updated 10:31 a.m. ET Dec. 23, 2003

NEW YORK - Alex Rodriguez may not become the first reigning MVP to switch teams, after all.

With a deadline imposed by Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks looming Tuesday for the trade of baseball’s only $20 million-a-year players — Rodriguez to Boston for outfielder Manny Ramirez — there appeared to be no more negotiations.

Following weeks of discussions, Hicks said Monday that he hadn’t spoken to anyone from the Red Sox in three days. And Boston was standing by its position that the proposed deal was “dead.”

Red Sox owner John Henry did not alter that position or say, in response to an e-mail from The Associated Press on Monday, that his club would contact the Rangers before Tuesday afternoon’s deadline.

If the deal is to be revived, Henry said, “I don’t believe there are any public statements I could make that would be helpful to the process other than to say that although there have been disagreements, I believe the principals involved on all sides have had good intentions thus far.”

Hicks didn’t respond Monday to phone messages or e-mail from the AP, but told The Dallas Morning News for its Tuesday editions that the deadline was final.

“If the deadline passes, we are going to put it behind us,” Hicks told the newspaper. “And the best player in baseball is going to be our team leader next season.”

Rodriguez’s agent, Scott Boras, believes Rodriguez would remain the Texas shortstop next season if the deadline passes without any action.

“Tom Hicks told me he’s setting forth his plan for 2004 beginning Wednesday,” Boras said. “He said the team needed to make moves and put their marketing plan together.”

Red Sox president Larry Lucchino proclaimed the trade “dead” Thursday, blaming the players’ association for not approving a steeper proposed reduction in Rodriguez’s contract. Texas also blamed the union, but didn’t give up on the deal.

If Rodriguez went to Boston, the Red Sox presumably would then trade longtime shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, possibly to the Chicago White Sox.

Rodriguez’s $252 million, 10-year contract has seven years and $179 million remaining. Ramirez has five years and $97.5 million left on the $160 million, eight-year contract he agreed to the same day Rodriguez got his record deal.

During negotiations last week, the players’ association said Rodriguez’s agreement could be restructured but not reduced, and rejected Boston’s proposal, which the union said would cut $28 million to $30 million.

Instead, the union said it would approve a change that would lower the contract by $12 million to $13 million in exchange for Rodriguez getting the right to use Boston’s logo and trademarks in marketing deals. In addition, he’d be able to become a free agent after the 2005 season.

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