Park Declines Dodgers’ Salary Arbitration Offer

The Dodgers will have to negotiate a new contract if they want to retain Chan Ho Park. The free-agent pitcher will not accept salary arbitration, his agent said Friday.

Although players have until Wednesday to make arbitration decisions, Park already has declined the Dodgers’ offer, agent Scott Boras said, because of encouraging negotiations with other clubs at baseball’s winter meetings in Boston this week.

Boras remained in Boston for an extra day for more sessions with clubs interested in signing Park, who is arguably the top pitcher on the market.

Based on those conversations, Boras said Park would not need to accept a one-year arbitration award or settlement with the Dodgers.

“I’m on my third and fourth meetings with some clubs about Chan Ho, and the pace is really picking up,” Boras said.

General Manager Dan Evans has said he is interested in resigning Park, but during the meetings he did not speak with Boras, who declined comment on whether the Dodgers have expressed interest in beginning negotiations.