Brian Kamenetzky: The Dodgers aren’t perfect, but right now it doesn’t matter

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Linus had his security blanket, the Dodgers have the NL West.

When the 2009 season kicks off for reals today in San Diego, the Dodgers will quickly learn that even swapping their officially licensed Majestic threads for Prada won’t provide the luxury that fortuitous geography and league alignment have afforded. Little picture, they open up with four against a stripped-down Padres squad that will be lucky to avoid 100 losses this season. Call it extended spring training. (Note to Dodger fans: No matter your opinion of the McCourts, pray for continued marital bliss.)

Big picture, the Blue enter the year as clear and deserving division favorites. A full season of Manny Ramirez (and to a much lesser extent, Casey Blake), an upgrade at second base in Orlando Hudson, a hopefully healthy Rafael Furcal and another year of improvement from Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and James Loney give L.A. the division’s most dominant lineup. The pitching staff, or at least the rotation, led by the chronically underrated Chad Billingsley, may not be bulletproof but isn’t exactly a calamity, either. Does losing Derek Lowe hurt? Do they need another arm to make the World Series a more realistic possibility? Could the pen require reinforcements, especially if Cory Wade slips and Guillermo Mota isn’t reliable, the latter being particularly worrisome?

Yes, yes and yes.

But there ain’t no rush, which brings us back to the NL West. None of L.A.’s rivals are going to run out and hide. Don’t believe me? Ask the eggheads. Arizona has dominant starting pitching at the top of the rotation, but the other three guys aren’t intimidating, their pen is questionable, and for the lineup to improve on last year’s unimpressive output*, the D-Backs will need young-uns like Chris Young, Conor Jackson and Justin Upton to ‘get it’ at once. Colorado wasn’t very good last year, lost Matt Holliday and didn’t add much. Even a 15-game improvement from the Giants (unlikely but at least conceivable, I guess) only takes them to 87 wins.

I already mentioned the Padres.

If Game 80 rolls around and the Blue are trolling around .500, meh. Probably not an issue. If July arrives and it’s clear L.A. can’t quite run with the titans of the NL? No need to panic. To their credit, the Dodgers played this winter’s free-agent derby with calm as a buzzword. No panic on Manny, a nice move on Hudson, a good late pickup to bolster the pen in Will Ohman. So although the long term need seems clear, there’s no need to panic and toss money at the very questionable arm of Pedro Martinez (though for selfish reasons, I’d love, love, LOVE to have him in the clubhouse), spending in April the financial resources that might be needed in four or five months.

Names become available. They always do. And thanks to their division, the Dodgers can afford to take a quality -- but imperfect -- product out of the gate, knowing there will be time to patch the cracks down the road.

*I realize Arizona actually outscored L.A. by 20 runs last season, but the Dodgers are set up to have a much better lineup this year, so I’d be shocked if (weird injuries aside) it happened again.