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Over the last several years, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ management team of owner Frank McCourt and general manager Ned Colletti have utilized the deferred contract option as a tactic to bring in numerous big name players with highly valued contracts—without paying much up front.

Looking back at several of the players who were still part of the Dodgers payroll in 2010, and who will be receiving paychecks from McCourt into the future, there’s no doubt that many of the deals have failed miserably.

There’s no way of telling exactly what position Frank McCourt is in financially, and just to be competitive, the club may be forced to continue to back-load contracts and pay players deferred cash long after they leave Los Angeles.

Nevertheless, as the 2010 campaign came to an end, some relief began to appear. Six players who were on the team payroll this season, yet never suited up in Dodger Blue, have finally received their last paycheck from Los Angeles. Now, these funds can finally be utilized to fill in a number of gaps on the player roster.

Left-handed starting pitcher Ted Lilly was recently signed to a three-year, $33 million deal, and although the contract was back-loaded, surprisingly no deferred payments exist that will need to be made once the contract expires. This could be a positive sign for the Dodgers, as Colletti and McCourt finally may be realizing how costly several of these deals actually were.

Still, the offseason is young, and the verdict is out on McCourt and Colletti. It’s already been announced that the team payroll will be increased, but it’s unknown by how much. Yet it is possible that with all the right moves, the Dodgers may find themselves in a position to improve upon a very dreadful year.

The following slides show all nine players who weren’t part of the team in 2010 yet still received paychecks signed by McCourt. Several are finally cleared from the payroll, and while a few will continue to be paid into the future, there is a bit of relief in sight in terms of overall dollars. 

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Sometimes when making an effort to rebuild a team, many general managers make the mistake of choosing the best player available on the market rather than addressing one particular area where the squad is weak.

Instead of paying millions for a superstar, then trying to find out how or where a certain player will mesh with the team, the good general managers will first break down the specific needs of the club and make a checklist, then when considering any new additions, they check to make sure that each prospective player meet the required criteria.

Such should be the case with the Los Angeles Dodgers this offseason.

Many people, including Los Angeles General Manager Ned Colletti, continue to refer to the Dodgers’ “core” talent of players. There’s no question that a core of talent does indeed exist, but there are a few tweaks that are required and several areas that need to be addressed before the Dodgers can once again become contenders.

Seemingly, money will be the biggest question mark for Los Angeles when assembling a roster and preparing for next season. However, several experts, including Tony Jackson of ESPN Los Angeles, believe that owner Frank McCourt will do all that he can to push the team payroll up to the $100 million range.

After all, the Dodger fan faithful is the driving force of the franchise, and if the fans aren’t happy, then the seats aren’t filled at Dodger Stadium, and the team doesn’t generate dollars. Without question, after everything the McCourts have put the organization through, Frank should be on the ground kneeling to his own employees and the fans in an effort to assure them that he will do his best to put the Dodgers back on the right track.

This includes spending money on several high-quality big market players, and not your everyday 10-year veteran who is lurking in the bargain basement. Whether it be through free agency or trades, there isn’t any reason that Los Angeles shouldn’t at least improve from the 2010 season if careful moves are made.

Yet before even targeting a specific player, Colletti should make a list of specific needs, prioritize them, then decide which available players on the market fulfill the requirements he chose to list.

The following slides show five specific areas that Colletti should consider when putting together the Los Angeles Dodgers roster this winter.  

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Starting pitcher Ted Lilly has signed a three-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports has also been reporting on Lilly’s new deal. The dollar amount for the three-year contract has not yet been disclosed.

After being acquired from the Chicago Cubs just before the 2010 trade deadline, Lilly recorded a 7-4 record for the Dodgers while posting a 3.52 ERA and a 9.0 K/9 ratio. While pitching for the Cubs in 2010, he went 3-8 with a 3.69 ERA.

Lilly was projected to be a Type-A free agent, and was assumed to be one of the best available starters on the market this offseason. Lilly was expected to be courted by most of the clubs in need of starting pitching, and was expected to sign a two or three year deal worth at least $10 million annually.

Starting pitching is one of several areas needing to be addressed by Los Angeles in the offseason, and with the Lilly signing, the Dodgers took a small step in the right direction.

The only other returning starters under team control are Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley. Both are expected to sign contract extensions this winter.

