Sending Perez to the Mets to Be Explored, Sources Say

For sale: One starting pitcher. Left-handed. Career record over .500. Perplexingly inconsistent at times.

Price tag: If you have to ask, you can’t afford him.

Would there be interest in Odalis Perez? The Dodgers tried to trade him during the off-season, but no one was willing to take on his salary. Including a deferred signing bonus, he is owed about $9 million this season and $10 million next season. There is also a club option for 2008, which can be bought out for $1.5 million.

A potential trade partner might be the New York Mets. Starter Victor Zambrano suffered a torn flexor tendon in his elbow Saturday and will be sidelined the rest of the season.

Met third base coach Manny Acta was the manager of the Dominican Republic team in the World Baseball Classic, and Perez pitched well for him. Two sources said the Dodgers will contact the Mets about Perez, perhaps as soon as today.

Meanwhile, Perez told assistant general manager Kim Ng that he would return from bereavement leave Tuesday. He has been visiting his mother, who is in a Dominican hospital.

The Dodgers would have to make a roster move when he comes back, and the pitcher who replaced Perez -- Aaron Sele -- clearly isn’t going anywhere after his superb performance Sunday.

Manager Grady Little said the team is leaning toward sending a position player to triple A and going with 12 pitchers for a short time. Utility infielder Oscar Robles is the most obvious candidate to go down.

If a pitcher is demoted, it probably would be Franquelis Osoria, who has a 6.91 earned-run average in 14 1/3 innings and gave up hits to all five batters he faced in his most recent outing.

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General Manager Ned Colletti posed a rhetorical question the day in January he traded relievers Duaner Sanchez and Steve Schmoll to the Mets for Jae Seo and Tim Hamulack.

What is more difficult to acquire, a starting pitcher or a reliever?

The answer was obvious to him: Seo held the most value because he is a starter.

Colletti hasn’t changed his mind, even though the Dodger bullpen has been a recurring nightmare. Sanchez, however, has emerged as a solid setup man for closer Billy Wagner.

Sanchez has not given up a run in 21 innings, spanning 15 appearances. He has 17 strikeouts and opponents are batting .121 against him. Schmoll is pitching in triple A.

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Third baseman Bill Mueller said he should be ready to return to the lineup Tuesday against the Houston Astros. He aggravated a bone spur in his right knee while making a throw Thursday and made only one pinch-hit appearance in the series against the Milwaukee Brewers.