 12/23/2003 10:28 PM ET
Rangers, Sox say talks are over
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By Jesse Sanchez / MLB.com
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ARLINGTON -- Boston and Texas officials both said Tuesday that negotiations for the proposed Alex Rodriguez-Manny Ramirez trade have ended.
The teams did not come to an agreement on a deal that would have sent Rodriguez to Boston for Ramirez, a pitching prospect and cash considerations by the 5 p.m. ET deadline imposed by Rangers owner Tom Hicks.
"All trade talks and discussions are done. Alex will be our shortstop on Opening Day," Hicks said. "Alex and I have already talked at length several times today and we have already put it behind us. He's a professional. He acts like a professional and there is no doubt in my mind that the first day of Spring Training in Surprise that it will be hard to find anybody that works harder or leads more than Alex does."
Contrary to reports, Hicks said Rodriguez did not appeal to him to drop his trade demands to get the deal done.
In a statement released minutes after the 5 ET deadline, Hicks said: "Alex wants to compete in the postseason, but he also wants to help Texas be a champion and be a part of what we are doing here. From our conversations I know he loves Texas and he's happy being here."
The Red Sox issued a statement minutes later.
"There is nothing further to report relating to the consummation of a transaction between the Boston Red Sox and the Texas Rangers involving Alex Rodriguez," it said. "No further discussions regarding this transaction are planned."
Rodriguez didn't immediately return a phone call. He has not spoken publicly on the trade since the negotiations began in New York last week.
The potential trade that generated a month of anticipation remained a non-trade as this deadline -- the third or fourth depending on various reports -- passed. The Rangers, who finished in last place in the American League West the last four seasons, said they would gladly go forward with arguably the best player in the game on their team, but still in need of pitching to compete in the AL West, if the trade did not come to fruition by today.
The Red Sox, who came within five outs of reaching the World Series, still have two of the players who helped get them there -- Ramirez and Nomar Garciaparra.
The Red Sox were going to trade Garciaparra, reportedly to Los Angeles or the Chicago White Sox, if the Rodriguez deal had been finalized.
The proposed trade of Rodriguez, the reigning MVP and owner of a $20 million-plus annual salary, for Ramirez, the perennial All-Star who also boasts a salary of about $20 million a season, experienced a number of hangups.
The primary reason had to do with money. Rodriguez, who signed a record-breaking, 10-year, $252 million deal with Texas before the 2001 season, is owed $179 million over the next seven seasons. Ramirez is due to get $97.5 million during the next five years.
Alex Rodriguez
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Hicks originally wanted the Red Sox to pay $5 million of Ramirez's annual salary, a total of $25 million, but lowered his demand, offering to take $13 million to $15 million. The Red Sox were hesitant to pay off any of Ramirez's annual contract, considering the club would be assuming $167 million of Rodriguez's contract if it agreed to pay the $13 million.
The Red Sox originally tried to restructure Rodriguez's contract by $28-30 million, but the MLB Players Association vetoed the deal. Rodriguez's agent, Scott Boras, worked out a restructured contract, approved by the Players Association, in which Rodriguez would reduce the overall value of his contract by $12-13 million in exchange for the right to use the Red Sox logo in merchandising and marketing ventures.
The Red Sox balked at the idea and didn't budge. The Rangers answered by dropping their asking price but refused to accept a deal that would essentially swap Rodriguez for Ramirez along with a pitching prospect.
"The only reason we considered the trade is if it could make us better faster. If we accept the deal plus considerations, it would have given us the financial resources to help our pitching situation," Hicks said. "That was always on the table and that never changed. We talked about different amounts, but there was too wide of a gulf between us and Boston to bridge. The Players Association took the position they did and between (Boston and the union) there was no ability to get a deal done to our satisfaction."
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