True Blue LA - Scott Kazmir signs 3-year, $48 million contract with DodgersWhere The Dodger Dogs Are Always Grilledhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49563/truebluela_fav.png2016-01-05T18:16:27-08:00http://www.truebluela.com/rss/stream/104556872016-01-05T18:16:27-08:002016-01-05T18:16:27-08:00Kazmir talks opt-out, joining NL, hitting
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<figcaption>Bob Levey/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>LOS ANGELES -- <span>Scott Kazmir</span> spoke with reporters on a conference call on Tuesday, six days after signing a three-year, $48 million contract with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a>.</p>
<p>The left-hander estimated there were 12 teams that showed interest in him this winter, with the Dodgers beating our three or four finalists for his services. A unique feature of Kazmir's contract is an opt-out clause after the first season, which allows him to forego two years and $32 million if he so chooses to enter a free agent market with not quite as many ready arms as this winter.</p>
<p>Kazmir said negotiations with other teams never got to a point where an opt-out was discussed, but was obviously in favor of the feature.</p>
<p>"From a business perspective, it's always good to have options," Kazmir said, then adding, "That being said, I would be honored to finish my career as a Dodger."</p>
<p>That would be something from Kazmir, who will be on his fourth team in the last four seasons, and the sixth team in his major league career. That doesn't include the independent league Sugar Land Skeeters in 2012, nor does it include winter league stints in Escogido in the Dominican Republic in 2011 and Carolina in Puerto Rico in 2012.</p>
<p>Those lean times were needed after shoulder injuries and ineffectiveness got Kazmir released by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a> after five Triple-A starts in 2011.</p>
<p>It was definitely a low point," Kazmir said. "I wanted to kind of take a step back and start from scratch, go back to fundamentals, getting away from bad habits I created. Just hard work, going through winter ball, independent ball, and slowly getting things back and feeling comfortable. Getting to know my body a lot more, that was a big difference for me."</p>
<p>Kazmir retreated to his Texas home, and sought the help of pitching guru Ron Wolforth, who <a target="new" href="http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/11123695/how-scott-kazmir-came-back-help-unconventional-training-espn-magazine">helped him through a tough time</a>.</p>
<p>"I always had the motivation because I knew it was still in there. I wasn't throwing as hard as I would like," Kazmir said. "I was in the low to mid-80s, and it just felt like there was a lot still there that I couldn't unlock at the time. It was a frustrating time."</p>
<p>In 2012 with Sugar Land, those 82s and 83s turned into occasional 95s, and Kazmir got his groove back. He signed a minor league deal with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.letsgotribe.com/">Indians</a> in 2013, then joined the big club by the end of April and put up a 4.04 ERA in 29 starts while striking out 162 batters in 158 innings.</p>
<p>That earned Kazmir a two-year deal with the A's, and over the last two years combined, including the final two months of 2015 with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/">Astros</a>, he put up a 3.33 ERA in 62 starts, with 319 strikeouts and 373⅓ innings. Over the last three seasons, Kazmir has <a href="http://www.brooksbaseball.net/tabs.php?player=431148&b_hand=-1&gFilt=&pFilt=FA%7CSI%7CFC%7CCU%7CSL%7CCS%7CKN%7CCH%7CFS%7CSB&time=month&startDate=03/31/2013&endDate=01/05/2016&s_type=2" target="_blank">averaged 92.99 mph on his four-seam fastball per Brooks Baseball</a>.</p>
<p>Now with the Dodgers, Kazmir joins a starting rotation that includes fellow left-handed pitchers <span>Clayton Kershaw</span>, <span>Brett Anderson</span> and <span>Alex Wood</span>, with <span>Hyun-jin Ryu</span> waiting in the wings while rehabbing from shoulder surgery. Kazmir said the handedness of his fellow starting pitchers wouldn't affect his preparation for his starts.</p>
<p>"I'm biased, but I love it, with all the lefties. I really don't think it matters what hand you throw with," Kazmir proclaimed. "If you're a guy like Clayton Kershaw, you'll do just fine."</p>
<p>To date, all 11 major league seasons and 272 big league games for Kazmir have come for an American League team. Kazmir, now playing for a National League team for the first time, is 3-for-26 (.115) with 10 strikeouts at the plate in his career.</p>
<p>"I don't get cheated. I really don't have to much of a scouting report. It's more just throw it down the middle and I probably won't hit it," Kazmir quipped. "I'm in the batting cages right now trying to iron out my swing a little bit."</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/1/5/10720304/scott-kazmir-opt-out-comeback-lefties-hitting-dodgers-contractEric Stephen2015-12-30T20:55:20-08:002015-12-30T20:55:20-08:002016 Scott Kazmir projections
