Friday, December 03, 2010

Stark Says Dodgers Still Interested in Battletoad

From Jayson Stark (ESPN Insider subscription required):

Even though they've already signed three free-agent starting pitchers this winter, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark, the Dodgers continue to show interest in free agent Vicente Padilla, their Opening Day starter last season.

Padilla has battled elbow and neck issues. So it's likely the Dodgers are offering him an incentive-based deal. But he did have the lowest opponent batting average (.208) of any free-agent starter, and ranked second in WHIP (1.08) and strikeout rate (7.96 per nine innings).

If the Dodgers sign Padilla, it would, potentially, give them seven starting pitchers heading into spring training: Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Ted Lilly, Hiroki Kuroda, Jon Garland and John Ely.

I don't know if I'd exactly count Ely in this mix but the point remains, we've got five already. I'm okay with Padilla returning, though--if it gives us options to trade starting pitching for what will be much-needed offense later, that may not be such a bad thing. Just please, don't agree to a long-term deal, Ned Colletti!

(By the way, Dylan Hernandez tweeted at 10:20a today that "Last night, Colletti denied that the #Dodgers were close to re-signing Padilla." Which doesn't necessarily mean it's not on; it's just not close. Yet.)

4 comments:

Greg Zakwin said...

"I'm okay with Padilla returning, though--if it gives us options to trade starting pitching for what will be much-needed offense later, that may not be such a bad thing."

Or they could have just eschewed bringing Lilly back and signing Uribe, spent that money towards a Dunn or Werth, and signed Padilla. But we just NEEDED Juan Uribe!

Nostradamus said...

Meh. I'd like to see a bit more effort to address the offense, but I have no problem with the Battletoad for a short term deal.

Let's start him opening day and get everyone's drawers all knotted up again. That was fun!

rbnlaw said...

Tamales for lunch: HELL TO THE YESSS!

Steve Sax said...

@Greg Z: Uribe, Ur-Oh-Be, tomato, tomahto.

I have less a problem with Uribe than I do the three-year duration.