Economy+Rays+Cowboys=Manny?
As of now the above equation makes no sense. However you're only through the first two sentences so chill out, relax, and I will explain.
Manny Ramirez, in my mind, is on the short list of the greatest hitters of my time. To me he's top 3 with only Albert Pujols and Barry Bonds (steroids or not) being in his league. I'm not talking top players because none of the above are great 5-tool players (although Bonds was in his prime) but top hitters. They have the combination of amazing power along with the ability to hit for a very high average. Manny showed that he has this power at an ultra elite level this year when he cut the crap, cut his hair, and played baseball hitting .396 with 17 HR in 53 games for the Dodgers this year. Yet despite this incredible ability he doesn't have a job. To me there are 2 reasons for this...and here they are.
1) The Economy
Baseball is not immune to the economic situation. Even the Yankees aren't, cause if they were Manny would be in pinstripes right now. The teams with money have either spent it (Yankees), don't want him (Red Sox, Angels), or are the Dodgers who as the last team left have all the power. If I'm the Dodgers I offer him a 1 year deal with club options for years 2, 3, and 4. This way Manny has to play for his money every year. The Dodgers can afford the $25 million a year price tag that Manny and Scott Boras, his agent, want and they're willing to give it to him, just not for 3 or 4 years. And if you don't have to, then why would you?
2) The Cowboys/Rays factor
The what????? The Cowboys/Rays factor...aka chemistry. Manny was an exceptional teammate in LA, taking young hitters under his wing and raising the level of the entire team. However we all saw what he did in Boston. So how do the Cowboys and Rays fit into it? Easy: The Cowboys were a supremely talented team with supremely poor chemistry; on the other hand the Rays were a fairly talented team with amazing chemistry. The results: The 'Boys miss the playoffs and are re-thinking everything from coach to star WR while the Rays make a World Series run and are poised for a consistent stay in the AL East for years to come. Chemistry is important and thus the Dodgers don't want Manny to turn to bad Boston Manny and ruin the chemistry of their club.
All that being said I think Manny is worth the risk. Joe Torre can control the Man-Ram and thus I think if he won't agree to my "one-year at a time deal" they should offer him a 3-year deal and get him. Manny loves LA and LA loves Manny. It's a match made in heaven. Well it would be if they'd just sign the damn contract...
So for now, we wait. Boras says there are other teams involved. I don't believe him. Either way, Manny will be on someone's roster soon and that team will be very very happy. But the more I think about it, I should've expected all this. After all it's just Boras being Boras, and Manny being Manny.
Craig
Manny is just greedy too. He got his 25 mil a year and still said no. He needs to check his birth certificate see how old he is and realize he's not gonna get 5 years. Keep taking one year deals. Wait that would mean he would have to work hard everyday...
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Manny is greedy but I think its more Boras. He's unwilling to compromise. Ideal for the Dodgers is my deal. Ideal for Manny is to be locked up. They should compromise with a 2 year deal with a club option for a 3rd, but Boras won't compromise.
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