WHAT NEXT?

Manny Ramirez cleaned out his locker at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, revealing no more about his future than he did after the Dodgers’ 5-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series.

Juan Pierre and Nomar Garciaparra were also about to leave the clubhouse to uncertain futures. Pierre’s agent says his client wants to be traded, while Garciaparra said he didn’t know whether he would retire.

Manager Joe Torre said he hadn’t had enough time to think ahead to the winter and how he, General Manager Ned Colletti and owner Frank McCourt would assemble the team for next season.

Twelve players from this year’s NL West championship team will be free agents, including Ramirez, pitcher Derek Lowe, shortstop Rafael Furcal, third baseman Casey Blake and second baseman Jeff Kent, who is pondering retirement. McCourt ensured a certain level of stability when he told The Times on Wednesday that Colletti would be back next season, but the front office could lose assistant general manager Kim Ng, who is a finalist for the GM vacancy in Seattle.

With the Dodgers not scheduled to hold their organizational meetings until later this month, the most Torre could say was that pitching would probably be their top priority.

“I still think that pitching is really something you really have to pay attention to,” Torre said. “I know we all get caught up in the offensive part of this game, but I certainly think that pitching is something that really should be front and center as far as being addressed.”

Lowe is assumed to be leaving. He has often felt underappreciated in his four seasons with the Dodgers, according to sources close to him who spoke anonymously to avoid creating tension while the team was still in the playoffs. The club never approached Lowe, 35, about a contract extension this season, though that in part was because he is represented by Scott Boras, who prefers that his clients test the market.

Another big decision in the coming weeks will concern Brad Penny, who was 16-4 in 2007 and was the opening day starter this season. But Penny was 6-9 with a 6.27 earned-run average and left the team after being put on the 60-day disabled list, which ended his year.

Penny’s contract includes a $9.25-million club option for 2009 that could be bought out for $2 million.

Torre said he recently reached out to Penny and said he wanted to have lunch with him.

“He’s been frustrated with his condition,” Torre said. “He’s a young man with a bright future, whether it’s with us or somebody else.”

With or without Penny, the Dodgers will be forced to target a top-of-the-rotation arm if they can’t re-sign Lowe. At this point, the only sure bets for the rotation are Chad Billingsley, Hiroki Kuroda and Clayton Kershaw. James McDonald, who impressed as a September call-up, and damage-shouldered Jason Schmidt, who has a year left on his three-year, $47-million contract, could also be factors.

CC Sabathia, who pitched the Milwaukee Brewers into the postseason, is the top free-agent pitcher but could command a deal similar to the seven-year, $126-million contract that Barry Zito signed with San Francisco two winters ago.

A.J. Burnett and Ben Sheets could also be available. A longshot could be 2007 Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy, whom San Diego is attempting to shop.

Trading for Peavy would probably force Colletti to break up the Dodgers’ nucleus of young players that includes catcher Russell Martin, first baseman James Loney, and outfielders Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier. Colletti says he intends to keep the group intact.

Still, there are plenty of openings.

Though Furcal says he wants to re-sign with the Dodgers and Colletti says he intends to make that happen, uncertainty over the condition of his back could complicate the issue. Because Furcal missed 4 1/2 months because of a herniated disk that required surgery, the Dodgers could offer him an incentive-laden deal with a low base salary that might not provide him with the kind of long-term security he is seeking.

Though Blake DeWitt played second and third base as a rookie this season, he’ll only be able to fill one of the two positions that could be left vacant by the potential departure of Blake and the almost sure departure of Kent.

In the outfield, the big question this winter will be whether they re-sign Ramirez, who is looking for a deal that will pay him more than $20 million a season over four or five years.

While figuring out what to do with Ramirez, the Dodgers might try to trade Pierre.

Pierre finished the second year of a five-year, $44-million deal sitting on the bench, first nudged out of center field by Andruw Jones, then out of the lineup by Ramirez.

“Juan wants to acknowledge the other players and how well they’re playing,” said agent Mark Pieper. “They have a winning formula. It’s clear the team went in a different direction, maybe twice with Andruw and Manny. If there’s a better fit he would hope the team would explore that.”

Times staff writer Kevin Baxter contributed to this report.

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dylan.hernandez@latimes.com

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BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX

Dodger free agents

Joe Beimel: Situational left-hander and first-time free agent says he wants to be back with the Dodgers next season. 2008 salary: $1.925 million.

Casey Blake: Says he wants to re-sign with the Dodgers, but as a first-time free agent at 35, he could be looking for a more lucrative deal than the Dodgers are willing to give him. 2008 salary: $6.1 million.

Rafael Furcal: Says he wants to re-sign with the Dodgers and the Dodgers say they want to re-sign him, but there could be a dispute about his value because of his injury history. 2008 salary: $13 million.

Nomar Garciaparra: Could be forced to retire because of health problems; if he comes back, he will probably do so at a reduced salary and role. 2008 salary: $8.5 million.

Jason Johnson: Superb numbers with triple-A Las Vegas might’ve earned him a spot in someone’s bullpen next season. (Signed minor league contract in 2008; received $2.9 million in 2007 from Seibu Lions.)

Jeff Kent: His Hall of Fame career probably ended when the Dodgers were eliminated on Wednesday. 2008 salary: $9 million.

Derek Lowe: Durable innings-eater will be well-compensated this winter but probably not by the Dodgers. 2008 salary: $10 million.

Greg Maddux: Like Garciaparra and Kent, the four-time Cy Young Award winner is a possible retirement candidate. 2008 salary: $10 million.

Pablo Ozuna: Whether the Dodgers pursue the utility infielder could be determined by how they view minor leaguers Chin-lung Hu and Ivan DeJesus Jr. 2008 salary: $1.25 million.

Chan Ho Park: Wants to return to the Dodgers next season but has said he would go elsewhere if he can get a chance to be a starting pitcher. 2008 salary: $500,000.

Manny Ramirez: Will owner Frank McCourt spend the money necessary to keep the new face of his franchise? 2008 salary: $20 million.

Mark Sweeney: Ranks second on the all-time pinch-hits list, but he hit only .130 this season and will probably go to spring training with some club as a non-roster invitee. 2008 salary: $600,000.

-- Dylan Hernandez

Source: Cot’s Baseball Contracts