After a potential trade to the Mets fell through last week, Andruw Jones agreed to re-work the final year of his contract, apparently in an effort to grease the wheels for his eventual departure from the Dodgers. Jones was originally set to earn $21.1 million this year after signing a slightly backloaded two-year, $36.2 million deal last winter, but he's agreed to defer at least $12 million, giving the Dodgers room in this year's budgets to go after a high-profile free agent.
With Jones counting for only $9.1 million or so on this year's books, it should be easier for the Dodgers to find a trade partner to take Jones off their hands, or at the very least, make the option of simply buying him out more palatable. What will the Dodgers do with their extra cash? They're still in the race for Adam Dunn, and it's not out of the question that they get back into consideration for Manny Ramirez.
After famously making a two-year, $45 million deal to Ramirez earlier this winter, the Dodgers allegedly made a less publicized three-year, $60 million offer that was similarly ignored. If they sweeten that offer -- maybe adding a team option/buyout in Year 4 -- they might be able to swoop in and steal Ramirez from their upstate rivals in San Francisco. Stay tuned.
