Team Has Many Questions to Answer in Off-Season

Dodger officials still believe the team will overcome an eight-game deficit and win the National League West.

Frustrated players are less optimistic.

Many privately acknowledge that the team might have too many problems and too little time to overtake the division-leading San Francisco Giants and second-place Arizona Diamondbacks, who are in the stretch run of a tight race.

Although the Dodgers are trying to remain focused on the rest of the season, some are wondering about how many changes will occur before next season.

And who will return.

The Dodgers will undergo another expensive off-season make-over, their third in three seasons under Fox.

In addition to an expected managerial search, the Dodgers have other concerns that must be addressed.

Here are the Dodgers’ biggest player-personnel issues:

1. Persuading pitchers Darren Dreifort and Chan Ho Park to sign multiyear extensions.

Chairman Bob Daly and General Manager Kevin Malone are determined to retain the hard-throwing right-handers. Dreifort is eligible for free agency after the season and Park after 2001.

The Chicago Cubs, New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals plan to pursue Dreifort, who might earn as much as $9 million to $10 million a season in his next deal.

There is even more interest in Park, who some believe will become a Cy Young Award winner.

Daly and Malone will soon learn whether their daily conversations with agent Scott Boras, whose many Dodger clients include Dreifort and Park, have been good for anything more than insight.

2. Determining how much Alex Rodriguez is worth to Fox.

The Dodgers and Fox are eager to acquire the all-star shortstop, whom Boras also represents, because of his production and star-power. But at what cost?

The payroll is expected to increase to more than $100 million next season without including Rodriguez, who might become baseball’s first $200-million player.

3. Resolving the catching situation.

Todd Hundley can become a free agent after the season because the Dodgers bought out his contract option for next season.

Hundley has regained his form offensively after struggling last season because of elbow problems, is popular in the clubhouse and a tireless worker, but he still has problems defensively. Will a combination of backup catcher Chad Kreuter and rookie Angel Pena, whose often poor attitude troubles the Dodgers, be good enough?

4. Dumping center fielder Devon White.

The Dodgers regret giving White a three-year, $12.4-million contract. White, a seven-time Gold Glove award winner, believes team officials have not treated him with the respect he deserves.

White turns 38 in December, sat out 70 games because of a torn left rotator cuff and is owed $5.9 million after this season.

5. Dumping pitcher Carlos Perez.

The Dodgers regret Perez’s three-year, $15.6-million contract even more than White’s deal.

The struggling left-hander has a 5.36 earned-run average, is buried in the bullpen and owed $7.5 million next season.

6. Determining whether Tom Goodwin is the answer in center and atop the order.

Reacquiring Goodwin has not sparked the club as Daly and Malone had hoped. Goodwin has struck out 107 times in 423 at-bats. That’s too many strikeouts for a leadoff batter, and Goodwin is owed $7 million.

Daly will be busy during the Dodgers’ postseason vacation.

*

Manager Davey Johnson was in the dugout Tuesday night after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left rotator cuff earlier in the day.

Team physician Frank Jobe performed the two-hour procedure at Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood.

“He’s one tough son of a gun,” Jobe said of Johnson, who received pain medication after the procedure. “I had the same operation six weeks ago, and I couldn’t have managed on the same day.”

*

Left fielder Gary Sheffield was scratched from the starting lineup because of flu symptoms. Sheffield is listed as day-to-day. . . . Second baseman Mark Grudzielanek, who has two hits in his last 25 at-bats, was given the day off. . . . Montreal right fielder Vladimir Guerrero was scratched because of a strained left shoulder.

TONIGHT

DODGERS’

KEVIN BROWN

(10-5, 2.73 ERA)

vs.

EXPOS’

MIKE THURMAN

(3-3, 5.40 ERA)

Dodger Stadium, 7

TV--Fox Sports Net 2

Radio--KXTA (1150), KWKW (1330)

* Update--Brown is 3-4 with a 2.64 ERA against the Expos. He pitched six innings in a 10-4, opening-day victory over the Expos at Olympic Stadium.