Deal Gives Dodgers Flex Factor

The Dodgers felt liberated Wednesday after completing a four-player trade with the Chicago Cubs that brightened the off-season outlook at Chavez Ravine.

General Manager Dan Evans expressed the upbeat mood of the organization once first baseman Eric Karros and second baseman Mark Grudzielanek -- along with $2 million in cash -- were officially sent to Chicago for catcher Todd Hundley and outfielder Chad Hermansen, reveling in the club’s newfound roster and payroll flexibility this winter. The deal was finalized when Chicago gave Karros a no-trade clause and Grudzielanek’s contract was slightly altered to match the Cubs’ fiscal calendar.

Karros and Grudzielanek will receive $8 million and $5.5 million, respectively, under the final guaranteed seasons of their contracts. The cash in the transaction covers $1.5 million in option buyouts. Hundley has a salary of $6 million in 2003 and $6.5 million in 2004, so the Dodgers have more room to maneuver for next season.

Granted, the Dodgers still are burdened by past mistakes and created only a little breathing room in agreeing to exchange high-priced headaches with the Cubs, but Evans believes they’re better off now. The money that would have gone to Karros and Grudzielanek in 2003 could help the Dodgers address their long to-do list, and Evans is eager to reinvest in a team he believes is a “playoff contender” next season.

However, Evans said the Dodgers won’t rush into anything despite the availability of free agents Jeff Kent and Cliff Floyd, who might not fit into their plan with the luxury tax looming. The Dodgers are moving to improve the team and that’s their focus, but they’re enjoying the freedom of the moment.

“We achieved our first goal in the off-season, and now we suddenly have choices we didn’t have earlier,” Evans said. “This gives us some freedom, not a lot, but enough to explore some things we couldn’t do prior to this.

“We’ve got a number of spots to fill on our roster, and we were very limited in our flexibility. This trade doesn’t give us an unlimited amount of money, but it gives us enough to at least do some things that we think will improve our team.”

Signing Kent or Floyd could help.

Dodger officials acknowledged that the batting order could use a run-producing right-handed hitter such as Kent, and All-Star right fielder Shawn Green would welcome the help.

The left-handed-batting Floyd, who played for Manager Jim Tracy in the Montreal Expo farm system, is another intriguing option. The Dodgers have almost $90 million committed to only 11 players for next season, starter Odalis Perez and third baseman Adrian Beltre are among those eligible for arbitration and Evans is determined to keep the Dodgers under next season’s luxury-tax threshold of about $117 million.

Of course, most baseball officials doubted the Dodgers could trade Karros and Grudzielanek, so Evans won’t rule out anything at this point.

“They’re among the pool of players we’re looking at,” he said of the top remaining position players on the market. “As far as specifically [what] we feel on those players, we’ll make those decisions and we’ll come up with ideas as to whether or not they’re the guys. I’m not ready to make that commitment to any players right now.”

Although proceeding cautiously on the next phase of their plan, the Dodgers are staying in touch with Kent and Floyd.

“It makes it fascinating,” said Kent’s agent, Jeff Klein, of the possible match with the Dodgers. “He wants the best winning situation for himself.”

Kent -- the 2000 National League most valuable player -- has primarily played second base throughout his career, but Klein said he has “an open mind about playing first because he played a lot of first base for San Francisco and played it well.”

Seth Levinson, who represents Floyd and has a good relationship with Evans and Chairman Bob Daly, told the Dodgers he would structure a contract for Floyd that would address the club’s luxury-tax concerns.

“Dan Evans has a view and a direction and a plan,” said Karros, who Evans said has a standing offer for a position in the organization once he retires. “Whether you agree with the plan or don’t agree with the plan, at least there is a plan.

“As long as he sticks to it, he’ll either be the beneficiary of the results or he’ll die by the results. But at least he knows what he wants to do. I guess in time everybody we’ll see if it works out.”

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Times staff writer Mike DiGiovanna contributed to this report.

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Eric the Blue

Eric Karros’ career statistics, all as a member of the Dodgers:

*--* Year G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI Avg 1991 14 14 0 1 1 0 0 1 071 1992 149 545 63 140 30 1 20 88 257 1993 158 619 74 153 27 2 23 80 247 1994 111 406 51 108 21 1 14 46 266 1995 143 551 83 164 29 3 32 105 298 1996 154 608 84 158 29 1 34 111 260 1997 162 628 86 167 28 0 31 104 266 1998 139 507 59 150 20 1 23 87 296 1999 153 578 74 176 40 0 34 112 304 2000 155 584 84 146 29 0 31 106 250 2001 121 438 42 103 22 0 15 63 235 2002 142 524 52 142 26 1 13 73 271 Totals 1,601 6,002 752 1,608 302 10 270 976 268

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