… and Manny doesn’t get what he wants! According to multiple sources the Dodgers have offered Manny Ramirez a One-Year Deal for $25 million with a player option for the second year at $20 million. Evidently the Dodgers are loathe to give him more than two years. Some fans have said that the Dodgers should just give Manny a 3 or 4 year deal, but I think that the Dodgers have had a plan and have stuck to it. It was made easier by the fact that NO OTHER TEAM MADE MANNY AN OFFER!
HELLO! SHOULD WE BID AGAINST OURSELVES? I think not!
Here we go – Boras is supposed to provide an answer on Thursday!
I have a feeling that if this offer is rejected, the Dodgers will say “SCREW YOU, BORAS!”
Tony Jackson sums it up correctly:
Not that Scott Boras is going to listen to ME. But I think I speak of all the beat hacks — and a lot of people inside the Dodgers organization — when I say this Manny Ramirez issue needs closure. I’m guessing you, the fans, are getting pretty tired of it, too. We have been following this story almost daily since the end of last season, and really, nothing has changed. Until today, or the past few days, or whenever this all started to come together, nothing had really changed on either side in all that time. That having been said, I do think that if this deal gets done, the Dodgers have a chance to be really, really good, especially if they can pick up another frontline starting pitcher along the way and especially if Jonathan Broxton comes through as the new closer. This lineup is going to be scary, with Furcal and Hudson at the top and probably a right-left-right-left look from three through seven. See you in the morning … unless something happens sooner than that.
Frank, pull your head out and give him the third year! People who negotiate need to comprimise and meet at a halfway point. Manny wants 4 ,Dodgers want 2, anybody with a half of a brain knows that the mid-point is 3. We screw this up and let the Yankees get him, then Frank is going to be left there holding a sack of dogshot. I’m sure that the egomaniac that he is, that Scott would take a 2 year deal anywhere else but that is out of the question in this negotiation. Don’t let the joke be on you Frank, Just Do It!
BTW, Manny doesn’t need no escape clause. He has already proven that he is Houdini-esqe if he is in a situation that he doesn’t like.
I think this is it. The bad thing is (if the rumored details are true) bet the farm Manny will opt out and we do this dance all over again next year.
But lets not worry about that now. If Manny signs it shows we want to win THIS YEAR!! I like the way that sounds. We will worry about next year , next year!
Manny wants 4 Frank wants 1. Frank offerred as close to 1 1/2 as is possible.
If the rumors are true that Frank offerred “Price” and Borass countered with “Terms”, then they are truely attempting to get this deal done soon!!!!!!!!!!!
If that’s the deal, I wonder if we get the same Manny that busted his ass to prove to everyone in L.A. that he is worth a multi-year contract. If this is all that we offer, will we get the same happy Manny that carried this club into the play-offs and hit over .500 there?
“SCREW YOU, BORAS!”? No, it looks more like screw you Manny. And, it’s a mistake. I say again, for the umpteenth time, it is not bidding against yourself to lock up the best hitter on your team, and certainly one of the best hitter in the league, for three years. It’s smart baseball. Pissing off your best player is stupid.
Michael is right.
ManRam will being manramming in a Dodger uniform before the weekend closes.
Badger,
If what you say is true, then Manny is devoid of character and has no business on this team.
People are saying 3 years, because like me, we want him here for the next 3 years..What he if he opts out after next year, then what, where is our power hitter? Do you think McCourt is gonna sign Bay, or Holliday for 6 years at 20 per? No way…
We won’t need Manny after next year according to Mark and some others. We will have Lambo. I’m just glad to see this thing finally wrap up. Manny will opt out next year and we will resign him for another year at $25. That works for everyone. GET R DONE
I heard or read something about two or three weeks ago — that this Lambo had some problems in the past. And they were not physical problems.
Anyone know of what is up . . .
Manny could be a man and stand up to his agent if he wasn’t a money grubbing a-hole. That said I want him on my team.