Hiroki Kuroda, who was third on the team with 11 wins, and second on the team with over 196 innings pitched, is still undecided about his future in the Majors. Early signs from Kuroda revealed that he may have plans to return to his native Japan to finish his career. Kuroda also stated that we would like to pitch for a playoff contender if he indeed decides to enter the free-agent market.

Vicente Padilla, who completed a one-year, $5,025,000 contract in 2010 with Los Angeles, is also eligible for free agency. Former Dodgers manager Joe Torre had recommended for management to re-sign Padilla, but there have been no talks reported to date. 

Owner Frank McCourt and general manager Ned Colletti have yet to disclose payroll parameters for next season, and with McCourt’s accrued debt and legal fees from the divorce trial, the Dodger fan base isn’t sure which direction the team is heading.

The Dodgers announced season ticket prices last week, and although disguised in several scenarios, the result was an overall increase in cost.

The first installment of five for season tickets is due on October 29, and perhaps the Lilly deal is a sign of good faith from Los Angeles management to the fans.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Normally when a new manager is hired in Major League Baseball, his first task is to assemble his own coaching staff, but in the case of Don Mattingly and the Los Angeles Dodgers, things may be a bit more complicated than they look.

Seemingly, the market for potential coaches around the league is excellent, but problems may lie in trying to convince possible candidates to come to Los Angeles and join a franchise in heavy turmoil. This could very well be the primary reason that General Manager Ned Colletti has gotten involved in the hiring process and not allow Mattingly to put together the staff on his own.

It was reported on Saturday that Tim Wallach has signed a deal to become part of the coaching crew in 2011, so long as he doesn’t accept a managerial position with any other team.

Although it sounds like good news for Dodgers fans, the number of Major League clubs seeking managers will be very high, and Wallach has stated previously that managing is his highest ambition.

Still, it was speculated that Wallach was a leading candidate to fill the Toronto Blue Jays‘ managing vacancy, yet several sources revealed last Saturday that Wallach turned down an interview for the job.

Many people guessed that Wallach could possibly fill the batting coach position vacated by Mattingly, but Dodgers officials confirmed that if Wallach indeed becomes part of the staff, he will assume the role of either bench coach or third base coach. Wallach held the post of batting coach previously for Los Angeles during the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

If Los Angeles is forced to primarily promote from within the organization, it’s assumed that current hitting instructor Jeff Pentland may be a sure bet to become the next Dodgers batting coach.

It has also been mentioned that Los Angeles may be pursuing Willie Randolph to become bench coach. Randolph, a former teammate of Mattingly’s with the New York Yankees, is the current bench coach for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Larry Bowa, the current Dodgers third base coach, has also been mentioned as a possible candidate for bench coach. Bob Schaefer, who was the Dodgers bench coach in 2009, has already declined to return next season.

According to additional reports, current first base coach Mariano Duncan has been told to pursue other interests, although there may be a spot available for him coaching in the Dodgers’ farm system if he so inclines to explore that avenue.

Rick Honeycutt, who has been the Los Angeles pitching coach since 2006, was reportedly offered a contract to return, however Honeycutt has yet to accept or decline the offer.

Baseball critics everywhere continue to say that the Dodgers need to be very aggressive in both the free-agent and trade markets this winter in order to be contenders in 2011, yet at this stage assembling a coaching staff seems to have its own difficulties.

Depending on the outcome of the McCourt divorce trial and the availability of cash, it may be difficult to convince a big market free-agent to sign a deal with Los Angeles, much less a high profile coach.

For the Dodger faithful, there’s probably no reason to panic just yet; nevertheless, everyone involved with the organization should hope to have something definite in place before Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings begin on December 6. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

For most teams coming off a disappointing season, it’s relatively simple to evaluate the current roster, take a look at the payroll budget, have the coaching staff gather and brainstorm, then come up with a new, enthusiastic game plan for the upcoming year.

But for the Los Angeles Dodgers, about the only thing certain is that new manager Don Mattingly will be running the show on the field for the Boys in Blue.

With the McCourt divorce seemingly an infinite monkey on their backs, the Dodgers are unsure of the payroll parameters for next year, and with more than a handful of gaps to fill in terms of player personnel, it’s difficult to guess the complexion of next season’s roster. 

Still, even before Los Angeles considers adding new players to the roster, Mattingly and general manager Ned Colletti must agree upon a coaching staff who will help guide the squad in 2011.

