1-year, $25 million? Ramiez says no deal
The Dodgers are still trying to bring back Manny Ramirez. Only the enigmatic slugger doesn't like their latest deal.
He rejected their third offer - for one year and $25 million. It would have given Ramirez the second-highest average salary behind New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez's $275 million, 10-year contract.
That leaves Ramirez unsigned three months after deciding to test his value in the recession-plagued free agent market, with the Dodgers the only team to have confirmed making any offers.
"We have interest in signing Manny," general manager Ned Colletti told The Associated Press in an e-mail Tuesday. "We don't have a deadline, but these situations can change in an instant and either side can change them in an instant."
Team owner Frank McCourt said the team still wants Ramirez back, but "at some point, we have to move on," he was quoted by MLB.com.
"We came up with what we thought was a creative proposal to give him a lot of money, and well deserved in a challenging economy, and give him flexibility if he feels it's important to test free agency next year. I don't see long-term contracts happening in this market we're in."
Ramirez, who turns 37 in May, is believed to be seeking a four- or five-year deal starting at $25 million per season.
"We'd love to sign Manny," McCourt told MLB.com. "But we have to be prudent with our decisions. This is about winning now, but also in the future."
Colletti initially tried to re-sign the left fielder, offering a two-year, $45 million deal with a buyout or a club option that was ignored by Ramirez's agent Scott Boras and later withdrawn by the team.
The Dodgers' second attempt involved salary arbitration in December, but Ramirez said no to that, too.
The San Francisco Giants have confirmed interest in Ramirez, but like the Dodgers, they are believed to be reluctant to guarantee a long-term deal.
Ramirez hit .396 with 17 homers, 53 RBI, 36 runs scored, 74 hits and 35 walks in 53 regular-season games, leading the Dodgers to the NL West title. He was even more potent in the postseason, hitting .520 with 4 homers, 10 RBI, 9 runs scored and 11 walks in eight playoff games.
Selig brushes off salary cap: Baseball commissioner Bud Selig says the game's economic structure has come a long way and still could use some tinkering.
And while the man who bought the Milwaukee Brewers from Selig's family, Mark Attanasio, has suggested a salary cap might be the solution, Selig isn't ready to take a stand on an issue that could revive dormant tensions between owners and players.
The current collective bargaining agreement doesn't expire until 2011, and Selig suggested securing long-term labor peace with continued economic reforms could be his final major achievement as commissioner.
"The last year of my commissionership will be devoted to that," Selig said Tuesday during a seminar with students at Marquette University's law school. "So there's no sense in me sitting here today and engaging them on (a salary cap). We'll just watch how the system develops and what we need to do."
Whatever economic tweaks to the game might be forthcoming, Selig said they will be made with one goal in mind. He calls it hope; others might call it parity.
"Our job is to give hope and faith in as many franchises as possible on April 1st," Selig said. "That's the intent."
Around the horn: Second baseman Rickie Weeks (.234, 14 HRs) and the Milwaukee Brewers agreed Tuesday to a $2.45 million, one-year contract and avoided salary arbitration. ... Third baseman Garrett Atkins (.286, 21 HRs, 99 RBI) avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one-year, $7.05 million contract with the Colorado Rockies that will make him the second-highest paid player on the team. ... Bob Costas has left HBO and joined the new MLB Network. The agreement does not affect Costas' relationship with NBC, where he has worked since 1980. Although NBC doesn't televise major-league games, it does report on them on its news program and those of its affiliates.