Dodgers Eyeing Smoltz and Padilla?

BP#11 Padilla

The Dodgers are reportedly interested in John Smoltz and Vicente Padilla. It’s an either or scenario. It’s no secret that the Dodgers pitching has been up and down this season, and with Chad Billingsley currently nursing a sore hammy, the Dodgers are looking for that 5th starter.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are hurting on the pitching front. And they’ve gotta be to be considering the addition of either John Smoltz, who the Red Sox basically tossed off the team last week, or Vicente Padilla, who the Rangers designated for assignment on Friday, according to the Los Angeles Times.

What they say is true, the Dodgers made the move for George Sherril to help shore up the pen, as the Dodgers are second in the bigs in ‘bullpen innings pitched’. Personally I’d rather see Vicente Padilla be the man we snag than Smoltz. Smoltz is a mere SHELL of himself, and he should really just hang it up. I don’t think he’d really help us at all.

The fact that he either came to meetings late or didn’t show up to them must have rankled Rangers coaches and front-office folks enough to go ahead and send him packing. Padilla’s habit of throwing at players on the other team also reportedly didn’t sit well with teammates who then got thrown at.

The big question with Padilla is, would he be focused enough to want to help the Dodgers down the stretch. Why didn’t he attend Rangers’ meetings? I’d say as far as the two options we have go, Padillia is the obvious choice, but these issues, both non-attendance and trying to ‘hit the pinata’, aren’t great traits to have.

Either way, the Dodgers really do need a solid #5, as that spot in the rotation has been somewhat of a merry-go-round all season long. Currently with Jason Schmidt at the helm.

Talk about it with us on our forums! — Dodgers Eyeing Smoltz and Padilla?

Source: Yahoo!

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About the Author

Robert C. Binyon is currently attending UCLA and is undecided on his major. Robert is the owner/writer of "The L.A. Minute", and also helps run a sports video game site. www.virtualsportsnetwork.com