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Dodgers Sign Padilla To One-Year Deal

Image courtesy of  Jon SooHoo / LA Dodgers
Image courtesy of Jon SooHoo / LA Dodgers

The Dodgers are bringing back starting pitcher Vicente Padilla, who authored one of the best two consecutive game playoff pitching performances in club history, on a one-year deal.  Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports the deal is for $5.025 million, including a $1 million signing bonus and a $4.025 million base salary.  Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times reports that "Padilla can earn an additional $1 million in incentives based on innings pitched", and that Padilla's signing bonus will be paid in 2011.

Back in December, I warned that signing Padilla might not be the best move, considering how mediocre he was in Texas prior to his resurgence in 11 starts as a Dodger:

Unless the offer is a one-year contract for a few million bucks, perhaps with some incentives built in, the Dodgers should stay away from the Vicente Padilla sweepstakes.  Otherwise, he is a bad gamble.

Now, $4 million $5 million seems reasonable, given that it seems to be one of the lowest, if not the lowest, free agent contracts yet signed by a starting pitcher this offseason. “Vicente did a tremendous job for us down the stretch and his continued success in the postseason proved that he can pitch when there’s a lot at stake,” said Dodgers' GM Ned Colletti.  Here are his 2010 projections:

Year IP ERA FIP BB/9 K/9
2009 Bill James 151 4.71 4.71 3.28 6.26
2009 CHONE 152 4.91 4.77 3.55 6.34
2009 actual 147.1 4.46 4.51 3.30 5.93
2010 Bill James     141 4.66 4.73 3.26 6.19
2010 CHONE 155 4.70 4.74 3.60 6.27

For what it's worth, Padilla did win our poll this morning over Jon Garland, so there's that!