The man on the other end of the most controversial trade Paul DePodesta made in his two seasons as general manager of the Dodgers might be the man who ultimately replaces DePodesta. Two sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity said Florida GM Larry Beinfest, who on July 30, 2004, sent Brad Penny, Hee-Seop Choi and a minor leaguer to the Dodgers for Paul Lo Duca, Guillermo Mota and Juan Encarnacion, has a strong interest in the job. A former All-City shortstop at Chatsworth High, Beinfest still spends much of his offseasons in Southern California. The only question now is whether the Dodgers are interested in him. The club issued a statement Wednesday that shed no light on its ongoing search for a GM. "There are a number of highly qualified candidates for the general manager's position and no shortage of people who have expressed interest," the statement read. "Although this remains a confidential process, we are making considerable progress." Beinfest would seem just what Dodgers officials are looking for. He is young (41), he apparently wants the job badly enough that he probably would take it at less than a bank-breaking salary, and he has a proven track record. In 2003, his second season as GM, Beinfest built the Marlins into World Series champions. His key move that year came on May 11, when with the blessing of owner Jeffrey Loria he replaced manager Jeff Torborg with septuagenarian Jack McKeon. The Marlins were hit with a hefty fine by the commissioner's office because they didn't interview minority candidates, but Loria's and Beinfest's conviction that McKeon was the man they wanted paid off when he quickly changed the club's collective attitude, approach and results.