Where will Manny Ramirez end up in '09 is still an offseason mystery

min0 lee · 01-07-2009, 05:40 PM

BY JESSE SPECTOR
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Wednesday, January 7th 2009, 12:43 PM

Love him or hate him, Manny Ramirez is one of the best hitters of all time - for power, for average, for lifting an entire team.

Ramirez was a September callup with the Indians in 1993, and two years later helped Cleveland reach the playoffs for the first time since 1995.

He signed with the Red Sox in 2001, and three years later was the World Series MVP when Boston won its first title since 1918.

Then, last year, Ramirez was traded to the Dodgers in July and almost singlehandedly carried Los Angeles to its first playoff series victory since 1988.

Yes, he's 36 years old, and will be 37 in May. Yes, he's a first-ballot inductee to the Lunatic Hall of Fame just as he will be in Cooperstown. And yes, he did sully his reputation forever by dogging his way out of Boston - for all the lighthearted "Manny being Manny" moments over the years, that was nothing to joke about.

But after six weeks of free agency, one of the biggest surprises has to be that Ramirez is still on the market, with no clear indication of where he might go.

This is a guy who just hit .396 with 17 homers in two months after getting out of what had become a toxic situation in Boston. He's had at least 30 homers in 10 of the last 11 seasons, including 37 last year. He hit over .500 in eight playoff games, with four homers and 10 RBI - and that's with the Cubs and Phillies combining to walk 11 times.

There's talk that the Yankees, for one, have no place to play Ramirez. That's wrong. You make a place to play Ramirez. If he joined Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira in the Yankees' lineup, would it matter that Ramirez is just a so-so left fielder? And really, with all the drama that surrounds the Yankees on a daily basis, you could argue that the Bronx is the perfect place for Ramirez, as his antics might fade into the background - or, if he took center stage, it would take some pressure off A-Rod.

Still, the Yankees seem like a longshot to land Ramirez. The most recent rumors have circulated around the Dodgers and Giants. But don't count out the Bombers, who have not declared themselves out of the bidding for him. And also remember that Ramirez's agent, Scott Boras, has a long history of coming back to the Yankees at the tail end of negotiations - they passed on Carlos Beltran, but swooped in for Teixeira.

Among the potential suitors for Ramirez, the Angels and Mets (perhaps the one team that needs Ramirez more than any other) have ruled themselves out, and the White Sox don't deal with Boras. The Cubs are filling their need for a power-hitting outfielder with Milton Bradley. The Rangers have said that they aren't pursuing Ramirez, but didn't close the door on the possibility. The Nationals have the money to make a deal, but it wouldn't make sense from Ramirez's standpoint to go to a non-contender. Same goes for the Orioles.

The Phillies and Rays already have spent big this winter, while the Tigers - an occasionally friendly landing spot for Boras clients - doesn't have enough room in their budget. That's a more realistic excuse to avoid Ramirez than not having room for him on the field.

And the Red Sox? They certainly have the money, but forget about it. Time heals all wounds, but six months isn't enough time in this case.

Want a couple of dark horses? The Braves and Brewers could look to Ramirez to save otherwise disappointing offseasons - but both have bigger issues with pitching, and would be wiser to use their budgets for that purpose.

The smart money remains on Ramirez staying with the Dodgers, maybe getting less than the $40 million over two years from the options that he demanded be dropped when he was traded. But L.A. might be able to win the NL West again while spending less money on Adam Dunn, letting its young players develop and using some leftover money for pitching. Remember that Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has a reputation among his team's fans for being cheap, and that Ramirez didn't cost him a dime for the two months he spent at Chavez Ravine.

It's unclear how serious the Giants are about Ramirez, but with their additions of Edgar Renteria and Randy Johnson, adding Ramirez might give San Francisco a quick window at contending while the Giants groom some more hitting prospects to go along with one of the best young pitching staffs in baseball.

Then there's the Yankees, lurking - always lurking. As other teams drag their feet, it gives Brian Cashman a chance to find a taker for one of his "surplus" outfielders in a trade and still be able to bring in Ramirez (much to the delight of Hank Steinbrenner) while keeping payroll below 2008 levels (much to the delight of Hal Steinbrenner).

"Gas is up, and so am I," Ramirez said in October. But now gas is down, and apparently so is he. The longer he stays on the market, the more it seems that Ramirez might be the greatest $16-18 million-per-year bargain in the history of, well, $16-18 million-per-year bargains.

soxmuscle · 01-07-2009, 05:49 PM

The Dodgers have no reason to bid against themselves.

