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…

Is it time to say goodbye to Man-Ram and hello to Adam Dunn? The more I think about this, the more I like the move. While it’s impossible to argue with the production, excitement and enthusiasm that Manny brought to the Dodgers last season, he comes with a certain amount of baggage. Like Terrell Owens, this tiger is not going to change his stripes. Sure, the Dodgers could sign Manny to a three-year, big money deal. But it’s not the money that’s the issue, it’s his attitude in the last year of his contract. Manny was truly a cancer for the Red Sox before they traded him, and Ramirez was clearly on his best behavior while in LA. But would this be the case in the last year of his contract here in LA? Which Manny would show up?

Adam Dunn is consistency to Manny Ramirez’s excitement. The guy hits 40 HRs practically every year, which is more than anyone since Beltre in 2004 (thanks ESPN.com). He’s going to come (relatively) cheap, potentially opening the door to additional pitching help this off season. Plus, Colletti doesn’t want to be left at the alter in late-January with no replacement for Ramirez if Manny walks to another team.

So all things being equal, I’d of course take Manny in a heartbeat. But given the realities of baseball, I’ll take Adam Dunn. Something tells me Frank McCourt will too.