New Third World Order for Dodgers

Bye, bye Beltre. Happy Valentin.

Third baseman Adrian Beltre, a Dodger since he was 15, was introduced in Seattle on Friday, donning a Mariner cap, smiling for the cameras and professing his undying love of a city he knew little about before talking to a former teammate a few days ago.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers held a hasty holiday party and got back to work.

They are on the verge of signing free agent Jose Valentin to play third base, a curious choice at first glance. Valentin, 35, batted .216 with 30 home runs for the Chicago White Sox last season and has played primarily shortstop in his 12-year career, last playing third for 83 games in 2002.

Valentin, a left-handed batter, has hit at least 25 home runs in five consecutive seasons, but his batting average fell each of the last four years. Antonio Perez, who hit 22 home runs last season in triple A, would platoon with Valentin, batting against left-handed pitchers.

Another front-burner issue is ironing out details of a three-team trade that became even more complicated a day after it was leaked.

The deal would send Dodger right fielder Shawn Green, starting pitcher Brad Penny, reliever Yhency Brazoban and a minor league pitcher to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Five-time Cy Young Award winner Randy Johnson would go to the Dodgers, who would package Johnson and inconsistent left-hander Kazuhisa Ishii to the New York Yankees in exchange for starter Javier Vazquez and highly regarded prospects Dioner Navarro and Eric Duncan.

Once an agreement was reached and approved by the commissioner’s office, Dodger General Manager Paul DePodesta would inform Green, who would have 72 hours to negotiate compensation from the Diamondbacks in exchange for waiving his no-trade clause, a window that could open as soon as Monday, according to a baseball source.

However, other sources say the deal could unravel if DePodesta does not have other moves in place that are contingent on obtaining Vazquez and the prospects.

Those moves could involve another trade or signing a free-agent outfielder such as J.D. Drew or Moises Alou. The Dodgers have no interest in free-agent first baseman Carlos Delgado, and free-agent center fielder Carlos Beltran has no interest in the Dodgers.

DePodesta is pursuing starting pitchers as well -- and could have the money to reel in more than one.

Failing to sign Beltre, coupled with shedding the $16 million owed Green and $2.4 million of Ishii’s $5 million contract (the Dodgers are expected to pay the remaining $3 million to the Yankees), would free up enough cash to sign Kevin Millwood, Derek Lowe, Eric Milton or Shawn Estes.

Also, left-hander Wilson Alvarez is expected to re-sign with the Dodgers and a second-tier free agent such as Orlando Hernandez could be added.

Should the blockbuster deal be completed, Green is expected to ask the Diamondbacks for a contract extension for close to the going rate for free-agent power hitters. Green, 32, is in the last season of a five-year, $84-million deal.

The Dodgers have met with Green since the end of last season, sources said, and have had their own discussions with him regarding a contract extension..

“Shawn loves living and playing in Southern California and envisioned spending the rest of his career with the Dodgers,” said Greg Genske, Green’s agent. “Having said all that, to the extent the Dodgers decide to move Shawn, he certainly would consider playing for an alternative team.”

The Diamondbacks would be a good fit. The agent who negotiated Green’s current contract, Jeff Moorad, is the team’s new chief executive.

However, there is no indication Green is eager to go to Arizona simply because of Moorad’s involvement.

“The factors Shawn would consider are the direction of the club, his teammates, the coaching staff and the position they would ask him to play,” Genske said.

Green willingly moved to first base at the beginning of last season when the Dodgers acquired Milton Bradley. He has played right field for most of his five-year tenure as a Dodger, batting in the middle of the lineup.

Green hit 91 home runs and drove in 239 runs in 2001 and ‘02, but his production slipped the last two seasons. He got hot after the All-Star break last season and helped the Dodgers to the NL West championship.

Soon he could be out the door on the heels of Beltre, who said Green was one of several Dodgers who called him in recent days, urging him to re-sign with the team.

“Now he might not be there either,” Beltre joked.

Beltre’s agent, Scott Boras, said the Dodgers were “at the forefront” in negotiations for Beltre. But the Mariners moved quickly because they were also negotiating with Delgado and could sign only one more top-tier hitter.

“The fans in L.A. know I love that place and know I love them, but I’m looking forward to coming to this team and playing for these fans,” Beltre said. “It was a tough decision to make. It was kind of hard for me to leave L.A., but sometimes you have to move on.”