Manny Ramirez Deal To White Sox Completed

To take Manny Ramirez’s spot on the active roster, the Dodgers have activated reliever Ramon Troncoso from Triple A Albuquerque. Troncoso, who has been optioned to Triple A twice this season, is 1-2 with a 4.85 ERA in 41 games.

With reserve outfielders Reed Johnson and Jay Gibbons already on the roster, and with rosters expanding Wednesday, there was no need to add an outfielder to replace Ramirez on the roster, at least not now.

Troncoso has struggled this season, especially after pitching 14 games in a 20-day span in April. Since the beginning of May, he has a 5.54 ERA with five home runs allowed in 26 major league innings, and a 5.73 ERA with five home runs allowed in 22 minor league innings.

Manny Ramirez is officially a member of the White Sox now, as the Dodgers have let him go to Chicago on a straight waiver claim. Per Jayson Stark of ESPN:

The teams talked about scenarios where #Dodgers would have paid up to $1.5M of contract depending on prospect they got. Never agreed on that.

There are 35 days left in the baseball season, meaning Chicago would be on the hook for approximately $3,825,137 of his $20 million salary this season.

Ramirez is expected to make his White Sox debut on Tuesday in Cleveland, per Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.

While the Manny Ramirez deal hasn’t yet been officially announced, all signs point to him heading to the White Sox today in a straight waiver transaction. No players will be coming to the Dodgers, and Chicago would be responsible for the remainder of Ramirez’s salary for this season.

The deal should be announced later today, but per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, via Twitter, Manny and the Dodgers have already parted ways:

Manny is on way to Cleveland. Should be in Sox lineup tonite.

The White Sox play the Indians tonight, while the Dodgers host the Phillies at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers haven’t yet made a corresponding roster move, but their likely options would be recalling either outfielder Xavier Paul or a reliever like Travis Schlichting. Rosters expand Wednesday, so if someone doesn’t get called up today he won’t have to wait much longer to be back in the big leagues.

The Dodgers have until Tuesday afternoon to complete a deal with the White Sox for Manny Ramirez, whom Chicago claimed off waivers on Friday, but it appears the deal will be completed Monday. Per Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles 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 his two-year, $45-million contract.

If Ramirez is dealt Monday, there are 35 days left in the baseball season, meaning Chicago would be on the hook for approximately $3,825,137 of his $20 million salary this season. Over on True Blue LA, my records show that all of Ramirez’s salary is deferred to 2011-2013 anyway, so any payroll savings to the Dodgers will come in future years.

Manny’s Dodger career, if over now as it appears to be, did not come to a glorious end, as he was ejected after seeing just one pitch in his pinch-hit at-bat in the sixth inning in Colorado. Ramirez thought the pitch was a ball, but home plate umpire Gary Cederstrom called a strike, and ejected Ramirez after he briefly argued the point.

Ramirez was activated off the disabled list on August 21, but only started three of the next eight games for the Dodgers.

The White Sox have been awarded the waiver claim on Manny Ramirez, according to multiple sources. Jayson Stark of ESPN first reported the news that the White Sox were awarded the claim. Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated noted that the Rangers also made a claim on Ramirez, but since the White Sox had the worse record, they were awarded the claim, per MLB waiver rules.

The Dodgers have until Tuesday to work out a trade with the White Sox, or they could simply let Chicago pay the remainder of his salary, between $3.6 million and $4.04 million depending on the day of the transaction. Ramirez has a no-trade clause, however, and must approve any deal.

If Ramirez ends up with the White Sox, Chicago will have the last three outfielders signed to big contracts by the Dodgers, joining Juan Pierre and Andruw Jones, both of whom, like Manny, will be paid by the Dodgers for at least the next two seasons.

Manny Ramirez has reportedly been claimed off waivers, as noted on Twitter by Jon Morosi of Fox Sports and Jeff Fletcher of AOL Fanhouse. Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated reported another wrinkle:

word is, multiple teams actually claimed manny. the question is: who got claim?

National League teams have waiver priority over American League teams since they are in the same league as the Dodgers. Whatever team is awarded the claim, the Dodgers have until Tuesday afternoon to complete a trade, or they could simply let Ramirez go and the new team would be on the hook for the remainder of his salary, somewhere north of $3.6 million.

