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A-Rod Meets With MLB Officials

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The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 1, 2009

SARASOTA - Alex Rodriguez had a two-hour meeting with Major League Baseball officials Sunday. How much he told them about steroids is a secret - at least so far.

The commissioner's office released a statement saying Rodriguez was "cooperative" in an interview with officials from baseball's Department of Investigations and Labor Relations Department. No further details were revealed, and the statement said MLB would have no additional comment at this time.

MLB sought to interview the New York Yankees slugger about his admission that he used performance-enhancing drugs from 2001-03 with Texas.

Rodriguez had two lawyers, Jay Reisinger and James E. Sharp, with him at the meeting in Tampa. Also present were union general counsel Michael Weiner, MLB vice president of investigations Dan Mullin, MLB executive vice president for labor relations Rob Manfred, and senior vice president and general counsel for labor Dan Halem, according to a person familiar with the meeting.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss details.

Earlier in the day, Rodriguez hit a pair of RBI doubles during a spring training game against the Cincinnati Reds in Sarasota.

MLB wanted to speak with Rodriguez about security issues involving a trainer from the Dominican Republic and the cousin the three-time MVP said injected him with a banned substance called "boli."

Dodgers Rescind Offer To Manny

PHOENIX - The Los Angeles Dodgers have pulled their $45 million, two-year offer to Manny Ramirez, and owner Frank McCourt said Sunday that negotiations will have to start again from scratch.

The Dodgers announced last week that Ramirez had declined the team's latest offer, a $25 million one-year contract for the 2009 season with a $20 million player option for 2010. McCourt said no talks with Ramirez's representatives were scheduled for Sunday.

"We're in what I call a transition phase," said McCourt, who held a news conference before the Dodgers' first game at their new spring training facility at Camelback Ranch. "We had an almost four-month negotiation which terminated on Thursday. Now we're in a quiet period. At some point we'll pick up negotiations, but with a fresh start."

A message was left Sunday seeking comment from Scott Boras, Ramirez's agent.

The issue separating the two sides appears to be how the $45 million will be paid out. The Dodgers wanted to defer payment of $10 million until 2011, $10 million more to 2012 and $5 million to 2013.

Boras' latest proposal was for a $45 million, two-year deal with no deferred payments.

METS: Pitcher Johan Santana said he was OK after throwing a bullpen session Sunday morning, and the team decided against sending him to snowy New York for an MRI on his balky left elbow.

NATIONALS: Jim Bowden's final move as general manager was his own resignation.

Bowden abruptly stepped down Sunday morning after four seasons, leaving under the cloud of a federal investigation into the skimming of signing bonuses given to Latin American prospects.

He has maintained his innocence in the matter, but said Sunday, "I've become a distraction."

ORIOLES: Right-hander Adam Eaton agreed to a minor-league contract.

RANGERS: Josh Hamilton left Texas' game against the Seattle Mariners with a strained left Achilles' tendon Sunday but said later it was "no big deal."

Hamilton hit a drive off the wall in front of the left-field bullpen for a triple in the first inning. The All-Star slugger jogged out to his position in center field between innings but went back to the dugout before the second inning started.

RED SOX: Jonathan Papelbon wasn't about to waste his intimidating glare - or his overpowering pitches - on his first outing of spring training. Papelbon threw 11 pitches in a perfect fifth inning and earned the victory in Boston's 2-1 win that gave the Minnesota Twins their first loss in five games.

TWINS: Closer Joe Nathan will skip the World Baseball Classic because of soreness in his pitching shoulder the past five days.

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