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<p>LOS ANGELES -- The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> will have <span>Scott Kazmir</span> in their starting rotation for at least one year, signing the left-hander on Wednesday to a three-year, $48 million contract that includes an opt-out clause after 2016. But just what are the Dodgers getting in Kazmir?</p>
<p>The southpaw will turn 32 on Jan. 24, and over the last three seasons has averaged 31 starts, 177 innings and 160 strikeouts per year, while putting up a collective 3.54 ERA during that span. He averaged between 2.0 (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kazmisc01-pitch.shtml">Baseball-Reference</a>) and 2.8 (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=4897&position=P">FanGraphs</a>) Wins Above Replacement over the last three years.</p>
<p>Kazmir has been relatively healthy over the last three seasons, with his only trip to the disabled list a 15-day stint in April 2013 with a right rib cage strain, while with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.letsgotribe.com/">Indians</a>.</p>
<p>But what about 2016? Dan Szymborski of ESPN tweeted out his own ZiPS projections for the entirety of the three-year contract:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dodgers turned in their project late, but Kazmir excellent work, even with marks off for lateness. <a href="https://t.co/rdQzR9JZOR">pic.twitter.com/rdQzR9JZOR</a></p>
— Dan Szymborski (@DSzymborski) <a href="https://twitter.com/DSzymborski/status/682330373393534976">December 30, 2015</a>
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<p>We can also see the projections from Steamer (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=4897&position=P">on FanGraphs</a>) and Marcel (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kazmisc01.shtml">on Baseball-Reference</a>) to paint a picture of what Kazmir's 2016 season might look like.</p>
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<th colspan="10">2016 Scott Kazmir projections</th>
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<td style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Source</u></b></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><b><u>IP</u></b></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><b><u>H</u></b></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><b><u>R</u></b></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><b><u>ER</u></b></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><b><u>HR</u></b></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><b><u>BB</u></b></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><b><u>SO</u></b></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><b><u>ERA</u></b></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><b><u>WHIP</u></b></td>
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<td style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kazmisc01.shtml" target="_blank">Marcel</a></td>
<td style="text-align: right;">170</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">159</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">76</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">68</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">18</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">52</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">149</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">3.60</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1.241</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=4897&position=P" target="_blank">Steamer</a></td>
<td style="text-align: right;">169</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">161</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">77</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">71</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">19</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">49</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">149</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">3.77</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1.242</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://twitter.com/DSzymborski/status/682330373393534976" target="_blank">ZiPS</a></td>
<td style="text-align: right;">168⅔</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">147</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">61</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">61</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">17</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">45</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">162</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">3.25</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1.138</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;"><b>Average</b></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><b>169⅓</b></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><b>156</b></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><b>71</b></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><b>67</b></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><b>18</b></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><b>49</b></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><b>153</b></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><b>3.55</b></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><b>1.207</b></td>
