Web musings: Did Dodgers try to land Zack Greinke just before he was traded to Brewers?

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Baseball maxim: You can never have enough pitching.

Of course, what that really means is: You can never have enough good pitching.

The Dodgers had plenty of pitching in 2010 -- 21 different pitchers found their way to the mound for L.A. -- it’s just that all that came to was a 4.01 team ERA.

So this off-season General Manager Ned Colletti worked quickly not only to put together a rotation, he actually has six starters with Vicente Padilla -- last year’s opening-day starter -- now in the swing role.

But that doesn’t mean the rotation couldn’t be upgraded, and apparently Colletti was still working on that possibility into the weekend.

The Dodgers reportedly had not given up on the possibility of trading for Kansas City ace Zach Greinke, and according to a tweet from Yahoo.com’s Tim Brown, had drawn a third team into discussions in an attempt to satisfy the Royals’ demands.

It evidently came too late, with the Royals ultimately dealing Greinke to the Brewers for top prospects -- of which the Dodgers are in short supply.

That’s good news for ex-Dodger Ron Roenicke as he begins his first season as Milwaukee’s manager, but a missed opportunity for the Dodgers at obtaining a proven ace.

TrueBlueLA.com’s Phil Gurnee looks at what it might have taken for the Dodgers to match the trade to Milwaukee. Straight up, it would have been near impossible.

That other Dodgers’ deal with Milwaukee that apparently ended up only a rumor -- trading for first baseman Prince Fielder -- may have affected the deal. Greinke told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that he took the Brewers off his no-trade list when they elected not to trade Fielder.

Also on the Web:

-- SportsIllustrated.com’s Tim Marchman looks at Russell Martin’s fall from grace in Los Angeles. He writes off part of it as simply failing to live up to high expectations, but still figures Martin’s numbers as pretty decent for a catcher.

-- Try to contain your enthusiasm: Dodgers.com Ken Gurnick writes that the three free agents the Dodgers are currently in contact with to play left field are Jerry Hairston, Scott Hairston and Marcus Thames.

-- MikeSciosciasTragicIllness.com’s Mike Petriello suggests another outfielder for the Dodgers to consider for their opening in left field, Mike Morse of the Nationals. Morse figures to be squeezed out by Washington’s signing of Jayson Werth.

-- ESPN/LA.com’s Jon Weisman estimates that the Dodgers’ current payroll for 2010 -- including deferred salaries -- is approaching $110 million.

-- Steve Dilbeck