Lima, Finley Let Go by L.A.

Cold numbers won out over warm memories Tuesday night when the Dodgers unceremoniously severed ties with Steve Finley and Jose Lima, players who made unforgettable contributions to the team’s division championship.

Neither player was offered salary arbitration by the 9 p.m. deadline, meaning the Dodgers cannot negotiate with them until May 1. By then, they undoubtedly will be wearing new uniforms.

Among the 12 Dodger free agents, only third baseman Adrian Beltre, catcher Brent Mayne and pitchers Odalis Perez and Wilson Alvarez were offered arbitration. They have until Dec. 19 to accept it, which would ensure their return for at least one year.

Should the four players reject arbitration, they can continue to negotiate with the Dodgers until Jan. 8. Should they sign elsewhere, the Dodgers would be compensated with draft picks.

“This was a tough day for us,” General Manager Paul DePodesta said. “We were forced to make decisions because of a deadline without the picture being clear to us. And the pace of those decisions is only going to pick up in coming days. It could reach a frenetic pace.”

The Dodgers apparently decided weeks ago not to pursue Finley, 39, despite the production and leadership he supplied after being acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks at the trading deadline. About a dozen teams -- including the Angels -- have expressed interest in signing him, but the Dodgers never made an offer.

Finley’s ninth-inning, walk-off grand slam against the San Francisco Giants on Oct. 2 enabled the Dodgers to clinch the National League West title. In 58 games with the team, he had 13 home runs and 46 runs batted in.

However, he is seeking a three-year contract at a raise from the $6.75 million he made last season. DePodesta was concerned that if arbitration was offered and other teams wouldn’t meet Finley’s demands, the Dodgers could be on the hook for a one-year award in the $8-million range.

At the moment, the Dodgers are content with an outfield of Milton Bradley in center field, Jayson Werth in left and Shawn Green in right. In that scenario, the first baseman would be Hee-Seop Choi, who did not perform well in a reserve role after coming to the Dodgers from the Florida Marlins in July.

“Certainly if we started the season tomorrow, I would be comfortable” with Choi at first base, DePodesta said.

Lima, like Finley a clubhouse leader popular with fans, posed a different dilemma. DePodesta tried to get the right-handed pitcher to sign Tuesday, but he declined.

“Jose’s expectations were higher than we were able to go, and rightly so based on the year he had,” DePodesta said.

Lima, 32, was 13-5 with a 4.07 earned-run average and turned in one of the most memorable Dodger performances in years when he shut out the St. Louis Cardinals for the team’s first playoff victory since 1988. He also was a bargain at $950,000.

However, he could have commanded as much as $5 million at arbitration, money the Dodgers would rather spend on a younger arm.

“These were very difficult decisions,” DePodesta said. “People in our front office were not getting a lot of sleep.”

The Dodgers did lock up one of their free agent pitchers before the deadline, signing right-hander Elmer Dessens to a one-year contract of $1.3 million with a mutual option and a $250,000 buyout.

Alvarez, 34, is a left-handed version of Dessens, capable of pitching as a starter or in relief. Because he made only $1.5 million last season, DePodesta is comfortable going to arbitration with him.

The big winner in Tuesday’s maneuvering could be Perez. If the left-handed pitcher is unable to command a lucrative multiyear deal on the free-agent market, he could go to arbitration, get a raise from the $5 million he made last season and test the market again next year.

The possibility of Beltre accepting arbitration is remote. He is seeking a long-term lucrative contract after batting .334 with 49 home runs and 121 RBIs and finishing second in NL MVP voting. DePodesta said he plans to make a strong effort to re-sign him.

Mayne, 36, has said he might retire and retaining the rights to negotiate with him is something of an insurance policy for the Dodgers.

In addition to Finley and Lima, five other free agents were not offered arbitration. Catcher Todd Hundley and pitchers Hideo Nomo and Paul Shuey were injured or ineffective last season and first baseman Robin Ventura has retired. Infielder Jose Hernandez was solid in a utility role, but DePodesta said he expects rookie Antonio Perez to fill that role next season.