Gammons: A.J. Pierzynski was ready to sign with the Dodgers [UPDATE]

Gammons @ MLB tweets:

A.J. Pierzynski was “a minute away” from signing with the Dodgers when Jerry Reinsdorf stepped in

UPDATE: Jackson @ ESPN says the Dodgers offer was a 1 year deal worth more than $4 million.

J.J. Putz and Paul Konerko decline arbitration and become free-agents

Garfein @ CSN:

J.J. Putz declined arbitration from the White Sox, making him a free agent.

The White Sox have expressed a desire to re-sign Putz, but they’ll have to wait in line.

“Eight or nine teams have shown preliminary interest,” Putz told Comcast SportsNet. “Some for closer roles, others to be a set-up man with a chance for closing.” …

A.J. Pierzynski is talking to multiple teams too. One of them is the Dodgers.

UPDATE: Merkin tweets:

Konerko declines salary arbitration, as expected

Manny Ramirez and the Cell

Sarris:

If a .200 ISO does not seem exciting enough, there are reasons to think he can do better in Chicago. According to StatCorner.com, the park factor for home runs for right-handed hitters in Los Angeles was 92. Compare that to U.S. Cellular, home of the White Sox, which has a 134 park factor for home runs for right-handed hitters. That is a serious swing in fortunes. In 213 earlier-career at-bats at the Cell, he’s had a .338/.448/.601 line that suggests he feels comfortable there. …

BTW, here’s another ‘Manny Ramirez is a bum’ takedown.

The Manny Ramirez negotiations

Jackson @ ESPN:

It was around noon Monday when the Dodgers made it official, issuing a news release announcing Ramirez was going to the White Sox on waivers — meaning the White Sox are responsible for all of the $3.825 million left on his contract, but the Dodgers aren’t getting a player in return.

“We had been talking probably since Friday or Saturday,” Colletti said. “We offered to take back [responsibility for] $1.5 million for not their best prospect but certainly somebody we thought was a good prospect, and they didn’t want to do that. We lowered our [amount] to $1 million for a slightly lower prospect, and they didn’t want to go in that direction. So finally, we offered $500,000 for one of their lower-level guys, and they didn’t want to do that. We tried to give them a chance to recoup some of the salary they’re going to owe him.”

Manny Ramirez claim official; too late for tonight’s White Sox lineup

Bob Nightengale tweets that Manny Ramirez is on his way to Cleveland and should be in the White Sox lineup tonight.

Earlier Nightengale tweeted that the Dodgers haven’t decided if they want a prospect from the White Sox for Manny, meaning it’ll be a straight waiver claim. Before that Nightengale tweeted that the Dodgers are trying to decide whether to take 22-year old Winston-Salem 3B Jon Gilmore, who’s hitting .318/.354/.404, and pick up some of Manny’s salary or take only the salary relief.

UPDATE #1: And the move is done tweets Nightengale. Peter Gammons tweets that the White Sox decided to pick up all of Manny’s remaining salary ($3.8 million) and not give any prospects. Nightengale tweets that the Dodgers rejected the White Sox offer and chose salary relief.

Nightengale, also, tweets that Manny waited for the deal to be finalized before leaving for Cleveland, and won’t be in time for tonight’s game. He’s scheduled to play in the Tuesday night game.

UPDATE #2: Here’s the press release.

And here are a few more Manny to the White Sox links: BB Musings, HardballTalk, Fangraphs.

Manny Ramirez will be a White Sox tomorrow (straight waiver claim)

Dylan Hernandez @ LA Times:

Manny Ramirez will be sent to the Chicago White Sox on a waiver deal Monday, according to a baseball source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.The Dodgers aren’t expected to get any players in return, but are likely to unburden themselves of the $4 million or so that Ramirez is due to earn over the remainder of the regular season.

Couldn’t this have happened on Friday? We could have used Manny in the last 2 games.

UPDATE #1: Jayson Stark (ESPN) tweets that there is still a chance a deal gets worked out (Dodgers get a prospect from the Sox in exchange for picking up some salary). The LA Times, MLB.com, and Ken Rosenthal say it will be a straight waiver claim (cash only, no prospects to the Dodgers).

UPDATE #2: Jeff Fletcher (MLB Fanhouse) speculates that Kenny Williams determined the Dodgers lacked the leverage to demand any even a marginal prospect in return for Manny, and didn’t offer them anything.

UPDATE #3: NBC 5 Chicago says Manny’s remaining salary is $3.825 million.

Manny Ramirez not in the Dodgers lineup again

What it’s gonna be today?

Torre’s rationale for sitting Ramirez Saturday — not wanting the aging hitter to have to cover the unusually vast leftfield acreage at Coors Field — carried over to Sunday.

“It’s still a big outfield,” Torre said.

Will there be a different excuse tomorrow or will Manny be in a black uniform?

UPDATE: Manny is telling his friends he can’t wait to join the Sox tweets Bob Nightengale, who thinks the Dodgers will deal Manny to the Sox. Jon Heyman, also, thinks the Dodgers will deal Manny to the Sox.

Nothing’s moving on the Manny Ramirez front

Jon Heyman tweets there’s no evidence of serious trade talks between the Sox and the Dodgers. He adds the Dodgers could choose to keep Manny. Manny wasn’t in the Dodgers lineup for the 3rd consecutive game. Joe Torre said he’s becoming “superstitious” about starting Manny. Mike says the Sox need to create leverage by pretending they’re interested in Adam Laroche. Or really go after him.

