다저스에 결단의 시간이 왔다.

By Andrew Simon

It's already been an eventful offseason for the Dodgers, who have overhauled their front office with some of the sharpest minds in the business.

The reped brain trust at Chavez Ravine includes president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, who famously accomplished so much with so little in Tampa Bay, and general manager Farhan Zaidi, who less famously helped Billy Beane do the same in Oakland. Both now have more resources at their disposal than ever before, but also more chances to make the mistakes that can come along with that.

They inherit a team that has won 92-plus games and a division title in back-to-back seasons before falling to the Cardinals in the playoffs each year. Despite six postseason appearances since 2004, the club hasn't returned to the World Series since 1988, a long drought in a big market that consistently ranks at or near the top of the league in attendance.

The current roster features plenty of star power -- headlined by National League Cy Young Award winner and MVP Clayton Kershaw -- as well as plenty of question marks and huge financial commitments. Here's a look at the most significant issues facing L.A.'s new regime right now.

Problem: There are too many outfielders.

Solution: Yasiel Puig is a big piece of the club's future, as is center field prospect Joc Pederson, and Scott Van Slyke is a cheap lefty-masher. That leaves the Dodgers in a position to trade one of their three expensive veterans, something Friedman has confirmed is part of his offseason plan.

Yet moving Matt Kemp, Carl Crawford or Andre Ethier is easier said than done. Kemp certainly holds the most appeal, as a 30-year-old who produced an .852 OPS and 25 homers last year, but that same ability also makes him a crucial bat in the Dodgers' lineup. Trading the former MVP runner-up only makes sense if you believe it's a case of selling high, but even so, the $107 million left on Kemp's contract figures to severely limit the potential return.

Crawford and Ethier are due $62.5 million and $56 million, respectively, over the next three years, so neither holds much trade value, even if the Dodgers eat a good portion of that money. But dealing one would provide at least a little salary relief, as well as more flexibility, while still leaving the club with solid depth. Ethier is the most logical choice, as he no longer has a role in L.A. but could fit as a platoon outfielder and designated hitter for an AL club, thanks to his .888 career OPS against righties.

 

Problem: Hanley Ramirez must be re-signed or replaced.

Solution: The Dodgers haven't indicated any interest in bringing back the soon-to-be 31-year-old, who offers an MVP ceiling but isn't a great fit in L.A. going forward. Ramirez's ability to stick at shortstop defensively is questionable at best, and the Dodgers have Juan Uribe under contract for another year at third, with top prospect Corey Seager on his way. Considering the Draft pick the Dodgers will get if Ramirez signs with another team, letting him walk is a sensible course of action.

Of course, doing so means the Dodgers have to find someone else to man shortstop. The top internal option is 24-year-old Cuban defector Erisbel Arruebarrena, who is a slick fielder but looked overmatched at the plate in a brief taste of the Majors last season. The Dodgers could look to the free-agent market, but each option there is a potential liability with the glove (Jed Lowrie) or bat (Stephen Drew).

That's what makes reports of the club's interest in White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez so logical. Ramirez has provided steady production, posting at least 2.5 WAR in five straight seasons, and he's owed $10 million for '15, with a $10 million team option for '16. That sets him up as a great short-term solution if he can be pried away from Chicago for a somewhat reasonable price.

Problem: The starting rotation has stars but lacks depth.

Solution: A top three of Kershaw, Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu matches up favorably with any in baseball, but after that, things get dicey. The only other returning starter is Dan Haren, who is 34 years old and coming off his third straight subpar season. So while L.A. doesn't have to add an ace, it desperately needs at least one reliable arm to eat innings at the back of the rotation.

Unless the Dodgers are able to use their outfield surplus or are willing to part with a top prospect in a trade, they would have to dip into the free-agent market. How about a reunion with right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, who pitched for the Dodgers from 2008-11? Kuroda, who also could retire or return to Japan, will be 40 years old next season but has made 30-plus starts with an ERA better than league average in five straight years. Ervin Santana would be another good fit, but signing him requires a much higher financial commitment, plus the loss of a draft pick. That might lead the Dodgers to take a shot on an upside play such as Justin Masterson, who struggled mightily last year but has a solid track record and likely would take a short-term deal.

Problem: Kenley Jansen needs help.

Solution: It wasn't the closer's fault, but the bullpen as a whole posted the ninth-worst ERA in MLB and the fourth-highest walk rate. The Dodgers are stuck with Brian Wilson and Brandon League for next year at a combined $17 million, and they won't get hard-throwing Chris Withrow back until midseason as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. Outside help is clearly needed, and Thursday's night's trade for the Rays' Joel Peralta could be the first of several small moves the Dodgers make to bolster their relief depth.

If the new front office wants to take advantage of its financial clout, it could go after free-agent left-hander Andrew Miller. Though he doesn't have a long track record as a reliever, Miller dominated both lefties and righties in '14 while striking out 103 batters in 62 1/3 innings. A more affordable choice would be Sergio Romo, who lost his closer job with the rival Giants but enjoyed a strong second half and held righties to a .172/.207/.321 line for the season.

Problem: They could use a catching upgrade, but it's complicated.

Solution: A.J. Ellis hit .191/.323/.254 during an injury-plagued season, though that still gave him the best OPS of the four catchers the Dodgers used. They could cut him loose to avoid paying him upwards up $3.5 million for his age-34 season, but Ellis was solid offensively in 2012-13, has strong support from Kershaw and received a vote of confidence from Zaidi.

L.A. still should look for someone to at least share the load with Ellis. Russell Martin, an ideal choice and the only clear starting catcher on the market, signed a five-year deal with Toronto, but that could lead the Jays to trade switch-hitter Dioner Navarro and his .283/.333/.427 line from the past two years. The D-backs' Miguel Montero and the Astros' Jason Castro also are said to be available, but they are coming off shaky seasons and would be expensive. Houston's Carlos Corporan or San Diego's Rene Rivera would be cheaper, and while lacking in offensive upside, they have rated well as pitch framers.

쭉 나왔던 이야기들의 정리군요. 한번 읽어보셔도 좋을 법해 퍼왔습니다.

4선발로 구로다 혹은 어빈 산타나, 짧게 계약한다면 저스틴 매스터슨 이야기도 나오는군요.

포수쪽은 디오너 나바로라면 우리가 갑질하면서 트레이드도 가능하지 않을까 싶지만..... 안토풀로스의 능력도 지켜봐야죠.