I have made no secrets about my desire to see Manny Ramirez return to the Cleveland Indians. Baseball Prospectus ran an article late last week identifying five teams that should go after Manny, and they included the Tribe, who need an alternative to Travis Hafner if he doesn’t return to form, and they also could use a upgrade in leftfield.
Unfortunately, GM Mark Shapiro has said there isn’t any money left to spend on free agents unless he deals off some payroll. He couldn’t trade enough players to clear payroll to sign Ramirez, who is looking for $20 million per year, although nobody is offering that kind of cash. Besides, starting pitching is a bigger need for the 2009 Cleveland Indians.
However, the fact the arguably the best right-handed hitter of the last 25 years is still unsigned makes me and others wonder what is going on. Many people point to Ramirez’ behavior prior to getting traded last season as the reason no long-term deals are being offered. Everyone remembers the accusations by the Red Sox that Manny stopped playing hard in an effort to get the Red Sox to give him a contract extension.
Some people pointed to his agent, Scott Boras, as masterminding a strategy of Ramirez forcing the Red Sox hand, so that they would decline the option years on his contract, thus making the future Hall of Famer a free agent at the end of the ’08 season. The argument was that unless Manny received a new deal for 2009, his new agent, Boras, would not get a healthy commission.
If that was the case, how is that strategy working for you now, Mr. Boras? One of the best hitters in baseball history is having a problem getting a new contract because teams are worried about whether or not he will put forth a big effort if he and his agent don’t get the amount of years and dollars they thought they were going to get.
That’s my problem with Boras. At times, he treats his clients as if they are scientific experiments, using them as guinea pigs to try to find loopholes in the system. He has done it with top high schools players, turning down large signing bonuses and moving players to the independent leagues. He had a junior in high school take his GED, and then try to create a bidding war with major league teams. You have to question whether or not he is doing it for the player, to satisfy his huge ego, or to make baseball look bad.
Now Boras is trying to sell Ramirez by saying that the revenue his signing will generate will pay for his contract. His remarkable career doesn’t create enough buzz on the open market. If Ramirez didn’t dog it to get out of Boston last year, he would have gotten a three year deal somewhere, an appropriate amount of years for a player who will turn 37 years old this season.
If the agent came up with that strategy, he did a disservice to his client. Manny Ramirez has always been a different character, but no one considered him a “jake”. The current financial climate has made Manny a risk no owner wants to take. He should have been embraced as a player who can put a team over the top, instead it is two weeks before spring training starts, and he has no place to play.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 