LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – The Los Angeles Dodgers are running out of patience as they await word from free agent third baseman Juan Uribe on their latest offer, general manager Ned Colletti said Monday, the first day of baseball’s winter meetings.
The latest rumor has the Chicago White Sox emerging as possible suitors for Uribe. The Miami Marlins also have reportedly reached out to him.
Colletti said the Dodgers are considering moving on and concentrating their efforts on trading for a third baseman. Beyond Uribe, Colletti said, the team is not pursuing any other free-agent third basemen, probably the thinnest position in the market.
“Everybody can go do what they want to go do,” Colletti said. “Hopefully, this week we’ll have more conversations with them and at least get an update on their position. I’m in need of an update on their position.”
Uribe is seeking a two-year deal, it’s believed, while the Dodgers have signed only one-year deals with players in their 30s this winter. Uribe, 34, batted .278 with 12 home runs, the game-winning homer in Game 4 of the NLCS, after two abysmal seasons with the Dodgers. He signed a three-year, $21 million contract entering the 2011 season.