The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to build an impressively deep pitching staff, as they have signed free agent pitcher Vicente Padilla to a one year, $2 million contract.
Padilla is very familiar with the Dodgers, as he has pitched in Los Angeles the past season and a half. Padilla was released by the Texas Rangers in 2009, but the Dodgers picked him up off waivers and he was an important stabilizing force for their 2009 playoff run. Last season, he started 16 games for Los Angeles with a 4.07 ERA.
Padilla is just the latest free agent pitcher to sign with Los Angeles. The Dodgers have already signed Ted Lilly, Hiroki Kuroda and Jon Garland this offseason, adding to their current rotation that features Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley. Six quality starters give the Dodgers a deep and diverse pitching rotation for 2011, and insurance in case of injury to one or more pitchers.