DODGERS: COLLETTI DOESN'T GIVE UP THE FARM GM KEEPS HIGHLY TOUTED PROSPECTS.

Byline: RICH HAMMOND Staff Writer

Short-term gain without long- term pain. It's the goal of every baseball general manager at the trade deadline, and the Dodgers' Ned Colletti attempted to maintain that delicate balance Monday.

In a deal completed minutes before the 1 p.m. deadline, the Dodgers bolstered their starting rotation with the addition of 40-year-old future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux from the Chicago Cubs, for Cesar Izturis.

Also, in a more surprising move, the Dodgers acquired more infield depth with they picked up shortstop Julio Lugo from Tampa Bay in exchange for minor-league prospects Joel Guzman and Sergio Pedroza.

Despite a dreadful July, the Dodgers are just five games behind San Diego for first place in the National League West. They had lost 13 of 14 games before a three-game sweep of Washington, and Colletti did little to downplay the idea that the Dodgers' weekend resurgence led to the bold trades.

``It's hard to say,'' Colletti said. ``It's conjecture at this point. They (won), so we (traded). ... We're not that far away. This should give everybody a lift and we'll see what happens in the next couple months.''

Colletti made the moves without giving up any of the prospects he had declared untouchable and made the biggest moves on a day when top trade targets such as Alfonso Soriano and Miguel Tejada stayed put. Guzman, 22, a .297 hitter with 11home runs and 55 RBIs in Triple-A this season, is considered a top prospect. The Dodgers held onto Chad Billingsley, Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp and Russell Martin, unwilling to trade upper-echelon prospects for players who might only be Dodgers for a couple of months.

``I still think that the (minor-league) system is very strong,'' Colletti said. ``The players that are repeatedly asked about (in trade talks), they're still here. I feel great about that.''

Even so, Colletti broke with his plan a bit. He had spoken of his hesitancy to acquire players who will be free agents this winter, but both Maddux and Lugo fall into that category, and both arrive with questions.

Maddux, a 20-year veteran who has a career record of 327-200, started this season 5-0 but comes to the Dodgers with a 9-11 record and a 4.69 ERA. It is unknown whose spot in the rotation Maddux will take. Maddux is making $9 million this season, but the Cubs are picking up $2 million of the roughly $3million still owed. He had a no-trade clause but gave the Cubs permission to deal him to a team close to his Las Vegas home, and Maddux said he would consider re-signing with the Dodgers this winter.

``Absolutely,'' Maddux said. ``They traded for me, so they must see something in me. I would think I'm going to be play next year. I haven't 100 percent decided but mentally I feel great.''

Lugo is more likely to be a ``rental'' player. The Dodgers intend to use him at second base until Jeff Kent recovers from a strained oblique muscle, but after that, manager Grady Little must make decisions.

Once Kent and first baseman Nomar Garciaparra (sprained knee) are healthy, the Dodgers' only infield opening will be at third base, but that spot likely belongs to newly acquired Wilson Betemit, and Lugo has never played a major-league game at third base.

Lugo, who is hitting .308 with 12home runs, 27 RBI and 18 stolen bases in 73 games, views himself as a shortstop and is unlikely to re-sign with the Dodgers, who already have Rafael Furcal at short.

``I'm very excited,'' Lugo said before he left Tampa Bay. ``It's a different atmosphere over there when you're playing for something. Hopefully, we'll go all the way through October and the World Series.''

The deals came together quickly. Over the previous week, Colletti held discussions about Maddux, but talks broke down over the weekend when Cubs GM Jim Hendry wanted a package of prospects. Hendry softened his demands Monday, which then freed up Colletti to trade the prospects for Lugo.

``I wasn't going to do one (trade) without the other,'' Colletti said.

Izturis, formerly the Dodgers' starting shortstop, has floated around the infield this season and became expendable after the acquisition of Betemit last week. Izturis will play shortstop for the Cubs.

Pedroza, 22, has split time between Single-A Vero Beach and Single-A Columbus this year.

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CAPTION(S):

photo, 2 boxes

Photo:

The Dodgers acquired Julio Lugo, above, from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for minor-league prospects Joel Guzman and Sergio Pedroza.

Mike Carlson/Associated Press

Box:

(1) JULIO LUGO'S CAREER STATISTICS

(2) DODGERS at CINCINNATI

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