Lets face it guys McCourt wins this round. I think if many of you who dont like them will always find a reason to complain. It was written today that in this market when Bobby Abreu, O-Dog & Garrett Anderson are getting single season contracts for 3-5 million dollars the Dodgers would be reasonable to offer Manny a 2 year $40 million deal. Guys, the economy is tanking and advertising revenue for teams will be down dramatically. That will effect these salaries for the next few years.
Why is it we can’t appreciate what we have (if he signs) worry about next year next year!
“Before the 2007 draft the rumors were flying about Newbury High School (CA) first baseman Andrew Lambo. He was accused of skipping school and other violations. The word on the street and in the blogs pointed out he was very talented but anybody who drafts this guy would be asking for trouble. And there was also a published report that scouting directors were turned off by his flippant attitude.” From LA Dugout
These things happened during his Junior year (including smoking weed). His family moved and put him in a new school and he says it was the best thing that happened to him as it took him away from some bad friends. He says he picks his friends better now and according to the Dodgers he has had no other issues on or off the field.
I figure the opt out clause, which means Manny doesn’t have to do a Red Sox wiggle to get out, also means he will play well as he has a shot at FA again next year if he chooses. It wouldn’t bode well if he acted up this year. His Red Sox shenanigans were no doubt a factor in teams shunning him as well as unreasonable contract demands in a flagging economy. Poor play or behaviour this year would hinder contract demands next year even more. Less than stellar play could be a sign of diminishing skills as feared in a longer contract. Poor attitude would be Manny being Manny again. Some fans like that. I expect most GM’s don’t.
Manny will be hailed as the king pin by all concerned. You know, that stuff about knowing how to win, best hitter in the game, etc. That will feed his ego for at least a year and spur his performance.
Now don’t get me all wrong. I think we need his bat for at least one year as the young players get closer to their primes. It’s just that I don’t care for all the mollycoddling that must be done to reel Manny in and then treat him like a celebrity.
GO DODGERS!!
The economy is only tanking for the middle class Romey. Millionaires won’t feel any pain. It didn’t affect Teixiera. It didn’t affect Sabathia. Lowe did pretty good.
They are ALL money grubbing a-holes. It’s the American way.
Replacing Manny with Lambo seems pretty lame to me. A HOFer for a prospect? OK. If that is what you want. Hope it works out.
Yeah, some say Frank won this one. I don’t see it that way. I still want Manny on my team for the next 3 years. Heck, I would like to see him break some records in a Dodger uniform. This guy is the best hitter we have had since Piazza. I see nobody else on this team that will ever do what he does. Manny is already planning his exit, and it could have been avoided. But, renting players is the way it is done these days. From year to year there is just no way of knowing who is going to be a Dodger. In so many ways, I miss the old days.
Hey badger, Why didn’t the Mets go after Manny? He would have been a lock to go to NY. Why Because the owner lost $300 million in the Madoff scheme and the Citi Bank debacle is putting the sponsorship revenue from the stadium in jeopardy.
Believe me I know the middle class is feeling it a lot more than the billionaires but it is the fear of the loss of revenue that is driving the slow Free Agent market this offseason. It is just a fact.
Teams like the Yankees will always spend but the risk is lower because they have a secure revenue stream from the YES Network which they own. Also their payroll (believe it or not ) went down this season!!! Look at the other players in this FA class. Would you have thought Adam Dunn would have settled for a 4/$40 million contract, Abreu and O-Dog took massive pay cutsafter having decent years. I know Hudson was hurt but his salary went down dramatically.
All I am saying is it is a hell of a gesture for the Dodgers to offer Manny this kind of money in this economy and this free agent market. No position player was offered near this kind of money why?….
IT’S THE ECONOMY STUPID!!
how come the league doesnt have a rule for any player not prefoming to his best ability. there sould be big fines and suspicions for player not living up to there contracts. there was a football player for the dallas cowboy ..i think his name was thomas, that got suspended,, for his behavior…does any one remember..
