The Los Angeles Dodgers addressed their need for starting pitching by signing Scott Kazmir to a three-year contract on Wednesday.
While Kazmir won’t necessarily replace Zack Greinke, the left-hander adds more depth to a rotation that includes two pitchers in Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu who are coming off respective season-ending surgeries.
Additionally, whereas signing Hisashi Iwakuma would’ve required the Dodgers to forfeit their first-round pick in the 2016 draft as he declined the Seattle Mariners’ qualifying offer, Kazmir was not eligible to receive a qualifying offer from the Houston Astros.
The Dodgers received a compensatory pick with Greinke joining the Arizona Diamondbacks.
According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, Kazmir’s contract is worth $48 million and has an opt-out clause after the first year:
kazmir gets 48M for 3 years. opt out after 1st year.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 30, 2015
kazmir gets $5M signing bonus. with salary technically $11M in 2016. but it still works out to 16-16-16 by year.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 30, 2015
However, Kazmir’s contract includes deferred salaries that breaks up the $16 million per year, via Joel Sherman of the New York Post:
#Dodgers deferring Kazmir 3-$48M over 6 yrs so getting $8M annually in that period including $5M sign bonus and $3M salary this year
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) December 30, 2015
Kazmir last season was a combined 7-11 with a 3.10 ERA, 3.98 FIP and 1.21 WHIP over 18 starts with the Oakland Athletics and 13 with the Astros.
He allowed three runs on five hits in 5.1 innings in his lone 2015 postseason start, which came against the Kansas City Royals in the American League Division Series.
The opt-out clause allows the 31 year old to potentially test free agency when the list of starting pitchers available won’t nearly be as deep as this year’s group. It also grants the Dodgers some flexibility moving forward and the option to extend a qualifying offer should Kazmir elect for free agency.
Kazmir is a career 98-90 with a 3.96 ERA, 3.97 FIP and 1.35 WHIP over 11 seasons. Next year will be his first in the National League after spending time with the Tampa Bay Rays (2004-09), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2009-11), Cleveland Indians (2013), Athletics (2014-15) and Astros (2015).
