Angels will let K-Rod go; Arte Moreno likes Manny Ramirez
BASEBALL
Angels owner indicates that Ramirez could be pursued if the team can't sign Teixeira.
The chances of the Angels retaining record-setting closer Francisco Rodriguez went from slim to virtually none today, with owner Arte Moreno saying, "We're turning the page on this one."
Moreno did not rule out the possibility of the Angels pursuing Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez if they are unable to sign free-agent first baseman Mark Teixeira, who is the team's top priority this winter.
"He single-handedly took L.A. to the promised land," Moreno, in an interview with AM-830 before the Angels Baseball Foundation Golf Classic in Newport Beach, said of Ramirez, who led the Dodgers to the National League Championship Series.
"He did a heck of a job, he hit great, he was a fan favorite, he did a great job with their young players. At the end of the day, you want people who can hit, and he may be one of top right-handed hitters ever."
Rodriguez is one of the top right-handed relievers in the game, but the Angels appear to have exhausted their efforts to retain the free agent.
The Angels thought they had an agreement with Rodriguez on a three-year, $34-million deal last November, but Rodriguez turned it down after Yankees closer Mariano Rivera signed a three-year, $45-million contract.
Rodriguez, who went 2-3 with a 2.24 earned run average in 69 games last season and set a major league record with 62 saves, is looking for a deal of four or five years in length and $15 million a year.
"Believe it or not, we really spent a lot of time and effort trying to re-sign Frankie," Moreno said. "There were six different offers on the table at different times, and this time last year, we thought we had him signed. Then Rivera got his deal.
"I'm not one of these never-never people, but I think as a whole, it's time to turn the page and move forward and get to things we need to do."
The Angels plan to offer Rodriguez arbitration on Dec. 1 so they can receive a first-round draft pick and a sandwich pick after the first round as compensation for losing the 26-year-old, who is expected to draw heavy interest from the New York Mets.
The arbitration offer also leaves a crack in the door for a possible return to Anaheim for Rodriguez, who could sign a one-year deal with the Angels if he is unhappy with the offers he receives elsewhere.
If Rodriguez departs, a pair of right-handed setup men -- veteran Scot Shields and rookie Jose Arredondo -- would be in line to replace him, but Moreno said the Angels would also pursue a reliever in free agency or by trade.
