DODGERS: MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS... DODGERS HAVE MANY DECISIONS IN THE OFFSEASON.

Byline: TONY JACKSON  Staff Writer

The red-white-and-blue bunting still hung forlornly from the facades at empty Dodger Stadium on Sunday. The garbage left over from the previous night's sellout remained scattered about the aisles, waiting for the cleanup crew to come in one last time.

The Dodgers' 2006 season, part magic and part tragic, was over. But up on Level 5 above the left-field corner, life went on.

It was there, in the team's offices, that general manager Ned Colletti met for more than four hours with manager Grady Little, his coaches and the team's medical staff. Although a World Series champion won't be crowned for more than three weeks, this was the Dodgers' first official act of 2007.

It was a meeting long on questions and short on answers. But when it was over, the Dodgers' brain trust knew what it needed, even if it wasn't exactly sure how to go about getting it.

``I think the consensus of the group is that we need another starting pitcher and a power bat,'' Colletti said. ``Those would probably be our top two needs.''

And that is assuming everything else remains at least reasonably static, which probably is too much to assume at this point.

For example, if Greg Maddux retires or signs elsewhere, will the Dodgers need a second starter to replace him, too? And if Nomar Garciaparra and his Los Angeles-based agent, Arn Tellem, try to parlay the veteran's National League Comeback Player of the Year award into a guaranteed base salary far higher than this year's $6 million, which wound up at $8.5 million with incentives, can the Dodgers afford to keep him?

``After the season he had, it's tough not to consider him, my goodness,'' Colletti said of Garciaparra. ``The guy did everything we asked. He came to play every day and had a really great season in a lot of ways. He is going to get a lot of consideration.''

And are rookies James Loney and Matt Kemp ready to take over on a regular basis at first base and in center field, respectively, something that could dramatically impact how hard the Dodgers try to re-sign Garciaparra and veteran Kenny Lofton? And finally, will owner Frank McCourt continue to give Colletti the financial resources to keep this club competitive in the National League West and beyond, especially considering that J.D. Drew, Rafael Furcal, Derek Lowe, Jeff Kent and Brad Penny will combine for $49 million in 2007 salary and another estimated $8 million will go to Odalis Perez, whom the club traded to Kansas City in July?

```I haven't discussed budget with anybody here yet,'' Colletti said.

The free-agent market figures to be thin on pitching, with Oakland's Barry Zito and San Francisco's Jason Schmidt at the head of the class. Colletti said he would love to bring back Maddux, whom the Dodgers got at the trading deadline and who only cost them $1 million. But Maddux also is represented by notorious hardball agent Scott Boras, who isn't known for giving discounts, and Maddux also is considering retirement.

``I think we saw what we looked like the second half of the year with Greg, and I liked the look of it,'' Colletti said. ``I have an interest in bringing Greg back, and I have an interest in adding to that.''

Lowe and Penny are the only sure bets to begin next season in the starting rotation, and rookies Hong-Chih Kuo and Chad Billingsley will be given shots in spring training to make the rotation.

The bullpen should return fairly intact, although it is doubtful the club will re-sign

Eric Gagne, another Boras client, who received $19 million in salary the past two seasons while appearing in just 16 games. But Takashi Saito should be back for a second season as closer, with Jonathan Broxton as his primary setup man.

It isn't clear what will happen with either Brett Tomko, who is signed for next year at $4.1 million and wasn't especially good either as a starter or a reliever, or Joe Beimel, a solid situational lefty who angered teammates and club officials with by injuring his hand in a New York bar before the Dodgers' first postseason game, leaving him unable to pitch in the playoffs.

If Garciaparra leaves and Loney is deemed not ready, range-challenged second baseman Jeff Kent could move to first base in what is expected to be his final major-league season. Kent said after Saturday night's season-ending loss to the New York Mets that he won't retire.

``I'm under contract,'' he said. ``I plan to be here playing baseball next year.''

The Dodgers are set at shortstop with Furcal and probably at third base with Wilson Betemit. Andre Ethier figures to be the primary left fielder, with either Lofton or Kemp in center and, for three more years, Drew in right. And catching sensation Russell Martin, an All-Star-in-waiting, will be back behind the plate.

The irony of all the injuries the Dodgers battled this season is that all their promising rookies got valuable big-league experience earlier than they were supposed to. In theory, that puts the club ahead of where Colletti and Little thought it would be at this point when they took over last winter.

``By far,'' Little said. ``These kids have been around for a long time, and they have been productive, winning players. The experience they got with this ballclub this year is going to do nothing but help them.''

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4 photos

Photo:

(1) After getting NL Comeback Player of the Year, Nomar Garciaparra could have priced himself out of the Dodgers' range.

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

(2) With young talent ready to play center field, the Dodgers could also say goodbye to Kenny Lofton.

Henry Ray Abrams/Associated Press

(3) Jeff Kent says he's returning next season. What position he will play -- either second, or first -- is still up in the air.

Keith Birmingham/Staff Photographer

(4) The sky's the limit for catcher Russell Martin, left, but Greg Maddux might not be back.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer