How Now, Sans Brown?

By Ross Newhan and Jason Reid

Dec. 12, 2003 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writers

NEW ORLEANS —

Freeing up the resources that should allow them to improve their major league-worst offense, the Dodgers traded Kevin Brown to the New York Yankees on Thursday for pitcher Jeff Weaver, two minor leaguers and $3 million.

By moving Brown and the $30 million owed the 39-year-old right-hander over the next two seasons, the Dodgers have created the payroll flexibility that could be used to help acquire All-Star shortstop Nomar Garciaparra of the Boston Red Sox.

General Manager Dan Evans was busy on the eve of the winter meetings that begin here today, completing a deal that will become official if Brown agrees to waive his no-trade clause and he and Weaver pass physicals.

Evans refused to discuss the trade until it becomes official.

“We’ve had some extended conversations over the last 24 to 48 hours with a number of clubs, one of which is the Yankees, but as far as the details and what not, I’m just not going to go into that,” he said.

Although the Dodgers could now move Weaver for a right-handed hitter, club sources said that getting Garciaparra from the Red Sox is Evans’ top priority.

It is thought that the Red Sox will trade Garciaparra only if they acquire shortstop Alex Rodriguez from the Texas Rangers in a high-finance deal for outfielder Manny Ramirez, but two baseball officials said here that the Red Sox’s handling of the scenario has so disrupted the relationship with Garciaparra that they may decide to trade him even if a deal for Rodriguez falls through. In that case, the officials said, the Red Sox may choose to pursue free-agent shortstop Miguel Tejada.

It appears, however, that the Red Sox are moving closer to acquiring Rodriguez, last season’s most valuable player in the American League.

John Henry, Boston’s principal owner, and Scott Boras, Rodriguez’s agent, met Monday to discuss the deal’s various financial complications, and Boras, according to sources, subsequently met with officials of the players’ union, which opposes any restructuring that would lower the overall value of Rodriguez’s 10-year, $252-million contract.

The Rangers want the Red Sox to pick up all of the $180 million remaining on that contract while also helping defray some of the $100 million still owed Ramirez.

Meanwhile, Boras is expected to meet with Evans today to discuss Brown’s willingness to waive his complete no-trade clause, although that was believed to be a formality because Boras had informed the Dodgers of Brown’s desire to join the Yankees last month, Dodger sources said. At that time, Boras had informed the Dodgers that Brown wanted to be with a club closer to his family’s home in Macon, Ga.

“What we told the Dodgers all along is that if we were presented with something to consider we would consider it,” Boras said. “I spoke with Kevin today about the situation and he’s going to take some time to think about it and talk to his family.

“This is a big decision, so it’s understandable that Kevin would want to go to his family and talk about this. I think Kevin has always preferred to stay in the National League, but we told the Dodgers we would be willing to be flexible if they came to us with something to consider.”

The Yankees’ interest in Brown intensified Wednesday when Andy Pettitte, their two-time 20-game winner, decided to accept a three-year, $31.5-million contract with the Houston Astros. Ostensibly, Brown would replace Pettitte in the Yankee rotation while Javier Vazquez, recently acquired in a trade with the Montreal Expos, is replacing the retiring Roger Clemens. The Brown and Vazquez acquisitions allow the Yankees to keep pace with the rival Red Sox, who recently bolstered their rotation by trading for Curt Schilling.

Brown, a free agent at the time, was signed to a then-record seven-year, $105-million contract (including the use of a private jet) by the Dodgers in 1998. His tenure with the club was marred by injuries in 2001 and 2002, but he rebounded last season to pitch 211 innings and post a 14-9 record with a 2.39 earned-run average, the National League’s second best.

Although Brown’s abrasive personality created problems with team officials and reporters and left the impression at times that he was a loner in the clubhouse, his tenacity and competitiveness on the mound may be difficult for the Dodgers to replace. Tentatively, they have seven pitchers now in the mix for five starting jobs -- Odalis Perez, Hideo Nomo, Kazuhisa Ishii, Edwin Jackson, Darren Dreifort, Wilson Alvarez (who is a free agent) and Weaver.

Compounding the prospective loss of Brown, the Dodgers have also lost set-up man Paul Quantrill, who led the major leagues with 89 appearances and signed a free-agent contract with the Yankees.

