With So Little Room, They’ll Need Thinking Cap

The Dodgers have only about $2 million to spend under the $117-million luxury tax threshold, so any deal they consider for a hitter to boost their sagging offense will require creative financing.

In other words, to acquire a player such as New York Met second baseman Roberto Alomar, about whom the Dodgers have inquired, and to get the Mets to pay most of Alomar’s $8-million salary, the Dodgers would have to give up one of their top prospects.

Or, to get an outfielder of Brian Giles’ caliber, should left fielder Brian Jordan elect to have season-ending knee surgery, the Dodgers would probably have to trade some salary, such as reliever Paul Shuey and his $3.25-million contract, to Pittsburgh in order to absorb most of Giles’ $7.5-million salary.

The Mets would gladly pay outfielder Jeromy Burnitz’s $11.5-million salary if they could trade him for a top prospect, but Dodger General Manager Dan Evans would be hesitant to deal pitchers Edwin Jackson or Joel Hanrahan, among the Dodgers’ most coveted minor leaguers.

Among others probably available are Texas outfielder Carl Everett ($9.15 million), San Diego outfielder Rondell White ($5 million) and Pittsburgh outfielder Reggie Sanders ($1 million). Among those players, Everett, batting .274 with 18 homers and 51 RBIs, is having the best year.

Alomar is batting .262 with two homers and 22 RBIs, but many believe he’d be invigorated by a trade to a contending team. Florida third baseman Mike Lowell, batting .287 with 25 homers and 68 RBIs, remains atop the Dodgers’ wish list.

“You can never lose sight of your long-range plans, particularly in times like this, when things get a little emotional,” Evans said, alluding to the pressure on the Dodgers to make a trade. “There’s a lot of history with moves like that -- they tend to backfire for years to come.”

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Coming off a three-game sweep by the Angels, the Dodgers will open a three-game series tonight against San Diego right-hander Brian Lawrence, who threw eight shutout innings in a 3-0 victory over the Dodgers on April 5 and went 3-2 with a 1.82 earned-run average against them last season.

“He’s definitely been our nemesis,” center fielder Dave Roberts said. “But if you can’t beat Brian Lawrence, then it’s gonna be a long season. We got to him last time [a 3-0 Dodger win April 16], and we’ve got to find a way to get to him this time.”

ON DECK

Opponent -- San Diego Padres, three games.

Site -- Dodger Stadium.

TV -- Fox Sports Net 2 tonight, Wednesday and Thursday.

Radio -- KFWB (980), KWKW (1330).

Records -- Dodgers 45-35, Padres 28-55.

Record vs. Padres -- 3-4.

Tonight, 7 -- Hideo Nomo (9-6, 2.41) vs. Brian Lawrence (4-9, 4.84)

Wednesday, 7 p.m. -- Andy Ashby (2-4, 5.00) vs. Oliver Perez (2-3, 6.04).

Thursday, 7 p.m. -- Kevin Brown (10-3, 2.24) vs. Adam Eaton (2-7, 4.63).