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Posted by Emily on 1/17/2005, 9:32 pm Lowe, a ground-ball specialist, will be hurt by the Dodgers' weakened infield defense at second and third base. Drew, meanwhile, can void his five-year, $55 million contract after two seasons. Thus, the deal could backfire not only if Drew is a bust, but also if he succeeds and then bolts as a free agent. The Dodgers granted Drew the clause to gain a negotiating edge. They'll possess the resources to acquire a similar player if Drew departs. But they have no escape of their own.
64.218.66.245
Ken Rosenthal
The Dodgers' offseason remains a curiosity. Their combined $91 million investment in two high-risk free agents, righthander Derek Lowe and outfielder J.D. Drew, raises as many questions as it answers.
Say this for the Dodgers -- they've retained payroll flexibility and retooled without trading prospects. Their bullpen is intact. Their rotation should be better. They've acquired a catcher of the future, Dioner Navarro.
The team's big blunder was losing free-agent third baseman Adrian Beltre, who received $17 million in first-year money from the Mariners. The Dodgers say they couldn't have paid Beltre that much and achieved other objectives. But Beltre might have accepted a different pay structure to stay.
The free-agent market forces teams to adjust quickly; players are moving targets. The Dodgers didn't get caught empty-handed as the Astros did after losing Carlos Beltran. And the Dodgers' offseason would have turned out differently if they had succeeded with Plan A -- signing Nomar Garciaparra to a three-year, $27 million contract to play second base. Garciaparra took a one-year, $8 million deal with the Cubs to remain at shortstop.
http://msn.foxsports.com/story/3330634
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