DODGERS NOTEBOOK: $1 MILLION CONTRACT IN WORKS FOR SAITO.

Byline: TONY JACKSON  Staff Writer

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Dodgers are believed to be close to an agreement with closer Takashi Saito on a one-year contract worth about $1 million. The deal would double Saito's salary.

The Japanese veteran might have been considering retirement if the Dodgers didn't give him a contract that paid him more than the standard second-year major leaguer.

Although Saito technically was a rookie last season, when he saved 24 games in 26 chances, he also was 36 and a veteran of 14 seasons with the Yokohama Baystars , for whom he was a four-time All-Star.

A contractual agreement between Major League Baseball and the Japanese leagues prevents Saito from pitching in Japan unless the Dodgers release him. His only negotiating leverage was the possibility he could retire.

``He made a decision after discussing it with his family, and he wanted to play again with the Dodgers,'' a source close to Saito told the Japanese newspaper Sports Nippon.

Saito came to spring training last season on a minor-league contract and didn't make the club. He agreed to go to Triple-A Las Vegas to begin the season.

He didn't stay there long, getting called to the majors on April 7 after Eric Gagne underwent elbow surgery.

Saito took over the closer role in late May after Danys Baez failed to pitch consistently. He went on to lead all National League relievers, holding opposing hitters to a .177 average.

Closing in: Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said Monday the Dodgers were getting close to an agreement with a backup catcher.

Although Colletti declined to identify the player, it is believed to be free agent Mike Lieberthal, the former Philadelphia catcher and Westlake High School alumnus.

``We may be getting close to one guy, hypothetically,'' Colletti said.

Lieberthal doesn't figure to get much playing time given the Dodgers' heavy reliance on Russell Martin, who at 23 can withstand more than the average workload for a first-string catcher.

Signing Lieberthal will allow the Dodgers to trade current backup Toby Hall, who was unhappy with his lack of playing time last season after being acquired in June from Tampa Bay, where he had been the Devil Rays' primary catcher.

Colletti said there was ``some'' interest in Hall from other teams.

New trainer: Todd Tomczyk, who was the trainer for Cleveland's Triple-A Buffalo affiliate last season, has joined the Dodgers' major-league medical staff as an assistant trainer, the first addition by new trainer Stan Conte.

Former Dodgers head trainer Stan Johnston also will serve as an assistant trainer on Conte's staff.

Also: The Dodgers were named baseball's organization of the year Monday by Baseball America.

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The Dodgers are working with Takashi Saito on a contract that would double his salary.

Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images