The Los Angeles Dodgers might pull off a big surprise this season, as their contract extension with All-Star slugger Hanley Ramirez remains unresolved.

With all the weapons on their roster, the Dodgers are very determined to lock down Ramirez for a lucrative deal before he becomes a free agent at the end of the season.

Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes indicated the Dodgers and Ramirez have decided to keep their contract extension talks low profile, as they try to resolve their differences with regards to coming up with a new deal.

The 29-year-old Ramirez was arguably the most consistent slugger for the Dodgers last season, batting .345 with 20 home runs and 57 RBIs. Many baseball followers predicted there would be strong interest in Ramirez if the Dodgers let the All-Star shortstop hits the free agency market.

However, the Dodgers appear committed to going the extra mile in their attempt to hold on to one of the most efficient sluggers in the major leagues today. According to MLB trade rumors, the Dodgers offered him an annual salary in the $22-25 million range, but the team is a bit concerned about granting a long-term deal for Ramirez, who has been vulnerable to injuries these past seasons.

"The main hangup in extension talks between the Dodgers and Hanley Ramirez isn't the average annual value but rather the length of the contract, says Rosenthal. Ramirez is likely to receive an AAV in the $22-25MM range, but the length of the contract is a concern for the Dodgers given Ramirez's lengthy injury history," MLB Trade Rumors reported this week.

Then again, Ramirez stressed that he won't be affected by his contract situation, as he tries to keep himself healthy and contribute for the team throughout the season.

"I don't have a telephone, I don't know what they are talking about," Ramirez told ESPN Deportes. "My role is to stay healthy and help the team."

Trade Possibilities

The Dodgers are expected to exhaust all options in order to finalize a pact with Ramirez. However, in case both parties failed to come up with a deal, Los Angeles might try to explore trade possibilities involving the shortstop.

Baseball followers believe the Dodgers might look into trading with the Texas Rangers, New York Mets or the New York Yankees, teams with the capability to send quality assets to L.A. in return and give Ramirez the contract he desires.