Big Deal Isn’t In, but Cora Is Out

The Dodger roster is rapidly taking on the appearance of a Rodeo Drive department store in full holiday shopping mode. People are constantly on the move. They all have money, but not everyone is smiling.

Not only did the Dodgers inch closer to approving a trade Monday that removes franchise cornerstone Shawn Green and three proven pitchers from their roster, they cut ties with another strong contributor to last season’s playoff run, second baseman Alex Cora.

Cora, who combined with shortstop Cesar Izturis to form perhaps baseball’s best double-play combination, was not offered arbitration. Neither were reserve catcher Tom Wilson or seldom-used reliever Scott Stewart. Beginning today, they are free agents.

Also, the Dodgers re-signed reliever Giovanni Carrara and utility infielder Olmedo Saenz to one-year deals worth $500,000 and $650,000, respectively, and finalized deals for left-handed pitcher Wilson Alvarez and free-agent infielder Jose Valentin.

The addition of free-agent second baseman Jeff Kent made Cora expendable. Cora, 29, has been a Dodger his entire seven-year career and played in more than 100 games each of the last five seasons. He has 27 home runs while batting .246 in 684 games. Last season he batted .264 with career-high totals of 10 home runs and 47 runs batted in.

The Dodgers attempted to trade him to a team that needed a starting second baseman but had no takers, probably because through arbitration Cora could double his $1.3-million salary.

“This obviously was difficult,” General Manager Paul DePodesta said. “We like Alex an awful lot.”

For several days, DePodesta has refused to green-light the blockbuster 10-player trade that also sends pitcher Randy Johnson from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the New York Yankees and lands the Dodgers front-line starter Javier Vazquez until other moves are lined up.

The uncertainty has caused so much consternation that Dodger owner Frank McCourt called Yankee President Randy Levine and Diamondback officials Monday to ease concerns that the Dodgers weren’t going through with the deal.

DePodesta continued to be deliberate though, saying progress is being made while characterizing the trade discussions as a roller coaster.

“We understand the issues and are all really trying to be sensitive to each others’ needs,” he said. “Everyone has to be satisfied if we go forward.

“We are not looking to trade the guys involved in this. Unless everything is lined up, we’d be perfectly happy not doing it.”

A major hurdle appears to be reaching an agreement with free agent outfielder J.D. Drew, who would fill the void left by Green.

Green has averaged 32 home runs and 102 runs batted in during five Dodger seasons but is to be paid $16 million next year.

Drew, 29, batted .305 with 31 homers for the Atlanta Braves in his best full season since breaking in with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1998. However, he has a history of injuries, something that was rarely a problem with Green, and could command a salary of about $11 million a year.

DePodesta also could have a deal in place that ships out Vazquez or the highly regarded prospects the Dodgers would get from the Yankees -- catcher Dioner Navarro and third baseman Eric Duncan. The Dodgers need more starting pitching and a catcher, although DePodesta said he has little interest in free agent catcher A.J. Pierzynski.

Vazquez has three years left on a contract worth $35 million and can request a trade after next season. Two sources close to the Yankees said he is not thrilled about coming here.

Another player the trade would bring to Los Angeles is pitcher Mike Koplove, who was an effective set-up man for the Diamondbacks. He would replace rookie Yhency Brazoban, who would go to Arizona along with starters Brad Penny and Kazuhisa Ishii.

Penny was expected to become the Dodger ace when he was acquired from the Florida Marlins at the trading deadline. He won his first start, then suffered a biceps injury that was difficult to diagnose and treat.

Ishii is 36-25 for the Dodgers and has averaged 102 walks a season. His strikeouts per nine innings dropped from 8.57 to 5.18 in 2004.

The Dodgers also would send to the Diamondbacks minor league pitcher Brandon Weeden. If the teams come to agreement, Commissioner Bud Selig must approve the trade, and Green and Johnson have three days to negotiate compensation for waiving their no-trade clauses. Green wants a contract extension and could agree to deferring some of next year’s salary.

The Dodgers made official the signing of Valentin for one season at $3.5 million and the re-signing of Alvarez for two years at $4 million.

The left-handed hitting Valentin, 35, is expected to platoon at third base with unproven Antonio Perez in a patchwork attempt to replace some of departed Adrian Beltre’s production. Valentin hit 30 home runs last season but batted only .216 and struck out 139 times. He has played primarily shortstop in his 12-year career, making 24 errors in 151 games at third.

Alvarez, 34, made 15 starts and 25 relief appearances, going 7-6 with a 4.03 earned-run average in 120 2/3 innings.

Pitching coach Jim Colborn met with Dodger officials and said that although he has yet to sign a contract, concerns he had expressed recently about a low offer were alleviated. He expects to sign soon.