Teams have fewer winter options

The suspension of the financially troubled Puerto Rican winter league three months before the start of the season will have serious ramifications for major league teams, who have long used the six-team circuit to evaluate prospects and to rehab veterans returning from injury.

“It means the winter leagues are 25% smaller now,” said Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti, who will try to place his players in the remaining winter leagues in the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Venezuela. “So it will be more crowded and players will have less options. To me, it’s still a very valuable part of a player’s development.”

Although play in Puerto Rico was generally considered to be slightly inferior to rival leagues in the Dominican and Venezuela, it remained a favorite of many teams because immigration documents weren’t required and the U.S. territory was generally considered to be safer.

“It will be one less avenue to give players some playing time and some experience,” Jim Fleming, vice president of player development for the Florida Marlins, said of the league’s suspension, which caught him by surprise. “Most every team sent players to Puerto Rico. [Now] there are less jobs so it will affect everybody [because] there are fewer places to play.”

The 70-year-old league, which ran from October through the end of January, was once baseball’s top winter league and had featured the likes of Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Hank Aaron, Orlando Cepeda, Mike Schmidt and Reggie Jackson. But it has been in severe financial straits for nearly a decade, leading to persistent speculation that Major League Baseball might step in and take over.

“I’m sure they’re trying to figure out what to do, what the next steps are,” Colletti said.

Baseball spokesman Pat Courtney said the commissioner’s office wasn’t formerly notified of the league’s suspension until Friday and was still studying its options. He estimated more than 150 players under contract to major league teams will be left scrambling for a place to play this winter.

“It’s a shame,” said Dodgers infielder Ramon Martinez, who played 10 seasons in the Puerto Rican winter league and lives on the island in the off-season. “[But] everybody knew it was going to happen.”

The Caribbean Series, which matches the champions of the four winter leagues, is still expected to be played in February in the Dominican Republic without Puerto Rico. The host Dominicans will probably get two entrants, as Puerto Rico did in 2003 when play was suspended in Venezuela because of political violence.

Friday’s crowd pushed the Dodgers’ paid home attendance past 3 million for the 12th consecutive season. . . . Right-hander Eric Hull was optioned to triple-A Las Vegas late Thursday to make room for Friday’s starter Eric Stults. . . . Dodgers Manager Grady Little said Matt Kemp’s knee, bruised when the outfielder crashed into the right-field wall chasing Carlos Lee’s drive in Wednesday’s game, is still sore. Kemp started Thursday but was held out of Friday’s lineup. “We’re going to give it a day or so,” Little said. “It sure is ugly.”

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kevin.baxter@latimes.com