Colletti. Little. Furcal. Mueller. Garciaparra. Lofton. The Dodgers have changed in a big way.
Surprisingly the signing of each of the above people has had a direct influence on the signing of those that followed. It is widely speculated that without the signing of Furcal, which seemed a little extravagant, that deal probably set the stage for the other signings. Mueller, Garciaparra, and Lofton all signed because the Dodgers appear to be putting together a winning team, and because of past relationships with Colletti and Little. While it seems the Dodgers have been spending like crazy, their committed payroll stands at 81 million for 2006, which is the same as 2005′s payroll. While we can expect the signing of another pitcher, I don’t expect the payroll to go over 100 million, and this being a much improved team.
My Take: Not only are the Dodgers a much better team now, but the road is being paved for the up and comers still in the Dodgers’ farm system. Shorter contracts and proven veterans will make for a perfect learning environment for these young Dodgers. I even edited Lofton’s picture because they haven’t put up a new mugshot with his Dodger gear.
