According to Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles the Dodgers are looking to add another veteran starting pitcher with Chad Billingsley and Ted Lilly both question marks health-wise, and their “No. 1 target” is Rays right-hander James Shields.
Tampa Bay picked up Shields’ option for 2013, because at $10.25 million it’s a no-brainer, and he’s also under team control for 2014 via $12 million option.
Given their young pitching depth and payroll limitations it wouldn’t be surprising if the Rays are willing to take calls on Shields, but it would be surprising if they’re willing to deal him without getting a ton in return. During the past two seasons Shields has logged 477 innings with a 3.15 ERA and 448/123 K/BB ratio.
