Former Dodgers, On The Move

Here's a gaggle of stories about former Dodgers.

• Battletoad Vicente Padilla has an invitation to come to spring training with the Red Sox to compete for a starting role. Better hope the equipment guys bought some extra towels this offseason!

  BOSTON -- Newly signed Vicente Padilla will come to camp as a starter and be "in the mix" for the back end of the Red Sox rotation, general manager Ben Cherington said in a conference call with reporters Tuesday.

  He also acknowledged that Padilla could wind up in the bullpen.

  Padilla was briefly used as a closer by his last big-league team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, recording three saves before requiring neck surgery.

• Hee-Seop Choi may not be a hero after all; that is, not if the Kia Tigers can't deal him. Here's the skinny (no link, but this article is from the Korea Times):

  Trade talks involving former Major League Baseball first baseman Choi Hee-seop have broken down, Choi's South Korean club said Monday, as it mulled an outright release.

  The Kia Tigers of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said they have called off trade discussions with the Nexen Heroes. The Gwangju-based Tigers had been seeking to deal Choi, who missed the start of their team practice earlier this month citing personal reasons.

  The Tigers said the Heroes, based in Seoul, had the most interest in acquiring Choi. Though neither team disclosed which Nexen players were on the trading block, sources have said a left-handed reliever and a right-handed infielder would have been traded for Choi.

  Kia officials have said Choi was suffering from flu when he didn't show up for the team workshop on Jan. 6 and the start of the offseason training camp two days later. Sources said Choi had put on extra pounds in the offseason and was in no shape to play baseball.

• And finally, though he's not a former Dodger: Tim Lincecum has asked for a 65% increase in pay next year, from $13.1M to $21.5M. Says the ESPN article, "The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner's request neared the record amount sought in arbitration. Houston pitcher Roger Clemens asked for $22 million in 2005."

  Not bad for a 13-14 pitcher! Stick it to 'em, Timmah! (And wash your hair.)