Selig Steps Into Talks

The window is about to close on the protracted negotiations between the Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers regarding a possible Manny Ramirez-for-Alex Rodriguez trade. Commissioner Bud Selig has apparently had enough of the circus atmosphere in which tampering and other rules have been ignored.

Sources familiar with the situation said Tuesday night that Selig has established a Thursday afternoon deadline to complete the trade or end the talks.

With the clock ticking, there was a flurry of activity on several fronts, including Los Angeles.

Sources said Dodger General Manager Dan Evans and Boston counterpart Theo Epstein had several phone conversations regarding a trade that would bring the Red Sox shortstop, Nomar Garciaparra, to the Dodgers if Boston acquires Rodriguez.

In addition:

There were intensified negotiations between Tom Hicks, the Texas owner, and John Henry, principal owner of the Red Sox, prompting Hicks to release a statement in which he said the talks were at a “sensitive point� and, thus, neither he nor Henry would have further comment.

There were also meetings at the players’ union in New York involving Rodriguez, Epstein and union lawyers on the possible restructuring of A-Rod’s record contract -- and sources said that Scott Boras, who represents Rodriguez, was flying to New York from Los Angeles on Tuesday night to help with the financial complexities.

The Rangers are demanding that the Red Sox pick up all of the $179 million that remains on A-Rod’s contract through 2010 while also contributing $5 million a year to the $97.5 million that remains on Ramirez’s contract through 2008.

Texas also wants Boston to include a young pitcher or two.

While the union opposes any restructuring that would decrease the overall value of Rodriguez’s package, sources said an effort is being made to move some of the guaranteed dollars to the back end of what was a 10- year, $252-million contract. That would make it easier for the Red Sox to contribute to the Ramirez obligation.

Although all parties want the trade consummated, it isn’t clear yet how this will play out.

“I think it’s inching toward conclusion,� said a person involved in the negotiations, “but there are still some major financial hurdles.�

In addition, the Red Sox have been attempting to put a deal for Garciaparra in place so that they aren’t left with two of the game’s best shortstops if the Rodriguez trade comes first, a scenario virtually forcing them to give Garciaparra away.

The Boston shortstop has been the Dodgers’ No. 1 priority, but sources said they have competition.

The Chicago White Sox are said to be dangling Magglio Ordonez at the Red Sox, offering Boston something the Dodgers can’t -- a proven run producer to compensate for the potential loss of Ramirez and Garciaparra.

Talking carefully to avoid tampering violations, Evans said he was not surprised by the competition for Garciaparra.

“I’ve felt all along there could be,� he said.

“That’s why we’ve looked at alternatives and discussed fallback positions.�

While the Dodgers themselves have met with the White Sox to discuss Ordonez, sources said there have also been negotiations regarding a possible three-way trade that would send Ordonez to Boston and Garciaparra to the White Sox, who would then trade him to the Dodgers for a three- or four-player package.

The Sox, in the talks with the Dodgers involving Ordonez, had asked for Odalis Perez, Guillermo Mota and two prospects.

Evans, however, has strongly resisted trading Mota or his three top prospects: pitchers Edwin Jackson and Greg Miller and outfielder Franklin Gutierrez.

In addition, any two- or three-way trade talks involving the Dodgers and White Sox are complicated by the cool relationship between Evans and Sox General Manager Ken Williams.

Evans spent 19 years in the White Sox front office before resigning when Williams was selected to succeed Ron Schueler. While sources said there is only the remote possibility of a three-way trade, people close to the Garciaparra camp, hopeful of bringing the Southern California native to Los Angeles, were working Tuesday to broker the deal and take it away from the potentially combustible one-upmanship of Evans and Williams.

The Chicago GM insisted he would never let a personal relationship stand in the way of doing what’s best for his club.

“This job is hard enough to do without having to worry about what your personal feelings are toward a particular person or something that has happened in the distant past,� he told the Chicago Tribune. “You have to do what’s right for the organization, for the club and for the city.�

While Garciaparra occupied most of Evans’ attention as he returned from the winter meetings, Dodger sources said he also talked with Boras about free-agent catcher Ivan Rodriguez.

The Dodgers, however, have yet to make an offer, a source said, and Rodriguez is believed close to signing a four-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles.

Said Boras, who declined to comment on whether he had spoken with the Dodgers: “Pudge has a well-defined market, and this is moving quickly. We’re far down the road with one club that has been very aggressive in trying to get the player, and I would say that something could happen very soon.