The Dodgers still have a formidable core of players in which to build around, but Colletti had already stated that no job is safe and that Los Angeles could be in for a large roster shake-up heading into next season.

Several trades are possible, but with the decision in the divorce trial looming, Los Angeles may be forced to remain inactive at the winter meetings, unless some type of budget guidelines are established before a verdict is rendered.

As for the free agent market, the number of high quality starting pitchers is limited, but there are quite a few power bats available—one area the Dodgers must certainly address. With Manny Ramirez out of the picture, and Jason Schmidt, Orlando Hudson and Nomar Garciaparra finally off the deferred money list, there may be enough cash to go after a few big names.

The following slides show eight players who the Dodgers may take a look at in the offseason, and explain why each player may be a good fit for Los Angeles.

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Tim Wallach says he’s ready to manage in the bigs, and after being passed over by the Los Angeles Dodgers, he may finally have his chance.

According to Bob Nightengale of the USA Today, the Blue Jays currently have their eyes on Colorado Rockies hitting coach Don Baylor, but he also says that Wallach is quickly emerging as a front-runner for the managing job in Toronto.

Current Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston has already announced his retirement effective at the end of the season.

Wallach was the fan favorite to succeed Dodgers‘ manager Joe Torre at the end of this year, however an alleged “secret agreement” was reached between Los Angeles and Don Mattingly before the 2010 campaign ever began.

Upon hearing the news that Mattingly was named the new manager of the Dodgers on September 17, Wallach told members of the media that he would prefer to work under Mattingly rather than return to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Since then, Wallach has been exploring his options. It’s speculated that as many as 12 teams could be in search of a new manager this winter.

Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane told Nightengale that “It’s going to be a circus.”

Over the course of his 16 years as a player in the Majors, Wallach won three Gold Glove awards for defensive excellence and two Silver Slugger awards for his abilities with the bat. He was also named to five All-Star teams.

In 2004, Tim returned to the Dodgers as batting coach, and in January of last year he was named manager of the Albuquerque Isotopes, the Dodgers’ Triple-A farm club. He eventually led the Isotopes into the playoffs with a franchise record 80 wins and was named as Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year.

Wallach is quickly developing a reputation as a “player’s manager,” and has earned the outspoken respect and backing of almost every player he’s coached.

It’s not yet known if Wallach has met formally with any representatives from Toronto. The Blue Jays are also talking with former Arizona Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin, and ex-Cleveland Indians skipper Eric Wedge.

After current Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia was passed over by the Dodgers back in the early 90s, many folks around Dodgertown are hoping the franchise wasn’t letting another diamond in the rough slip through its hands.

Scioscia led the Angels to their first World Series championship in 2002. He is the Angels’ all-time managerial leader in wins, games managed, and division titles. Scioscia was honored with the official American League Manager of the Year Award in 2002 and 2009.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Unless something dramatic occurs at the McCourt divorce trial, it’s very safe to say that Frank McCourt will maintain control of the Los Angeles Dodgers heading into 2011. Even if Jamie finds herself on the winning end of Judge Scott Gordon’s decision, it’s quite possible that the appeals process could take up to several years, which would leave Frank in control indefinitely.

With Frank as chairman, the budget structure is likely to be similar to what the Dodgers utilized this year. It could be slightly less if Frank intends to make some type of an effort to reverse the overwhelming debt that he and his wife have brought onto the club over the past five years.

In the offseason, General Manager Ned Colletti will be faced with a number of very difficult decisions. Outside of the number of players who are eligible for arbitration, it’s conceivable that Colletti may be willing to deal several players to address numerous needs if the team does indeed have any shot at improving.

The trade market this winter may be difficult for Los Angeles, as a handful of Dodgers players may have seen their trade values drop as a result of poor performances in 2010. Colletti will be the chief orchestrator of putting together the squad for next year, and it will be no easy task considering the free-agent market is about the slimmest it’s been in recent past. If there’s no value in potential trades, the free-agent market could be the best option to improve, but payroll dollars will need to be freed up first to make any big market acquisitions possible.

In order to create the dollars to spend, the Dodgers will need to say farewell to at least a few players, whether it be by non-tendering a player, trading a player, or losing in arbitration.

