Dave Goltz

When the Los Angeles Dodgers opened their wallets and signed Minnesota Twins’ right-hander David Allan Goltz to a six-year, $3 million free agent contract during the winter of 1979, they expected to get a workhorse.

Instead, they got horse manure.

At the time of the signing, however, it appeared that the Dodgers had made a wise investment. Between 1975 and 1979, Goltz won 14 or more games each season, averaging more than 250 innings, and finished over 40 percent of his starts. His best year was 1977 when he posted a 20-11 record with an earned run average of 3.36 in 330 innings pitched.

In retrospect, the Dodgers would have been better off spending their money on horse feed.

In his first season in Los Angeles, Goltz was 7-11 with an ERA of 4.31, while completing only two of his 27 starts. In 1981, he won just two of nine decisions with a 4.09 ERA and failed to go the distance in his eight starts. He lost his only decision in 1982 and was released. He was picked up by the California Angels shortly thereafter and pitched effectively as a spot starter for the western division champions, but was released after losing his first six decisions in 1983.