The Dodgers accomplished a little addition by subtraction on Tuesday when they signed Jason Schmidt to a three-year, $47 million contract. In the current landscape where a pitcher of Ted Lilly?s caliber receives $10 million per year, Schmidt was generous to not require that fourth-season from old buddy Ned Colleti; $15.6 million per year to Schmidt is a far better value than the $10 million per they gave Juan Pierre a few weeks ago. Schmidt went from quality pitcher to elite pitcher in 2003, a year in which only a late season injury kept him from winning the National League Cy Young. He was also highly effective in 2004, though his ERA dropped a full point, but in those two seasons he recorded 9 complete games. While battling more injuries, his ERA dropped another full point in 2005, but he reclaimed some of his effectiveness in 2006 as his numbers in every major category improved. His velocity has declined rather sharply, evolving from a pitcher that offset a mid to high 90?s fastball with a high 80?s change-up, to a low 90?s fastball pitcher that relies more and more on precision and preparation. Grade: A- Schmidt is a reliable anchor for a talented but mentally instable rotation. Greg Maddux brought a mature and professional presence to the staff and while not a Hall of Famer, Schmidt can contribute on days where he does not pitch in similar ways. His ERA is unlikely to be in the 2?s and he will not strikeout over 200 batters again, but a healthy quality start percentage is a guarantee and in the NL West, you do not need to be perfect to be great, or at worst, effective.