On to the LCS losers we go.
- Matt Kemp's BABIP is a question mark. Kemp's career BABIP is over .375 through more than 1,000 career at-bats while his line drive rate is nearly 22%. Can Kemp sustain both? Plus, where will he play? If the Dodgers fail to sign a left fielder it would make more sense for Kemp to play left while Juan Pierre plays center field. Of course, I'm going to guess the Dodgers add another corner outfielder.
- Replacing Derek Lowe's performance is just as vital as replacing Manny Ramirez. Last year Lowe was worth 5 wins in 211 innings. Manny, meanwhile, was worth 3.6 wins with the Dodgers in 187 at-bats. Over the last three years, Lowe has been worth ~3.9 wins per season. Compare that to Manny's 3.8 wins average and you might be surprised by the proximity of their contributions. Some combination of Randy Wolf, Clayton Kershaw, Jason Schmidt, Shawn Estes, and Eric Stults will have to fill the hole left by Lowe while also replacing Brad Penny.
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The bullpen is really good. Seriously, Kuo/Broxton might be the best 1-2 punch in the National League.