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Dodgers News: Paul Maholm Appears To Be Signing A Deal

Paul MaholmFor several weeks the Los Angeles Dodgers have been searching for starting pitching. With Josh Beckett and Chad Billingsley both coming off major surgeries, GM Ned Colletti has been interested in several free agents.

Masahiro Tanaka signed a $155 million deal with the New York Yankees and Bronson Arroyo signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks, leaving Colletti and the Dodgers without the rotation depth they desperately needed. However, according to Ken Gurnick of Dodgers.com, on the day pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training, Maholm already has a locker:

Maholm spent the last two seasons with the Atlanta Braves after spending seven years with the Pittsburgh Pirates and a brief stint with the Chicago Cubs. In 2013, the 31-year-old left-hander went 10-11 with a 4.41 ERA, but a terrible month of July (10.13 ERA) makes the stats look worse than they are. While he won’t throw a mid-to-high 90’s fastball, he’ll give the Dodgers insurance if Beckett falters.

Signing Maholm is another indication just how unsure the Dodgers are that Beckett can give them stability at the back end of the rotation. Acquired along with Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto, Beckett impressed in his short summer with the Dodgers in 2012 while 2013 was a complete nightmare.

Depending on if the deal is major or minor league will go a long way in determining not only Beckett’s fate, but others competing for a shot in the rotation.

UPDATE: Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times at 4:05 pm PST

 


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Ross Gasmer

Ross Gasmer is a Social Media Producer for @TheHerd and was a contributing writer and editor for Dodger Nation. Follow him on Twitter @Ross_Gasmer12
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