The following slides show seven players Los Angeles may decide to move before the beginning of next year, and explain why these particular moves would be beneficial for the Dodgers moving forward.  

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Los Angeles Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti has already announced that his club intends on making a number of personnel changes in the offseason, but many folks around Dodgertown are curious to see if the current coaching staff will remain intact to compliment newly hired manager Don Mattingly.

Until some type of direction is established in regards to the verdict in the McCourt divorce trial, it’s difficult to even guess the payroll parameters for next year. Once the team budget is established, the early formations should begin in terms of player personnel.

However, the coaching staff is a small part of the payroll, and could be one of the first areas solidified as the team prepares for next season.

Tim Wallach, who was the fan favorite to succeed Joe Torre as manager, has already expressed interest in coaching as part of Mattingly’s staff. Wallach indicated to the media last week that he would rather assume a position in the Major Leagues instead of returning to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Whether Colletti and Mattingly decide to offer Wallach a spot with the Dodgers remains to be seen. Based on his managerial success in Triple-A, it’s speculated that Wallach will be snatched up quickly by another organization if he doesn’t land some type of job in Los Angeles.

It’s already been rumored that Mattingly asked current third base coach Larry Bowa to become bench coach. There’s been no indication yet from Bowa to confirm the offer, but the common thinking is that the bench coach position will be filled by someone with a reasonable amount of managing experience to help guide Mattingly during his first season.

Bowa is known for personality issues in his past, and has been involved in conflicts with several Dodgers’ players this season. For the Dodgers to move forward and have any chance at a productive season, any such conflicts between the players and the coaches will need to be resolved immediately.

If Bowa does indeed vacate his current position, Wallach could be a very suitable candidate. It’s also been speculated that Wallach could possibly fill Mattingly’s previous job as hitting coach. Before becoming manager of Albuquerque, Wallach was the Dodgers’ hitting coach in 2004 and 2005. He was the recipient of two Silver Slugger awards in his playing days, and certainly has the ability to help rescue Los Angeles from its 2010 power drought.

It’s tough to guess the direction the Dodgers will take in terms of the pitching coaches. Current pitching coach Rick Honeycutt has been with Los Angeles since 2006, and although the starting rotation has been phenomenal especially in the second half of the season, the bullpen was nothing short of dreadful for almost the entire year.

As a player, Honeycutt was always known as a control pitcher and a “nibbler,” and it was evident, at least early in the year, that he was trying to instill some of those philosophies into hard-throwing starters Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley. Both Billingsley and Kershaw have improved tremendously this season, most likely as a result of mixing location skills with their above-average velocity and their abilities to challenge opposing hitters.

Nevertheless, the bullpen will need to improve. Current bullpen coach Ken Howell may be in a position to be replaced, as Los Angeles will definitely need a fresh look to guide the relievers. One name being tossed around for pitching coach or bullpen coach is Charlie Hough, the current pitching coach for Single-A Inland Empire, and former pitching coach for Los Angeles in 1998 and 1999.

Current Dodgers’ catcher Brad Ausmus, who will retire at the end of this season, also has expressed interest in continuing with the organization in a coaching capacity, There’s been no indication by the Dodgers or Ausmus if his coaching career would begin in the Major or Minor Leagues.

Regardless, whether there’s an entirely new look or if most of the coaches return, the working relationships with the players are paramount. If Mattingly and company are able to create positive chemistry no matter what the roster looks like, there may be a chance for success.

But if any of the negative tendencies that were present in 2010 carry over to next year, it will be a very, very long season indeed.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Just before packing it in at the end of the season, the final task for most players and coaches in Major League Baseball is to take a trip to the general manager’s office—for, at the very least, the purpose of reviewing the performances of the previous year.

But rather than discussing the 2010 season, former batting coach Don Mattingly and GM Ned Colletti will be discussing the future.

For the newly named manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Mattingly’s own personal coaching production in 2010 never really seemed to matter. Mattingly knew even before the season began that his future was bright in Los Angeles—regardless of the team’s offensive output.

Just last week, when asked about the cause of the Dodgers offensive struggles by LA Times reporter Dylan Hernandez, Mattingly replied, “It’s really kind of confusing and frustrating.”

And when faced with the question of where the responsibility falls between the player and the coach, Mattingly stated, “In the end, as a player, I always took responsibility for what happened.”