“Luckily, we’re one of the few organizations that have people within our ranks currently that can absorb some of the responsibilities and innings if in fact we move one of our starters,” Evans said. “We can take [Guillermo] Mota and he can absorb [Quantrill’s] responsibilities along with [Paul] Shuey and a couple of our left-handed relievers.

“In a perfect world, you’d like to never give anyone up and continue to improve. In reality you have to make moves to give yourself opportunities to do other things. We think we can get into the 2004 season with the pitching we have now and move forward.”

Weaver, meanwhile, was a major disappointment for the Yankees after his acquisition from the Detroit Tigers in mid-summer 2002. The 27-year-old right-hander was 7-9 with a 5.99 ERA last season, when he was demoted to the bullpen and seldom pitched in the second half.

Addressing the potential loss of Brown, Dodger right fielder Shawn Green said: “He’s as fierce a competitor as you’re going to see in sports, and you like to have a guy like that on your side. At the same time, if this gives us more flexibility to improve the offense the team could be in an even better situation if that money is used wisely.”

Weaver, a Simi Valley resident, is owed $6.25 million in 2004 and $9.25 million in 2005. Given the $15 million they are saving on Brown’s 2004 salary and the $3 million they are receiving from the Yankees, the difference with Weaver’s salary is a 2004 savings of $11.75 million to go with the $22 million that the Dodgers will be saving on Brian Jordan, Andy Ashby, Fred McGriff and Daryle Ward, none of whom will be back.

Some of that $33.75 million, Evans said without referring to the specific numbers or acknowledging the Brown trade, is earmarked for built-in salary increases and arbitration awards, but he said that it obviously provides increased flexibility.

“Our intention is not to save money in any deal we’re making,” Evans said. “What we’re trying to do is redistribute our payroll as efficiently as we can with the best players we can.

“Over the last couple months we’ve explored various ways of trying to improve the offense, and in some scenarios we’ve discussed moving some of our pitching.

“If the end result nets us some offensive players that we like there are some things we may do that give us the ability to make those moves on other players later on. To me, it’s where you get to ‘end game,’ and that’s what we’re doing.”

In a winter that has seen the Dodgers outmanned in prospective trades for first basemen Richie Sexson and Derek Lee and out-financed in a modest pursuit of shortstop Kazuo Matsui, the Brown-Weaver deal -- in addition to enhancing the possible pursuit of Garciaparra -- opens the door to other options such as St. Louis outfielder J.D. Drew, free-agent catcher Ivan Rodriguez, free-agent first baseman Rafael Palmeiro and perhaps free-agent outfielder Vladimir Guerrero.

There was widespread speculation at the winter meetings about a possible three-way trade in which the Dodgers would have sent Weaver to the Chicago White Sox for first baseman Frank Thomas, but White Sox General Manager Ken Williams rejected the proposal.

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Value

Addled

What Dodgers got for their $75 million to Kevin Brown:

1999

18-9, 3.00 ERA

He finished fourth in ERA; team finished 77-85, third in NL West

2000

13-6, 2.58 ERA

Finished first in ERA and third in strikeouts; team finished 86-76, second in NL West.

2001

10-4, 2.65 ERA

On disabled list three times because of back and elbow problems, had surgery on right elbow; team finished 86-76, third in NL West.

2002

3-4, 4.81 ERA

On disabled list twice because of elbow and back problems, including season-ending back surgery; team finished 92-70, second in NL West.

2003

14-9; 2.39 ERA

Finished second in ERA; team finished 85-77, second in

NL West.

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A Get-Rich-Quick Scheme

Kevin Brown and five others have contracts worth more than $100 million. Brown signed his seven-year, $105-million deal with the Dodgers on Dec. 12, 1998.

MIKE HAMPTON

Dec. 9, 2000 -- Signs eight-year, $121-million deal with Colorado.

ALEX RODRIGUEZ

Dec. 11, 2000 -- Signs 10-year, $252-million deal with Texas.

MANNY RAMIREZ

Dec. 13, 2000 -- Signs eight-year, $160-million deal with Boston.

DEREK JETER

Feb. 9, 2001 -- Signs 10-year, $189-million deal with N.Y. Yankees.

JASON GIAMBI

Dec. 13, 2001 -- Signs seven-year, $120-million deal with N.Y. Yankees.

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Kevin Brown Statistics