Pitcher Vicente Padilla Signed by Los Angeles Dodgers

With Chad Billingsley struggling, Hiroki Kuroda’s head ringing, and Jeff Weaver, well, being Jeff Weaver, the Los Angeles Dodgers were desperate for starting pitching.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and yesterday the Dodgers signed RHP Vicente Padilla for the remainder of the season. The Dodgers will only have to pay Padilla around $100,000 for the rest of the year.

Despite having a winning record (8-6) with the Texas Rangers, Padilla was released because he was a poor teammate. How much of a jerk do you have to be that the Texas Rangers, a team that has been desperate for any starting pitching the last 20 years, release you?

Being a pitcher and getting rejected by the Rangers is like being a female and being rejected by Ron Jeremy for sex. At that point you should just give up.

But this is baseball, and starting pitchers will always find a job.

To be honest, I actually like this move for the Dodgers. Going from the launching pad known as Arlington Stadium to the friendly confines of Dodger Stadium should benefit Padilla tremendously.

I always feel like the Dodgers can plug in any pitcher and he will be serviceable in Dodger Stadium, i.e. Jose Lima in 2004.

Padilla is scheduled to make his first start Aug. 27 at the Colorado Rockies (good luck with that). The Dodgers will hope that not only will Padilla be a good teammate, but hopefully also win some games.