The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Ned Colletti

It has been an up and down journey to say the least for Ned Colletti as GM of the Dodgers. He has been at the helm of division winners and huge disappointments alike in his tenure in the driver’s seat. Through it all, Colletti has still managed to put together a team that looks like they are headed for a second straight division title and can make some noise in the playoffs.

To talk about the good, we have to start with the bad. Colletti has made moves in the past that have blown up in his face. Jason Schmidt received a contract for three years and $47 million in December of 2006. Since he signed, Schmidt has won a total of three games with an ERA around six. He made $16 million last season without throwing a single pitch for the Dodgers.

Andruw Jones also comes to mind when we are talking about the ugly. Jones received a $12.2 million signing bonus just for inking his name on the $36.2 million deal Colletti served up. The only problem was that Jones was getting more than deals served up to him. He showed up to spring training tremendously out of shape, and never got back into playing condition. Jones batted .158 with three homeruns in his only season with the Dodgers.

Despite these hiccups, Colletti has done a great job over the last year in particular as GM. He brokered the Manny trade that put the Dodgers over the top last season. He acquired veteran players like Vicente Padilla, Jon Garland, and Jim Thome that have boosted the roster for the postseason. He re-signed one of his past moves that panned out Rafael Furcal this off season. The team Colletti put together even weathered the Ramirez steroid suspension by maintaining first place in the division the entire time.

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We have seen both the highs and the lows of Ned Colletti as General Manger of Los Angeles over the last few years. These days, though, we are seeing the highs a lot more. You can say what you want about Ned Colletti, but once again the Dodgers are at the top of the division in early September. For that, you have to give him a tip of the hat.

By Charles Dimino
Los Angeles Dodgers Correspondent

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