In This Deal, Dodgers Don’t Eliminate the Middleman

On the list of phrases that cause sports fans to roll their eyes skyward in disgust, this one would rank pretty high: It’s not about the money.

So, on the December day that he confused Dodger fans, General Manager Kevin Malone figured he need not alienate them as well. After he traded a starting pitcher and a leadoff hitter to the Chicago Cubs for a middle reliever, Malone stepped to the podium and leveled with Dodger fans.

Ismael Valdes and Eric Young for Terry Adams? Yes, Malone said, it was all about the money.

Usually, general managers must choose between dumping salaries or upgrading the roster. So far, at least, Malone has hit a rare double.

Adams recorded the key out Saturday, retiring Mo Vaughn in the sixth inning of an 8-3 victory over the Angels. At a time when a home run would have tied the score, against a batter whose 18 home runs rank second in the American League, Adams replaced starter Chan Ho Park and got Vaughn to ground out.

That ended the sixth inning, and Adams pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as well.

“Adams did an outstanding job,� Manager Davey Johnson said.

Quality relief is hard to find these days. Adams leads the Dodgers with 23 appearances, and his 3.34 earned-run average is mighty impressive in this era of arena baseball.

“He has the capability of being a closer, and he can eat up a lot of innings,� first baseman Eric Karros said. “He’s been very effective.�

And he will always take the ball. The Dodgers would never say so publicly, but they constantly wondered whether Valdes go to the mound or defer to his aches and pains.

Valdes started this season on the disabled list, and he has won one game for the Cubs, with a 6.75 ERA. Young is hitting .309 with 20 stolen bases, but he has scored two fewer runs than his replacement at second base, Mark Grudzielanek.

So, even by dumping millions in salary, Karros believes the Dodgers got fair value in exchange for Valdes and Young.

“When you look at it from a fan’s standpoint, those were two pretty recognizable names,� Karros said, “for a guy that, although he’s a valuable member of the team, may not have had national recognition. But he’s definitely got some talent.

“From a talent standpoint, looking at how the trade impacted the clubs, I’d say we’re at least even.�

Adams did his best to dodge the verbal shrapnel this winter. All he could do to win the fans over, he figured, was pitch well.

“I don’t make the money those guys did,� Adams said. “But they can’t do what I do. They can’t pitch 70 games a year. I can’t steal 60 bases a year, but I think I’m helping the team just like they’re helping the Cubs.�

Adams, 27, thought he would help the Cubs as a closer. They reared him as a closer, and he did save 18 games in 1997 and 13 more last season, but the Cubs acquired veterans Rod Beck and Rick Aguilera rather than entrust the full-time job to Adams.

“A month here, maybe a couple weeks there,� Adams said. “I didn’t really get the opportunity. I was pretty much a safety net when someone got hurt.�

Bitterness? None, Adams says. He might not be so forgiving had the Cubs dispatched him to, say, the Florida Marlins or Kansas City Royals.

“I needed a change, and I’m glad I got traded to this team,� Adams said. “You can get traded to one of those small-market teams where you don’t have a chance to win. This is a team that has a chance to go to the World Series.