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Saito Leaves Dodgers Via One Year Deal with Red Sox

January 10, 2009 By

sayonara

Looks like Brad Penny is going to have some company over in Bean Town.

The Red Sox are further compensating for their lack of ability to “close” Mark Teixeira by signing releiver Takashi Saito to a one year deal reportedly guaranteed for at least $1.5 million with incentives that could make it worth more than $7 million (the club also supposedly has an option for 2010). That’s a lot of money for a guy with elbow problems that kept him out down the stretch and made him a non-factor in the NLCS.

Said Saito “I’m very excited; obviously there is excitement playing for a new team…I know that obviously Daisuke and Okajima are there right now and I’ve met them several times in the past. I also understand that there is a lot of Japanese staff working with the team. Atmosphere-wise, it’s going to be a very nice fit for myself. I’m just very, very excited to be a Red Sox right now.”

Could he be most excited about some fairly serious money that the Dodgers were not going anywhere near offering? We think so.

Sayonara Saito – enjoy your 39th birthday in Boston.

Filed Under: Dodgers Offseason, dodgers pitching Tagged With: ,

Dodgers Pitcher Stults A Refreshing Change

June 26, 2008 By

Dodgers Pitcher Eric Stults
OK, I admit it – I was worred that we were going to be seeing the 2007 version of Eric Stults when he came up from Las Vegas to cover for Penny and Kuroda. That Eric Stults was not up to 2006 form and was quickly forgotten as the season wound down.

Instead, we’ve got the guy who was in control back in AAA Las Vegas and who has carried that poise and control back up to the Majors. After notching a win where he pitched six innings and gave up three runs (only one earned) against the Cincinnati Reds in his first outing of the season for the Dodgers, Stults delivered a four-hit shutout against the AL Central leading White Sox and notched another win for the boys in blue.

In addition to his stellar pitching of late, Stults also has contributed offensively during interleague play. In the game against Chicago yesterday, Stults manaegd a sac fly to earn his first major league RBI. Not bad for a pitcher with only nine major league starts and 21 games – all of them with an NL team. He’s 8 for 22 with a .364 batting average by the way.

What did the White Sox have to say about the shutout delivered to them by a 28 year old recently up from AAA? Basically, they whined that no one had any experience facing him so they didn’t know what to expect. If only that theory held true for all pitchers – with all of the injuries that Dodgers pitching roster has faced recently, the team could simply raid the minors and deliver wins!

Some on the White Sox team gave Stults due props though – catcher A.J. Pierzynski indicated that the Dodger pitcher deserved a little respect after his latest outing. “That guy pitched pretty good,” he said. “He used all his pitches and kept the ball down. We really only had one chance, and that was in the first inning. Other than that, he really didn’t make too many mistakes.”

Update: Looks like Stults has ensured himself as a fixture for at least the next three weeks. With the move to a six-man starting pitching rotation, Torre has confirmed that Stults will remain until the All-Star break, if not longer (according to the Los Angeles Times). The Dodgers’ lefthander is currently 2-0 with a 0.60 ERA.

Filed Under: dodgers pitching, Eric Stults Tagged With: ,

What Does Kuroda Bring to the LA Dodgers?

December 17, 2007 By

Hiroki Kuroda

A lot of people are asking what exactly does Hiroki Kuroda bring to the Dodgers (besides a hefty price tag)?

Good question. For starters, he delivers a fastball that averages about 93 mph and ranges between 89 and 95 mph. He tends to be a strike machine, delivering lots of speed in the strike zone and can also put down a slider at 89 mph.

Surprisingly, Dodgers GM Ned Colletti never actually saw Kuroda pitch in person. They relied solely on tape to make their decision. Logan White, in speaking to MLB.com, said “I put my reputation on the guy…he’s legit.”

As a part of Hiroshimo Toyo Carp, Kuroda was 103-89 with a 3.69 ERA over 11 seasons with the team. He made the Japan all-stars each of the past three years and was 12-8 in 2007 with a 3.56 ERA.

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