Will Dodgers' Last Minute Shopping Pay Off?

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The Dodgers must be using the "better late than never" theory. After watching the Phillies and Cardinals dramatically improve with July trades, the Dodgers finally got busy Monday night.

Quantity seldom trumps quality, though, and the Dodgers' newcomers will have to make serious contributions to have bigger impacts than Cliff Lee and Matt Holliday have for the Phillies and Cardinals, respectively. In fact, acquiring starters Jon Garland and Vicente Padilla, pinch hitter Jim Thome and infielder Ronnie Belliard almost smells of desperation for a Dodgers team trying to hang on to its reduced lead in the NL West.

But the moves really were good business because they involve little risk for L.A. The Dodgers didn't sacrifice top prospects for the short-term rentals, all of whom can become free agents this winter. L.A. didn't even take on much additional salary because the salaries of the newly acquired players are being paid at least in part by their previous teams.

So far, so good for the new guys.

Padilla made an immediate impact, winning his first start in Dodger blue and will start tonight against Arizona. He didn't hit any batters in his debut and apparently hasn't given his new teammates a reason to alienate him. Just give him time, his former teammates in Texas will tell you.

Garland has had a subpar season but is coming off his best month -- 3-1 with a 3.89 ERA in six starts -- and he should boost the back of the L.A. rotation. With Chad Billingsley (hamstring) and Hiroki Kurado (shoulder) at less than 100 percent, the Dodgers need help at the front end. Garland didn't have to travel far to hook up with his new team, as the Diamondbacks were playing in L.A. on Monday night. He is scheduled make his first start for his new team against his old team on Thursday night.

Belliard homered in his first at-bat with the Dodgers on Monday night, but don't expect much from him. He was brought in to add a veteran presence to the bench, where he will back up Orlando Hudson at second base.

Thome could provide a bigger boost in the clubhouse than on the field. He is friends and former teammates with Manny Ramirez and should bring a little veteran guidance. The Dodgers need Ramirez to regain his pre-suspension form more than they need Thome's pinch hitting (though they clearly haven't forgotten what the Phillies' Matt Stairs did against them in his only at-bat of the NLCS last October). Thome has played only one game at first base in the past three seasons, so don't expect him to do much other than pinch hit.

The Dodgers aren't the only club searching for a September spark. Five other contenders need a starting pitcher to step up after just stepping in:

Tim Hudson, Braves. His first start since undergoing Tommy John surgery last year will come tonight in the biggest situation he has pitched in since 2005 -- his first year with Atlanta. The Braves need a win to move two games ahead of the Marlins in the wild-card race after beating ace Josh Johnson Monday night. Hudson was ready to start Monday night but was held back because of roster considerations.

Brad Penny, Giants. In 24 starts with the Red Sox, Penny never made it to the eighth inning and finished with a 5.61 ERA and .299 batting average against. But that was in the A.L. He could flourish back in the N.L. West, especially in spacious AT&T Park. Penny, scheduled to make his first start Wednesday, could start twice against the Dodgers in the coming weeks if he starts every five games. The unpleasant terms that surrounded his departure from L.A. will add even more fuel to the pennant race and the Dodgers-Giants rivalry.

Jose Contreras, Rockies. After Josh Fogg flopped in his audition to replace injured Aaron Cook (shoulder), the Rockies went reaching. And they went all the way to the bottom of the bargain bin to get Contreras. In nine starts since the All-Star break, Contreras was good in one, decent in two and bad in six. Good news: An A.L. lifer, he was effective in his lone start at Coors Field. That outing, however, came a long time ago in his best season (2005).

Paul Byrd, Red Sox. A team with an abundance of starters when the season began now is relying on a 38-year-old who couldn't find a job until the Red Sox signed him. With Tim Wakefield's back an issue and the continued uncertainty of Daisuke Matsuzaka, Byrd likely will remain in the Red Sox's rotation the rest of the way -- especially if he pitches like he did in his debut when he shut out the Blue Jays for six innings.

Scott Kazmir, Angels. He hasn't had a strong season, as his 5.92 ERA would indicate. But he has been better lately and he is being reunited with one of his old pitching coaches, Mike Butcher. Kazmir has time to get right because the Angels will need him more in October than September. Kazmir has pitched some of his best games against two of the Angels' potential playoff opponents, the Yankees and Red Sox.

Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com.

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