This morning, it still feels like the Dodgers' little silver top hat landed on Free Parking.

Man, they've got some money to spend if the Kevin Brown trade goes through. Even this financial disciplinarian is ready to go buy some hotels.

Let's just make sure they're not on Baltic Avenue.

With all this spending money available, I hope my old readers will forgive me if I repeat, for the benefit of the new readers that have come via the Times, the reigning guideline for the Dodgers this offseason: acquiring a good-hitting outfielder is more important than acquiring a good-hitting infielder.

You can read a more detailed explanation about it here, but the gist of it is this: Dodger left fielders were last in the league in offensive production in 2003. Cesar Izturis left the Dodgers last in the league at shortstop as well - a problem certainly worth solving - but his defensive value renders that problem less urgent. Bid on Nomar Garciaparra if you want, but you had better make sure you also get Vladimir Guerrero or the next-best thing.

To force-feed another board game analogy, it doesn't do much good to fortify Kamchatka when ... well, I don't have Risk in front of me, but think of your flank being exposed. And that flank is in left field. And those high rollers in the bleachers - they can be Alaska - are attacking your flank. Phew. Anyway, it's not good.

The nice thing about the Brown trade is that the Dodgers can buy houses and hotels at multiple locations. But on the off chance that they aren't the most adept organization at multitasking, they had better know what their priorities are.