Manny Ramirez at Dodger Stadium. (Creative Commons)

Coming off a season where they posted a 95-67 record and made their second consecutive trip to the National League Championship Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers have reason to be optimistic about the upcoming 2010 campaign.

Back-to-back NLCS appearances prove the Dodgers have been successful the last two years, but it also tells us they haven't been able to get over the proverbial hump. Had it not been for the Philadelphia Phillies, they probably would have made it to the World Series, at least once.

But it was the dominating pitching at the top of the rotation, combined with clutch hitting from a team full of veterans, that catapulted the Phillies to the game's biggest stage two years running.

Last year the Dodgers made great strides on offense, finishing first in the National League in several offensive categories including hits, batting average and on-base percentage.

They also had a big surge in power numbers, including a 13-point increase in slugging percentage and a 26-point increase in on-base plus slugging.

So what do the Dodgers need to do to get over the hump? We'll look at the offseason progression so far and break down what to expect in the coming season.

Offseason Activity

With a laundry list of players eligible for free agency, one thing was certain about the Dodgers' offseason: change was on the horizon.

With Jason Schmidt's huge contract off the books, the Dodgers looked prime to make some impact signings. But little did we know that a pending divorce between Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and his wife, Jamie, would have the biggest impact on the club.

The Dodgers' free agent list included the likes of Randy Wolf, the most consistent starter for the Blue Crew a season ago, going 11-7 with a 3.22 ERA; and Orlando Hudson, a bargain bin gold-glover who batted .283 with 35 doubles and six triples.

Neither Wolf nor Hudson was offered arbitration. Neither were the other five Type A and Type B free agents on the roster.

By not offering arbitration, the Dodgers passed on an opportunity to collect valuable, high-round draft picks from the teams that will potentially sign their free agents.

This all goes back to the divorce.

No matter how much Frank McCourt and team president Dennis Mannion deny the effects of the divorce on the teams' business operations, it is clear to me that the team is being financially conservative and is in a so-called freeze.

The logic is that the Dodgers didn't offer arbitration because they didn't want to take on the high salaries of the draft picks they would get in return.

With glaring holes in the starting rotation and infield, the Dodgers needed to make some moves. So what do they do? They signed infield utility man Jamey Carroll to a two-year deal. Not exactly the big signing Dodgers fans were looking for.

Not long after the deal for Carroll, the Dodgers granted Juan Pierre's wish for more playing time by sending him to the Chicago White Sox in a deal for two prospects. While the move was considered a positive in the payroll department, it created another hole in the outfield where Pierre stabilized left field during Manny Ramirez's 50-game suspension last season.

What about pitching?

After Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee were traded, and John Lackey signed with the Red Sox, all of the elite pitching options were off the table. So not only did the Dodgers lose out on the cream of the crop, they also lost out on the next tier of free agent pitchers, including Joel Piniero who signed with the cross-town rival Angels, and Ben Sheets, who signed a one-year deal with the Oakland Athletics.

So what was the Dodgers' answer to their pitching problems? They signed Vicente Padilla, to fill the fourths pot in the rotation, and made non-roster invitees to Russ Ortiz and up-and-comers Scott Elbert and James McDonald, who will battle it out for the fifth and final spot in the rotation.

As for the hole created at second base by the departure of Hudson, the Dodgers will use a combination of unproven youngster Blake DeWitt, recently signed Carroll, and Ronnie Belliard, who was a late season acquisition for the Dodgers and played very well down the stretch.

In the absence of Pierre, the Blue Crew needed some insurance in the outfield and got it in former Cub Jeremy Reed, who signed a 1 year deal worth $800,000. They have also reportedly signed Alfredo Amezaga, who played with the Florida Marlins last year but missed the final four months of the season because of microfracture surgery.

Amezaga, who can play almost any defensive position, provides the Dodgers with even more versatility. The addition of a fifth outfielder means that Jason Repko and Xavier Paul will have to wait patiently in Triple-A for an opportunity.

But not all is bad in Dodgertown.

They did manage to avoid arbitration with all of their eligible players, including young cornerstones Andre Ethier, Jonathon Broxton and James Loney. In addition, they managed to sign Matt Kemp to a two-year deal worth nearly $11 million.

Minimally, these deals provide the Dodgers another season with their young nucleus intact while buying them some extra time to sign the youngsters to long-term contracts.

Also back this year is the majority of the bench that made the Dodgers so successful a year ago.

Forty-year-old catcher Brad Ausmus will be back in his backup role behind Russell Martin, as will Doug Mientkiewicz who backed up Loney at first base last season. The Dodgers' other key bench player from last year, Mark Loretta, retired and took a front office position with the NL West rival San Diego Padres.

As for the rest of the offseason, the Dodgers will more than likely remain quiet.

Considering most of the top talent is off the market and the Dodgers have been unwilling to spend money, I don't expect any other moves. All that is left to determine is whether or not the Dodgers get involved with a free-agent late in the offseason, much like the Wolf and Hudson signings of a year ago.

While this offseason hasn't been picture perfect, the Dodgers have been able to keep the majority of their core players. If they can get contributions from their young pitching, they will be in the hunt for another NL West crown and will get another crack at making it past the NLCS.