Until some other team climbs into the bid, Boras will drag these discussions out.

**I Are Baboon** · 01-08-2009, 06:21 AM

I am thrilled to see that, so far, Manny is not being rewarded for tanking it with the Sox.

**P-funk** · 01-08-2009, 09:18 AM

fuck manny. act like a child get treated like a child.

Irons77 · 01-08-2009, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by P-funk

fuck manny. act like a child get treated like a child.

+1

IronAddict · 01-08-2009, 09:38 AM

That is my take also!

Please don't come to the Angels!

girlwhogoesfar · 01-08-2009, 11:45 AM

Ypu gotta love that his greed isnt being rewarded

dekroon · 02-01-2009, 08:54 PM

I dont like the guy put the cubs sure could use someone who can hit in the post season. They could move soriano to 2nd base or right field. Better yet they could trade him but Im sure no one wants him since hes wayy over paid

**I Are Baboon** · 02-03-2009, 07:31 AM

Manny rejects one-year deal from Dodgers - MLB - Yahoo! Sports

AHHHHAHAHAHAHA. The douche.

min0 lee · 02-03-2009, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I Are Baboon

Manny rejects one-year deal from Dodgers - MLB - Yahoo! Sports

AHHHHAHAHAHAHA. The douche.

Quote:

The new offer would have made Ramirez the second-highest paid player in the game - after New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez - in terms of average annual salary. But it is no where near the four-year, $100 million contract that Boras was thought to be seeking when he and Ramirez leveraged a trade to the Dodgers from Boston at the July 31 deadline.

This guy............

**P-funk** · 02-03-2009, 07:59 AM

what an idiot

oaktownboy · 02-03-2009, 09:29 AM

the whole thing is hilarious...he actually might not play next season because no one will sign him

01-07-2009, 05:40 PM	#1
min0 lee Senior Member Elite Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: The Bronx, NYC Posts: 38,792 Photos: 542	Where will Manny Ramirez end up in '09 is still an offseason mystery BY JESSE SPECTOR DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Wednesday, January 7th 2009, 12:43 PM Love him or hate him, Manny Ramirez is one of the best hitters of all time - for power, for average, for lifting an entire team. Ramirez was a September callup with the Indians in 1993, and two years later helped Cleveland reach the playoffs for the first time since 1995. He signed with the Red Sox in 2001, and three years later was the World Series MVP when Boston won its first title since 1918. Then, last year, Ramirez was traded to the Dodgers in July and almost singlehandedly carried Los Angeles to its first playoff series victory since 1988. Yes, he's 36 years old, and will be 37 in May. Yes, he's a first-ballot inductee to the Lunatic Hall of Fame just as he will be in Cooperstown. And yes, he did sully his reputation forever by dogging his way out of Boston - for all the lighthearted "Manny being Manny" moments over the years, that was nothing to joke about. But after six weeks of free agency, one of the biggest surprises has to be that Ramirez is still on the market, with no clear indication of where he might go. This is a guy who just hit .396 with 17 homers in two months after getting out of what had become a toxic situation in Boston. He's had at least 30 homers in 10 of the last 11 seasons, including 37 last year. He hit over .500 in eight playoff games, with four homers and 10 RBI - and that's with the Cubs and Phillies combining to walk 11 times. There's talk that the Yankees, for one, have no place to play Ramirez. That's wrong. You make a place to play Ramirez. If he joined Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira in the Yankees' lineup, would it matter that Ramirez is just a so-so left fielder? And really, with all the drama that surrounds the Yankees on a daily basis, you could argue that the Bronx is the perfect place for Ramirez, as his antics might fade into the background - or, if he took center stage, it would take some pressure off A-Rod. Still, the Yankees seem like a longshot to land Ramirez. The most recent rumors have circulated around the Dodgers and Giants. But don't count out the Bombers, who have not declared themselves out of the bidding for him. And also remember that Ramirez's agent, Scott Boras, has a long history of coming back to the Yankees at the tail end of negotiations - they passed on Carlos Beltran, but swooped in for Teixeira. Among the potential suitors for Ramirez, the Angels and Mets (perhaps the one team that needs Ramirez more than any other) have ruled themselves out, and the White Sox don't deal with Boras. The Cubs are filling their need for a power-hitting outfielder with Milton Bradley. The Rangers have said that they aren't pursuing Ramirez, but didn't close the door on the possibility. The Nationals have the money to make a deal, but it wouldn't make sense from Ramirez's standpoint to go to a non-contender. Same goes for the Orioles. The Phillies and Rays already have spent big this winter, while the Tigers - an occasionally friendly landing spot for Boras clients - doesn't have enough room in their budget. That's a more realistic excuse to avoid Ramirez than not having room for him on the field. And the Red Sox? They certainly have the money, but forget about it. Time heals all wounds, but six months isn't enough time in this case. Want a couple of dark horses? The Braves and Brewers could look to Ramirez to save otherwise disappointing offseasons - but both have bigger issues with pitching, and would be wiser to use their budgets for that purpose. The smart money remains on Ramirez staying with the Dodgers, maybe getting less than the $40 million over two years from the options that he demanded be dropped when he was traded. But L.A. might be able to win the NL West again while spending less money on Adam Dunn, letting its young players develop and using some leftover money for pitching. Remember that Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has a reputation among his team's fans for being cheap, and that Ramirez didn't cost him a dime for the two months he spent at Chavez Ravine. It's unclear how serious the Giants are about Ramirez, but with their additions of Edgar Renteria and Randy Johnson, adding Ramirez might give San Francisco a quick window at contending while the Giants groom some more hitting prospects to go along with one of the best young pitching staffs in baseball. Then there's the Yankees, lurking - always lurking. As other teams drag their feet, it gives Brian Cashman a chance to find a taker for one of his "surplus" outfielders in a trade and still be able to bring in Ramirez (much to the delight of Hank Steinbrenner) while keeping payroll below 2008 levels (much to the delight of Hal Steinbrenner). "Gas is up, and so am I," Ramirez said in October. But now gas is down, and apparently so is he. The longer he stays on the market, the more it seems that Ramirez might be the greatest $16-18 million-per-year bargain in the history of, well, $16-18 million-per-year bargains. How To Do The Perfect Bench Press Rep Bodybuilding and Lifting Weights, the Difference ironmagazine-frapper

