTING ROTATION

The inking of Schmidt quickly boosts a pitching staff that posted a collective 4.23 earned run average last season, fourth best in the NL. Schmidt won 18 games with the Giants in 2004, but was only 11-9 last season in San Francisco with a 3.59 ERA. Still, in Schmidt, the Dodgers get a potential 20-game winner, something the club hasn't had since Ramon Martinez in 1990. A three- time All-Star, Schmidt is 3-1 with a 3.06 ERA in five postseason starts.

Brad Penny and Derrick Lowe are both coming off 16-win seasons and fill out the next two spots in the rotation. Penny was the National League's starting pitcher in last season's All-Star game, while Lowe turned in a 3.63 ERA, went over the 200-inning plateau for the fourth time in five seasons, and will make his third straight Opening Day start for LA.

It could be Penny who makes or breaks the Dodgers' starting rotation. The righty was 10-2 with a 2.91 ERA to earn his All-Star honors, but went just 6-7 after the break with a ballooned 6.25 earned run average.

Randy Wolf is the other new comer to the Dodgers' rotation and will most likely throw out of the four hole. The left-hander, who had spent his entire eight-year career with Philadelphia before signing a one-year deal with a club option for 2008 with LA, missed over a year of action because of Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow. He returned late last season and finished 4-0 with a 5.56 ERA in 12 games.

Brett Tomko will most likely round out Los Angeles' starting staff. The 33- year-old right-hander appeared in 44 games last season, making 15 starts. He finished 6-6 as a starter with a 5.12 ERA as compared to a 2-1 mark and 3.64 ERA in 29 relief appearances.

Hence, don't be surprised if Tomko struggles and the Dodgers try putting 22- year-old Chad Billingsley back into the rotation. Billingsley was among those battling Tomko for the fifth spot, but will instead start the season in the bullpen.

BULLPEN

The Dodgers' rotation is that of one in transition. Los Angeles' pen once featured a dominating presence in Eric Gagne, but injury has put his career on a different track and LA elected not to pick up his option.

Takashi Saito will begin the season as Los Angeles' closer after eventually being thrust into the spot last year. Saito converted 24-of-26 save opportunities and turned in a 6-2 record and a 2.07 earned run average in 72 total games.

Right-hander Jonathan Broxton and lefty Joe Beimel will serve as LA's primary setup men. Broxton was 4-1 with a 2.59 ERA in 68 games last season, while Beimel ended 2-1 with a 2.96 ERA in 62 games.

Yhency Brazoban will factor into the mix once he recovers from Tommy John elbow reconstruction, while Billingsley, Elmer Dessens, and Tim Hamulack will round out the bullpen.

RotoTimes.com - MLB - Los Angeles Dodgers 2007 Preview
ThePundit's prediction: 1st in NL West. From top to bottom, they have the strongest squad in the division.

[MJHMarc]

You can say that again, ThePundit.

Hopefully, they'll be in the World Series.

[EmpireWF]

I'm interested in seeing how the top of the line-up tandem of Pierre and Furcal do. That's a lot of speed up there.