Manny is back in LA. Manny Ramirez broke down and took the Dodgers $45 million offer. he had been hoping for a $100 million contract, but times are tough. All of you who are feeling bad about your 401K, think how this economy cost Manny. $60 million? Ouch.
I suspect however, that he will be able to pay for the groceries. The contract also lets him opt out and become a free agent again next year, so Dodger fans get to look forward to this dance all over again.
This has to be one of the strangest episodes in free agent history. Manny Ramirez can clearly mash. He is a .320 type hitter who will hit 40 home runs and drive in 120 runs. Who would not want someone like that?
Well, everyone apparently. No offers from any other teams. The Yankees, who you would think would love to get the ex-Red Sox star in pinstripes passed. The Angels, trying to compete with, and even surpass, the Dodgers in Southern California, passed. The Giants, who would love to tweak the Dodgers and recently cut ties with one of baseball's epic sluggers, said no thanks. Maybe the already auctioned off Barry Bonds' lounge chair.
You really have to work hard to be one of baseball's greatest sluggers and be so unwanted. You even electrify a new city and they make a "take it or leave it" offer. A week into spring training and no job? Wow.
So Manny is back with the Dodgers. The opt out provision should motivate him with dreams of landing that $100 million deal next winter. I am not so sure it will be there even then. Manny may hit .320, with 40 home runs and 120 RBIs for the Dodgers this year, but Manny is still Manny and teams will shy away. The winter of 2009-2010 may seem a little like "Groundhog Day".
Until then however, I am glad he'll be in the middle of the Dodgers' lineup. Welcome back Manny.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment