White Sox’s Ordonez Is Now on the Radar

Although the Dodgers remain interested in Boston Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, General Manager Dan Evans continued to consider other proposals Sunday to fill the team’s need for a productive right-handed batter, including a potential deal for Chicago White Sox outfielder Magglio Ordonez.

Baseball officials attending the winter meetings here said Ordonez is among the top players on the Dodgers’ wish list, but the White Sox are demanding a high price for the four-time All-Star, who batted .317 with 29 home runs, 46 doubles and 99 runs batted in last season.

White Sox General Manager Ken Williams wants standout reliever Guillermo Mota as the centerpiece of a package that, according to officials, must also include a starter and two top prospects.

Dodger sources said Williams is being unreasonable because Ordonez, who turns 30 Jan. 28, is owed $14 million under the final season of his contract and then can become a free agent.

Mota, 30, is coming off a breakthrough season in which he had a 6-3 record with a 1.97 earned-run average and 99 strikeouts in 105 innings. Many teams are pursuing the right-hander, expected to move into the primary setup role vacated when Paul Quantrill signed with the New York Yankees.

“It’s evident that certain players on our major league and minor side have a considerable amount of interest, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we want to move certain players,” Evans said.

“But we’re going to continue to talk. Every discussion reaches a point where the deal can either get done or not.”

Evans last month rejected a proposal for White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko, and Williams shot down efforts to bring White Sox first baseman/designated hitter Frank Thomas to Los Angeles.

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Evans and Seattle General Manager Bill Bavasi, formerly the Dodger farm director, have discussed a deal that would bring starter Freddy Garcia to L.A., a Dodger source said.

The Dodgers believe they have enough pitching depth despite trading ace Kevin Brown to the Yankees for Jeff Weaver, so Garcia probably would be traded in a deal for a hitter if he were to join the Dodgers.

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The Dodgers are revisiting moving right fielder Shawn Green to first base. “If that’s the best thing for the team, if that’s what they want me to do, I’ll do what’s best for the team,” Green said. “We just have to wait and see what fits.”

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Outfielder Juan Encarnacion, acquired from Florida for a player to be named, is close to agreeing on contract terms. The Dodgers recently offered Encarnacion a two-year, $8-million deal. ... Yankee General Manager Brian Cashman said he misspoke about the money the Dodgers received in the Brown deal. The Dodgers got $2.6 million.