A Preview A Day Keeps the Winter Away, #10

For the month of March I will be doing a season preview, with a new team each day, going in alphabetical order by team so I can save the Yankees for last, because I am, in fact, that devious.

As this is a Yankees' blog, the previews for AL East teams will be more detailed than those of AL Central and AL West teams, and any AL team previews will be more detailed than NL team previews, save maybe for the Mets. Each preview will involve consideration of how much 'threat' a team is to the Yankees, for fairly obvious reasons.

Up today: The LA Dodgers

I won't lie: the fortunes of the Dodgers this year will be on the mind of many Yankees fans, and for one reason: Joe Torre.

Yankees fans are, of course, lucky that the managing job Torre got was in LA, meaning that the Dodgers' fortunes are unlikely to impact our own, and thus, Torre fans need not feel bad rooting for him, and Torre haters may not feel bad rooting against him.

Anyway, as for the Dodgers themselves...last year, there was a large issue with the veterans and the youngsters being, shall we say, not the best of friends. They've got a great starter in Brad Penny, and some solid bullpen arms (well, at least until Torre has his way with them), but their line up has some serious question marks--they were the team that bit on Andruw Jones after an awful year with Atlanta last year, as well as with Jeff Kent and Rafael Furcal.

Threat to the Yankees: Green, Proceed Normally

If the Dodgers can figure out a way to work out all the kinks, they might have a chance at a Wild Card spot, but given the other competition, especially in their own division from Arizona, Colorado and San Diego, it's not likely.

The biggest threat the Yankees will have is when Torre comes to town to play the Mets, and steals a back page or two.