While I understand and appreciate where our econmomy is, I still maintain that there are some venues above the fray. The Mets owner got swindled, well lord have mercy. A rich guy got snookered. I wonder if it means he will lose his house? I doubt it. And, I doubt whether the Mets will take a loss this year. Manny would be a great fit there. I am not entirely sure why they didn’t go after him, but I doubt it was the “economy”.
And what is not being considered in your argument is what a guy like Dunn means to attendance levels, which is nothing. Nobody goes to a game to see Adam Dunn. People DO come to games to see Manny. The Dodgers attendance levels jumped over 4200 a game with him on the team. Nobody buys any Dunn jerseys, nobody buys any Dunn dreds. And it has been written many times that certain players pay for their own contracts through their play, and their draw. Things like this:
Manny Ramirez (Boston Red Sox, 8 year/$160 million)
When the Red Sox offered Ramirez $20 million per season for eight years, many observers balked at the deal. Sure, the slugger had just come off a pair of back-to-back seasons where he averaged .342 with 41 home runs and 143 RBI. But Manny was a notorious headcase. A player who lived in his own world. The kind of guy who might not even be able to find fenway Park in eight years, let alone hit a meaningful homer out of the stadium. Yes, Manny’s staying power and his dedication to the game were highly questionable back in 2001
But Manny proved them all wrong. Over the past seven years, only A-Rod and Albert Pujols can hold a candle to Manny. Look at the comparison:
Manny: .313 BA, 36 HR, 115 RBI
A-Rod: .304 BA, 41 HR, 130 RBI
Pujols: .332 BA, 40 HR, 123 RBI
Most important of all has been Manny’s postseason contributions. He was a major factor in both of the Red Sox recent World Series titles, winning the 2004 WS MVP, and hitting .348 with 4 homers and 16 RBI in 14 postseason games in 2007.
For his consistency, his loveable cluelessness and his clutch hitting, Manny also gets an A Grade for his performance under his mammoth contract.”
Now add the attendance and souvenir money in to the equation.
ARod and Pujols. Nice company.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duane_Thomas
all I am saying Badger, is salaries are down this offseason. That can’t be disputed.
I am not comparing owners problems to middle class families froblems. That is apples and oranges. Although if I was running a baseball team and I saw the blue collar fans (that pay hard earned money to come and see my team) struggling, I would worry about my attendance. I would worry that ticket sales would go down when working class families can save money by watching the game at home and not paying $20 bucks just to get in the parking lot! That will effect your bottom line.
Love or hate the owners, these guys are business men first. It is just like any other business that is hesitant to spend right now until the future becomes more clear. I get it, Manny creates revenue, but thinking with you head and not your heart he will be 37 yrs old soon, his skills will fade soon, Torre will be leaving after next season this team will be in flux, do we want to extend him into 2011 and risk this whole thing blowing up?
I think we are on the same page anyway Badger, I just am making a point that what the McCourts are doing isn’t completely without the best interest of the franchise in mind.
It just amazes me how fans can’t give these guys any credit. When we win it is despite the McCourts, and when we lose it is because of them? Some people just love to whine I guess.
HE SIGNED !!!!!
HE SIGNED !!!!!!
http://www.insidesocal.com/dodgers/2009/02/dodgers-agree-t-2.html
Ehhh?? What’s that noise I hear? Why it’s coming from November and Manny is packing his bags looking at the 3 year deal for 75 million he just signed with the Mets.
It looks like we have pushed Manny into the corner and he’ll sign for one year. Then, afer he wins the MVP award for the 2009 season and proves to all of MLB that hes not an asshole, he’ll be gone in a New York Minute to play for an owner that “preciates’ him. Maybe give him the use of the owner’s private jet. Maybe a bank or two as bonuses. How about the keys to GM? All of GM? Attaboy Fred! Don’t lock up the best player in the game just because that’s what he wanted. Prove you don’t need your nose and cut it off quick to spite the rest of your ugly mug.
Great job Frank! You’re managing to prove that your really can f#ck up a wet dream–and feel like you’ve done something great in the process.
Are you ready to load the Mientkemobile already mover? Are we sure he has sufficient “range”?
