It’s becoming more and more likely that general manager Ned Colletti and the Dodgers are going to put Manny Ramirez on waivers as early as today, clearing the first hurdle to his eventual departure from Los Angeles.
The move is the equivalent of the Dodgers waiving the white flag in the 2010 season (something that one could argue has been over for weeks), and allows the Dodgers to recoup the remainder of his salary for the year.
If Manny does clear waivers, the Dodgers are free to trade him to any team of their choosing. However, Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal tweeted this morning that the White Sox plan to claim Ramirez. But before that could happen we have to get through the entirety of the secretive waivers process and another team may end up the winner. As Dylan Hernandez notes, National League teams have the first priority, then American League teams. If there are multiple claims from the same league, the team that has the worst record gets priority and wins the claim.
If Manny is claimed, the Dodgers would most likely would only receive about $4 million (the remainder due on his $20 million salary), instead of maybe cash and a marginal prospect or two. But in the end does it really matter? The season is over and Manny is one of the few chips the Dodgers have to deal, given his upcoming free agent status. I have no doubt that Manny will also waive his no-trade clause so that he can once again insert himself on the national stage as he makes a run at a new contract in 2011 (presumably in the American League as a designated hitter).
Interestingly, if the White Sox were successful in claiming Ramirez, that could create an outfield of former Dodgers’ including Manny Ramirez, Andruw Jones and Juan Pierre. How crazy would that be?
While the second half of Manny’s tenure with the Dodgers left a lot to be desired, the electricity ”Mannywood” brought with his arrival in LA (both on and off the field) was something rarely seen in Chavez Ravine in recent years, and something the fans will not soon forget. If this is goodbye, then good luck, Manny. It was fun while it lasted.