THE MONEY PIT?

The fate of Manager Davey Johnson--and, perhaps, General Manager Kevin Malone-- remains uncertain as the Dodgers stumble through the September of a season that has long been over for them.

However, this much is certain:

Given the absence of significant help from a barren farm system and the lack of trade flexibility because of their array of complex contracts, the Dodgers are a tangled web-- artistically and financially. They can resolve their serious personnel problems, it would seem, only by continuing to inflate a payroll that is $92 million by their accounting and $98 million in the official industry ledger.

Chairman Robert Daly disputes this premise.

He insisted in a midweek interview that he can keep the 2001 payroll in the current neighborhood without joining the New York Yankees at more than

$100 million or further angering an industry already infuriated by the $105-million signing f Kevin Brown and the $84-million addition of Shawn Green.

Daly said he has given his Fox partners a five-year plan aimed at rebuilding the pitching and defense.

“We will always have home run hitters, but we’re not playing in Colorado and we have to restore the basics that have made the Dodgers successful historically,” he said.

At the same time, the club will be filtering in young players to help restore payroll and roster balance.

He added that the five-year plan will not interfere with the goal of fielding a competitive and championship team every year.

Honorable objectives, of course, but the harsh reality regarding the 2000 team is another story.

The reality is that the Dodgers are a convoluted mess, a team that may surpass its 77 wins of last year--providing it can win five of its last 22 games--but will seemingly have to compete with the Yankees and their $112-million payroll if it is going to make the improvements necessary to compete with the San Francisco Giants and others in the National League West.

Consider:

* The Dodgers already have 12 players under contract for next year at a total of $72.15 million. That means the 13 others on a 25-man roster will have to be signed for less than $28 million if the Dodgers are to stay under $100 million.

That might be possible, except that Darren Dreifort is eligible for free agency at the end of the season, and Chan Ho Park is eligible for arbitration and certain to test the free-agent market after the 2001 season if the Dodgers fail to sign him to a multiyear contract before that season starts.

Affordability may be an issue, but how can the Dodgers, given their problems finding reliable fourth and fifth starters, not afford to retain their Nos. 2 and 3 starters? The bottom line is, they both are likely to emerge in the $10-million-a-year range. That would lift that $72 million already committed for 2001 to the 2000 level of $92 million, with 11 other players to be signed--among them free-agent-eligible Mike Fetters and Chad Kreuter, both in line for healthy raises.

* Although the Dodgers may save significantly by not re-signing free agent Todd Hundley, who was paid $6 million this year, the possibility of freeing additional payroll room through major trade is remote.

Five key Dodgers--Brown ($15 million next year), Green ($11.5 million), Gary Sheffield ($9.5 million), Eric Karros ($7 million) and Jeff Shaw ($6.05 million)--have no-trade clauses in various forms. The Dodgers have no desire to trade any of them anyway.

In addition, as much as the club would love to dump Malone’s deadly duo of Devon White ($5 million next year) and Carlos Perez ($7.5 million), where are they going to find takers?

* Compounding those trade woes, a rebuilding farm system is not ready to provide help.

Eric Gagne will be given another starting opportunity, and the Dodgers may settle for a catching duo of Kreuter and Paul LoDuca, but Daly insists he will not rush young pitchers, as he feels the Dodgers did with Gagne this year.

The system, however, does not have the packaging potential to trade for Jason Kendall, for example, assuming the resources were then available to sign the Pittsburgh Pirate catcher to a six- or seven-year contract.

* A free-agent signing is always an alternative, but considering contract commitments and the expensive necessity of retaining Park and Dreifort, the Dodgers can take on a major free agent only if they’re willing to tie up another position for half the decade or more, blow the payroll over $100 million and disprove Daly’s contention--expressed in the interview--that his partnership with Fox is not a bottomless pit.

The Dodgers continue to lose money, he said, despite their drawing 3 million in attendance, but Daly added that the availability of a special player who desired to play in Los Angeles would prompt him to discuss the possible signing of that player with his partners. That suggests that the Dodgers may be more than intrigued by a free-agent class that includes catcher Charles Johnson, pitchers Mike Hampton and Mike Mussina, and the most special of the specials, Seattle Mariner shortstop Alex Rodriguez.

