Posted by Brian Joseph on Friday, February 6, 2009 at 9:16 pm

Maybe it will be better the second time for Randy Wolf in Los Angeles. After signing a one-year deal worth $5 million to return to the Dodgers on Friday, the 32-year-old Wolf will find out if playing close to his hometown of Canoga Park, California the second time around will prove to be a better experience.

The left-handed starter signed with the Dodgers in 2007 and posted a respectable 9-6 record and 4.73 ERA in 18 starts but ended after Wolf was shelved due to a shoulder injury which required surgery. In 2008, Wolf started the season with the San Diego Padres and made 21 starts before being traded to the Houston Astros where he finished the year strong in 12 starts. Combined, he posted a 12-12 record 4.30 ERA but impressed down the stretch with the Astros — he was 6-2 with a 3.57 ERA.

It looked like Wolf would return to Houston after the Astros offered him a three-year, $28.5-million deal but tough negotiations led Houston to yank their offer for the lefty and pursue other interests. Even after the club signed Mike Hampton to a one-year, $2-million contract, it looked like there was still a possibility of Wolf returning to the Houston rotation. With today’s signing, any chance of such a union ended.

Wolf is likely to be the fourth man in the rotation behind Chad Billingsley, Hiroki Kuroda and Clayton Kershaw and could earn up to $8 million if he pitches 200 innings based on performance bonuses.