MLB Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Playoff Exit Reveals Key Foundational Flaws

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By @fanforlife1988

Getty Images Sport - Jamie Squire

Getty Images Sport – Jamie Squire

For the second October in a row, the Los Angeles Dodgers collapsed under the scrutiny of playoff baseball, failing to produce a team capable of winning the World Series. The Dodgers now face an offseason of uncertainty, despite having nearly every one of their marquee players locked up to a multi-year deal. Sure, parts can be exchanged, but the issues of how the Dodgers are currently constructed are not congruent enough with those of playoff mainstays. Making matters even worse for the Dodgers is that those playoff mainstays are the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants.

After losing much earlier than expected in this MLB postseason, Dodgers ownership is left to wonder where the team goes from here, and with whom do they proceed. Just how the team plans on reaching its championship-or-bust goals is up to them to determine. While it is justifiable to place blame on Don Mattingly’s poor decision-making, especially with his inabilities to read the flow of the game and control its pace, the team’s issues run deeper and beyond the breadth of just its manager. The team’s problems seep within the core of the organization, creating a fundamental imbalance, which was exposed by the Cardinals for the second-consecutive year.

Acquiring talent with boatloads of money to spend doesn’t always equal championships, and is a lesson the Dodgers are now learning. Upon purchasing the team in 2012, the group led by Mark Walter invigorated the franchise, fans and city of Los Angeles. They shrewdly brought in Magic Johnson to serve as the face of the group, and had a willingness to take on any and all contracts at the sake of putting a winning product on the field.

Initially, it did work, as the team rose out of mediocrity, and into an NL powerhouse. Through salary-dump trades, the Dodgers brought in Adrian Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez, Josh Beckett and Carl Crawford to team with an existing core comprised of Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw and Andre Ethier. The signing of Zack Greinke and addition of Yasiel Puig gave the Dodgers an All-Star cast of players, and made for the most expensive payroll in baseball.

When this group finally maxed out because the sum of the team’s individual parts couldn’t match the greater whole that was the Cardinals, it became evident that the methods the Dodgers undertook to become a contender were flawed and not going to work.The main problem does seem to be within the clubhouse, as the players remain unable to unify behind one common goal. Having a manager such Mattingly, whose stoic approach doesn’t capture the mood necessary to lead his players to victory, is a good place to begin when addressing this problem.

Before anything else, the Dodgers must determine whether to keep Mattingly into next season. In each game, Mattingly made a critical error, which cost the team greatly. Specifically, he didn’t ease Kershaw during the seventh inning of Game 1, and instead of prolonging the inning to buy time for his ace, he figured Kershaw would get through it without his help. Rather, Mattingly let his star rush through pitches and batters, a clear contrast to how the Cardinals handled the pace of the game with their own pitchers. Mattingly’s poor use of the bullpen, and yanking of Hyun-jin Ryu when he was pitching at his absolute best in Game 3, was second guessed when the moves were made, and ridiculed after they led to the Cardinals scoring multiple runs.

What the Dodgers will have to do is make a choice of whether they stick with this core of the roster, relying on guys like Kemp, Puig and Kershaw, or go with Mattingly as their guy, allowing him to have a ball club more closely suited to his style. Certainly, the ownership group will not stand pat this offseason, as history indicates that Dodger fans can expect massive roster adjustments.

One thing is for sure for the Dodgers – no amount of money spent this upcoming offseason will correct the issues that were only magnified by the Cardinals this week. For these issues will continue to happen year after year, until the organization fixes the organic makeup that comprises their current regime. Only time will tell if this organization is up for learning from its mistakes.

Zach Fetaru is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @fanforlife1988 ”like him” on Facebook and add him to your network on Google.

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