Sources familiar with the situation say club officials think they have persuaded Daly to retain the $150 million or more it would take to sign Rodriguez in favor of staying with Alex Cora and focusing on pitching help.

Be assured, however, that agent Scott Boras, who already holds significant power within the organization through his representation of Brown, Dreifort, Park, Kreuter, Gagne, Adrian Beltre and Angel Pena, will be knocking on Daly’s door, offering Rodriguez.

In fact, it is safe to assume that Daly and Boras--tampering aside--have already discussed Rodriguez during their many meetings regarding the agent’s other clients.

It is also safe to assume that the Dodgers would never follow the route of the Florida Marlins, tearing down to rebuild. Daly is convinced that wouldn’t be tolerated in this market, and the club’s contract commitments make it unfeasible anyway.

The Dodgers are locked into what they have and where they are financially, making it difficult--if not impossible--to produce major corrections in their rotation, the vulnerable infield defense, a catching scenario in which they sacrifice offense (Hundley) if they want defense (Kreuter), and the center field-leadoff situation in which neither White nor Tom Goodwin--who are guaranteed $8.25 million in 2001--adequately fills both roles.

Daly conceded that a team with the Dodgers’ payroll should have performed better and that he was disappointed it is not more of a contender. He cited closer Shaw’s early-season problems, the incident with fans at Wrigley Field and the recent flu bug that has riddled the team as disruptions. He insisted that the club has accomplished a lot and was improved over 1999, but where and how is not easily discernible to a cynic.

The Dodgers are not in either the division or wild-card race and seem to have given up and given in, assuring a 12th consecutive season without a playoff victory.

Daly and President Bob Graziano will review it all in October, including the status of Johnson and Malone.

Remarkably, perhaps, the general manager continues to appear secure, despite a well-chronicled series of questionable trades and signings since his hiring. In fact, that litany of moves apparently will not prevent Malone from serving as an architect of Daly’s five-year plan.

Daly said he likes what Malone and staff are doing with the farm system and it seems unlikely he will disrupt that process by firing the GM who was hired by Fox only two years ago.

Johnson is another matter.

The chairman and his general manager created their own midseason disruption when they questioned the manager’s strategy and status and said it was a team that needed to gear up and kick rear.

In reality, the Dodgers may be no better than their record. They may not have underachieved as much as they simply played to their talent level.

Nevertheless, they have often appeared to be a team needing a kick in the rear, but that is not Johnson’s style.

Neither is it his style to employ the bunt and hit-and-run, the missing “little ball” approach that Malone and Daly have complained about.

The Dodgers do not have the personnel to support that strategy, but it still seems illogical that the club would--and it shouldn’t--bring back a manager whose style and status have been openly questioned by his superiors.

The Dodgers, of course, will have to absorb the $1.5 million owed Johnson in the third and final year of his contract if he is fired, but what’s that for an organization at $98 million and counting?

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Heavily Vested

DODGER PLAYERS UNDER CONTRACT FOR 2001

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Kevin Brown $15,000,000 Shawn Green $11,500,000 Gary Sheffield $9,500,000 Carlos Perez $7,500,000 Eric Karros $7,000,000 Jeff Shaw $6,050,000 Devon White $5,000,000 Mark Grudzielanek $4,000,000 Tom Goodwin $3,250,000 Gregg Olson $1,750,000 F.P. Santangelo $850,000 Adrian Beltre $750,000 Total $72,150,000 ET

*--*

*

KEY DECISIONS

* Chan Ho Park: No. 2 starter, making $3.85 million, is arbitration eligible

* Darren Dreifort: No. 3 starter, making $3.7 million, is a free agent

* Todd Hundley: Catcher, making $6 million, is a free agent.

*

MORE BASEBALL

ANGELS 6, DETROIT 4

Tim Belcher pitched six innings in first start since July 2 and Troy Glaus hit his 41st homer. Page 3

MATHEWS HOSPITALIZED

Hall of Fame third baseman, 68, was diagnosed with heart problem, but wife optimistic. Page 4