A. Jones will defer Dodgers salary in return for trade or release

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Andruw Jones and the Los Angeles Dodgers are close to parting ways.

The team has agreed to trade or release Jones in exchange for the center fielder deferring much of the $22 million remaining on his contract, according to a person with knowledge of the discussions. The person spoke Monday on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk publicly about the deal.

The agreement is expected to cut $12 million off the Dodgers' payroll next season and reduce Jones' salary to about $5 million. If the team can't trade Jones, then he can ask for his release before spring training, the person said.

If the Dodgers release Jones, they would owe him all but the minimum $400,000 salary.

A longtime star in Atlanta, Jones agreed to a $36.2 million, two-year contract with the Dodgers in December 2007. Los Angeles hoped his dangerous bat would boost the offense, but he hit only .158 with three home runs in 75 games last season.

Jones reported to spring training overweight, was booed by fans, had knee surgery in May and ended the season on the bench as the Dodgers won the NL West.

The 31-year-old center fielder then asked to be traded.

Jones left his team in the Dominican winter league last weekend because his wife was ill in the United States.

In other news, right-hander Claudio Vargas and the Dodgers agreed to a one-year contract Monday. The 30-year-old Vargas went 3-2 with a 4.62 ERA in 11 appearances, including four starts, with the New York Mets last season.

Vargas averaged nearly 11 wins per season from 2005-07 and won a career-high 12 games for Arizona in 2006. The following year, he was 11-6 with a 5.09 ERA for Milwaukee.

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