Yankees Washington Nationals
Manny Still on the Market
The biggest free agent splashes of the MLB offseason have been made, as Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett have all been signed by the New York Yankees, and have received huge long-term, high-paying deals.
But there is one high-quality player that is yet to be signed with a team this offseason, and that is Manny Ramirez.
CC Sabathia inked a $161 million, seven-year deal a couple of weeks ago, and Burnett signed with the Yankees around the same time, receiving an $82.5 million, five-year contract. Teixeira was just signed by the team yesterday, receiving an enormous $180 million, 8-year contract, which is the biggest of the offseason thus far.
The Yankees were one of the teams that were mentioned to be in the running for the current free-agent All-Star slugger, Manny Ramirez. However, the Yankees have reportedly been out of the running after all of the massive amounts of money they have spent and the talent that they have already brought in.
So, where does Man-Ram go from here?
After being traded from Boston to the Los Angeles Dodgers before the trade deadline of last season, Ramirez increased his output to an impressive .396 batting average, 17 home runs, 53 RBIs, and a .743 slugging percentage, all in the second half of the season. He practically single-handedly took an ordinary Dodgers team to the playoffs last season, and past the divisional round after upsetting the Chicago Cubs in a 3-0 sweep.
But, as every front office in the big leagues knows, Manny has some baggage. From his usual “Manny being Manny” routines, to his purposely-dismal play before his departure from the Red Sox, Manny Ramirez’s infamous antics are something many teams are looking at as the main factor when looking at his resume. Not his career statistics of 527 home runs, .314 batting average, .593 slugging percentage, and 1,725 RBIs, or the fact that he is a future Hall-of-Famer and debatably the best right-handed hitter in the game today.
Because of these past issues, nobody is willing to offer Manny’s desired 3-year, multi-million dollar deal.
The Yankees seem out of the picture after their recent big-market signings, and the Red Sox are completely out of the picture after the numerous fiascos they had with Ramirez when he was with the team.
The Washington Nationals have shown interest, but are in no way offering Manny his desired deal. If the team can be convinced by Ramirez’s agent that he is worth the long-term deal, the Nationals might just take that chance, considering the struggles they have gone through the past few seasons.
The Los Angeles Angels were also rumored to be of interest, mostly because of the recent exit of their premier slugger, Mark Teixeira. However, Angels’ GM Tony Reagins announced today that they are of no interest whatsoever. According to the Los Angeles Times, Reagins bluntly stated, “Manny will not be an Angel.”
Some small-market teams may be in the running, but none have shown much interest. One team in particular is the Oakland A’s, who have been open about their interest in spending more money this season, despite the downturn of the economy. This is highly unusual for Billy Beane and the Athletics, but as we all know, Beane is all for bargains, and there are many mid to high-market free agents who will receive lower-revenue contracts this season due to the current economic recession. But don’t be fooled A’s fans, Oakland hasn’t shown any interest in acquiring Manny Ramirez.
Therefore, this only leaves one place for Manny, and that is to stay in Los Angeles with the Dodgers. He has done great things in the short time he has been there thus far, and the people of Los Angeles would be more than happy to bring him back. The Dodgers offered him a $45 million dollar, two-year deal earlier this offseason, but that was quickly shot down. Manny and his agent might have to give in and take that offer, or the Dodgers might possibly renegotiate to satisfy his needs. The Dodgers already did this with Rafael Furcal and Casey Blake, who both wanted three year deals when the Dodgers would only negotiate for two, only to eventually give them both three-year contracts. If the Dodgers are willing to give Manny what he wants, the Dodgers could be a very intriguing team in the National League in 2009.
But seriously, who wouldn’t want this guy on their team? Yeah, he has had some problems in the past; but he has shown that he has moved on from his issues in Boston after the remarkable second half of last season. Manny has all of the tools any team needs when it comes to hitting, and he can only significantly improve any team he goes to if he is put in the right situation. Even so, Manny is still a free agent in a currently frantic offseason market.
Manny basically got the short end of the stick in this year’s free agent market, but I would still put my money on Man-Ram having a better individual season than that of Mark Teixeira. The Yankees and their three acquisitions may even overshadow Ramirez next season, which is something Manny isn’t accustomed to. Nevertheless, look for Manny to have another great season, no matter what team he ends up playing for.
Just don’t expect Manny to become the quiet type, it’s hard to say he will discontinue his ways of “Manny being Manny.” I’m pretty sure he’ll find some ways to increase his publicity, but I don’t know, that’s just me making an assumption.
About the Author
Aspiring journalist of only 18 years of age. Currently in college; writing many sports related articles to gain some experience and recognition. You can check out my blog at sportsblogclaytonterry.blogspot.com
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