DODGERS UPDATE: NOW DODGERS WEIGHING DEAL SHEFFIELD PROPOSAL ONE OF MANY AS L.A. AWAITS START OF MEETINGS.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

BOSTON - The proposed deal that would send left fielder Gary Sheffield to Oakland and bring outfielder Jermaine Dye and closer Billy Koch to Los Angeles is in the Dodgers' court, baseball sources said.

However, the Dodgers are proceeding slowly because they want to make sure the deal suits them as they weigh several options.

The Dodgers, who would also trade Mike Trombley and Luke Prokopec to Oakland, want one of Oakland's top prospects in return for the price of a young, power arm like Prokopec, sources said.

The Dodgers are weighing other deals - including the possibility of Cincinnati closer Danny Graves being available and the Mets again talking about a three-way deal to send Armando Benitez to the Dodgers and David Justice to Oakland - baseball officials said. Oakland is also considering a straight trade for Justice that would make the Sheffield deal moot.

The Dodgers are also waiting for all clubs to arrive at the meetings, including the Yankees, who are poised to make a strong push for Sheffield but do not want to part with Alfonso Soriano.

The deal that remains on the front burner is with Oakland. After two stalled days of talks, it should heat up today when Athletics general manager Billy Beane arrives.

``As I said all along regarding Sheffield, until there's a deal that makes sense for the Dodgers, Gary Sheffield is going to remain a Los Angeles Dodger,'' Dodgers general manager Dan Evans said. ``There's no pressure to trade Gary Sheffield. He's one of the best right-handed hitters in baseball. I've said that all along and I'm going to adhere to that. Nothing's changed. We came here with the intention of talking to a number of clubs and a number of agents about a number of different things and if the deal makes sense for us, you know, we'll explore it, we'll move forward.''

Yet, Sheffield's agent, Scott Boras, sounded his own siren that could throw a monkey wrench into any deal.

Sheffield can demand a trade, a right of any player traded during a multiyear contract. So it appears teams acquiring Sheffield can either broker a contract extension or risk losing him after the 2002 season.

It's no secret Boras and Sheffield believe his contract is substandard. Sheffield will make $9.5 million in 2002, $11 million in 2003 and has an $11 million club option for 2004. He also has a limited no-trade clause, though Oakland is not on his block list.

``Gary is a hard player to move because at the back end of this, when he is moved, he has a right, and that right is to demand a trade,'' Boras said. ``That triggers a lot of uncertainty for the team getting him because the Dodgers are going to require premium players to trade Sheff, and the club in return is going to want Sheff for longer than one year if they're going to give up premium players.

``With that caveat, it means that a club that is going to trade for him is probably going to have to do something in his contract to make sure that right to demand a trade is alleviated.''

When Sheffield was traded to the Dodgers in 1998, a $5 million fee was brokered for him to waive his no-trade clause. Such a decision isn't likely to come this time.

If Sheffield was traded and asked to be traded after the 2002 season, he must be moved by the following March 15. If not, he would become a free agent.

If Sheffield were traded, he would give up his right to free agency for three years after his contract expires but be eligible for salary arbitration. That appears to be a road Boras is willing to navigate.

``This is a business of extensions,'' Boras said. ``We're not asking to have his contract renegotiated, but obviously the idea of it is that he has rights under the collective-bargaining agreement that are going to have to be addressed. If Gary were to be traded, the club that's acquiring Gary would probably want to ask for permission to talk to us before that trade was finalized. I have not received any information on that.''