Ramirez never responded to Dodgers' offer
LAS VEGAS – Scott Boras never responded to the Los Angeles Dodgers' two-year offer to free agent Manny Ramirez a month ago, Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said Monday at the winter meetings.
The Dodgers offered Ramirez a two-year contract that would have guaranteed him $45 million, but Boras, the slugger's agent, didn't consider the proposal even worthy of a response.
"We made an offer the day the president was elected, and [Ramirez's] name hasn't come up since," Colletti said. "I don't think it's my place to bring the name up. My place was to bring the offer I did. So if the offer wasn't good enough, which apparently it wasn't, I don't know if it was or it wasn't, he didn't take it."
"Made an offer, never heard back. Arbitration offer, never heard back. We'll have to look into the communications we're using, because maybe the communication ain't getting out there. But as far as we know, he's got it. No response. So. All part of the interesting life lesson."
The lesson from Boras was loud and clear: The offer wasn't nearly good enough.
Ramirez didn't hire Boras and have club options for $20 million in 2009 and in 2010 eliminated from his contract when he was traded from the Red Sox to the Dodgers only to accept a similar deal. The Dodgers' offer would have paid him only $15 million next season.
A few days after the offer, Boras made a comment that many interpreted as dismissive of the Dodgers, saying "serious offers" would be coming in soon. It's unclear whether the Dodgers would return to the table and make another offer Boras would regard as "serious," but it doesn't appear that Colletti will overspend on Ramirez at the expense of filling other needs.
"L.A. is really attracted to that star type, the buzz was phenomenal," Colletti said. "It was electric every day. I think the best scenario is to have that type of player on a team that's going to win. The worst case scenario is to have that type of player on a team that isn't going to win because the fans aren't going to come out and watch one player play baseball.
"If Manny Ramirez shows up in Glendale, Arizona, on the first day of spring training, we'll find him a hat, we'll find him a shirt, and we'll play him in the field. We'll figure it out then. But I can't wait until he shows up before we go after a third baseman or a shortstop, or another starter, or another reliever."
The Dodgers already reached a tentative agreement with third baseman Casey Blake on Monday and are making progress in re-signing shortstop Rafael Furcal. They also need at least one starting pitcher because Derek Lowe and Brad Penny are free agents.
Colletti has no interest in re-signing either of them. Penny and the Dodgers had a nasty late-season fallout over the team's reluctance to offer him a contract extension, and while Lowe pitched consistently during his four-year tenure, the Dodgers believe it is best for all concerned that he changes uniforms.
"I sense Derek doesn't want to be [a Dodger]," Colletti said. "We're not going to spend much time trying to persuade him. We haven't talked seriously with him about a contract or an offer. Our offer was arbitration. We had a feel for what that would be both in duration and in value so we were prepared to do that."
A source said several teams have expressed heavy interest in Lowe, who is seeking a four- or five-year contract: the Yankees, Cubs, Phillies and Mets.
Ramirez, a source said, probably won't sign until after free agent first baseman Mark Teixeira finds a home because the same teams likely are in on both players. The Yankees, the source said, are in "huge," on Teixeira, and the Red Sox have significant interest.