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</table>
<p>For what it's worth, the ZiPS projection translates into 3.3 WAR, while the Steamer projection is good for 2.5 WAR.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2015/12/30/10692400/scott-kazmir-2016-projections-dodgersEric Stephen2015-12-30T17:22:36-08:002015-12-30T17:22:36-08:00Dodgers don't rule out adding another starter
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<figcaption>Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>LOS ANGELES -- The <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Dodgers</a>' three-year, $48 million contract with <span>Scott Kazmir</span> is their largest transaction to date this offseason, but it doesn't necessarily mean the team is finished making moves.</p>
<p>The team has been linked to Japanese right-hander Kenta Maeda, who must sign with an MLB team by Jan. 8 at 2 p.m. PT or be forced to return to Hiroshima for another year. General manager Farhan Zaidi wouldn't specifically address Maeda, citing team preference not to do so, though he did say the club hasn't ruled out adding another starting pitcher either via free agency or trade.</p>
<p>"We're always looking to improve the team. We certainly have a healthy number of starting pitching options, both veteran guys and young guys coming up through the system who will be ready at some point in 2016," Zaidi explained. "There are some guys coming back from injury, so to the extent that adding more certainty to the rotation is an option for us, we'll continue to take a look at those."</p>
<p>Kazmir gives the Dodgers four left-handed starters healthy heading into spring training, alongside <span>Clayton Kershaw</span>, <span>Brett Anderson</span> and <span>Alex Wood</span>. Another left-hander, <span>Hyun-jin Ryu</span>, is recovering from shoulder surgery and could be ready by opening day or he might not be ready until May or later. <span>Brandon McCarthy</span> is coming back from Tommy John surgery and isn't expected back until the All-Star break.</p>
<p>In addition to the Triple-A depth, the Dodgers have pitching prospects <span>Julio Urias</span>, <span>Jose De Leon</span> and <span>Jharel Cotton</span>, all of whom could potentially contribute as early as 2016. They made Kazmir's ability to opt out after just one year more palatable to the Dodgers, though at the same time wouldn't prevent the Dodgers from potentially adding another starter <i>this</i> offseason.</p>
<p>"Our young pitchers will be ready to step in if he does decide to opt out," Zaidi said. "But we're still out there evaluating options, and if something makes sense we're not in a situation where we feel like we can't add pitching at this point."</p>
<p>That added pitching could also come in the form of a reliever, another front on which the Dodgers are searching.</p>
<p>"We have some young guys in our pen who had some ups and downs, and I think they'll grow from that and be better in 2016," Zaidi said. "Adding some veteran presence in a way that makes sense for the composition of our roster and pen is something we'll continue to look at."</p>
<p>While Zaidi didn't want to mention or discuss Maeda even when directly asked, the GM did address <span>Aroldis Chapman</span>, traded on Monday to the <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Yankees</a> by the <a href="https://www.redreporter.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Reds</a> for an underwhelming quartet of minor leaguers. The Dodgers <a target="_blank" href="http://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-transactions-2016/2015/12/7/9863508/aroldis-chapman-trade-reds-dodgers">had a deal for Chapman at the winter meetings</a>, only to back out when reports of domestic violence by Chapman in October surfaced.</p>
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<img src="https://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48468505/usa-today-8764968.0.jpg" width="300"><span>"As the details that emerged came to light we just weren't comfortable making the move," Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi said of the team's pursuit of Aroldis Chapman</span>
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<p>"As was reported we did come to an agreement in principle on a deal, but as the details that emerged came to light we just weren't comfortable making the move," Zaidi confirmed on Wednesday. "Every situation like this is different, and every organization has to make their own decision about it. We made the decision based on the information that was at hand, and we stand by it. We've moved on from there."</p>
