The Dodgers signed Jason Schmidt prior to the 2007 season to come to Los Angeles and be the stud he was in San Francisco.
Can we safely agree that it has not happened?
Schmidt hasn't been on a Major League mound since June 16 of 2007 and the $48 million dollars the Dodgers gave him has equaled into six starts, one win and an ERA of 6.31.
Now, the long awaited return of Mr. Schmidt is upon us as he will start against the Reds here in about 30 minutes.
So what should we expect out of the former All-Star?
For starters, let's not expect him to throw the ball in the high or mid 90's. He might not even touch 90.
I wouldn't expect him to pitch great, and I wouldn't expect him to go too deep in the ballgame.
You have to believe he will have some butterflies, but you also have to believe that he is very determined to justify his contract to at least a small, small degree.
What I am getting at is wondering whether he will be the answer to the rotation problems that the Dodgers have. The team needs someone to solidify the No. 5 spot, and you have to know that Frank McCourt would like to see Schmidt take the bull by the horns so he doesn't have to give up prospects and spend more money on a guy like Roy Halladay or Erik Bedard.
