Green Is Headed to Arizona

The Dodgers have agreed in principle to trade Shawn Green to the Arizona Diamondbacks for two players, according to baseball sources, the paperwork for which is expected to be submitted to Commissioner Bud Selig’s office today.

The trade could be related to, but does not depend upon, Arizona’s intention to deal Randy Johnson to the New York Yankees, the details of which also are expected to be filed with Selig today.

If that trade is completed -- Johnson for pitchers Javier Vazquez and Brad Halsey and catching prospect Dioner Navarro -- the Dodgers would receive Navarro and a pitching prospect for Green, according to a baseball official familiar with the discussions.

If it is not, it is believed the Dodgers would receive a young catcher -- either Koyie Hill, their former prospect, or Chris Snyder -- and the same pitching prospect, as yet unknown.

The Dodgers are expected to offset some of Green’s $16-million salary as well.

Dodger and Diamondback officials prefer the first scenario.

In it, all players must pass physicals, Johnson must waive his no-trade clause and negotiate a contract extension and Selig must approve the trade, which will include a payment of about $9 million to the Diamondbacks.

The Yankees will request a 72-hour window in which to negotiate a contract extension for Johnson.

The Diamondbacks would meet concurrently with Green, who also has a no-trade clause in the six-year, $84-million Dodger contract negotiated five years ago by Jeff Moorad, then Green’s agent and now awaiting Major League Baseball clearance to become part-owner and chief executive of the Diamondbacks.

Either proposal is contingent on the Diamondbacks and Green coming to agreement on an extension.

Neither Dodger General Manager Paul DePodesta nor Green could be reached for comment Sunday night, though it appeared recently that Green had reassessed his future in Los Angeles.

“He had always envisioned spending the rest of his career as a Dodger,” Green’s agent, Greg Genske, said last week.

“The events of the last week have caused him to reevaluate that.”

The Dodgers and Diamondbacks have held discussions for weeks regarding Green, initially in a three-way trade with the Yankees that nearly was completed.

The Dodgers backed out two weeks ago, the Yankees restructured their offer for Johnson, and the Diamondbacks separately initiated talks for Green.

Seeking a catcher and a starting pitcher, the Dodgers apparently determined they would have to part with Green and, notably, his salary.

The trade would bring a catcher -- Navarro, who will be 21 next month, has drawn defensive comparisons to Gold Glove award-winner Ivan Rodriguez -- and the financial freedom to pursue a pitcher, perhaps right-hander Derek Lowe, who could command $10 million annually in a multiyear deal.

The Dodgers spent about $102 million on payroll last season, and owner Frank McCourt has pledged a similar payout next season.

DePodesta already has signed second baseman Jeff Kent, outfielders J.D. Drew and Ricky Ledee and third baseman Jose Valentin, and pursued Vazquez by trade until the Puerto Rico native expressed a strong desire to remain on the East Coast.

The Dodgers, however, were outbid for third baseman Adrian Beltre, which led to their aggressive negotiations with Drew, who agreed to a five-year, $55-million contract.

In a news conference to introduce Drew last month, DePodesta denied he had sought to trade Green.

“We’re not shopping Shawn Green,” he said. “If people want him, they have to come calling to us. I’d love for Shawn to be playing first base for us and hitting in a lineup with the rest of these guys.”

Instead, it appears that Green, who battled injuries and inconsistency -- and yet twice hit at least 42 home runs -- during five seasons in his hometown Los Angeles, will share a lineup with Troy Glaus and Luis Gonzalez.

And Hee-Seop Choi, a DePodesta favorite who came to Los Angeles in a midseason trade, would play first base for the Dodgers.

The Diamondbacks hope to rework their roster after losing 111 games last season.

Beginning the final year of his contract, Johnson had asked to be traded, but only to the Yankees, leaving the Diamondbacks with little leverage and leading to a year of on-again, off-again negotiations with George Steinbrenner and his management team.

Though Vazquez can demand a trade after one season, the Diamondbacks have no immediate plans to deal him.

Vazquez struggled down the stretch and in the postseason for the Yankees, and he could be more valuable on the trade market with another strong first half in 2005.

Green, 32, hit 49 home runs for the Dodgers in 2001 and 42 in 2002, but 47 over two seasons since.

After another slow start last season, Green had 18 home runs and 45 runs batted in after the All-Star break, leading many to believe he had recovered from a lingering shoulder ailment.

Green also has hit well at Arizona’s Bank One Ballpark, batting .314 with 14 home runs and 40 RBIs in 175 career at-bats.

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Prospective Trades

Scenarios of trades that are expected to be presented to the commissioner’s office today:

* Arizona will trade pitcher Randy Johnson to the New York Yankees for pitchers Javier Vazquez and Brad Halsey and catcher Dioner Navarro.

* The Dodgers will trade outfielder/first baseman Shawn Green to Arizona for Navarro and a minor league pitcher.

* If the Johnson trade falls through, the Dodgers will trade Green to Arizona for a catcher and a minor league pitcher.