The NEW YORK POST buries the lead with this gem today on the Manny Ramirez sweepstakes:
(Look, Manny, over there! … Psyche!)
The Dodgers have offered Ramirez a two-year deal worth $60 million to remain in Los Angeles, but he is expected to file for free agency and look for a four-year deal in the $80 million range.
How do you not lead a story with the fact that the guy could be getting the highest single-season salary in baseball history? Probably because it isn’t going to happen. At least not with the Dodgers.
The club, per John Ireland at KSPN-AM in Los Angeles, has not made any offer to Ramirez yet. Nor has team GM Ned Colletti even spoken to Ramirez agent Scott Boras yet. Though Dodger Owner Frank McCourt is likely to take the lead in the negotiations when they heat up.
The funny thing about the reportage though is I do believe the Post may well have gotten the news of the offer from the Dodgers.
Splashing a $30M offer into the main media is a great way to put pressure on Ramirez and make McCourt look good. Especially considering the two-year deal would ultimately be $40-$60M less than what Ramirez will likely get. But throwing out that $30M figure gives the appearance that the Dodgers are indeed trying to sign the outfielder. And if you follow the plastic-surgeried McCourt long enough, you know he’s all about appearances.
Another example of a McCourt’s fakeout came last offseason, when the Dodgers brought in Joe Torre at $6M per. Torre is a big name and gave the appearance the Dodgers were making a huge commit to winning a World Series. Meanwhile, the club spent next to nothing on the roster in the offseason.
Again, all the underfunded McCourt wants to do is give the appearance he’s making an effort to put the Dodgers in position to sign Ramirez and/or make the Dodgers World Series-competitive. In actuality, he’s doing neither.
6:35 pm on October 30th, 2008
The Dodgers need to do whatever they can to sign Manny. He's the biggest reason why they made their remarkable postseason run.
6:44 pm on October 30th, 2008
Word of advice to Dodgers fans, or fans of whatever team he ends up with: the whole "Manny being Manny" thing does get old. There's only one thing Manny cares about - it's not his teammates, it's not his fans, it's himself.
6:50 pm on October 30th, 2008
Manny should try to hold out for…ONE BILLION DOLLARS! (places pinky at corner of the mouth).
6:55 pm on October 30th, 2008
Manny's a great player, and the outlook is on the upswing for the Dodgers. But if he bolts, I can't imagine any more places where he would be as admired & loved as L.A. Maybe New York, but that's it.
7:00 pm on October 30th, 2008
L.A. is all about image.
7:36 pm on October 30th, 2008
$60 million? That sure can buy a lot of head hankies.
7:43 pm on October 30th, 2008
I can see it now - Dodger Stadium bleacher seats for $50.
8:18 pm on October 30th, 2008
It'll be a little more hard for me to follow the Dodgers since they moved their Triple-A affiliate from Vegas to Albuquerque. Now we get the Blue Jays. WTF?
10:25 pm on October 30th, 2008
If the Rays can make it to the World Series, then surely the Dodgers can - Manny or no Manny.
8:25 am on October 31st, 2008
I love lamp.
10:42 am on October 31st, 2008
Is it really accurate to state that the Dodgers spent next to nothing on the roster? I would call $36 million a pretty significant investment.
On December 5, 2007, Jones agreed to a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, worth $36.2 million.