Marked Manny

What can happen in Mannywood?

Last year, the answer seemed to be almost anything.

With the Dodgers crawling down another dead-end road of mediocrity, Manny Ramirez fell out of the sky and showed up at Dodger Stadium at the trade deadline with his trademark dreadlocks, loose-fitting uniform and goofy smile.

The place was never the same.

Not only did Ramirez put a face on a faceless franchise, he single-handedly transformed an anemic offense by hitting .396 with 17 home runs and 53 runs batted in 53 games and took the Dodgers to their first National League Championship Series in two decades.

Injecting life into a team that had one of the best pitching staffs in baseball is one thing. Helping a team with a rotation that lost Derek Lowe and a bullpen full of unknowns is another.

Especially in a year when Ramirez didn’t report to camp until March because of often-bitter contract negotiations, resulting in his being limited to 28 plate appearances in the Cactus League.

Ramirez will turn 37 next month but looks as if he’s trying to do everything he can to sustain the excitement that reverberated through Chavez Ravine last year, showing no signs that his inability to get the four-year, $100-million contract he wanted had turned him back into the malcontent who forced the Boston Red Sox to trade him.

“Manny’s been everything we could’ve asked of him, really,” Manager Joe Torre said. “He is a tireless worker. . . . His daily ritual never really changes. It doesn’t matter if he’s tired or if he’s not tired. You can’t tell. He gets that tee work done, he gets to the ballpark early whether we’re on the road or at home.”

With Ramirez batting third and Casey Blake eighth, the Dodgers’ lineup could be one of the best in the National League.

The division they’re in is very winnable, as several major league scouts have said this spring that it is weak even by its recent low standards.

San Francisco might have the best rotation in the NL, but its offense might be one of the worst. Arizona’s bullpen has as many uncertainties as the Dodgers’, and the Diamondbacks’ lineup is also similar except in one major regard: They don’t have Ramirez.

But for the Dodgers to do more than flame out in the first round of the playoffs and reach their first World Series in 21 years, at least three significant obstacles will have to be overcome.

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Protect leads

The Dodgers’ bullpen was one of the best in baseball last season, as the team posted a 69-4 record when leading through eight innings, but the unit will have to offset the departures of closer Takashi Saito and long relief man Chan Ho Park

Jonathan Broxton, who took over for Saito when he went down because of an elbow injury late last season, will go into opening day as the closer. The quality of Broxton’s stuff is undeniable -- the 24-year-old’s fastball has often touched 100 mph -- but his tendency to run up his pitch count is a concern, as is the psychological damage that might have been inflicted by the series-changing home run he gave up to Philadelphia’s Matt Stairs in Game 4 of the NLCS.

Questions about the bullpen are further magnified by uncertainties about the health of two relievers who shouldered significant loads last season -- left-hander Hong-Chih Kuo and right-hander Cory Wade.

Kuo, who has undergone four elbow surgeries, admits that any pitch he throws could be his last. Mindful of that, Torre limited his spring training workload.

Wade unexpectedly emerged as one of Torre’s go-to relievers last season as a rookie. Torre liked using him so much that Wade found himself on the disabled list for three weeks because of shoulder inflammation.

If Kuo or Wade goes down, the Dodgers could be in serious trouble. There isn’t enough talent on this roster to replace them.

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The four pillars must remain standing

With Lowe now pitching for the Atlanta Braves, the Dodgers no longer have an arm they can be certain will keep them competitive every five days.

What they do have are four solid starters. But, as is the case with the bullpen, there are concerns about health and the lack of quality experienced arms behind them.

The most likely candidate to become staff ace is Chad Billingsley, who is to the rotation what Broxton is to the bullpen. He posted ace-like numbers last year -- 16-10 with a 3.14 earned-run average -- but his makeup came into question in the NLCS. While Phillies starter Brett Myers was knocking down Ramirez and Russell Martin, Billingsley hesitated to throw inside and was criticized within his own clubhouse as a result.

Opening-day starter Hiroki Kuroda and Randy Wolf have the know-how to pitch effectively under pressure but have histories of shoulder problems. Their ability to stay healthy for an entire season is far from certain.

The most intriguing pitcher in the group is 21-year-old Clayton Kershaw, who was 5-5 with a 4.26 ERA as a rookie. While he looked his age at times, he was 3-0 with a 3.58 ERA over his last five starts, a sign that the left-hander with the big curveball could be on the verge of the stardom that has long been predicted.

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Continued growth

The young Dodgers who came up through the minor league ranks together were handed the keys last season and were faltering until Ramirez was added to the mix.

Ramirez alone can’t make up for the expected shortcomings of the pitching staff, making it necessary that the group of Martin and Co. continue to make strides.

Andre Ethier appeared to benefit the most from Ramirez’s presence, as the sometimes-too-intense outfielder saw firsthand that being successful didn’t have to come at the expense of having fun.

Matt Kemp has 40-40 potential, but to maximize his capabilities, he will have to cut down on his strikeouts. James Loney is still developing his power, which is substandard for a corner infielder.

Martin has changed his lifestyle and approach. He looked more comfortable at the plate this spring, leading Torre to believe that he’ll rebound from a disappointing 2008 season.

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Moves to ponder

The Dodgers need any arm they can get. They could sign free agents Pedro Martinez or Paul Byrd if their prices came down.

But the more likely scenario is that General Manager Ned Colletti will try to do what he did last year when he pulled off a series of midsummer deals that saved the season.

Look for the Dodgers to try to trade for a player in his walk year from a non-contender trying to unload a salary. Erik Bedard, a known Torre favorite, and Jarrod Washburn of the Seattle Mariners are possibilities. A more expensive option could be Roy Halladay of Toronto, who is under contract for 2010 for $15.75 million.

For bullpen help, the Dodgers could turn to the Houston Astros, who might want to dump the salaries of Jose Valverde and LaTroy Hawkins if they find themselves out of the pennant race.

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dylan.hernandez@latimes.com