<p>The Dodgers also seem to have moved on, at least publicly, from a reunion with second baseman <span>Howie Kendrick</span>, still on the free agent market.</p>
<p>"The way things are right now, we feel pretty set at second base with <span>Chase [Utley]</span> and <span>Kiké [Hernandez</span>]," Zaidi said. "We're not really actively in the market for infielders at this point."</p>
<p>The Dodgers resigned Utley to <a target="new" href="http://www.truebluela.com/2015/12/9/7550649/chase-utley-contract-official-dodgers">a one-year, $7 million contract on Dec. 9</a>, and Hernandez started at six different positions in 2015, including 15 starts at second base. The club also added second baseman <span>Micah Johnson</span> in a <a target="new" href="http://www.truebluela.com/2015/12/16/10300196/dodgers-white-sox-reds-trade-todd-frazier-frankie-montas">trade with the Reds and White Sox on Dec. 16</a>.</p>
<p>Kendrick remains a free agent, and has spoken with the rival <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Diamondbacks</a> <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.azcentral.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fmlb%2Fdiamondbacks%2F2015%2F12%2F29%2Farizona-diamondbacks-still-quietly-looking-improve%2F78035900%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.truebluela.com%2F2015%2F12%2F30%2F10691924%2Fdodgers-kenta-maeda-aroldis-chapman-howie-kendrick-bullpen" target="_blank" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener">per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic</a>. Should Kendrick sign elsewhere before the 2016 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb-draft" class="sbn-auto-link">MLB draft</a>, the Dodgers will get a supplemental pick in between the first and second rounds.</p>
<p>As it stands the Dodgers, who did not surrender a draft pick for signing Kazmir, <a href="http://www.truebluela.com/mlb-draft/2015/10/5/9453005/2016-mlb-draft-dodgers-first-round" target="_blank">hold the 22nd pick</a> (their own first-rounder), the 30th pick (for losing <span>Zack Greinke</span>) and the 36th pick (for failure to sign 2015 No. 35 overall pick Kyle Funkhouser). Getting a draft pick for Kendrick would potentially give the Dodgers four of the first 40 or so picks in the upcoming draft.</p>
<p>Asked if the Kazmir signing would help keep Dodgers fans from freaking out, Zaidi chuckled.</p>
<p>"I think our fans are ultimately going to respond and react to how the team plays once April rolls around and the games actually count in the standings," Zaidi said. "That's what we're geared toward, and as long as we build a good and competitive team our fans will be happy."</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2015/12/30/10691924/dodgers-kenta-maeda-aroldis-chapman-howie-kendrick-bullpenEric Stephen2015-12-30T16:03:50-08:002015-12-30T16:03:50-08:00Dodgers okay adding another LHP in Kazmir
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<figcaption>Bob Levey/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>LOS ANGELES -- The last time <span>Scott Kazmir</span> pitched for a southern California team, things didn't go so well. But the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> are confident, with three strong seasons on his resume since the left-hander's return to prominence, that Kazmir will find success this time through.</p>
<p>The Dodgers signed Kazmir to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.truebluela.com/2015/12/30/10690630/scott-kazmir-contract-dodgers">a three-year, $48 million contract on Wednesday</a>, a deal that general manager Farhan Zaidi said came together in the last few weeks.</p>
<p>Kazmir was a two-time All-Star in Tampa Bay with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.draysbay.com/">Rays</a> under general manager Andrew Friedman, now the Dodgers president of baseball operations. Kazmir led the American League with 239 strikeouts in 2007 at age 23, and during his parts of six seasons in Tampa Bay struck out 24.2 percent of his batters faced while averaging over a strikeout per inning.</p>
<p>Traded to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a> midseason in 2009, Kazmir began a three-year battle with shoulder and hamstring issues. When he wasn't on the disabled list in 2010, the left-hander put up a 5.94 ERA in 28 starts and 150 innings. His 67 ERA+ is <a target="_blank" href="http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/1WyC0">tied for third-worst among pitchers with 150 innings in a season in the last 10 years</a>, but in the bottom four there is a bit of a comeback theme. The worst ERA+ was by future <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/world-series">World Series</a> champ <span>Edinson Volquez</span>, and Kazmir was tied with <span>John Lackey</span>, who won a World Series with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Red Sox</a> in 2013 and who put up two solid seasons since.</p>
<p>In 2011, Kazmir in Triple-A was torched to the tune of 30 runs on 22 hits in 15 innings, with 20 walks and 14 strikeouts, with six hit batters and five wild pitches. Zaidi was with Oakland when Kazmir was with the Angels, and asked if he thought the left-hander looked done at the time.</p>