01-07-2009, 05:49 PM	#2
soxmuscle do work son Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: I will eat your face Posts: 10,045 Photos: 10	The Dodgers have no reason to bid against themselves. Until some other team climbs into the bid, Boras will drag these discussions out. Age: 20 \| Height: 5'7" \| Weight: 150 lbs \| Penis: 12 inches

01-08-2009, 09:18 AM	#4
P-funk Patrick Super Moderator Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: AZ Posts: 31,700	fuck manny. act like a child get treated like a child. E-Book: Take Charge! Everything You Need To Know To Write Your Own Training Programs Online Consulting/Program Design Reality Based Fitness Podcast Check me out on Twitter! Subscribe to our free monthly newsletter! "In the beginners mind there are many possibilities, in the experts there are few." -Buddha's Little Instruction Book

01-08-2009, 09:38 AM	#6
IronAddict YOU ME WE Elite Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: In my skin Posts: 2,801	That is my take also! Please don't come to the Angels! The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.

02-03-2009, 07:59 AM	#11
P-funk Patrick Super Moderator Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: AZ Posts: 31,700	what an idiot E-Book: Take Charge! Everything You Need To Know To Write Your Own Training Programs Online Consulting/Program Design Reality Based Fitness Podcast Check me out on Twitter! Subscribe to our free monthly newsletter! "In the beginners mind there are many possibilities, in the experts there are few." -Buddha's Little Instruction Book

01-08-2009, 06:21 AM	#3
I Are Baboon pedal pedal pedal Moderator Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Beerville Posts: 11,942 Photos: 4	I am thrilled to see that, so far, Manny is not being rewarded for tanking it with the Sox.

01-08-2009, 11:45 AM	#7
girlwhogoesfar Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: NYC Posts: 8 Photos: 3	Ypu gotta love that his greed isnt being rewarded

02-01-2009, 08:54 PM	#8
dekroon Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Raleigh NC Posts: 10	I dont like the guy put the cubs sure could use someone who can hit in the post season. They could move soriano to 2nd base or right field. Better yet they could trade him but Im sure no one wants him since hes wayy over paid

02-03-2009, 07:31 AM	#9
I Are Baboon pedal pedal pedal Moderator Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Beerville Posts: 11,942 Photos: 4	Manny rejects one-year deal from Dodgers - MLB - Yahoo! Sports AHHHHAHAHAHAHA. The douche.

02-03-2009, 09:29 AM	#12
oaktownboy Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: smog and fog Posts: 4,428	the whole thing is hilarious...he actually might not play next season because no one will sign him Chuck Norris once lost his keys and couldn't remember where he put them. So he tortured himself for half an hour until he gave up their location.

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