The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Japanese pitcher Hiroki Kuroda over the weekend to a three year deal worth nearly $36 million. Scouts have stated that Kuroda is not quite as good as Boston Red Sox pitcher "Dice-K" Matsuzaka but Kuroda also came at about a third of the cost. The signing gives LA an impressive rotation of Brad Penny, Derek Lowe, Jason Schmidt, Kuroda, and Chad Billingsley. If they can manage to keep those 5 guys healthy all season the Dodgers will be a nightmare for opposing teams' hitters.

The move also would seem to push Esteban Loaiza from the rotation, likely making him available to any bargain shoppers looking for pitching. Although he turned in an ERA of nearly 6 last year, Loaiza could probably fill the back end of a rotation and in this pitching starved market could fetch a decent return should the Dodgers decide to make him available.

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