Green Trade Put on Clock

It took off-season trade talks with at least four teams, but the Dodgers are close to unloading slugger Shawn Green to the Arizona Diamondbacks and taking another dramatic step in reshuffling their roster and redistributing payroll.

The only person who could derail the deal now is the 32-year-old slugger, who according to industry sources has not given any assurances to the Dodgers or Diamondbacks that he is willing to waive his no-trade clause.

At the Dodgers’ request, Commissioner Bug Selig on Monday gave Arizona only two days instead of the customary three to work out a contract extension for Green, who will make $16 million in the last year of a five-year, $84-million deal.

A meeting between Green and the Diamondbacks is scheduled today.

The Dodgers had little communication with Green this off-season, even when his name came up in trade discussions involving Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs and Mike Piazza of the New York Mets. When a three-team deal with the New York Yankees and Diamondbacks appeared imminent two weeks ago, the Dodgers did not ask Green whether he would approve a trade or whether Arizona would be a suitable destination.

In fact, the only time anyone from the Dodgers talked to the player who averaged 32 home runs and 102 runs batted in during five seasons with the team was in mid-December, when owner Frank McCourt called Green into his office during a stadium holiday function. General Manager Paul DePodesta spoke to Green’s agent shortly after the season when Green offered to defer some of his salary in exchange for an extension, and again Monday to inform him of the trade.

The Dodgers would send Green and half his salary to the Diamondbacks in exchange for the catching prospect they have coveted, Dioner Navarro, and a right-handed pitcher, William Juarez, who split last season between Diamondback Class-A and double-A teams.

Much of the $8 million gained in the trade could go to re-signing left-handed starter Odalis Perez this week, which would bring the payroll to about $90 million.

Before Navarro, 20, becomes a Dodger, he would go from the New York Yankees to Arizona in the deal that would send five-time Cy Young Award winner Randy Johnson to New York. The Yankees also would give the Diamondbacks pitchers Javier Vazquez and Brad Halsey and $9 million paid over three years. Like Green, Johnson must waive his no-trade clause in exchange for an extension.

“There are obviously two separate transactions, and each has a variety of conditions that need to be met,” said Ken Kendrick, Diamondback managing partner. “It starts a window of time wherein contractual matters need to be resolved, between the Yankees and Randy, and us and Randy, and us and Shawn Green.

“And then, finally, a whole array of physical exams need to take place, because of the number of players involved.”

Green would be the fourth everyday player to leave the Dodgers, joining third baseman Adrian Beltre, center fielder Steve Finley and second baseman Alex Cora. DePodesta is out of town visiting his parents until Thursday and was unavailable for comment. However, recently he explained why he is radically reshaping the team.

“Our expectations are such that we are not going to let anything get in the way of winning now,” he said.

“But we also know we want to build this organization back into what it once was, where it is just a perennial powerhouse. In order to get there you have to make some very difficult decisions in the short term.”

Young players he has acquired, including outfielders J.D. Drew, Milton Bradley and Jayson Werth, pitchers Brad Penny and Yhency Brazoban, first baseman Hee-Seop Choi and Navarro, are the foundation of the future.

“A lot of them were very young guys who are on the cusp of being successful major league players, or just becoming successful big leaguers,” DePodesta said. “And we really want to build that solid foundation so that, hey, this is a team that’s going to be here for a while. We are going to continue to add different pieces every year to try to complete the puzzle, but this one is going to be in place awhile.”

Assuming the trade becomes finalized, the Dodger batting order for 2005 appears set: Cesar Izturis SS, Werth LF, Drew CF, Jeff Kent 2B, Bradley RF, Choi IB, Jose Valentin 3B, David Ross C.

Against left-handed pitching, Antonio Perez would play third base in place of Valentin or second base, with Kent sliding over to first and Choi sitting.

Also, Ross isn’t expected to play every day. A second catcher could be veteran Brent Mayne, career minor leaguer Mike Rose or someone the Dodgers could acquire.

The opening-day catcher probably won’t be Navarro, because Dodger officials say he needs at least half a season in triple A. Navarro’s stock dropped last season when he reported to camp overweight, and he slid from No. 1 to No. 5 in Baseball America’s recent rankings of Yankee prospects.

But shedding half of Green’s salary makes it easier for DePodesta to fill holes in the starting rotation.

McCourt has said the payroll should be about $100 million, meaning DePodesta has enough cash to sign two free-agent starters or reel in a proven arm via trade.

Derek Lowe is the top unsigned free agent, but the Dodgers probably won’t meet his asking price, thought to be four years at $40 million. They are more inclined to bring back Perez, who has given them three seasons of solid service, for three years at $20 million or less.

The Dodgers would have to sign Perez by Saturday, the deadline to negotiate with players who were offered arbitration. If that happens, he would join a rotation with Brad Penny, Jeff Weaver, Kazuhisa Ishii and Edwin Jackson.

Right-hander Elmer Dessens and left-hander Wilson Alvarez are veteran swingmen who make some starts. But because of questions about Penny’s health, Ishii’s control and Jackson’s readiness, acquiring a starter in addition to Perez before spring training might be in the plans.

DePodesta has not traded any prospects from the well-stocked Dodger farm system this off-season, but he might have to in order to shore up the rotation. He has the money and the time to make additional moves.

“We know our fans don’t want to see different faces out there every year,” he said.

“And quite frankly, we don’t want to have to go through the process of having to reinvent the wheel every year, either. We are going to go through some short-term turnover in order to create long-term stability.”