Dodger Recast Is More of Same

Ever spend a half hour driving around an unfamiliar town only to end up right where you started? That’s how the Dodgers must feel today.

Since the season ended, they have signed four free-agent hitters, including paying $55 million over five years for outfielder J.D. Drew, who was introduced at a news conference at Dodger Stadium on Thursday. The incoming players will be paid roughly the same amount as the four they replaced and last season put up astonishingly similar statistics.

Besides Drew, who is set to play right field but voiced a preference for center field moments after putting on a Dodger cap and jersey, the new players are second baseman Jeff Kent, third baseman Jose Valentin and reserve outfielder Ricky Ledee.

They essentially replace third baseman Adrian Beltre, second baseman Alex Cora, center fielder Steve Finley and reserve infielder Jose Hernandez, all of whom became free agents, either because their contracts were up or because the Dodgers did not offer salary arbitration.

All four also expressed interest in remaining with the team, so simply maintaining the status quo by re-signing them was an option.

Instead, General Manager Paul DePodesta, in his first off-season, has taken an aggressive approach to retooling the roster. But a glance at last season’s statistics suggests that the moves merely resulted in change for the sake of change.

On the out-with-the-old side of the ledger, Beltre, Finley, Cora and Hernandez combined for 107 home runs, 291 runs batted in and 275 runs while batting .292.

The in-with-the-new totals for Kent, Drew, Valentin and Ledee aren’t much different. They combined for 95 home runs, 300 runs batted in and 312 runs while batting .268.

Based on the average annual value of their contracts, the Dodgers will pay the quartet $24.2 million next season. The projected earnings of the four who left, again based on average annual value, is the same amount.

The contract commitment is similar as well. Drew has a five-year deal, Kent and Ledee each signed for two years and Valentin for one. Beltre signed for five years with the Seattle Mariners, Finley for two with the Angels, Hernandez for one with the Cleveland Indians and Cora is unsigned.

Supporters of the changes point out that Beltre and Cora had career-best years and that Finley’s 36 home runs was a high. But the same can be said for Drew and Valentin.

Has all the roster shuffling been an exercise in futility?

“We are at least even with where we were and I’d like to think we are a little bit ahead,” DePodesta said.

In fairness, mitigating factors complicate the comparison. Beltre’s $64-million contract is frontloaded and he will be paid $17 million in 2005. The Dodgers had to make decisions on whether to make Finley and Hernandez contract offers by the Dec. 7 arbitration deadline.

Also, once Kent was signed, Cora became expendable. Once Beltre left for Seattle, signing Drew became almost an imperative.

And if this is the price of education for a bright and earnest general manager, the cost probably won’t be in offensive production. However, baseball sources say the Dodgers have weakened their infield defense and certainly have tampered with the clubhouse chemistry that was key to the team’s National League West division championship.

“I really empathize with the fans,” DePodesta said. “I don’t like the turnover either. It’s not fun for me. It makes my job a lot more challenging.”

Signing Kent, 37, and Valentin, 35, might seem to contradict that philosophy, but both are proven power-hitting alternatives to promoting prospects too soon from the well-stocked farm system. The Dodger front office expects that productive, inexpensive players will emerge from the minor leagues in another year or two.

“If you look at the moves we’ve made over the last 10, 11 months, they’ve been to acquire young players who have a chance to be around a long time,” DePodesta said. “We’ve experienced short-term heartache in order to do what we can to build a solid foundation and have a core group of players our fans can attach themselves to.”

Drew is part of the foundation. His strong performance last season for the Atlanta Braves is an indication he is recovered from 2002 knee surgery. He runs well, is an excellent outfielder and a patient, productive hitter who finished sixth in NL most valuable player voting.

“For 2 1/2 years, I dealt with a knee injury that limited my game and affected me in an all-around way,” he said. “I had back injuries because of the knee injury. Little things nagged me all the time. After the surgery it got strong and I haven’t had any residual effects.”

He feels so good he would like a shot at center field. Finley finished last season there, but it was expected that Milton Bradley would move from right to center, where he began 2004.

“Not to stir up controversy, but I started my career in center field and I inquired about it,” said Drew, who played right in Atlanta next to center fielder Andruw Jones and in St. Louis next to center fielder Jim Edmonds.

“With those guys, you tip your cap and carry their Gold Gloves home for them. But if the opportunity presents itself here, I’d give it a shot.”

The Braves did not offer Drew arbitration, which disappointed him. But in surveying possible destinations, the Dodgers appealed to him. Even when a three-team, 10-player trade that would have moved incumbent right fielder Shawn Green to the Arizona Diamondbacks fell through this week, Drew did not waver. Green would play first base if the season started today.

Drew made it clear he is not among those questioning DePodesta. “Paul has added some pop to the lineup and wants to add pitching,” he said. “You’ve got to respect the guy. He wants to win.”

*

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

In With the New

Comparing the Dodgers’ recent acquisition to their recent departures:

*--* HERE AB H R HR RBI AVG. 2005 salary J.D. Drew 518 158 118 31 93 271 $11 million Jeff Kent 540 156 96 27 107 289 $8.5 million Jose Valentin 450 97 73 30 70 216 $3.5 million Ricky Ledee 176 41 25 7 30 233 $1.2 million Totals 1,684 452 312 95 300 268 $24.2 million GONE Steve Finley 628 170 92 36 94 271 $7 million* Adrian Beltre 598 200 104 48 121 334 $13 million* Alex Cora 405 107 47 10 47 264 $2.4 million** Jose Hernandez 211 61 32 13 29 289 $1.8 million Totals 1,842 538 275 107 291 292 $24.2 million

*--*

*average annual value of contract; **estimated salary had the Dodgers offered arbitration