September 10th, 2012 at 5:03 am 
by Ron Cervenka Although Dodgers manager Don Mattingly will never admit it or come right out as say it, he undoubtedly knows that a playoff berth this season is simply not in the cards for his Dodgers team. With a highly paid and under-performing offense and a mediocre (or worse) starting rotation, it’s time for Donny B to let this one go and start building for the 2013 season, where a World Championship is far more realistic – especially with a new ownership group that is willing to get him the one or two outside pieces that he needs to win – more specifically, starting pitching.
With the minor league seasons now wrapped up and all of the Dodgers affiliated teams eliminated from further playoff contention (excluding the Rookie League Ogden Raptors), now is the perfect time for the Dodgers to call-up those who led the Isotopes, Lookouts and Quakes into their respective first-round playoffs. Now is the perfect time to see exactly what the Dodgers have for the near future.
It goes without saying that most of the Isotopes players and a number of Lookouts players (especially pitchers) and perhaps even a few Quakes players will get invites to major league spring training camp in 2013, but why not give a few of them a head start by calling them up right now and actually letting them play rather than having them sit on the bench while their pitching and hitting skills get rusty? Why not give Aaron Harang, Joe Blanton and Chris Capuano the rest of the season off which, at this point, is only two or three starts; or even shutting down Clayton Kershaw if doing so will help his ailing hip and plantar fasciitis heal faster for next season? Or Matt Kemp and his ailing shoulder? I, for one, would love to see how Zach Lee and Chris Reed fair against major league hitters.
Now would be a great time to see how Dodgers top pitching prospect Zach Lee fairs against major league hitters. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)
The point here is that in all honesty (even if Mattingly chooses to ignore it), these top minor leaguers couldn’t do any worse than his current Dodgers line-up is doing, and perhaps they would do better since they would be unknown to opposing pitchers and opposing hitters unfamiliar with the Dodgers pitching prospects.
Josh Fields was one of the Isotopes’ top hitters throughout the 2012 season, not to mention the fact that he has 5 years of MLB experience. (Photo credit – Zach Hill)
I know that I’m wishing up a rope here and that such a drastic move is not a normal MLB move, but again being very honest, what do the Dodgers have to lose at this stage of the season? The best that they can now hope for is a second place finish in the NL West, which is like kissing your sister. As they say, second place = first loser. As for that second NL Wild Card spot, if you honestly believe that it is coming out of the NL West with the way that the current Dodgers team is playing, you are in serious denial.
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I think we should bring them up, but wait to see what happens in the next two series since the games against Arizona and St. Louis will determine whether or not we get into the post season, not this past weekend’s debacle in San Francisco. Let them play now, but don’t throw in the towel just yet.
Even if the offensive were to miraculously get hot (do you really think it will?), the pitching is completely inept to sustain a run. With only 5 series remaining, why delay playing the kids right now? Bringing them up and sitting them does nobody any good.
I respect and admire your optimism, Dick, but you are setting yourself up for heartbreak. My towel respectfully awaits yours.
I may agree with you wholeheartedly after this week, after the D-back and Cardinal series are over. I feel this is our last chance to have a shot at that Wild Card Game afterwitch who knows what can happen if this offense gets going.
“What do the Dodgers have to lose at this point of the season?” Well, as awful as they are playing, they are still within 1 1/2 games of the wild card and they have 4 games remaining with the team in front of them, and they’re home games too.. It would be career suicide if Mattingly suddenly played the kids while his team is within striking distance of the last post season spot.
I agree with playing the kids once eliminated, but until they are 5 out with 6 to play, you cannot give up.
I am in no way optimistic that the Dodgers will turn this thing around, but as long as there is a chance of a miracle turnaround, the season cannot be ceded.
Just my .02.
Difficult to clear spots with a 40 man roster. When guys are removed from the 40 man roster to make room for others they have to be DFAed or waived or something and become subject to being claimed, if I understand it correctly. Puig could come up as he is on the 40 man roster.
We could put Kennedy on 60 day DL, waive Uribe, Abreu, DFA Angle. I don’t expect we would DFA pitchers.
As you know, the not hitting thing is driving me to bed early, but Donnie cannot pack it in now. I expect that won’t happen until we are mathematically eliminated.
With the MiLB playoffs being donw for all of our 40 man roster players I would think we’d bring most all of the up, especially the pitchers.
I think the only pitcher it would give us is Stephen Fife. Offensive plays would be Herrera, Angle, Van Slyke, Sands(if Boston permits), Puig, Gordon off 60 day DL. Tony Gywnn is not on the 40 man roster nor is Fields.