LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers are in discussions to rework the contract
of beleaguered outfielder Andruw Jones, with the goal of moving him
off the roster while freeing up salary that might be used to sign
free-agent outfielder Manny Ramirez.

An industry source confirmed a Los Angeles Times report that talks
were ongoing. That report claimed the Dodgers would free approximately
$12 million that could be used to sign Ramirez, who did not respond to
a two-year, $45 million offer the Dodgers made in November and
withdrew two weeks later.

Before Jones left the club during its 2008 division-title run in
September, he told teammates he did not want to return to Los Angeles
for the final year of a $36.2 million contract signed last December
and would waive his no-trade protection. The contract was backloaded
with $21.1 million still to be paid.

The Dodgers are hoping to spread that money over more years. It could
be done through an extension, which would move a chunk of money off
the 2009 payroll. There also is the possibility of a deferred buyout,
either to facilitate a trade or allow Jones to become a free agent.

Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti exchanged voicemail messages
earlier this week with Scott Boras, agent for Ramirez and Jones. Boras
made the first call to restart negotiations for Ramirez after there
were indications the Dodgers might pursue Adam Dunn or Bobby Abreu.
Colletti and Boras had not talked about Ramirez since the Winter
Meetings three weeks ago.

Jones left the club after being placed on the disabled list for the
third time last year with tendinitis in his right knee, which also
underwent arthroscopic surgery in May. Jones had never been on the
disabled list in his previous 10 seasons.

"I don't feel 100 percent, I don't feel I can help the team,
especially in this situation in the race," he said before heading
home. "To be a bench guy, it takes me a while to warm up and get
going. Right now, we need to play the other guys."

Jones finished the season hitting .158 with three homers and 14 RBIs,
playing in 75 games. Not exactly what the club had in mind when it
signed him to the highest annual salary in club history. Nor was it
expected that Jones would arrive in Spring Training noticeably
overweight, slow of foot and bat speed. And he compounded it with
poorly chosen words about not caring what the fans thought about his play.

Jones, 32 in April, is a 10-time Gold Glove winner and five-time
All-Star, but the Dodgers saw none of that. He vowed before leaving
the club to report to 2009 Spring Training in better shape. He also
said he would play winter ball in the Dominican Republic, where he has
played five games, hitting .188 with no extra-base hits and eight
strikeouts in 16 at-bats. He went home for the holidays, but the club
expected him to resume playing in the Dominican Republic next week.

At the time Jones left the club, Colletti was asked if he remembered
another player to fall so far so fast.

"I can't think of one and I've tried for the last five months," he said.

Source: Ken Gurnick / MLB.com