Manny Ramirez was placed on waivers today by the Dodgers, and it appears the team is preparing itself for his eventual departure from the team. Toni Ginnetti of the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the Dodgers and White Sox are close to working out the parameters of a trade:

The Dodgers appeared to be trying to negotiate a trade instead of allowing Ramirez to be claimed outright without compensation, with the Sox having only to pay his remaining salary.

Ramirez will have a remaining salary of somewhere between $3.6 million and $4.2 million, depending on the day he is dealt, and the White Sox have shown strong interest in reports this week.

Although a deal wouldn't happen until the waiver period expires on Friday at the earliest, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported via Twitter that Manny's no trade clause won't be an obstacle to a deal:

Manny Ramirez has let it be known through friends that, if presented, he would accept a trade to the White Sox.

Trading an outfielder to the White Sox for prospects is nothing new for the Dodgers. Last winter the Dodgers traded Juan Pierre to the White Sox, paying $10.5 million of his $18.5 million remaining salary, getting two minor league pitchers in return. Both John Ely and Jon Link have seen time with the Dodgers this season, with Ely getting 14 starts to help bolster the starting rotation earlier in the season.

In what was an inevitable move, the Dodgers have placed Manny Ramirez on waivers today, per Jon Morosi of FoxSports.com. Morosi explains the time line for a possible deal:

So, teams have until Friday to put in a claim on Manny. If claimed, window for deal ends Tuesday.

Tuesday happens to be the deadline to make trades, and teams looking to the postseason must have a player in their organization by August 31 in order to be eligible for the postseason.

Ramirez has a no-trade clause that he would have to waive in order for him to be moves. The White Sox have expressed interest in him this week. Since returning from the disabled list on Saturday, Ramirez has played in two games, and he if 0-for-7 with three strikeouts.

While the Dodgers haven’t yet placed Manny Ramirez on waivers, they have placed one of their pending free agent starting pitchers on waivers, per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports:

#Dodgers put Kuroda on waivers. Rival exec: “I guarantee #Yankees are all over it.” Kuroda owed about $2.7M. Lilly not yet on waivers.

Kuroda this season is 8-11 with a 3.48 ERA in 24 starts, and has a career high with 118 strikeouts, set in 36 fewer innings than his previous career high in 2008. The 35-year old pitcher, who is in the final year of a three-year contract, is scheduled to pitch today for the Dodgers in Milwaukee.

Kuroda’s 2010 salary is $13 million. If he were to be moved, for example, on Friday, there would be 38 days left in the season, meaning a claiming team would be potentially responsible for $2,699,454 for the remainder of the season.

If claimed, the Dodgers would have the option to work out a trade with the claiming team, or simply let him go, relieving themselves of the responsibility of Kuroda’s remaining salary. If Kuroda clears waivers, they are free to trade him to any team prior to Tuesday night’s waiver trading deadline. However, Kuroda has a no-trade clause, so he would have to approve any deal.

According to Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors, Kuroda projects to be a Type B free agent this winter, meaning the Dodgers would receive a supplemental draft pick between the first and second rounds of the 2011 draft as compensation should they offer him arbitration and he signs elsewhere. Of course, offering arbitration also brings the risk of Kuroda accepting, meaning he would end likely up with a one year deal with the Dodgers, likely near his current $13 million salary.

If the Dodgers do put Manny Ramirez on waivers at some point this week, reports have surfaced that he will not pass through unclaimed. Both Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports and Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times have cited major league sources that the White Sox would claim Ramirez if on waivers.

Per Rosenthal:

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.

From Cowley, via Twitter:

“Ken Williams is pushing all his chips on getting Manny Ramirez,’’ – a major-league source.

According to the source, Williams thinks the addition of Manny would be a boost to the entire team.

In a somewhat amusing twist, if the White Sox acquire Ramirez, they will have three outfielders on their roster that the Dodgers are paying for years to come. The Dodgers are paying Juan Pierre through 2012, paying Ramirez through 2013, and paying Andruw Jones through 2014, either through deferred money are separate agreements upon their departure.