Rainout OK With Dodgers : Baseball: After disastrous trip, perplexing trade of Randolph, they couldn’t take another loss.

Those relieved smiles in the Shea Stadium visiting clubhouse late Sunday afternoon were best described by Dodger pitcher Tim Belcher, whose terrible two innings were washed away by a thunderstorm.

“The way we are going,” Belcher said, looking around the room, “a rainout is almost like a victory.”

Thus the Dodgers ended this trip to the East Coast and chaos. Trailing the New York Mets, 1-0, in the top of the third inning, they were the beneficiaries of a rainstorm that postponed the game and sent them home.

They still had their six-game losing streak, and their record on the trip was still 1-7. But at least they could catch their breaths after being stunned Sunday morning with the news that second baseman Willie Randolph was traded to Oakland for outfielder Stan Javier.

The only player who seemed truly happy with the move was Randolph, who entered the clubhouse shortly afternoon and spent the 30 minutes embracing and accepting congratulations from teammates.

Juan Samuel wasn’t thrilled with the idea of moving from center field back to second base so quickly. Kirk Gibson said he won’t discuss playing center field until he is healthy. Javier said he wants a chance to play every day.

The rest of the team just didn’t seem to understand.

“A lot of us are seeing the deal as getting rid of a player who is playing well just so another player, who isn’t playing well, can be happy,” said one player. “Everyone is confused.”

Of the four players directly involved in the deal, the one leaving the Dodgers is having the best year. Randolph is batting .271, while Samuel is hitting .213. Javier batted .242 for Oakland, while Gibson has not played since last July because of knee surgery.

The deal, finalized Saturday afternoon but not announced until 1:30 a.m. EDT Sunday because the Dodgers could not find Randolph, can be explained as the Dodgers idea of addition by subtraction.

Management wanted to make room for Gibson in the outfield upon his possible return to the lineup in a couple of weeks. The natural outfielder to be moved is Samuel. The only player who could have been traded to accommodate Samuel was Randolph.

“What the trade amounted to was Randolph for Gibson, plus we get speed and a potentially good outfielder in return,” Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda said.

If they just wanted to make room, why not just bench Randolph? The Dodgers felt that would not be accepted well, as Randolph confirmed when asked about his role with the Athletics.

“I’m an everyday player, I’m still one of the best at what I do,” said Randolph, who will replace Mike Gallego as the A’s regular second baseman.

It turns out, however, that benching Randolph would have been accepted better than this trade. Before Sunday’s game, the clubhouse was a collection of frowns, loud sighs and shaking heads.

“I never expected it to be Willie,” Mickey Hatcher said. “He’s a big part of this team. And to lose him like that . . . I guess when you are going bad, this sort of thing happens.”

Said Hubie Brooks: “I am going to miss Willie. That’s all I can say is that I’m going to really miss him.”

Fred Claire, Dodger vice president, intimated that there was a way the Dodgers could have kept their friend and field leader.

“If we were eight games in front instead of eight games behind, I would not have made this deal,” Claire said Sunday morning. The Dodgers’ position in the standings has since gone to 8 1/2 behind.

The players agreed they needed make a trade, but most felt that management would trade for a pitcher. This includes ex-Dodger Randolph.

“I was surprised. I had no idea this would happen,” Randolph said. “I was having a decent year, I thought Juan was doing well in center field. I thought we would go for pitching.”

Not that Randolph would dare criticize the move, or the Dodgers. He was too excited about returning to a World Series with the powerful A’s.

“It’s nice, it’s a great opportunity,” Randolph said. “I’m looking forward to going back to the American League and seeing some of my old buddies. I’m glad to be getting a chance to hang around Rickey (Henderson) again.”

When somebody said that Randolph might ensure the A’s of second consecutive world championship, he laughed.

“Yeah, I’m just what they need,” he said, laughing sarcastically. “I’m like, their missing link. Right. Tell you what, those guys are doing just fine by themselves.”

Javier will not likely ensure the Dodgers of higher finish either. He will start in center field, but only until Gibson is ready.

“I just don’t know him well yet. I’ll have to see what he can do,” Lasorda said. “But I know he can play all the fields, and could be a guy to move from left to right as needed.”

Javier, in a phone call from Oakland, said he is glad to be leaving the A’s because he is tired of that backup position.

“It was fun to play for the A’s in some points, I had fun winning a lot . . . but I wasn’t playing much, so it is good to leave,” said Javier, 24, who will join the Dodgers today. “I consider myself an everyday type of player. I couldn’t get that chance in Oakland. I would like that chance here.”

Claire said Gibson has agreed to play center field once he is ready, although Gibson wants to steer clear of lineup discussions for now.

“I want to stay out of everything that’s going on until I’m healthy, and then I’ll discuss it,” said Gibson, who is scheduled to begin live batting practice this week, and could rejoin the team within a couple of weeks. “Nothing is etched in stone.”

Not even the notion that Samuel was dying to return to second base, where he will begin taking ground balls today. There is a chance he could be in the lineup there tonight against Montreal.

“If this happened last year, I would be more excited,” said Samuel, who was moved to center field by Philadelphia last year after spending five seasons at second base. “I haven’t even been thinking about second base. But I told Tommy (Lasorda), as long as I get my at-bats, I’ll play catcher as long as I’m paid.”

Dodger Notes

No makeup date has been announced for Sunday’s rainout. . . . Eddie Murray did not start Sunday because of his strained left hamstring, but Tommy Lasorda said he should be available to start tonight. . . . If Sunday’s game had been continued after the 2-hour 47-minute rain delay, it would have been without starter Tim Belcher, who told coaches he would not risk his arm, which has felt increasingly tired. Belcher gave up a double and walked three batters in the first inning, forcing home the Mets’ run. It was the first time a Dodger pitcher has acted cautiously in the wake of Orel Hershiser’s shoulder surgery.