The Dodgers signed righty Vicente Padilla to a minor league contract on August 19th; he'd been designated for assignment by the Rangers. Padilla pitched well in 39.3 regular season innings and in two out of three postseason starts. According to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times, Dodgers GM Ned Colletti recently expressed interest in re-signing Padilla. The interest appears mutual.
Padilla's agent Adam Katz downplayed a recent "hunting accident" wherein the pitcher grazed himself in the thigh with a bullet. Padilla reportedly spent less than an hour being treated in a Nicaraguan hospital. Colletti told Hernandez he didn't know enough about the matter to determine whether it would affect his interest in re-signing Padilla. More troubling is Padilla's lengthy history of alcohol problems, but most MLB teams tend to ignore DUIs.
Padilla certainly won't be signing another three-year, $33.75MM deal. He might be able to get one year and $5-8MM. Aside from the Dodgers, the Brewers, Mets, and Diamondbacks are three clubs known to be hunting for starting pitching.
