DODGERS UPDATE: DODGERS SHOP, FINDS NOTHING.

Byline: Tony Jackson  Staff Writer

General manager Paul DePodesta insisted for weeks the Dodgers would be buyers at the trading deadline. As it turned out, they were merely window shoppers.

One year after DePodesta effectively blew up a first-place club, this season's non-waiver deadline passed quietly Sunday. The Dodgers made only one trade, a minor-league deal Friday that sent long-forgotten infielder Joe Thurston to the New York Yankees for a player to be named, but did nothing to better themselves for a division race they have spent weeks clawing back into.

Nothing, that is, except activate Milton Bradley and Jose Valentin from the disabled list and call up top catching prospect Dioner Navarro, all within the past week or so.

``Certainly, we wanted to improve,'' DePodesta said. ``We do feel that we have gotten better over the past eight days by adding (those players).''

DePodesta said he and his staff worked until the 1 p.m. PDT deadline in hopes of completing a trade, adding that none of the potential deals fell through because of finances.

``We thought we were close on a couple of deals,'' DePodesta said. ``We were actually trying to add money into the deal, because we were in a better position financially than just about anybody we talked with.''

The rest of the National League West didn't fare much better. San Diego picked up pitcher Chan Ho Park and catchers Miguel Olivo and David Ross, none particularly impressive. San Francisco got marginal outfielder Randy Winn. Arizona added nothing.

Now comes a more interesting trading period. Starting today, practically every player on every club's 40-man roster will be waived, just to see who clears and who doesn't. Most of those who are claimed by other clubs will simply be pulled back from the waiver wire and remain with their current clubs. Those players who pass through unclaimed (72 hours) are eligible to be traded, and DePodesta still hopes he can upgrade his roster in the coming weeks.

``I think there will be a lot of players who get through,'' he said. ``Right now, I think there are 24 teams within seven games of some sort of playoff spot. But that will probably change over the next couple of weeks and make more guys available.''

Tony Jackson, [phone]

tony.jackson(at)dailynews.com