Butler Is Too Costly, Shown the Door : Dodgers: Claire says club can’t afford center fielder, who had been offered $3.5 million.

Center fielder Brett Butler became the Dodgers’ latest strike casualty Monday night when he was told he no longer is wanted.

Fred Claire, Dodger executive vice president, said the club cannot afford him.

One National League owner said the Dodgers had no choice. Asking not to be identified, he said a high-ranking Dodger official had told him the club plans to reduce its payroll by $13.5 million to $25 million. That would be the Dodgers’ lowest payroll since 1990.

“These are difficult times for all of us and this was a difficult decision,” Claire said. “But we’ve gone through an economic down period for a long time.”

Dodger President Peter O’Malley said, “(The strike) has affected us in a very big way, we can’t deny that. It’s had a very large impact. It has been a major financial hit to everyone in baseball.”

Butler, 37, considered one of the game’s premier leadoff hitters, was offered a $3.5-million contract in January. Butler and agent Dick Moss told Claire the contract would be accepted when the strike ended, but Claire said the contract became invalid on Feb. 6 when owners repealed their implemented system.

Butler, who was outspoken in his criticism of management and replacement players during the strike, told the Dodgers Friday that he was accepting their offer. The Dodgers called back Sunday and said it had been withdrawn.

Monday night, Butler was looking for a job.

“I’m just trying to find a club that wants me to play for them,” Butler said. “It’s pretty emotional, but nothing in this game surprises me anymore. It’s a business, and they made a business decision to go with the kids.

“I even asked, ‘Is there any amount of money that will allow me to come back to Los Angeles?’ ”

The answer was no.

Butler said he asked Claire if his outspokenness during the strike had any bearing on the decision, but was told no. Claire also emphatically denied it was an issue when asked by reporters.

Butler, who played the last four years for the Dodgers, leaves a void in the outfield. He will be replaced in center field by Raul Mondesi, the National League’s rookie of the year. Billy Ashley will be in left, Todd Hollandsworth or Roger Cedeno in right.

Their major league experience totals 199 games.

Butler has played in 1,945 games.

Catcher Mike Piazza said: “It’s going to be strange, not seeing Orel (Hershiser) and Brett (Butler) there. I guess if there’s anything we learned from this, it’s that the game won’t stop for anybody.”

The Dodgers have 10 players under contract at $19.025 million. Starting pitcher Ramon Martinez, who is eligible for arbitration, and Mondesi are expected to receive raises, from $2.7 million and $127,000, respectively, that would push the Dodgers’ payroll to at least $23 million. That would leave $2 million for the remaining 13 other players on the 25-man roster.