<p>"There were games he had where it would have been hard to conclude otherwise," Zaidi said Wednesday. "But I think that is a testament to his will and resolve to getting back at a high level."</p>
<p>Getting back to that high level for Kazmir first took him through the independent Sugar Land Skeeters, also known as the team former NBA star Tracy McGrady pitched for. That was in 2012.</p>
<p>In 2013, Kazmir stuck with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.letsgotribe.com/">Indians</a> on a minor league deal and showed glimpses of his old self with a 24.1 strikeout rate in 29 starts, again striking out more than a batter per inning. That brought Kazmir to Oakland on a two-year deal, crossing paths with Zaidi.</p>
<p>"I do think there was a certain maturity and appreciation for the game that came about after the struggles that he had, leading up to his coming back in 2013," Zaidi said. "The guy I saw in Oakland was a great teammate, who really appreciated the chance to put the big league uniform on every day."</p>
<p>From 2013-2015 with the Indians, A's and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/">Astros</a>, Kazmir struck out 21.7 percent of his batters faced, putting up a 3.54 ERA, 109 ERA+ and 3.61 FIP, compared to his 3.92 ERA, 114 ERA+ and 3.87 FIP during his days in Tampa Bay. He made another All-Star team in 2014 with Oakland.</p>
<p>Zaidi said the biggest change he has seen in Kazmir from Tampa Bay to the last few years is his changeup, a pitch Kazmir has thrown 17.5 percent of the time the last three seasons, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.brooksbaseball.net/tabs.php?player=431148&p_hand=-1&ppos=-1&cn=200&compType=none&risp=0&1b=0&2b=0&3b=0&rType=perc&gFilt=&time=month&minmax=ci&var=traj&s_type=2&endDate=12/30/2015&startDate=04/01/2013">per Brooks Baseball</a>, with a .209 batting average and .317 slugging percentage against that pitch.</p>
<p>"It's one of the best few changeups in baseball," Zaidi opined. "When pitchers have that type of athleticism, their ability to adapt as their careers go on and change their pitching style as necessity dictates, those guys tend to be more successful. I think that what happened with Scott."</p>
<p>It is that changeup that has Zaidi less concerned about the Dodgers potentially having five left-handed starting pitchers in their rotation, along with fellow southpaws <span>Clayton Kershaw</span>, <span>Brett Anderson</span>, <span>Alex Wood</span>, and when he returns from shoulder surgery, <span>Hyun-jin Ryu</span>.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">What a great day to officially be a Dodger! Happy birthday to my lefty idol Sandy Koufax!</p>
— Scott Kazmir (@scottkazmir19) <a href="https://twitter.com/scottkazmir19/status/682309439639175179">December 30, 2015</a>
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<p>"Kaz is a guy who has very balanced splits. His best pitch is a changeup, which really neutralizes righties. He's not a quote-unquote lefty in a conventional sense."</p>
<p>Right-handed batters have hit .241/.305/.383 against Kazmir in the last three seasons, compared to .257/.298/.377 for left-handed batters.</p>
<p>"When you have a left-handed starter on the mound, I don't really feel that game is affected by the fact that the other four starting pitchers sitting in the dugout are of one handedness or another," Zaidi said. "From our standpoint, let's just find the five guys who gives us the best chance to win everyday and go from there.</p>
<p>"It sets you up for a situation where having some balance in the bullpen makes some sense, because you'll see a certain type of lineup day in and day out when you have an extreme rotation one way or another in terms of handedness. You have to make sure from a strategic standpoint, you're set up to counter any moves the opposition may make."</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2015/12/30/10691050/scott-kazmir-changeup-dodgers-left-handed-rotation-farhan-zaidiEric Stephen2015-12-30T13:41:53-08:002015-12-30T13:41:53-08:00Kazmir contract includes opt-out, deferred money
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<p>LOS ANGELES -- <span>Scott Kazmir</span> can earn as much as $48 million on his three-year contract with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a>, or he can opt out after just one year in Los Angeles. Here are the details of his new deal.</p>
<p>Kazmir will get a $5 million signing bonus, then salaries of $11 million in 2016, $16 million in 2017 and $16 million in 2018. But $8 million of each season will be deferred without interest for three years, such that the left-hander will be paid over six years:</p>
<p><b>2016</b>: $5 million bonus plus $3 million salary<br><b>2017</b>: $8 million<br><b>2018</b>: $8 million<br><b>2019</b>: $8 million (deferred from 2016), payable on Dec. 15<br><b>2020</b>: $8 million (deferred from 2017), payable on Dec. 15<br><b>2021</b>: $8 million (deferred from 2018), payable on Dec. 15</p>
