NOW IT'S THE GM'S SEASON RE-SIGNING TRACY, BELTRE ATOP DEPODESTA'S LIST FOR DODGERS.

Byline: Tony Jackson  Staff Writer

Paul DePodesta stood in a quiet corner of the clubhouse Sunday night, surveying the mass of microphones and television cameras crammed into the other end of the room. Between interviews, the players, having been vanquished by the St. Louis Cardinals in a four-game Division Series, were somberly packing their belongings and preparing to leave Dodger Stadium, most of them just for the winter but some of them forever.

With his first season as Dodgers general manager finally behind him, DePodesta began to reflect on a different, more distant season.

It was 1996, DePodesta's first year as a major-league advance scout for Cleveland. The Indians were the overwhelming favorites to repeat as American League champions, but they had suffered a stunning, four-game defeat to Baltimore in the Division Series.

``I was absolutely exhausted at the end of that season, just drained,'' DePodesta said. ``But I'll never forget the next day, when (then-Indians GM) John Hart said, 'Today is the beginning of our season,' meaning the front office.''

The lesson was learned quickly and never forgotten - which is why DePodesta spent Monday in his Dodger Stadium office when he could have been forgiven for taking one day to catch his breath. As he embarks on his first offseason, his to-do list is longer than Jeff Weaver's hair. DePodesta hopes to plow through a big chunk of it before the start of the general managers' meetings the second week of November.

If DePodesta has a specific agenda for the next month, he wouldn't say what it was. But suffice it to say, one of the first orders of business, if not the first, is to resolve the contract status of manager Jim Tracy and his coaches. DePodesta's recent public statements have made it clear he plans to retain the staff he inherited, but there still is the matter of negotiating what probably will end up being a two-year extension.

``This is just baseball operations in general,'' DePodesta said Monday. ``Everybody's contract runs out on Oct. 31, and I would like to have our entire baseball operations team, from scouting and player development to our major-league staff, in place by the time I go to the GM meetings. I don't know if that's realistic, but that's the goal. That way, once we get to the GM meetings, we can focus totally on building our 2005 club.''

One change that clearly is coming - although DePodesta won't confirm it publicly - is that minor-league field coordinator Terry Collins will receive the formal title of player development director, a role he has been sharing with assistant GM Kim Ng all season while the position has been vacant. DePodesta also inherited Ng, amateur scouting director Logan White, professional scouting director Matt Slater, international scouting director Rene Francisco and a host of special assistants. DePodesta has said he plans to retain Ng.

One key member of the scouting department, special adviser John Boles, plans to leave Nov. 1.

As for the team on the field, DePodesta repeatedly has said re-signing free-agent third baseman Adrian Beltre is his top priority. But that doesn't mean it's going to happen. Beltre, who tied a record for third basemen by swatting 48 homers this season, is represented by notorious hardball agent Scott Boras, who might price Beltre right out of Los Angeles. But Beltre has said he prefers to stay.

Beyond that, DePodesta's other top priority is to upgrade the starting rotation. The Dodgers figure to go to spring training with Weaver and a healthy Brad Penny as the only locks. Veteran right-hander Jose Lima is a free agent who wants to return and probably will. Left-hander Odalis Perez also is a free agent, and DePodesta said he will try to re-sign him despite the fact Perez is not a favorite of his teammates and was a bust in two playoff starts, posting a 14.40 ERA.

``I think it would be a shame if two playoff starts overshadowed what he did for us this year,'' DePodesta said. ``We will certainly be in conversations (with Perez's representatives), I will say that. I'm not in a position where I sit here thinking we just turn the page.''

Perez, who received little run support, went 7-6 in 31 starts, with a 3.25 ERA.

Even with Perez and a healthy Penny, the Dodgers could stand to add one more piece. The fact the rotation wore down toward the end of the season, and the fact it posted a 6.63 postseason ERA despite Jose Lima's complete-game shutout, seems to support DePodesta's premise for making that controversial trade for Penny on July 30, that being that the Dodgers needed a frontline starter in order to go deep into the postseason.

Penny was hurt, leaving the Dodgers with exactly the playoff rotation they would have had if the trade hadn't been made.

As for position players, it is imperative the Dodgers find an everyday catcher who can hit. Someone like, say, Paul Lo Duca, whom they traded to Florida for Penny. Although both Brent Mayne and David Ross were defensively superior to Lo Duca, Mayne batted .188 for the Dodgers, while Ross batted .170.

``We also have to see what happens at third base,'' DePodesta said, rather cryptically. ``Other than that, I feel pretty good about our club. That's not to say a piece or two won't change here or there. We're not necessarily not looking to do some things at other positions. But our primary needs are behind the plate and possibly third base.''

DePodesta said he is happy with the bullpen as it is currently constructed, but that there might be a nominal change or two. Closer Eric Gagne is under control for two more years, and setup man Yhency Brazoban is a rookie.

But, like all clubs, next year's Dodgers will have a different look, a different combination of people and, ultimately, a different personality.

``A lot depends on what we're able to do with some of our own (free agents),'' DePodesta said. ``A change to one piece might change how you approach other pieces. It's all about that combination of 25 pieces, and we have certainly talked about a number of guys we may be interested in pursuing.''

Tony Jackson,[phone]

tony.jackson(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) Free agent Adrian Beltre, after an MVP-caliber year, might have priced himself out of the Dodgers' budget.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer

(2 -- 3) Steve Finley, left, a key acquisition before the trading deadline, is a free agent and turns 40 next year. Free agent Odalis Perez is coveted by the Dodgers despite his playoff failures.

John McCoy and Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographers

Box:

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