It won’t satiate fans upset over failing to re-sign Zack Greinke and backing out of a deal with Hisashi Iwakuma, but the Dodgers have added Scott Kazmir to the rotation.
Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports that the left-hander has agreed to a three-year deal, which is the same length Iwakuma’s contract was slated to be before issues with his physical exam nixed the move. Iwakuma was set to make $45 million, while Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com says Kazmir’s pact is for $48 million and includes an opt-out after 2016.
Kazmir began last season with the A’s and ended it with the Astros, logging a total of 183 innings with a 3.10 ERA and 155/59 K/BB ratio. At age 32 he no longer has the same raw stuff or bat-missing ability he possessed as a young ace for the Rays, but Kazmir posted a 3.54 ERA with 481 strikeouts in 531 innings from 2013-2015 while calling the American League home.
Kazmir is a very capable of mid-rotation starter with some upside and it’s possible the Dodgers will open the season with an all-southpaw rotation of Kazmir along with Clayton Kershaw, Brett Anderson, Alex Wood, and Hyun-jin Ryu.