Greg Maddux was dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the biggest deal before baseball’s non-waiver trade deadline yesterday while the Washington Nationals surprised some teams by holding on to Alfonso Soriano.

A 327-game winner and four-time Cy Young Award winner, Maddux waived his no-trade clause and accepted the trade to Los Angeles, who sent Gold Glove infielder Cesar Izturis to the Cubs. Chicago is giving $2 million to the Dodgers as part of the trade.

Maddux, who spent his first seven seasons with the Cubs, returned to Chicago before the 2004 season after 11 years with the Atlanta Braves. He got his 300th win and 3,000th strikeout with the Cubs.

“I am very surprised to be honest with you,” Maddux said. “It came down to the last minute. I’m excited to be going to L.A., but at the same time sad about leaving Chicago.”

Maddux started the season 5–0, but the 40-year-old right-hander has won only four games since and is 9–11 overall with a 4.69 ERA in 22 starts.

“He’s not what he was when he was winning Cy Young Awards, but we still think he has the ability to pitch and win games,” Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said. “He’s probably one of the smartest players I’ve ever been around.”

Los Angeles, last in the tightly grouped NL West, also acquired shortstop Julio Lugo from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for minor league third baseman Joel Guzman and outfielder Sergio Pedroza

Earlier, the Cubs traded infielder Todd Walker and $350,000 to San Diego for minor league right-hander Jose Ceda.

Soriano, an All-Star left fielder, is batting .286 with 32 homers, 64 RBI, and 26 stolen bases in his first season with Washington after coming over in a trade with Texas last offseason.

“We felt the best deal we could make is no deal for the franchise,” general manager Jim Bowden said. “He wants to stay in D.C. and did not want to be traded.”

Soriano, who makes $10 million this year, can become a free agent after the season.

“I’m happy,” Soriano said. “It will be more easy to focus on playing every time because it passed. I was very excited they wanted to keep me here. … I love my teammates, too.”

While Soriano stayed put, there were 12 trades in all yesterday, including four by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Teams can still make trades, but players must first pass through waivers.

Pittsburgh also sent right-hander Kip Wells to Texas for minor league pitcher Jesse Chavez and first baseman Sean Casey to Detroit for right-hander Brian Rogers.

AL East-leading Boston, which began the day a half-game ahead of the Yankees, didn’t make any moves.

“We were asked over and over again for our young pitchers,” general manager Theo Epstein said. “As much as we desperately wanted to help our team, it would have been shortsighted to sacrifice our plan.”

Star shortstop Miguel Tejada also stayed put in Baltimore.

“I told them before that I don’t want to go anywhere. If I’m going to win, I want to win here,” said Tejada, who is signed through 2009.

Texas acquired infielder-outfielder Matt Stairs from Kansas City for right-hander Joselo Diaz.

Cincinnati, continuing to remake its pitching staff, obtained left-hander Rheal Cormier from Philadelphia and right-hander Kyle Lohse from Minnesota. The Reds sent 23-year-old right-hander Justin Germano to the Phillies and 22-year-old righthander Zach Ward to the Twins.

Atlanta dealt struggling pitcher Jorge Sosa to St. Louis for right-hander Rich Scalamandre.