Adrian Beltre agreed to terms with the Seattle Mariners on Thursday, and I have to think Kobe Bryant must be ecstatic, because at least temporarily it shifted scrutiny away from the mess he has made and toward the one the Dodgers are in the process of manufacturing.

The Beltre departure doesn’t really create outrage as it does head-scratching. If the Dodgers have a plan, when will they implement it? Or worse, if what we’re looking at is the plan, are they kidding or what?

Losing Beltre might be more understandable if he were asking for the moon and the stars, or —  to quantify it in present baseball terms — Carlos Beltran money. But Beltre and the Mariners settled on a pact that runs five years and is worth $64 million, or just less than $13 million a season.

That isn’t outrageous for an outstanding third baseman who often plays hurt, who hit .334, with 48 homers and 121 RBI in 2004, and who finished second to Barry Bonds for the National League MVP. Granted, last year’s production was suspiciously abundant given the fact he was on the brink of free agency. But he’s 25, he not only swung a hot bat but a clutch one, he’s a fan favorite and a good citizen to boot.

Was it too much to ask to gamble just a little on a young man like that? This wasn’t a Pedro Martinez situation where the Mets guaranteed a 33-year-old prima donna pitcher in decline a fourth year because they were desperate to seize the back pages of the tabloids. This was a mild gamble on a supremely talented ballplayer who had promised great things in previous years, then finally broke through in 2004.

Hot stove news Latest rumors TSN: Dodgers' moves don't make sense Expert: Angels look better than in '02 List of free agents

But the Beltre exit represents the Dodgers’ dilemma in microcosm. They don’t seem to have any idea what they want to do. They’re acting like bargain-hunters at a flea market: They’re willing to check out the merchandise, but unless they come across a deal that is too incredible to pass up, they’ll withdraw into their meager existence and maintain the status quo, however depressing it may be.

They signed Jeff Kent, which was a fine addition if combined with two or three other improvements. But Kent alone means squat, especially now with Beltre gone from the lineup. The Dodgers are also trying to trade Shawn Green and his $16 million salary. If they do, the two mightiest sticks in the lineup would be Kent and Milton Bradley, currently serving a brief jail sentence for another Tasmanian Devil impersonation. That means the Dodgers would be one Kent motorcycle wheelie or Bradley meltdown away from last place.

If the Dodgers indeed trade Green in a reported three-way transaction with the D-Backs and Yankees, and receive Javier Vazquez in return, why would they think Vazquez would be less of a bust in the No. 2 media market than he was in the No. 1 media market?

General manager Paul DePodesta seems to have been given orders to slash payroll first and build a winner second. There is no other explanation for why he would cast off valuable veterans like Steve Finley and Jose Lima. Both of those players served vital roles in the Dodgers’ unlikely drive toward the postseason last year. Lima had the most memorable victory of the year, a five-hit shutout against the Cardinals in the NLDS. His reward was a pink slip.

Losing both would be acceptable if there was a plan to replace them. But there doesn’t appear to be. Talk show speculation is suggesting that the Dodgers are clearing payroll to make a run at Carlos Beltran, but that seems out of character with McCourt's skinflint philosophy.

Tim Hudson is gone to Atlanta. His courtship by the Dodgers seems to have been a smokescreen, especially since his contract is up after 2005 and he’s seeking an extension in the range of $12 million to $15 million per season. Owner Frank McCourt would have had to default on another loan in order to pay out that kind of money from his cash reserves, and apparently banks only let you default on 10 or 12 at a time before they start cracking down.

The Dodgers have no catcher. Brent Mayne and David Ross are the mannequins occupying the position until further notice.

They had a fine catcher in Paul Lo Duca. But DePodesta traded him to Florida with Guillermo Mota in exchange for Brad Penny, a starting pitcher who contributed one start before suffering an elbow injury and missing the season, and who may be shipped out in the proposed trade with Green for Vazquez and a couple of prospects. Mayne also came in that deal along with first baseman Hee-Seop Choi, who seems destined to become a perennial “player to be named later.”

That deal ostensibly was engineered this past season in an effort to obtain Randy Johnson from Arizona. But DePodesta pulled the trigger without getting assurances from the Diamondbacks that he could then turn around and trade Penny for Johnson. Either that, or the Big Unit trade chatter was just more McCourt-DePodesta window dressing to placate fans when they never had any real intention of taking on Johnson and his massive salary.

And don’t forget that DePodesta let Dave Roberts get away to the Red Sox. That may not rival letting Pedro Martinez go to Boston in exchange for Delino DeShields. But Roberts was a popular and valuable outfielder who provides sparks at key moments, like he did for Boston with a critical steal in Game 4 of the ALCS.

When McCourt bought the Dodgers earlier this year, speculation ran rampant that he would operate the club on the cheap. That took on more credence when he hired DePodesta, a protégé of Billy Beane-counter in Oakland. None of that is bad. Fiscal responsibility is an admirable trait in sports, but only when it is combined with sound methodology and a determination to field a winner.

None of this makes sense. The Dodgers are flailing, grabbing pieces here and there, seemingly content with slapping together a jalopy made of spare parts.

Maybe they’ll come up with a plan in time for spring training. Then all they’ll need is some players.

MORE FROM BASEBALL

Baseball Section Front

Twins’ Mauer wins historic AL MVP award CTB: Mauer had truly historic season CTB: Mets keeping an eye on Sheets CTB: Did A-Rod throw cousin under financial bus? CTB: Red Sox willing to throw money into Lowell deal DeMarco: Red Sox should take measured approach No horror film: Yankees like this Series movie Blyleven: Pitching to be had beyond Halladay CTB: Dye open to move at first base CTB: Future Hall of Famer Vizquel joins White Sox Baseball Section Front   Add Baseball headlines to your news reader: