Dodgers Are Paying $8 Million to Giants Starter Scott Kazmir

Saturday evenings game between the Dodgers and Giants will feature a pretty cool story. San Francisco called up left-handed pitcher Scott Kazmir to make the start, and it will be his first big league appearance since 2016. Kazmir is 37-years-old and many thought his playing days were well behind him.

But Saturday’s game also features a pretty funny twist as well. Kazmir will pitch for the Giants, but he will get paid (mostly) by the Dodgers. It’s one of those odd scenarios that you don’t see too often, especially when a player has been out of the game as long as he has. 

Kazmir signed a 3-year, $48 million deal with LA back in December of 2015. He would pitch in 2016 with the Dodgers, but a series of injuries derailed his big league career. He was ultimately traded to the Braves in a deal that brought Matt Kemp back to LA. 

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But the terms of Kazmir’s contract with the Dodgers allowed for deferred payments. As part of that deal, Los Angeles will pay him $8 million this year, the final year of his deferred money. So technically, he gets paid to pitch against the team that is paying him.

It’s not a totally uncommon thing to happen in baseball, but still funny whenever it does pop up. The Dodgers are hoping to attack him early and get him working because Kazmir hasn’t thrown much at the minor league level.

Kaz pitched just 8 innings in the Giants Spring Training games and has totaled just over 6 innings t the minor league level this season. 

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