Heading into 2011, if the Los Angeles Dodgers players will be required to take the blame for the performance on the field, this year’s results will look glorious compared to what lies ahead.

Hopefully for the sake of Dodgertown, Mattingly isn’t revisited by those feelings of “confusion and frustration” that he felt as hitting coach in 2010.

Most teams around the league that expect success will make proper decisions in regards to management. However with the Dodgers, the problems start at the top, and the viruses have already spread deep into the roots of the entire organization.

An excellent example of a club being proactive and tackling a similar offensive drought this year is the Philadelphia Phillies. Just one week removed from the All-Star break, the Phils found themselves struggling offensively, and as a team posted a disappointing 49-46 record.

Philadelphia management decided to make a controversial move and replace hitting coach Milt Thompson, who was key in helping the Phillies offense to two consecutive World Series appearances in 2008 and 2009—not to mention that he also played three years for the Phils in the late eighties.

Despite Thompson’s service record with the franchise, Philadelphia replaced him with Greg Gross, and the Phillies offense soared once again. Only two months after the move, the Phillies find themselves with a 90-61 record and are primed for yet another strong run in the 2010 playoffs.

Sure, the Dodgers and the Phillies are two completely different clubs with an entirely different set of circumstances, but the Dodgers, who were 10 games over .500 at the All-Star break, took a different avenue by trying to add a few speedy veterans and selling part of the farm.

As Ned Colletti’s decisions could be evaluated with a multitude of failing grades, Ned’s performance must be correlated to team owner and chairman, Frank McCourt.

McCourt calls the shots and dictates the budget, while Colletti obeys Frank’s every single wish and desire.

Joe Torre recognized the cancer and ended up skipping town. The Dodgers players felt the disease and eventually collapsed.

Mattingly could very well be a victim of circumstance, as he finds himself in a bad spot at a horribly bad time. Yet McCourt and Colletti made a horrible decision in predetermining the club’s future by making a managerial decision almost a year in advance.

The future of a manager who struggles to put together a lineup card or who is incapable of following etiquette when visiting the pitcher’s mound looks bleak.

Under current ownership, Los Angeles needed to make a clean sweep and retool the entire coaching staff if there were to be even a glimmer of hope moving into 2011.

Perhaps a manager from the farm system who was familiar with the future stars or a seasoned veteran who would put his foot down at any signs of clubhouse drama may have been better choices for a skipper.

It’s already rumored that Mattingly has asked third base coach Larry Bowa to become the club’s bench coach next year, and based on Bowa’s past personality issues and his ongoing conflicts with several players on the team, this move could very well be adding fuel to the fire.

While the folks around Dodgertown are hoping Don Mattingly can lead the Dodgers back into contention next year, perhaps they should redirect their hope to Frank McCourt and pray that he doesn’t systematically destroy the core of the squad and put the organization in a hole that will take many years in which to dig out.

And in terms of a career choice for Donnie Baseball, maybe, just maybe, accepting the Cleveland Indians or the Washington Nationals job offer may have been the smart move.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Many words may be used to characterize the ups and downs of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2010 season, but from the standpoint of the fans, the best fitting description would be nothing short of “disappointing.”

Normally, most teams who don’t achieve the goals and ambitions that were set in spring training have the entire offseason to rebuild and regain focus, but in the case of the Dodgers, there are numerous off-field situations that seemingly need resolving before the team can move forward.

The decision regarding current manager Joe Torre’s future in Dodger Blue may be coming in the next week or two once Los Angeles is mathematically eliminated from the playoffs; however, all signs are pointing to the fact that the organization is still undecided on Joe’s replacement if he does indeed decide to pack his bags.

Unless Frank and Jamie McCourt reach a settlement before their divorce trial resumes on September 20, the court’s ruling regarding future ownership of the club may not be arriving until sometime in December.

Also, with the uncertainty as to whom will be controlling the team in 2011 comes the question marks of the payroll parameters heading into next season.

More than a handful of current Los Angeles players are facing possible arbitration with the team, yet with next year’s budget still unpredictable, the Dodgers may even decide not to negotiate with these players at all.

Regardless what happens in the winter, the Boys in Blue hope to develop a new, sharper focus, and build on the positives that were displayed in 2010.

The following slides illustrate 10 of those bright spots and offer a few words of commentary as to how the Dodgers’ organization will benefit from them moving forward.

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