In some interesting news out of Los Angeles, the Dodgers are reportedly shopping a pair of starting pitchers in Scott Kazmir and Brandon McCarthy, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney.
Now, teams shopping players around isn’t the most bizarre thing in the world. However, when that team is shopping starting pitching, when they just happen to be in need of starting pitching, now that seems like something of note. That said, as Olney points out in his tweet, the Dodgers 40-man roster currently sits at 39. With the team recently re-signing Rich Hill, it doesn’t seem logical that they could feasibly add Hill, or anyone else for that matter, before they clear some spots. In the end, it appears that Kazmir and/or McCarthy could potentially be the odd man or men out.
McCarthy, 33, signed with the Dodgers as a free agent back in 2015. Having missed roughly 90 percent of both 2015 and 2016 due to said injuries, it seems reasonable to believe that the Dodgers hope to move on from McCarthy — especially when you factor the $20 million owed to him over the next two seasons. Since signing with the Dodgers, mcCarthy has only made a grand total of 13 starts for the team, as the right-hander has been plagued by injuries. In those 13 starts, McCarthy has seen mixed results, going 5-3 with a 5.29 ERA. The record doesn’t seem bad, although the ERA leaves much to be desired.
Kazmir, 32, signed with the Dodgers in 2016 on a three-year pact. Kazmir went through a dark period of his baseball career during his tenure with the Los Angeles Angels, a period that saw him take a year off from the Major Leagues to work on improving his mechanics. After a comeback season with the Cleveland Indians in 2013, Kazmir was able to catch on with the Oakland Athletics on two-year pact, before being traded to the Houston Astros. In his lone season with the Dodgers, the lefty compiled a respectable 10-6 record with a 4.58 ERA in 136.1 innings pitched. That said, it’s important to note that Kazmir also succumbed to the injury bug that struck Los Angeles last season, as he dealt with a stint on the disabled list and made only one start after August 22. Kazmir had an opt-out clause for this season but decided against using it. With $32 million still owed to him over the next two seasons, it’s also easy to understand why the Dodgers would be dangling him around.
With capable young arms such as Julio Urias and Jose De Leon primed to make the Dodgers rotation, and having Alex Wood, Ross Stripling, and Hyun-Jin Ryu ready to contribute in other areas, it does make sense for the Dodgers to shop these two, in an effort to not only clear roster space, but also move some payroll. Given the hefty price tags attached to these two, however, the Dodgers may be forced to eat some salary if they seek a decent return.
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