DePodesta Is Optimistic About Beltre

Paul DePodesta didn’t exactly spend Sunday impatiently drumming his fingers on a table waiting for the Oakland Athletics to decide whether to trade star pitcher Tim Hudson to the Dodgers.

Sure, the Dodger general manager is desperate to acquire a top starter and could see other teams beating a path to the hotel suite of Billy Beane, his counterpart with the Athletics. The Dodgers are only a few doors down the hall.

But DePodesta has too many other pressing needs and potential suitors to linger on one deal.

While Beane fielded offers from teams that became more aggressive amid comments by Hudson’s agent that a deal with the Dodgers was close, DePodesta went to work. He held his most productive meeting yet with agent Scott Boras regarding third baseman Adrian Beltre, stopping just short of making a formal offer.

Afterward, DePodesta sounded more optimistic than he has in weeks that Beltre, who has spent his entire seven-year career as a Dodger, could return.

“We would like to have Adrian,” he said. “This is a marriage both parties would like to continue. I don’t think at this point either side is discouraged or pessimistic.”

Boras said Beltre has fielded offers from other teams and wanted to know where the Dodgers stood.

“We talked a lot about the Dodgers, Adrian’s place on the Dodgers and his role on the team,” Boras said. “The Dodgers have told us all along they have the requisite wherewithal to meet the fair market value of Adrian Beltre. We have taken them at their word and continue the process of dealing with them because of it.”

DePodesta believes Beltre could make a decision in the next two weeks, saying, “Everybody is interested in moving this along.”

Boras, however, said a timetable is unclear.

“It’s something that could move quickly and also it’s something that could take a period of time,” he said. “I’ve always had that problem with these types of players. Teams you don’t expect to be involved jump into it with some very creative ideas that are contingent on them doing other things.

“So I’ve got to communicate that to the player and get back to the team. It sometimes draws out the process because a player wants to look into that scenario before making a decision.”

The urgency for the Dodgers to re-sign Beltre increased because the next best alternative on the free-agent market, Corey Koskie, is expected to sign today with the Toronto Blue Jays.

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Edwin Jackson posted an unsightly 7.30 earned-run average in eight games with the Dodgers last season and didn’t do much better in triple-A after battling through two minor arm injuries. But the right-hander is a hot commodity on the trade market.

“Just about every team out there would love to have Edwin Jackson,” DePodesta said. “Everybody is asking about him.”

Beane is trying to include Jackson as part of a deal for Hudson. But Jackson, who won his major league debut in 2003 by out-dueling Randy Johnson on his 20th birthday, might well stay a Dodger.

“There are some scenarios where we would count on Edwin to step up for us,” DePodesta said. “As you look at some of the starting pitching out there and the price it’s going for, we have to start thinking about whether we are better off having him go out there and take 25 starts.

“I would be happy to take my chances with Edwin Jackson.”

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The earlier interest free-agent catcher Mike Matheny had shown in the Dodgers has evaporated.

“It sounds like they are moving in another direction at this point,” DePodesta said.

The Dodgers are exploring a trade with the New York Mets for catcher Jason Phillips, who batted .218 with seven home runs in 362 at-bats last season. He was more productive in 2003, batting .298 with 11 homers and 58 runs batted in.