Two parties reach preliminary agreement on a $45 million,
two-year contract
LOS ANGELES
Manny Ramirez and the Los Angeles Dodgers reached a preliminary agreement Wednesday on a $45 million, two-year contract following months of talks.
The agreement is subject to the outfielder passing a physical, a person familiar with the talks said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because the deal was not final.
Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti and manager Joe Torre left spring training in Arizona and met Wednesday morning in the Los Angeles area with owner Frank McCourt, Ramirez and the players’ agent, Scott Boras.
Los Angeles announced last week that Ramirez declined its latest offer, a $25 million, one-year contract with a $20 million player option for 2010. That deal would have included deferred payments of $10 million each in 2011 and 2012 and $5 million in 2013.
Boras countered with a proposal that included no deferred money, leaving the sides about $3 million apart in present-day value.
At the time the Dodgers acquired him from the Boston Red Sox last July 31, Ramirez’s contract was amended to eliminate the $20 million team options it included for 2009 and 2010. The new agreement leaves him with a small increase but likely fell short of what Ramirez hoped to gain on the free-agent market.
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Story by Beth Harris, AP Sports Writer. AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this report.
