Malone Is Staying? Well, You Don’t Say

Dodger General Manager Kevin Malone wasn’t available for comment Wednesday, and for a change that was probably a good thing.

His and the Dodgers’ situation probably wouldn’t be as bad if it weren’t for Malone’s mouth. From making bold predictions (that the club couldn’t back up) to chatting with Kevin Kennedy about a managerial spot that was filled at the time, Malone keeps generating trouble by talking.

That’s why it seems even more incredible that he apparently will survive this latest round of Dodger transitions.

While everyone gathered in the town square to wait for the public hanging of Davey Johnson, Malone was at the Arizona instructional league. He was working for the Dodgers. Even though his return isn’t guaranteed yet, the fact that he is involved in personnel matters bodes well for him.

Ultimately, what could be the best sign for Malone is that there’s just too much going on.

All the changing nameplates and repainted parking spaces at Dodger Stadium since Fox took over in 1998 are adding up.

From Bill Russell to Glenn Hoffman to Johnson to who knows at manager.

From Fred Claire to Tom Lasorda to Malone at general manager.

Bob Daly in as chairman and CEO.

Bob Graziano in, out, then back in as president.

That’s a lot of people churning in the organization’s critical power positions. At some point it has to stop. There needs to be some consistency. It could be that the wheel of misfortune is coming to a halt right before it reaches Malone.

Do the Dodgers really want to begin the off-season hunting for a new manager and general manager? Doubt it. The best candidates for both jobs will be involved in the postseason for the next few weeks, and if the team dawdled on the GM search it could enter the free-agency period without someone to negotiate contracts.

Of course, that’s a task Daly can and probably will handle, but how effective could he be if he also had to spend that time looking for a new general manager?

The downside of keeping Malone around is the Dodgers run the risk of hiring a manager to work under a general manager who could be replaced soon. Clearly, Malone can’t withstand another year of disappointing returns. And one of the first things a new general manager usually does is get a new manager--his manager--in place. So the cycle would be starting all over again.

Two years isn’t enough time to judge a general manager. That’s why there usually is more job security in the front office than the dugout.

Malone’s task has been hampered because he took over a depleted farm system. It doesn’t help matters that the Dodgers’ lucrative pipeline from the Dominican Republic has been squeezed off by the sanctions major league baseball imposed to penalize the team for doctoring Adrian Beltre’s birth certificate.

But Malone has squandered what resources the Dodgers have--namely, money--without getting enough in exchange. The two most glaring examples are the $15.6 million he gave Carlos Perez and the $12.4 million he spent on Devon White.

The $105-million contract for Kevin Brown wouldn’t be so bad if the Dodgers had done enough around the edges. One of the primary reasons to sign Brown was his history of strong playoff performances, but that has been irrelevant because he has yet to make a postseason start in a Dodger uniform. As for Brown, he has pitched well, but he hasn’t exactly been hauling in Cy Young awards.

Cost-conscious teams such as the Oakland A’s have no choice but to develop and cultivate young talent because they can’t afford to buy the best players on the market. Of course, they often can serve as farm clubs to the big-spending teams who sign the new stars to lucrative contracts right when they’re in their prime.

But if the Dodgers keep shelling out dollars for older players, particularly ones who aren’t productive, they won’t have the payroll flexibility to go after these young guns.

It’s quite an amazing combination that Malone has not put a satisfactory product on the field and has been insubordinate, yet he’s still on the job.

Although he denied a report in The Times that he spoke to Kennedy about the manager’s job despite orders not to discuss it with anyone until after the season, he was at it again when he discussed his job prospects with reporters recently after Daly said there needed to be a cone of silence.

Does Dodger Vice President of Communications Derrick Hall need to start monitoring what Malone has to say?

“I think that goes for everybody,” Hall said. “That’s been a part of my job for whoever was here. But I have had to do it, sure.

“It’s something that I need to be involved in, what will be discussed. At times I’ve given my input. Sometimes it’s been too late.”

Perhaps it’s finally getting through to Malone. If he does stick around, the only thing he needs to say--to whomever he feels is appropriate--is “thank you.”

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J.A. Adande can be reached at his e-mail address: ja.adande@latimes.com.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

The Kevin Malone File

RESUME

* General manager, Dodgers, 1998-present

* Assistant general manager, Baltimore Orioles, 1996-98

* General manager, Montreal Expos, 1994-95

* Director of scouting, Expos, 1992-93

* East Coast scouting supervisor, Minnesota Twins, 1989-91

* Southern California scout, Expos, 1987-88

* Southern California scout, Angels, 1985-87

DODGER MOVES

Some of Malone’s deals with the Dodgers:

1998

* Nov. 4, re-signed pitcher Jeff Shaw.

* Nov. 6, signed outfielder Devon White.

* Nov. 11, acquired pitcher Mel Rojas from New York (NL) for infielder Bobby Bonilla.

* Dec. 1, acquired catcher Todd Hundley and pitcher Arnold Gooch from New York (NL) in exchange for catcher Charles Johnson and outfielder Roger Cedeno.

* Dec. 12, signed pitcher Kevin Brown.

1999

* Jan. 12, traded pitcher Darren Hall to Chicago (AL) for catcher Joe Sutton and pitcher Doug Bochtler.

* Jan. 15, re-signed pitchers Carlos Perez and Ismael Valdes, and outfielder Todd Hollandsworth.

* Jan.19, re-signed pitcher Darren Dreifort.

* Feb. 10, signed infielder Mark Grudzielanek.

* April 16, traded pitchers Dave Mlicki and Mel Rojas to Detroit for minor league pitchers Robinson Checo, Apostol Garcia, and Rich Roberts.

* June 30, purchased the contract of pitcher Matt Herges from Albuquerque (triple A).

* Sept.r 3, purchased contract of pitcher Eric Gagne from El Paso (double A).

* Nov. 8, acquired outfielder Shawn Green, and infielder Jorge Nunez from Toronto in exchange for outfielder Raul Mondesi and pitcher Pedro Borbon.

* Nov. 12, acquired infielder Kevin Florie from Florida in exchange for a minor-leaguer to be named.

* Dec. 12, acquired pitchers Terry Adams, Chad Ricketts and Brian Stephenson from Chicago (NL) in exchange for pitcher Ismael Valdes and infielder Eric Young.

* Dec. 15, signed pitcher Mike Fetters to a minor league contract.

* Dec. 17, signed pitcher Orel Hershiser.

2000

* Jan. 5, signed pitcher Gregg Olson.

* Jan. 7, signed outfielder F.P. Santangelo.

* Jan. 14, signed infielder Kevin Elster to a minor league contract.

* Jan. 20, signed catcher Chad Kreuter to a minor league contract.

* Feb. 18, re-signed infielder Eric Karros.

* June 13, acquired pitcher Alan Reyes from Baltimore for pitcher Alan Mills and cash.

* June 20, acquired infielder Jim Leyritz from New York (AL) in exchange for infielder Jose Vizcaino.

* July 26, acquired pitcher Ismael Valdes from Chicago (NL) in exchange for pitcher Jamie Arnold and outfielder Jorge Piedra.

* July 31, acquired outfielder Tom Goodwin from Colorado in exchange for Todd Hollandsworth in four-player deal.

* Aug. 6, acquired outfielder Bruce Aven from Pittsburgh in exchange for a player to be named.