Manny Ramirez is coming back to the Los Angeles Dodgers next season.

The team said yesterday that the slugger exercised his $20 million contract option for 2010. His agent Scott Boras informed general manager Ned Colletti of the decision, which Ramirez had until this month to make.

He could have exercised an out clause in the two-year, $45 million deal he signed in March.

Ramirez hit .290 with 19 home runs and 63 RBIs in 104 regular-season games. He missed 50 games while suspended for violating baseball's drug policy.

In the NL Division Series against St. Louis, Ramirez batted .308 with no homers and two RBIs. Against Philadelphia in the NL Championship Series, he hit .263 with one homer and two RBIs.

Ramirez was traded to the Dodgers from Boston in July 2008.

TRADES

ROYALS DEAL TEAHEN

The Chicago White Sox picked up Mark Teahen in a trade from the Kansas City Royals, getting a new third baseman in exchange for infielders Chris Getz and Josh Fields and cash considerations.

Teahen batted .271 with 12 home runs and 50 RBIs in 144 games with the Royals in 2009.

Getz, who became Chicago's starting second basemen, batted .261 with two homers, 31 RBIs and 25 stolen bases in 107 games last season.

Fields appeared in 29 games and batted .222 with seven homers and 30 RBIs last season.

The trade was announced shortly after the White Sox said they had declined a 2010 option on right fielder Jermaine Dye.

TWINS GET HARDY

The Minnesota Twins acquired shortstop J.J. Hardy, sending speedy outfielder Carlos Gomez to the Milwaukee Brewers in a trade.

The 27-year-old Hardy batted .229 with 11 home runs and 47 RBIs in 115 games for the Brewers in 2009.

Gomez, who turns 24 in December, batted .229 with three home runs and 28 RBIs in 137 games with the Twins last season.

ELSEWHERE

Diamondbacks: Brandon Webb's $8.5 million option was exercised by Arizona, the team counting on the 2006 Cy Young Award winner coming back successfully from shoulder surgery.

The 30-year-old right-hander was the team's opening day starter last season, giving up six runs in four innings, then did not take the mound again the rest of the year, eventually undergoing surgery on his pitching shoulder Aug. 4.

Arizona would have had to pay a $2 million buyout if it had declined the option.

Strasburg scratched: The Washington Nationals say No. 1 overall draft pick Stephen Strasburg has a strained neck muscle and is being scratched from his scheduled start in the Arizona Fall League Rising Stars game.

The team says the right-hander is being held out of today's game for precautionary reasons.

Strasburg signed a record $15.1 million contract in August after being the top pick in June's amateur draft out of San Diego State.

Mets: New York has declined an option on reliever J.J. Putz, making him eligible for free agency.

Putz was due to make $9.1 million in 2010. Instead, the Mets decided to pay him a $1 million buyout.

Putz was 1-4 with two saves and a 5.22 ERA in his first season with New York. Putz had surgery on his right elbow in June.

Phillies: Philadelphia has picked up pitcher Cliff Lee's $9 million option for 2010.

Lee, 31, was acquired from Cleveland on July 29 and posted a 3.39 ERA in 12 starts for the Phillies.