Former Atlanta Braves pitcher Paul Maholm signs with Los Angeles Dodgers

Sep 20, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Paul Maholm pitches in the first inning of their game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

With the Atlanta Braves being extremely deep (at least on paper) in the starting rotation, chances are that most of “Braves Nation” has already moved on from the Paul Maholm era. Still, he was a fairly valuable piece over the past season and a half in Atlanta, and on Saturday, he officially latched on with a Major League deal for the 2014 season.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have officially announced the signing of Maholm to a 1-year contract, and reports indicate that it is for a $1.5 million base salary with incentives that could reach up to $6.5 million. It is unclear if Maholm will join the LA rotation from day one, but with this type of guarantee, he is certainly in there short-term plans.

In 2013, Maholm finished with a 4.41 ERA in 153 innings with the Braves, but prior to an injury-riddled second half, he was very effective for Atlanta in a supporting role. Maholm was often the scapegoat for portions of the fan base, but while he was wholly unspectacular, there are much worse options for 5th-starter spots all over Major League Baseball, and it’s nice to see him latch on.

The Braves are more than set in the rotation with seven starters as of this moment (Minor, Medlen, Teheran, Beachy, Wood, Floyd, Garcia), and thus, had no need for Maholm, but if LA makes another playoff run, we could see him in October.