I'm not much on speculation. I think it's ruined SportsCenter on ESPN, and it drives me to distraction when the media trot out the 800 hundred playoff scenarios toward the end of the NFL season ("if this team does this and that team does that and a third team does another thing then this MIGHT happen. AAAAHHHHHHH! SHUT UP!).Hot Stove talk does intrigue me, to a certain extent, especially when I hear talk on who the Dodgers are considering adding to their pitching staff. One of those possibilities, apparently, is Randy Johnson, who has been a pain in L.A.'s posterior for a decade.
Johnson hasn't been his old self for quite awhile, probably not since 2004 during his first go-around with Arizona, the season he pitched that perfect game against the Braves, which is depicted on the 2005 Topps card above. Johnson did all right with the Yankees, but their hard-to-please fans didn't fall for him.
And although the big name intrigues me, it doesn't excite me much. Johnson's not a top-line starter anymore. I'm uncertain how much he could help. He's got to be able to do more than Greg Maddux did.
Someone who could help a little more is Andy Pettitte. The Dodgers apparently are considering him, too. I can't picture Johnson or Pettitte in L.A. These are guys that I've spent years despising. And now I hear that the Dodgers are mulling signing another longtime nemesis, Trevor Hoffman. For crying out loud, why don't you find Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds and dress them up in Dodger blue? You'll make me a Phillie fan yet!
It certainly makes the offseason interesting. I'm itching for L.A. to make a move. I just hope they're considering a few players under the age of 40, too.
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Pettitte is more durable at this point, but I fear he would be more expensive. Plus, he's not as good as Johnson (Johnson put up a 117 ERA+ last year while striking out 8.46 per 9).
As for Hoffman, I can only guess the interest is because the club doesn't expect Saito back. Personally, I'm fine with Broxton as closer, and if Saito decides to stay in the US, no team has a better 1-2 punch than Saito/Broxton. If Saito decides to return to Japan, maybe the club isn't as confident in Broxton's closing abilities as I am.
Broxton concerns me a little bit, but I think it's just a maturity issue (his, not mine). In a perfect world I'd like to have Saito back. If Saito isn't back, then, yeah, L.A. needs someone else.