Take a minute to read these carefully before looking for that censorship button mover. Sent to me by my conservative friend. Almost as funny as a lawyer joke.
New Stock Market Terms
CEO – Chief Embezzlement Officer
CFO – Corporate Fraud Officer
BULL MARKET – A random market movement causing an investor to mistake himself for a financial genius
BEAR MARKET – a 6 to 18 month period when the kids get no allowance, the wife gets no jewelry, and the husband gets no sex.
VALUE INVESTING – The art of buying low and selling lower.
P/E RATIO – The percentage of investors wetting their pants as the market keeps crashing.
BROKER – What my financial planner has made me.
STANDARD & POOR – Your life in a nutshell.
STOCK ANALYST – Idiot who just downgraded your stock.
STOCK SPLIT – When your ex-wife and her lawyer split your assets equally between themselves.
MARKET CORRECTION – The day after you buy stocks.
CASH FLOW – The movement your money makes as it disappears down the toilet.
YAHOO – What you yell after selling it to some poor sucker for $240 per share.
WINDOWS – What you jump out of when you’re the sucker who bought Yahoo at $240 per share.
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTOR – Past year investor who’s now locked up in a nuthouse.
PROFIT – an archaic word no longer in use.
# # # # #
If you had purchased $1000 of shares in Delta Airlines
one year ago, you will have $49.00 today.
If you had purchased $1000 of shares in AIG
one year ago, you will have $33.00 today.
If you had purchased $1000 of shares in Lehman Brothers
one year ago, you will have $0.00 today.
But—- if you had purchased $1000 worth of beer
one year ago, drank all the beer,
then turned in the aluminum cans for recycling refund,
you will have received $214.00.
Based on the above, the best current investment plan
is to drink heavily & recycle.
It’s called the 401-Keg.
24 cans in a case. 24 hours in a day. Coincidence? I think not! But only your broker knows for sure.
You guys kill me. If we would have locked him up long term I can hear the bitching now, ” He is gonna quit on us” “He is too old for a multi year deal” It never ends. At some point you have to get tired of your own complaints.
Of course Manny walks away at the end of this year. Lets face it, if he wanted to be in LA he would have made a deal happen, instead of waiting for a market to develop that never did.
Why do you guys want a player who doesn’t want you? If Manny walks away he leaves $20 million on the table! That is not chump change!! He doesn’t want you.
Enjoy him now! Don’t worry about later. How many times did you all cry for a win now attitude? Well this is it! If we complete this deal we are odds on favorites to go right back to the NLCS. When was that the case recently? Enjoy that.
Or is it easier to complain about the hypothetical.
One of Three things will happen after this season:
1. Manny will opt out;
2. Manny will opt in;
3. Many and the Dodger will negotiate another deal.
We have a 66% chance of signing him again.
There is no question. This was a WIN – BIG WIN for the Dodgers. As I said all along, Manny had no other option and now he has to bust his butt to get another big deal. SWEET! The Dodgers overpaid to keep him happy.
Manny should be highly motivated.
Having a Rookie replace a star isn’t all bad. Manny and Pujols were rookies once. Lambo may be THAT good!
That’s like saying every time you throw a forward pass in the NFL, only one of three things can happen: The pass can be incomplete; the pass can be intercepted or the pass can be completed. Since only on of those three is good for the offense, you only have a 33 1/3% chance of success and should run the ball on every down.
Of course, if you have Kurt Warner passing the ball to Torry Holt and Rev. Ike Bruce in the year 1999, I’d have to say I’d take those odds and tell Warner to pass the friggen ball!.
You’re leaving the most important part of the equation out of your recitation mover. If I have a chance to lock up the best player in baseball for two or three years and decide to do so for only one year because I know his agent wanted a longer deal. That’s good old plain dumbass at work. Felony stupid. Shooting oneself in the foot to spite one’s leg..
You want to contend for more than one year. Show Manny the money. Make him happy so he won’t bolt like Drew did at the earliest possibility. Manny’s a bargain for 3 years at 76 million. Or two years at $52.
