DePodesta Says Trade Market Could Be Tight

General Manager Paul DePodesta expressed optimism Sunday as the Dodgers finished the first half atop the National League West.

The Dodgers (48-38) hold a half-game lead over San Francisco in a three-team race. San Diego trails the Dodgers by two games as the three-day All-Star break begins today, sending DePodesta smiling into the second half.

“I think we’ve put ourselves in a good position,” DePodesta said. “We’ve put ourselves in a good position to stay in this thing.”

The Dodgers have rotation concerns with Hideo Nomo and Odalis Perez, the projected Nos. 1 and 2 starters beginning the season, on the disabled list, though the team expects Perez to rejoin the rotation after the break.

The team also has struggled to score, ranking 11th among 16 NL teams with 382 runs. DePodesta said he would like to make a deal.

“I’m still in conversations with a lot of different clubs,” he said. “The break obviously slows things down a little bit, but I’m sure I’ll be talking to people over the course of the next three days.

“The tough part still is that there just aren’t that many teams that are out of this. It forces you to be a little more creative to try to come up with some solutions.

“There are a lot of teams that are just trying to add, and there just aren’t that many sellers.”

DePodesta said the Dodgers, Giants and Padres are all in good positions regardless of whether any of them completes a significant trade.

“If we all went with the same personnel the rest of the year, it may come out slightly differently at the end anyway,” DePodesta said. “I don’t think there’s any one of the three of us that has to do something or else we’re not going to be in it, or something like that.

“We’re pretty evenly matched. That’s why we’re all so close going into the break.”

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After bouncing between the rotation and bullpen, right-hander Jose Lima said he’s pleased to be a full-time starter.

“I’m confident now,” said Lima, who got the victory Sunday against Houston.

“I know every five days that I’m going to be in the rotation. I don’t have to worry about fighting for a spot.”

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Center fielder Milton Bradley was scratched from the starting lineup after aggravating a right shoulder injury during batting practice, a team spokesman said.