Dodgers acquire Andruw Jones

The five-time All-Star agreed to a $36.2 million, two-year deal.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Now the Los Angeles Dodgers have a center fielder to go with their popular new manager.

While most teams accomplished little during the winter meetings, the Dodgers landed one of the few prime free agents in this year’s market, reaching a preliminary agreement with Gold Glover Andruw Jones on a $36.2 million, two-year contract.

A five-time All-Star, Jones hit .222 for Atlanta this year, his lowest average since he batted .217 in 106 at-bats as a rookie in 1996. His 26 homers were his fewest since 1997, and many wondered whether the 30-year-old’s skills are diminishing.

“We still see him as a very good player. You don’t win 10 Gold Gloves playing a defensive-oriented position and not have a lot to your resume,” Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said Thursday. “Some people say he’s not the same player he was five or six years ago. We’ll find out if he is or he isn’t. But he’s still probably the best center fielder in the National League.”

Teams left the four-day annual session with little to show. Johan Santana was still with the Minnesota Twins, Dan Haren with the Oakland Athletics and Erik Bedard with the Baltimore Orioles.

After the New York Yankees said Tuesday they were dropping out of talks for Santana, the Red Sox appeared to be the leading candidate for the two-time AL Cy Young Award winner.

“We’re closer than when we got here, but not all that close,” Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said, speaking generally of trades, not specifically about Santana.

Once they get back home, teams will keep eyeing trades and free agents. They’re certain to accomplish more than they did in four days under the atriums of the sprawling Opryland.

“I don’t know if it’s bubbling or simmering or whatever it is. I’m sure teams are still talking because there are a lot of teams that probably haven’t filled their needs,” Twins general manager Bill Smith said. “We don’t want to make a bad deal. Making no deal is probably better than making a bad deal. We’ve said all along that if our worst-case scenario is that Santana is our opening-day starter, it’s really a pretty good scenario.”

With such a poor free-agent market and few top pitchers available in trades, decisions are being made more slowly than usual in recent years.

“There’s some limited choices in the relief market — trade/free agency — and almost no choices in the starting market,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said.

As for what did happen on the final day:

USan Francisco called the Yankees about left fielder Hideki Matsui, who has a no-trade clause and has never seemed interested in leaving the Bronx.

UKansas City finalized its $36 million, three-year deal with outfielder Jose Guillen, who later in the day was suspended for the first 15 days of next season by Major League Baseball for violating its drug agreement several years ago.

UWashington agreed to a $1 million, one-year deal with backup infielder Aaron Boone.