Quote:
Loaiza chosen as Dodgers' fifth starter over Park
Esteban Loaiza looked up curiously when he was approached at his locker by a small band of reporters on Friday.
"What did I do?" he asked.
Unbeknownst to him, Loaiza had been selected the Dodgers' fifth starter by Manager Joe Torre before the Dodgers' 3-1 exhibition victory over the Boston Red Sox at Dodger Stadium.
Here's more of what Loaiza hadn't been told: He'll make his season debut on April 8 in Arizona, the first of four scheduled starts in the opening month of the season.
"That's good to hear. I'm more hungry after what happened to me last year," Loaiza said, referring to a season in which he pitched only seven games because of back and knee injuries. Loaiza was waived by the Oakland Athletics and acquired in August by the Dodgers, who picked up his $6.5-million salary.
The guaranteed contract was the reason why Loaiza was favored over Chan Ho Park, who was in camp on a minor league deal, to win the job that was left vacant by the rehabilitating Jason Schmidt.
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Full story.
This is a bad decision, in my opinion. Chan Ho Park was light's out in Spring Training, with a 1.69 ERA in 16 innings. While Loaiza wasn't exactly terrible (4.20 ERA), he was horrific in three of the last four seasons, pitching terribly for the Dodgers in five starts last season (8.34 ERA).
Here's hoping that Torre knows what he's doing...
Loaiza Grabs Fifth Spot in Rotation
Loaiza Grabs Fifth Spot in Rotation
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