Colletti Dials In on Starting Pitcher

Let the shopping commence. Mid-June is when teams typically begin laying the groundwork for trades that will be consummated close to the July 31 deadline.

General Manager Ned Colletti is busy working the phones, seeking a starting pitcher.

“I’m talking to a lot of people,” he said. “It’s the typical prelude to the dance.”

Livan Hernandez, Dontrelle Willis, Greg Maddux, Jason Schmidt, Jeff Weaver and Barry Zito are among starters who could become available.

“We are making 95% of the calls,” Colletti said.

Brad Penny and Derek Lowe are the only Dodgers starters who don’t cause Colletti to fret. Brett Tomko has pitched poorly for a month. Aaron Sele has pitched well but is 35 and has a history of fading. Chad Billingsley has made only one major league start. Odalis Perez and Jae Seo have not pitched well enough to remain in the rotation.

The Dodgers farm system is tapped out for the moment. D.J. Houlton is the only starter at triple-A Las Vegas with major league experience, but he has a 5.38 earned-run average in 14 starts.

Six weeks before the trading deadline might seem like a long time, but Dodgers scouts must do their homework on any pitcher they are interested in acquiring.

“There’s a health risk with anyone,” Colletti said. “Pitchers don’t always come clean even to their own people. So you still have some level of the unknown.”

The Dodgers also are shopping for bullpen help, but Colletti’s season-long concern about the outfield has abated because of the emergence of Matt Kemp.

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