At times, it seems as if the Los Angeles Dodgers throw a bunch of names up on a wall and keep the players whose names stick. Of course, if a team can win division titles with those players, it might not be a bad way of operating.
The Dodgers' methods came under scrutiny last week when they pulled out of a three-way trade with the Yankees and the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Randy Johnson deal.
That development added controversy to what had been a controversial off-season for the Dodgers.
The Dodgers reached the playoffs for the first time since 1996 and won their first division championship since 1995. But nine of the 24 players who faced St. Louis in the division series became free agents.
The Dodgers have re-signed two of them, pitchers Wilson Alvarez and Elmer Dessens, but they have let the others leave, most notably the hitters Adrian Beltre and Steve Finley and starting pitchers Jose Lima and Odalis Perez. Lima had the team's best record, 13-5, and Perez's 3.25 earned run average was the 10th lowest in the National League.
Beltre, at 26, had the best year of his seven-year career, producing career highs with a .334 batting average, 121 runs batted in and a major league-leading 48 home runs. But the Dodgers refused to outbid the last-place Seattle Mariners for his continued services.
Finley went south to another division champion in Anaheim.
Last week, the Dodgers showed that they were not finished shedding players, making their second baseman, Alex Cora, a free agent by not tendering him a contract.
They were also prepared to lose Shawn Green, their No. 1 offensive threat remaining after Beltre's departure, and three pitchers in the three-team trade that did not happen.
One of the pitchers was Brad Penny, who was the primary player the Dodgers received last July 31 when they traded catcher Paul Lo Duca, the heart and soul of their team, to Florida. When they made that trade, the Dodgers planned to turn around and include Penny in a package they would give to Arizona for Johnson, but that time, the Diamondbacks balked and the trade never happened.
Some of the vacancies in the starting lineup have been filled. Last week, the Dodgers signed J.D. Drew as a free agent, presumably as the offensive replacement for Beltre. Drew will play right field, making Green the regular first baseman.
The Dodgers previously signed free agents to fill the infield holes, Jeff Kent for second base and Jose Valentin for third. They also signed Ricky Ledee to bolster their outfield.
They are not finished putting the pieces together, General Manager Paul DePodesta said.
"No question we're still in midstream," he said. "I don't think that what we currently have will comprise our 25-man roster."
When the Dodgers chose not to compete vigorously for Beltre and when it appeared that they would trade Green, who has a $16 million salary this season, critics among fans and the news media accused the first-year owner, Frank McCourt, of slashing the payroll from its $102 million season-closing level.
McCourt could not be reached to discuss the payroll issue, but DePodesta said: "Payroll in general plays a part in just about everything anyone does, but we still have significant payroll flexibility. We still have money to spend."
With Green's salary remaining on the payroll, though, the Dodgers have $16 million less to spend.
Not bankers
Recent baseball history is littered with foolish financial decisions made by players and in one instance by a coach. Infielder Jody Reed, a free agent after the 1993 season, rejected the Dodgers' offer of $7.8 million for three years, then, after changing agents, wound up signing a minor league contract with Milwaukee that was to pay him $350,000 - if he won a major league job.
Before the 2003 season, Nomar Garciaparra turned down Boston's offer of $60 million for a four-year contract extension. He became a free agent this year and signed a one-year deal with the Cubs for $8 million.
A few years ago, Jose Cardenal walked away from his job as the Yankees' first-base coach because they would not give him a small raise. It was an act of foolish pride, because he also gave up a postseason share that was far larger than any raise he might have secured.
Miguel Cairo is this year's questionable economic genius. Signed a year ago as a utility infielder, Cairo became the Yankees' everyday second baseman and performed better than anyone expected, batting .292 in 360 times at bat.
The Yankees planned to re-sign him for this season, but they were a little uncertain how to view him, General Manager Brian Cashman said.
"We wanted to do a one-year deal; they wanted a two-year deal," Cashman said. "We offered a two-year deal at 1.5 (million) a year. After that, we got uncomfortable. Is he the everyday guy that we think, or is he going to wind up being a utility guy? When it started getting up to the 2 million range, where he was looking for on a two-year basis, we looked at other alternatives."
Tony Womack was also a free agent.
"Tony Womack's been an everyday player for some time," Cashman said. "There's been a little more consistency there, so if you're going to spend that kind of money, we started gravitating toward more certainty."
The Yankees signed Womack to a two-year, $4 million contract, and Cairo is still looking for a job. |
