PHOENIX — Manny Ramirez has rejected yet another offer from the Dodgers.
The Dodgers announced Thursday night the outfielder’s agent, Scott Boras, had declined a $25 million, one-year contract with a $20 million player option for 2010. It was the club’s fourth offer to Ramirez this offseason.
“We want Manny back, but we feel we are negotiating against ourselves,” owner Frank McCourt said. “When his agent finds those ‘serious offers’ from other clubs, we’ll be happy to restart the negotiations.”
The offer is similar to the two-year, $45 million deal with a buyout or club option that the Dodgers put on the table in November. Ramirez refused the offer and the Dodgers withdrew their proposal. The team came back with a one-year, $25 million offer, but Ramirez turned that down as well.
Ramirez, who also turned down salary arbitration, hit .396 with 17 home runs and 53 RBIs in 53 games with the Dodgers last season while leading them to the NL West title after he was acquired from Boston at the July 31 trade deadline.
• First baseman Doug Mientkiewicz and the Dodgers agreed to a minor- league contract.
A-Rod told to keep cousin away
NEW YORK — Alex Rodriguez was told by the Yankees to keep his cousin away from the team during spring training and the regular season. The third baseman also was told the cousin should not be anywhere the team congregates, which presumably includes the team’s hotel when it travels and the ballpark.
General manager Brian Cashman said the matter of Rodriguez being picked up from his spring training opener Wednesday by his cousin “has been handled.”
Rodriguez took a similar tone after New York’s 5-1 victory Thursday over Tampa Bay.
“It’s been addressed,” he said. “And, no further comment.”
A day earlier in Dunedin, Rodriguez homered and walked twice, then got into a SUV driven by Yuri Sucart. He has been identified as the cousin who provided Rodriguez with performance-enhancing drugs obtained in the Dominican Republic.
Santana sits
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Mets ace Johan Santana was scratched from today’s “B” game start against Italy because of tenderness in his pitching elbow. Manager Jerry Manuel said the decision was precautionary because Santana has a history of feeling elbow soreness this time of the year. Santana remains on track to make his regular exhibition game debut Tuesday.
Footnotes.
Right-hander Tim Lincecum, who won the National League Cy Young Award in 2008, agreed to a $650,000, one-year contract with the Giants.
• Ken Griffey Jr.’s first spring game in his return to the Mariners likely won’t come until Wednesday night against the Australian national team.
• Jose Rijo, a special assistant to Nationals general manager Jim Bowden, was fired in the latest fallout from a scandal involving a top prospect from the Dominican Republic who lied about his age and name. The Associated Press
