from LA Daily News
http://www.dailynewslosangeles.com/sports/articles/1201/29/spo05.asp


Dodgers still want Percival

Though unable to strike a deal on two other occasions, Dodgers general
manager Dan Evans plans to continue his pursuit of the Angels' Troy Percival
to fill the Dodgers' void at closer, baseball sources said Friday.

However, Evans will have to be creative and might have to part with
more than he thought a week ago. That's when Disney CEO Michael Eisner nixed
a deal that would have sent Dodgers reliever Matt Herges and
highly regarded outfield prospect Chin-Feng Chen to Anaheim for Percival.

Sources said Eisner didn't want to lose a player as identifiable as Percival,
but the Dodgers believe that might change after the Mo Vaughn trade.
Evans doesn't want to part with young players, but baseball officials said
he likely will have to add another prospect to the deal to complete it.

after this season, lives in Corona. If the Dodgers acquire him, they would try
to sign him to an extension.Evans would like to have a closer in place by
mid January, sources said, but he does have backup plans.

Regardless of the Percival situation, Evans has interest in Minnesota free
agent Todd Jones, who saved 131 games in Detroit from 1997 to 2000.
Since any deal involving Percival likely would include Herges, it would
create a need for another setup man in the Dodgers' bullpen. Evans has
contacted Jones' agent, Alan Hendricks, and expressed interest

If the Percival deal again falls through -- Evans thought the Angels' asking
price too high in November -- the Dodgers might sign Jones and use him with
Herges and Paul Quantrill to close games.

Notes: The Dodgers will return from spring training and play host to Cleveland
for two exhibition games at Dodger Stadium on March 29 and 30. They
tentatively
are scheduled to travel to Seattle for a March 31 exhibition game before the
season opener April 1 against San Francisco. Winter workouts begin Jan. 9 at
Dodger Stadium.
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