Will McGriff Get First Dibs?

While the Dodgers continued to explore options Saturday in another slow day at the baseball winter meetings, Fred McGriff offered at least one solution to fill their opening at first base.

“I hear they’re looking, they’ve got a great organization that wants to win and that’s the main thing I’m looking for,” the All-Star first baseman said from his home in Tampa, Fla. “The Dodgers are one of the teams I watched play a lot last year on TV, and they were always real competitive.

“You could see those guys had the right attitude when they went out there, and that’s why they had a good year. They were in the [National League wild-card] race until the end and were one of the best teams in the league. San Francisco beat them at the end, but they were in it and that’s what counts.”

Especially for McGriff, who at 39 is eager to acquire another championship ring after helping the Atlanta Braves win the 1995 World Series.

The Dodgers are among the clubs at the top of the free agent’s list, and the feeling is mutual, although thorough General Manager Dan Evans is considering many plans to bolster the batting order and help overburdened slugger Shawn Green. Evans on Saturday contacted McGriff’s agent and McGriff, who had a salary of $7.25 million in 2002, is willing to work with the Dodgers on a one-year deal that would address the club’s luxury-tax concerns.

The Braves and other clubs are pursuing McGriff, and Evans might take a different road, including acquiring an outfielder and moving Green to first base, but McGriff believes he could enjoy life at Chavez Ravine.

“Over the years, everyone knows what the Dodgers are about,” he said. “They have all that tradition, so they’re one of those organizations that you can’t ignore.

“You know about the type of players they’ve had there and what they try to do every year. They’ve had a lot of great players and won a lot, and now it looks like they’re really ready to get back to that.”

McGriff could help the process, fulfilling the Dodgers’ desire to increase run production at first.

Although he hit only .273 last season with the Chicago Cubs, McGriff had 30 home runs, 103 runs batted in and a .505 slugging percentage. He needs only 22 homers to join the 500-homer club -- an added benefit for one of pro sports’ most marketing-conscious franchises.

McGriff’s age apparently isn’t a concern for the Dodgers, and scouts at the meetings said he’s still a skilled hitter after 16 seasons in the major leagues. McGriff is limited defensively, scouts added, but the Dodgers are confident that any first baseman would benefit from the range of middle infielders Alex Cora, Cesar Izturis and rookie Joe Thurston, expected to start at second.

“I take a lot of pride in my game,” McGriff said. “I still enjoy playing this game and I’ve been working out since October. I know what I can do.”

Although Green volunteered to move to first, the Gold Glove right fielder conceded Saturday “it would be a big adjustment and I realize it’s definitely not an easy adjustment.” McGriff said Green belongs in the outfield.

“Shawn Green is an All-Star outfielder,” McGriff said. “Why would you want to move an All-Star? Maybe they won’t have to.”

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The Angels are proud of left-hander Jarrod Washburn, who emerged as one of the majors’ premier starters as the Angels won the World Series.

“He answered a lot of questions this year,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “Our goal was always to become a World Series club, and your No. 1 guy has to have his stuff Oct. 15 just like he had it April 15. Wash was able to do that.”

Of course, that doesn’t mean the Angels plan to reward the arbitration-eligible pitcher with a multiyear contract.

“He’s got a multiyear deal. We control him for ‘03, ’04 and ‘05,” General Manager Bill Stoneman said, meaning Washburn can’t become a free agent for another three seasons. “He can’t go anywhere. The only question is, what’s he going to be paid? The contract that he has is a three-year contract.”

Well, that’s the club’s perspective.

Washburn views things differently, agent Scott Boras said.

“He was the No. 1 starter on a world championship team as a three-year player, which is a pretty rare accomplishment, but that’s the club’s choice,” Boras said. “They approached us about a multiyear contract last year, but we felt it wasn’t in our best interest because Jarrod hadn’t really reached the plateau that he reached this year. You take it as it comes.”

Washburn figures to get a big raise on his $350,000 salary after going 18-6 with a 3.15 earned-run average, pitching 206 innings and limiting opponents to a .235 batting average. Stoneman has not ruled out a multiyear contract for the Angels’ top starter, but intimated reaching a deal won’t be easy.

“What players like Wash want is salary certainty or salary guarantees,” he said. “What you’ve got to look at is both sides have to trade something off to do a multiyear deal. It’s totally a function of dollars.”

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Who’s on First?

Los Angeles Dodgers’ regular first basemen from 1958-2002, with key statistics for all of the seasons they played in L.A.:

*--* YEARS PLAYER GAMES AVG HITS HR RBI SLG% 1992-02 Eric Karros 1,601 268 1,608 270 976 457 1989-91 Eddie Murray 468 278 483 65 282 359 1987-88 Franklin Stubbs 542 227 313 59 178 294 1983-86 Greg Brock 496 233 351 71 219 326 1974-82 Steve Garvey 1,727 301 1,968 211 992 459 1973 Bill Buckner 140 275 158 8 46 351 1965-72 Wes Parker 1,288 267 1,110 64 470 351 1962-64 Ron Fairly 449 269 377 36 222 374 1960 Norm Larker 133 323 142 5 78 430 1958-59, ’61 Gil Hodges 374 262 289 55 175 431

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