I agree with the resident counselor. I WANT Manny around for multiple years, that is why I don’t agree this is a BIG WIN for the Dodgers. Hopefully it’s a 1 year win. Then it’s back to not having a thumper. Shoot, I would let him finish his career here, but ‘cept he will likely finish in the A.L. where he will continue to pound the ball into his 40′s. I think Manny has L.A. written all over him.
Romey most of your takes I absolutely agree with. Same with Bill and ldawg. We ALL want the same thing, a winning Dodger team. But, like a lot of family members, we aren’t going to agree on how to go about it. I am fine with that. mover and I have been going round and round for years. He’s full of it, I’m full of it, but he is always welcome at my campfire, as are you.
Mintcaveitch huh? We could have done worse. I saw him play a lot when I lived up in Northern Wisconsin and he was darn good. If he checks hout health wise, our bench just got better.
Getting packed for my Napa trip. Not looking forward to this as I have no idea how my renters left the place. Landlording is no picnic these days. I am getting too old for this crap.
EBITDA – Earnings Before I Tricked Dumb Accountant
Lawdog and Badger,
You guys have absolutely no vision or imagination, and you are just bitter because you thought Boras would best Colletti and McCourt, and it didn’t happen. This was a brilliant deal!
Here’s what we know:
1. When Manny has a long-term contract, he tends to drift, he gets into some issues (i.e. trouble), and feigns injury.
2. When he is playing for a contract, he is Superman.
3. If you want the Good Manny, sign him to a short-term contract.
The fact of the matter is that the market for him may or may not be better next year. If we want him again, we can offer him $30 mil and another option.
This is a beautiful contract, better than I expected.
Talk to some baseball people in the know and they will tell you that this type of contract assure you will have the “Good Manny.” Otherwise, you have no guarantee what you will get.
Manny might hit .370 with 52 HR and 168 RBI this year!
Worry about next year, NEXT YEAR!
Enjoy the moment.
The Dodgers are going to the Series.
Print the Tickets!
… uh the deal hasn’t been officially announced!
Game Update:
Martin 2-2 with 3 RBI (HR and a double)
DeWitt starting at 3B for Injured Casey Blake is 1-2 with an RBI
Wolf 2 perfect innings
Dodgers 6. Giants 0
Jeff Weaver 1 scoreless inning
No hitter by Dodgers through 3 innings.
Eric Stults getting shelled…
4 runs, 6 hits
Scott Strickland comes in, an error allowed another runner and then he proceeded to slam the door. WOW!
Weaver looked OK
Strickland looked good.
Long time to go….
Quit wasting your breath, some people are just miserable and will always find a glass half empty. No matter what the Dodgers would have done, you will always find some “wonderful” people that will complain. As my dad used to tell me,
“that guy is so miserable and disagreeable that he would vote “no” on “yes”. They really can’t stand to have others happy, because they are so miserable and want to spread their misery, it is a sick mental disorder, apparently. You could give those type $10 million and they would complain that they had to talk to an accountant and pay taxes. Best to ignore these miserable souls and not let it get to you.
Manny signed for one year is better than no years, like Mark posted, it will be best to keep Manny on a short leash, he will actually be happier in his work. He will continue to be motivated and produce, as long as he knows he is trying to earn his “next” contract. A long-term deal would have produced a malcontent. Better to have a motivated Manny for one year than a malcontent for three years. Hmmm, Mark did you sign one of our posters to a three year deal and not tell us about it?
Folks get out the brown paper bags and stop hyperventilating. Manny will sign and we have him for one year. I agree with Romo. Take what you have this year with Manny and let next year take care of itself. If Manny wants to be a Dodger next year, he will be one. My guess, if Manny plays really well for the whole season, then Ned will negotiate a contract extension.
Folks are arguing now we should be playing for the future by signing Manny long term. Seems to me some were not willing to play for the future with the young players and were willing to make all sorts of trades with them. Our future is still with those young players that we can’t replace because there are too many of them. We can replace Manny with a very good player, Matt Holliday maybe, and although I want him om board now, the success of the Dodgers this year and the next few rests with the young players. Manny is the catalyst needed for some time but after a while the catalyst is no longer needed to the same degree.
