5th Starter Slaughter

Charlie Haeger vs

Eric Stults vs

Russ Ortiz vs

James McDonald vs

Carlos Monasterios vs

Josh Towers vs

Scott Elbert vs

Josh Lindblom

...all in a no-holds-barred, every-man-for-himself battle royal!

The survivor of this bare-knuckle, winner-take-all cage match will inherit the honor of Dodgers' Fifth Starter. The first runner up should receive a spot as Dodgers' Long Reliever as consolation (not too shabby), but for others, the image in my crystal ball is a little more murky.


First off, I will eliminate Elbert and Lindblom from consideration until Spring Training.

I think Stults and Haeger are out of options and typically the Dodgers keep guys like these on the roster in April until they can be traded or get released once a better alternative comes along. So, I feel good about Stults right now, although, if he were to be sold to a Japanese team, Haeger would be my frontrunner.

Next comes McDonald. He is a special case because he has every reason and all the ability to be the 5^th Starter, but in the long run, is he a better alternative to Stults or Haeger? James's skills would be wasted in long relief
and he has stated a desire to be a starter in 2010. I will say he has an option or two, but I'm not sure. If not, he really better get after it in Spring Training.

After JMac, the old NRI guys get attention just because Ned and JT like "familiarity" and "experience". Here is where Dodger fans start to grimace: Russ Ortiz. He and Josh Towers have as good a shot as anybody to steal that fifth vacancy in the rotation (unfortunately). Towers, though, might be this year's Jeff Weaver unless the Dodgers resign Jeff Weaver in that case Jeff Weaver would actually be this year's Jeff Weaver.

Then there's Carlos Monasterios, the Rule 5 pick that keeps drawing comparisons to Ronald Belisario for his undiscovered goodness. He figures to be another guy who could lose his way into winning the long relief spot. I feel the Dodgers want to keep this fella on, and in that role they can limit his innings while having him available to spot start.

Were you keeping score? OK here's the box: Chuck Haeger survives to become the new intercontinental Dodgers' Fifth Starter! JMac puts up a good fight and is able to force Stults into submission and out of the country, but alas James gets moved to the DL with a bogus "hangnail" injury. Russ Ortiz's arm falls off, Towers is assigned to AAA, and Monasterios stays on as swingman.