White Sox willing to assume $2 million of Manny’s remaining salary

The Dodgers want the Sox to pay all the remaining salary:

Ramirez is owed about $1.1 million for the rest of this season, but he’s also owed about $3.2 million in deferred salary next season. The Dodgers don’t want to pay any of that if Ramirez is sent to the Sox, team sources said Friday.

The Sox, in turn, have offered to assume only about $2 million of the total remaining salary. … The Sox also are expected to send one or more prospects to the Dodgers as part of any trade.

White Sox, Dodgers to discuss Manny over the weekend?

Dyck @ CT:

Nothing will happen over the weekend, according to one source familiar with the proceedings, allowing both sides to assess where they are and exactly what they need.

Assess where they are and exactly what they need? I hope this is a joke.

Both teams know where they are. The Sox are 3.5 games the Twinkies behind in their division and there’s no other team between the two. The Dodgers are 5 games behind the Giants in the Wild Card and there are 3 more teams between the two. There also are 2 teams right behind them.

Both teams know what they need. The Sox need a DH in their quest to catch the Twinkies. The Dodgers need to get rid of Manny’s contract since it’s unlikely all 4 teams slip (don’t forget 2 teams right behind them) and they go to the top.

Can we speed things up please?

White Sox win Manny Ramirez claim

Stark @ ESPN tweets:

White Sox were the team awarded the claim on Manny, according to MLB source. Strong indications Rangers & Rays also claimed him.

Stark @ ESPN writes:

The Chicago White Sox on Friday were awarded the claim on Manny Ramirez, according to a source monitoring the waiver wire.

No National League team put in a claim on the Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder. But two other American League teams claimed Ramirez, and strong indications are those teams were the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays. The White Sox were awarded the claim because they were the AL contender with the lowest winning percentage. …

Now the Sox and the Dodgers have until 12:30 pm CT Tuesday to work out a deal for Manny.

UPDATE: Merkin’s analysis:

One school of thought is that the Dodgers will wait until the last moment to decide on a trade, letting another weekend pass to see if they remain in contention for a National League playoff spot. The Dodgers entered Friday’s action sitting in fifth place in the NL Wild Card race but only five games behind the top spot.

Paying the $4.5 million to Ramirez for one month of service — basically $1 million more than left-hander John Danks is earning for the full 2010 campaign — would seem like a prohibitive cost. But the White Sox play 16 of their final 22 games at U.S. Cellular Field, including four against the Red Sox from Sept. 27-30, and the presence of Ramirez could increase the daily gate.

Manny Ramirez decision up to the Dodgers

Rosenthal tweets “To expand upon what I wrote, Manny decision rests w[ith] Dodgers. White Sox ready to act. Source says Manny NOT asking for extension…Had been told earlier that he wanted additional year to waive no-trade.”

another Rosenthal tweet: Dodgers 5 back in WC race; might have prompted claim, or claims. Teams daring Ned Colletti to give up Manny while in race.

Heyman tweets many teams claimed Manny. No word who won the claim.

Morosi tweets neither the Rays nor the Yankee$ made a claim.

Heyman tweets the Rangers didn’t win the claim.

Manny Ramirez wants extension; not in today’s lineup

Manny wants a 1-year extension to waive his no-trade clause say Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi. If he clears waivers he’d gain leverage to do so. But if the White Sox claim him, as they plan and may have done already, the Dodgers would be able to negotiate with 1 team only and his leverage evaporates.

Also, Manny isn’t in the Dodgers lineup today (2 pm CT stat time).

Dodgers place Manny Ramirez on waivers; may want prospect(s) back

Levine @ ESPN:

Outfielder Manny Ramirez has been placed on waivers by the Los Angeles Dodgers, sources tell ESPN.com.

Teams will have until Friday afternoon to put in a claim on Ramirez. Any team that’s awarded the claim would have until Tuesday afternoon to work out a trade with the Dodgers and, because Ramirez has a full no-trade clause, get his approval to waive that clause and accept a deal.

Teams are not convinced the Dodgers would dump Ramirez’s contract on any club that claims him. The Dodgers, rather, are likely to explore a trade in which they pick up some of the money but receive a prospect or prospects in return, sources tell ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark.

Stats: B-R, FG

If Jerry comes up with the dough, go for it Kenny! But not if ‘If Jerry comes up with the dough’ means taking the money from the already low draft budget.

I just wish the Sox, and not the Twins, had Jim Thome from Day 1.

White Sox will claim Manny Ramirez

Rosenthal @ FS:

Manny Ramirez will not get through waivers. The White Sox, who pursued Ramirez before the non-waiver deadline, will claim him with the intention of acquiring him, according to a major-league source.

The Dodgers have yet to put Ramirez on waivers, but that move is expected as early as Tuesday. National League teams would get the first crack at claiming Ramirez, but none would be expected to take such a step.

The White Sox, whose record is the worst of the AL contenders, seemingly would be in good position to win the claim. However, they could back off claiming Ramirez if the Dodgers delayed putting him on waivers and the White Sox’s deficit in the AL Central grew from 41/2 games. …

Cowley tweets that according to a major-league source “Ken Williams is pushing all his chips on getting Manny Ramirez.”

BTW, here’s Aaron Gleeman’s take.