LosAngeles.Dodgers.MLB.com

By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com

Darren Dreifort might not pitch in 2005, but the team will still owe him $13.4 million. (Jill Weisleder/Dodgers)

They have and are. They tried to trade for Johnson at the deadline, but the Diamondbacks asked for a package so loaded (a combination of Paul Lo Duca, Guillermo Mota, Edwin Jackson, Jayson Werth and prospects) that general manager Paul DePodesta was never convinced Arizona was serious about sending the left-hander to Los Angeles.

DePodesta reportedly has expressed renewed interest in Johnson, but the favorites to land him are the Yankees and Cardinals. The chances that the Diamondbacks would send Johnson to a division rival, allowing him to face them five or six times while possibly taking the Dodgers to the World Series, is not good form for a general manager inherited by a new ownership group.

Is any of Darren Dreifort's salary for next year covered by insurance if he doesn't pitch? -- Gary P., New York, N.Y.

Yes, but it's not so simple that the Dodgers suddenly have an extra $13.4 million to spend. They do have some disability insurance on Dreifort, but the terms are complicated. Reportedly, Dreifort must be disabled for one complete year from the date he last pitched, Aug. 16. As astounding as his record of injuries has been, it's conceivable that he could be healed from his hip and knee injuries before that window expires and return to action.

Also, although the exact terms are not known, the reimbursement to the club is not dollar for dollar, but includes a deductible of millions of dollars. DePodesta said for payroll purposes he is assuming he must pay Dreifort the $13.4 million for which his contract calls.

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Why have the Dodgers not been active so far when it comes to improving the team? -- Keith L.

They're not alone. The only team that has been "active" in signing free agents is Washington, which is trying to establish itself in a new market. The Red Sox haven't signed anybody, the Yankees haven't signed anybody, the Cardinals haven't signed anybody, etc. The signing season is dictated by the players, not the teams. The player must decide to sign. First, he shops, which is happening now. There also are compensation issues that impact free agent signings and those are tied to December dates. The Winter Meetings are still a week away and that typically marks the beginning of the signing period.

What's the word on Todd Hundley? -- Rebecca Barthelmess, Long Island, N.Y.

The Dodgers have 12 free agents. Aside from Robin Ventura, who has retired, the club has contacted every one of them regarding a 2005 job, except for Hundley. DePodesta said he believes that Hundley's back and hip problems, which prevented him from even putting on a uniform the entire 2004 season, have left him physically incapable of returning. So, his days as a Dodger are over, and his career likely is, too.

I notice that Brian Myrow hit .359 at Triple-A this season after a solid year last year in Double-A with the Yankees. Will he get a shot to make the team next spring? -- Brian Grieve, New York, N.Y.

Myrow, an outfielder obtained in a midseason trade for Tanyon Sturtze, spent two weeks on the suspended list for an unspecified infraction, but the club considered him enough of a prospect to add him to the Major League roster last week rather than risk losing him in the Rule 5 draft next month.

Myrow did make an impact at Triple-A Las Vegas. He had five homers and 21 RBIs over his last 19 games. But he's not your typical prospect. Undrafted out of the University of Michigan, he was plucked out of his third season of independent ball by the Yankees, and he's already 28. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed. He's currently hitting .247 with Escogido in the Dominican Republic Winter League.

Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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