GO DODGERS!!
If Manny signs, we’ll have a guy who will be playing for his next contract only–which means he’ll be watching and padding his stats. He won’t be motivated to help the young players or worry about the team’s ultimate finish. He’ll want the stats of one of the best players in the game so he can sign with some one else next year and rub Frankie’s face in it.
What if we wind up one game short in the world series? We’ll have guaranteed that our “Wait’ll next chant will be hollow and meaningless.”
Frankie could go to Manny and offer him 30 million at the end of next year and Manny will spit on him. Or at least give him a derisive laugh and a spit that narrowly misses his face.
Then, brainboy Frank will realize he manipulated himself into just one year when he really could have had two years at roughly the same dollar amount which would have given him a happy Manny who would then consider picking up a player (assuming his stats were good enough to make it vest) option for the third year.
Frankie thinks he’s out maneuvering Boras and Manny when he’s really just snookering himself.
You guys who think his a genius now will be calling for his idiot head next season.
Here’s what I know:
1. 3 years is not a long term contract.
2. some people are just rude, always have been always will be.
3. what ldawg said.
OK, 1 year it is.
I mean, hell! If we wanted Andruw Jones for two years, top dollar when he was coming off a Mendoza-like season, it’s only common sense to get two good years out of the best player in the game who carried us on his back the last tow months of the season–and didn’t take any of Frank’s money for it! Particularly when he’s willing to play for two years for what he’s worth for just one.
Lawdog,
Manny will be just like he was last year, because if he’s just padding his stats, he won’t get any better offers. Boras and Manny know that, and I think it’s more likely monkeys will fly out your butt than any of the fictious stuff you are writing about actually happening. That makes no sense in the real world. That’s the craziest thing I have ever heard…
Back to the Game:
Pascucci (2-2) jacked a line-drive HR and Hu hit a 3-run shot!
Garate didn’t acquit himself very well.
Hoffman 2-2
Castro 2-2
Paul 3-5
Dodgers 16 – Giants 7
… and Andruw was 7 years younger than Manny!
That was a horrible deal and Frank leraned from it.
Like Badger said, the recession hurts the middle class and what he neglected to mention is that those people are the core group of people who attend baseball games. Guess what will happen to revenues? It’s already happening in Spring Training and the NBA.
“It’s already happening in Spring Training and the NBA.”
Not according to what I have read:
“We are very happy to be growing in a down economy,” said Robert Brinton, Cactus League president.
http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/61622
“MLB season-ticket renewals for 2009, while still in the early stages, are showing resiliency against the ongoing national economic slowdown.”
http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/60934
I say again, baseball will not only survive, it will do well. Many teams have frozen prices, some have reduced, but many have also increased ticket prices -and are selling them.
Mark, if you are so confident the recession will affect attendance, why not take me up on that bet I made a while back? The Dodgers (with Manny) will draw 3.5 million – for 100 push-ups? Why not? you are already in for 1,000 and the World Series.
Lawdog wrote: “If Manny signs, we’ll have a guy who will be playing for his next contract only–which means he’ll be watching and padding his stats. He won’t be motivated to help the young players or worry about the team’s ultimate finish. He’ll want the stats of one of the best players in the game so he can sign with some one else next year and rub Frankie’s face in it.”
Lawdog, who knows what will happen? Personally I think Manny will sign tomorrow, be satisfied with the opt out clause in a two year contract and then who knows. My expectation is that he must (1) play very well and (2) be a good citizen. Not playing well and not being a good citizen won’t help his future contract aspirations. Somehow you feel he could be motivated to help the young players. That is not a Manny strength. They will feed off his presence in the lineup but not with his counselling. We are hiring Manny for his bat, plain and simple. If he concentrates on his stats and they soar, then we have what we need. That being said, I don’t see Manny multiplying his last year’s stats by 3 in a full season.
I don’t think Manny would laugh at $30M. That would feed his ego – the largest one year in history of baseball.
GO DODGERS!!