Is Dodger Infield Up for Grabs?

Gambling with their on-field stability, the Dodgers apparently have left three of their high-profile veterans unprotected for the expansion draft Tuesday.

Baseball sources said Thursday that infielders Eric Karros, Eric Young and Todd Zeile were not among the 15 players protected for the draft in Phoenix, where the expansion Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Devil Rays will select players from the 28 other clubs.

Although the Dodgers, bound by a confidentiality agreement, cannot comment on their protected list, a source close to Dodger management confirmed the team had decided not to protect its veteran nucleus, with the exception of all-star catcher Mike Piazza.

Instead, the Dodgers protected their promising younger players, including infielder Wilton Guerrero, outfielder Roger Cedeno and minor league pitching prospect Mike Judd. The protected lists were submitted to the commissioner’s office in New York on Tuesday, and Arizona and Tampa Bay will select at least two players from each team in the three-round draft.

This is not the first time the Dodgers have protected their future, but word of the Dodger plans had an unsettling effect throughout the organization.

“I could basically go off right now, but I’m not going to do that,” said Karros, who has had at least 30 home runs and 100 runs batted in for the last three seasons. “Obviously, this is disappointing, but it’s not in my position to run the team.

“I made a commitment to this organization when I signed a four-year deal [before last season], and I hoped that commitment would be returned. But I understand that this is a business. One day things can look great, and the next day things could change.”

Piazza, who was en route to Los Angeles from Hawaii, was unavailable for comment. But a source close to Piazza said the catcher was concerned by reports about the Dodgers’ list, wondering if the team is risking success now by exposing such key players.

This could have an effect on whether Piazza, in the final season of a two-year contract, decides to stay with the Dodgers.

Teams face $250,000 fines if their lists become public, but word of the Dodgers’ list leaked because of the reaction throughout baseball to the names that were left off, including three-fourths of the starting infield.

After a team has a player selected, it can protect three more players in each subsequent round. The Dodgers apparently hope they can escape the first round without losing their first baseman, Karros; second baseman, Young; or third baseman, Zeile. However, it’s probable that one of them will be drafted.

According to a source who spoke with several general managers Thursday, Dodger Executive Vice President Fred Claire has uncharacteristically pursued this risky strategy because he believes Arizona and Tampa Bay will covet younger players more than proven, high-salaried veterans.

Karros just finished the first year of a four-year, $20-million deal. Zeile has two years and $6.4 million remaining on his contract and Young, who made $3.2 million last season, is eligible for arbitration. Young could command as much as $5 million.

So Claire apparently is willing to sacrifice a veteran to keep the Dodgers’ pool of young talent intact and facilitate the expense of re-signing Piazza and Raul Mondesi. This also could pave the way for prized infielder Paul Konerko to play regularly in 1998 if Karros or Zeile is drafted.

Konerko, who plays first and third, was selected the minor league player of the year after batting .323 with 37 homers at triple-A Albuquerque. Scouts believe Konerko is better suited defensively to play first, but Claire said Thursday he would “not be afraid” to open the 1998 season with Konerko at either first or third.

Zeile, signed as a free agent before last season, batted .268 with 31 homers and 90 RBIs. He is considered adequate at third, and his salary is a relative bargain in today’s market.

And then there is Young, who provided the leadoff spark and solid play at second that Guerrero, overwhelmed as a rookie, couldn’t.

Concerned about Ramon Martinez’s mid-season shoulder injury, and his $5-million salary, the Dodgers also had considered leaving their staff ace unprotected but apparently decided against that.

One possible factor was the high price that the Montreal Expos are putting on Pedro Martinez. A source said Claire has discussed a deal for Martinez that would have to include Konerko. Claire said emphatically he would not trade Konerko.

“That’s not something I’m thinking about or talking about, “ Claire said. “[Konerko] is an important young player for our future.”

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Times staff writer Ross Newhan contributed to this story.

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Off Limits

Dodgers who are expected to be protected in next week’s expansion draft:

* Pitchers--Ismael Valdes, Chan Ho Park, Hideo Nomo, Ramon Martinez, Dennis Reyes, Darren Dreifort, Antonio Osuna, Scott Radinsky and Mike Judd.

* Catcher--Mike Piazza.

* Infielders--Paul Konerko and Wilton Guerrero.

* Outfielders--Raul Mondesi, Todd Hollandsworth and Roger Cedeno.