DODGERS GET CONSENT TO HIRE EVANS AS GM.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

PHOENIX - Baseball commissioner Bud Selig has granted the Dodgers permission to bypass the usual search process and hire Dan Evans as their general manager, a representative of the commissioner's office said Saturday.

Furthermore, the representative said the Dodgers told the commissioner's office they would hire Evans as early as next weekend when the Dodgers play in San Francisco.

Evans has served as major-league senior adviser to interim general manager Dave Wallace since May 31. Wallace, who will oversee the Dodgers' minor-league system, will continue to have strong input in the day-to-day operations of the ballclub at the major-league level.

The commissioner's office mandated that all clubs go through a process that includes considering minority candidates when hiring either a manager or general manager. However, that can be bypassed with permission.

Evans is considered an employee of the Dodgers, and teams can fill such positions without a search by promoting from within. The Dodgers also conducted a search in 1998, and told the commissioner's office they were aware of all potential candidates.

``Selig is aware of the situation,'' said a baseball official close to the commissioner. ``The Dodgers have been in touch with Selig and have satisfied the requirements in hiring a general manager. They're doing what is necessary for fulfilling the stipulations for the hiring of this position. They've told Selig of their plan.''

That plan is to hire Evans, but contract discussions have yet to take place. The Dodgers are expected to offer Evans a two-year deal with several years of club options, officials said.

Evans' contract with the Dodgers expires Monday, but he will accompany the team to San Diego and San Francisco next week. The club is hopeful an agreement will be reached next weekend, but the possibility exists it could take at least a week after the conclusion of the season to finalize the matter, sources said.

The setup with Evans and Wallace, who will spend much of his time in Vero Beach, Fla., will be similar to that of the New York Yankees. They have general manager Brian Cashman in New York and senior vice president of baseball operations Mark Newman, who has substantial input on all decisions, in Tampa, Fla.

``This is not the appropriate time for the organization to discuss a general manager search or the position,'' Dodgers senior vice president Derrick Hall said. ``When we make a final decision, we will make an announcement then.''

Dodgers chairman Bob Daly is pleased with the work Evans, versed in the transactions and rules of baseball, and Wallace have done.

Since late July, the Dodgers have been targeting Evans as their top choice.

Even though trading-deadline deals orchestrated by Evans and signed off by Wallace haven't worked as well as intended - James Baldwin, Terry Mulholland and Mike Trombley each have struggled - the Dodgers didn't include any of their top prospects in the deal.

Evans, 41, joined the Dodgers to help Wallace with administrative duties. Wallace, who began as interim general manager when Kevin Malone resigned April 19, had no interest in becoming the next general manager, but agreed to stay on until the conclusion of the season as long as Evans was hired.

Evans, a graduate of DePaul University, has an extensive background in baseball, mostly with the Chicago White Sox, where he spent 19 years and served as assistant general manager from 1988 through 2000. However, he left the organization after being bypassed for the general manager's position in favor of Ken Williams.

Evans did consulting work for the Chicago Cubs last offseason, working on arbitration cases. He began this year working for the Fox affiliate in Chicago doing studio work on Cubs broadcasts.

He first met Wallace at Wrigley Field during the Dodgers' visit in early May, and joined the organization less than a month later.

He also has a strong relationship with the commissioner's office, working with it in arbitration hearings. The commissioner's office believes Evans will greatly assist the Dodgers in their quest to control their skyrocketing payroll, which is now more than $110 million.

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