SWEEP! Dodgers Over “The Mess”
- Sweep!
Ahhh…how sweet a sweep is! So many great memories from tonight’s game, including a strong starting performance from Weaver after having been bounced like a pinball between starting and the bullpen, Ethier’s walk and subsequent move to third on J. Martin’s clutch hit allowing him to score, O-Dog’s 11-game hitting streak, Leach’s clutch pitching performance, earning him his first career victory. Good times, good times.
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Manny Signed?
ESPN says the deal is done: two years, $45 million with a player opt out clause. Manny reportedly heading west for a physical and to join the team. BUT Tony Jackson says no deal yet. Dodger fans continue to wait…
Manny Rejects Dodgers Fourth Offer
Filed under: Dodger Hitting, Dodgers Offseason, Manny Ramirez
This just in from Josh Rawitch over at the Dodgers. You know it’s looking bad when the Dodgers go to the lengths of issuing a press release stating the rejection (in a letter!). Love the McCourt quote mocking the other “serious offers.”
BORAS REJECTS DODGERS
OFFER TO MANNY RAMIREZ
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers today received a letter from Scott Boras, the agent for Manny Ramirez, rejecting the offer that the club made yesterday. This rejection is the fourth by the agent in the club’s attempts to sign Manny.
“We love Manny Ramirez,” said Dodgers Owner Frank McCourt, “And we want Manny back, but we feel we are negotiating against ourselves. When his agent finds those ‘serious offers’ from other clubs, we’ll be happy to re-start the negotiations.
“Even with an economy that has substantially eroded since last November, out of respect for Manny and his talents, we actually improved our offer.
“So now, we start from scratch.”
A Theory on the Manny Negotiations
So I was thinking about yesterday’s “news” that a deal between the Dodgers and Manny Ramirez was imminent and could happen later this week. What I found particularly interesting about the rumor was that it apparently had some weight to it, as the attached link to Bill Shaikin’s post at “The Fabulous Forum” on the LA Times’ site indicates.
Here’s my theory: the report was leaked by Boras’ team. Think about it. Negotiations seem to have been accelerating over the past few days between Boras and the Dodgers. Boras is probably wondering if there are any teams that want one last shot at signing the best right-handed batter of the past 12 years, and what better way to find out the answer than to leak yesterday’s news? If no teams comes forward, the deal could get done with the Dodgers by the end of the week. If the Giants or another team enter the mix, watch out.
If you ask me, a two-year contract with an option for a third year at about $20-$25 million per year is totally acceptable for an aging, yet still incredibly productive, Manny Ramirez. Now Ned just needs to bring the deal home.
The Chronicles of Manny, Chapter Five
So as fast as I could type the news of the Dodgers’ one-year, $25 million offer to Manny Ramirez, it was rejected by agent Scott Boras.
According to Dylan Hernandez at the Los Angeles Times, the club will still be negotiating with Ramirez and Boras (as they should be). Both parties need each other here, and with the amount of salary coming off the books at the end of last season, the Dodgers have the cash to make a two to three-year offer to Manny that should appease both sides. Anything longer than three years is foolhardy, and if that’s the case I would love to see the Dodgers turn their attention to Adam Dunn.
Now we wait and see what the next chapter in the “The Chronicles of Manny” have in store…