The odds are against the Dodgers, but they aren't necessarily out of contention. As MLBTR's Tim Dierkes showed, the Dodgers could shift from buy mode to sell mode if they don't start playing better. How imperative is a turnaround? They trail the division-leading Padres by 9.0 games and the Wild Card-leading Giants by 7.0 games. Baseball Prospectus' postseason odds report calculates that the Dodgers had a 3% chance of making the playoffs this morning.
The team acquired Ted Lilly, Scott Podsednik and Octavio Dotel before the July 31st trade deadline, but they have lost six consecutive games and are 54-52. Manny Ramirez should return from the DL, but he recently suffered a setback, according to Steve Dilbeck of the LA Times. Once Manny's healthy, he and Ned Colletti's deadline acquisitions could combine to turn the team around, but there are no guarantees. Tell us what you think:
Are the Dodgers contenders?
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