The Dodgers’ recent acquisitions of Esteban Loaiza and David Wells smack of desperation. But the key to the Loaiza pickup wasn’t having him for six starts this season, including one Monday at Wrigley Field, but rather using him to fill out the rotation in 2008.
Oakland could have pulled Loaiza back after the Dodgers claimed him on waivers, but A’s general manager Billy Beane was glad to get out from under the $7.375 million owed him for ’08 and a buyout of his ’09 option. Dodgers GM Ned Colletti knows there are mixed opinions about Loaiza, who had made only two starts this year because of a bulging disc in his neck and a knee injury, but he considers him a better bet than Bartolo Colon, Livan Hernandez, Kenny Rogers, Curt Schilling, Kyle Lohse, Jason Jennings and Kip Wells, who figure to head this winter’s unimpressive list of free-agent starters.
“The [starters] who are potential free agents, that’s a thin group in my mind,” Colletti said. “Hopefully this will be better than going out and getting someone else.”
Colletti was forced to go shopping because of injuries to Jason Schmidt and Randy Wolf, signed as free agents a year ago. Dodgers starters are sixth in the NL with a 4.25 ERA. Loaiza became the 11th different starting pitcher that manager Grady Little has used. Brad Penny and Derek Lowe are likely to end the year as the only ones with 20-plus starts.