<p>With the deferred money, MLB will count the equivalent average annual value as roughly $15 million annually. The <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/article/37225ec5b2294de99670b8f400b8db63/kazmirs-48m-dodgers-deal-includes-payments-through-2021" target="_blank">Associated Press reports</a> that MLB values the total deal as $44.954,652 while the players association values the deal at $45,335,913.</p>
<p>Should Kazmir opt out after 2016, he would still receive $16 million (the signing bonus, his salary in 2016, plus the deferred money, which would be payable by Jan. 15, 2017 <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/article/37225ec5b2294de99670b8f400b8db63/kazmirs-48m-dodgers-deal-includes-payments-through-2021" target="_blank">per the Associated Press</a>). The Dodgers, as was the case with <span>Zack Greinke</span>, will be able to extend a qualifying offer to Kazmir should he decide to opt out.</p>
<p>"The knee-jerk reaction on our side is you don't necessarily want to relinquish control of the dynamic of how the contract plays out," general manager Farhan Zaidi said. "But I do think in certain cases, when there is a lot of value to the player, it can make sense. In Scott's case, he and his representatives are aware that next year's starting pitching market will be a seller's market."</p>
<p>Joel Sherman of the New York Post was <a href="https://twitter.com/Joelsherman1/status/682303974049988609" target="_blank">the first to report news of deferred money</a>.</p>
<p>The Dodgers <a href="http://www.truebluela.com/2013/10/21/4861112/los-angeles-dodgers-payroll?_ga=1.35637159.70821811.1435339296" target="_blank">now have $170.89 million committed to 16 players in 2015</a>.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2015/12/30/10690878/scott-kazmir-contract-details-dodgers-opt-outEric Stephen2015-12-30T12:37:51-08:002015-12-30T12:37:51-08:00Dodgers sign Kazmir to 3-year deal
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<p>LOS ANGELES -- The <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Dodgers</a> finally made a relatively big move this offseason, signing starting pitcher <span>Scott Kazmir</span> to a three-year contract, the team announced on Wednesday. The contract is worth a reported $48 million per both <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/dylanohernandez/status/682296049365553153">Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times</a> and Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, with Heyman reporting that Kazmir has an <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/JonHeymanCBS/status/682296094164934657">opt-out clause after just one season</a>.</p>
<p>Kazmir, who turns 32 in January, was 7-11 with a 3.10 ERA and 3.98 FIP in 31 starts between the A's and <a href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Astros</a> in 2015, with 155 strikeouts and 59 walks in 183 innings. He was 2-6 with a 4.17 ERA and 5.19 FIP in 13 starts down the stretch with Houston.</p>
<p>Over the last three years, Kazmir has averaged 31 starts, 177 innings and 160 strikeouts while putting up a 3.54 ERA and 3.61 FIP.</p>
<p>Because Kazmir was traded midseason he was not eligible for a qualifying offer, which means the Dodgers don't have to surrender a draft pick for signing him.</p>
<p>Kazmir pitched with the Rays under Andrew Friedman until he was traded to the Angels in 2009, and was with the A's in 2014 when Farhan Zaidi was the assistant general manager.</p>
<p>This gives the Dodgers yet another left-handed starting pitcher to join <span>Clayton Kershaw</span>, <span>Brett Anderson</span> and <span>Alex Wood</span>, with fellow southpaw <span>Hyun-jin Ryu</span> coming back from shoulder surgery. The <a target="_blank" href="http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/21Y7F">most starts by left-handed pitchers for the Dodgers since 1914 is 112</a>, set in 1965.</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Hey <a href="https://twitter.com/ClaytonKersh22">@ClaytonKersh22</a> the entire rotation is going to use your glove as a sign of solidarity.</p>
— Brett Anderson (@BrettAnderson35) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrettAnderson35/status/682298933566173185">December 30, 2015</a>
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<p>Right-handed starter Brandon McCarthy is recovering from Tommy John surgery, and not expected back until the All-Star break.</p>
<blockquote data-partner="tweetdeck" class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Dodgers">@Dodgers</a> This is blatant handism and I'm filing a hostile workplace grievance</p>
— Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32) <a href="https://twitter.com/BMcCarthy32/status/682303984040804352">December 30, 2015</a>
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<p>To make room for Kazmir on the 40-man roster, outfielder <span>Daniel Fields</span> was designated for assignment.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2015/12/30/10690630/scott-kazmir-contract-dodgersEric Stephen