Manny Ramirez from La Times - Anne Cusack
So it seems like Manny is all I write about these days, but if you’ve read any sports website lately, that’s all they write about too. It seems the Giants are back in it…but then their GM set the expectation today that they’re really not in it for the money or length people thing.
I recently wrote that Manny’s money could be used elsewhere, but today I was trying to put myself in Manny’s shoes. The baseball world is scared of Manny being disappointed in the price or years, and therefore quitting in the middle of a contract. The only way it seems that Manny is really going to be excited about his new deal is if he truly gets 4 years. That’s what he wants, and if he gets it (even he knows it’s a little bit of a stretch), then he will start happy (I’ll come back to finishing happy later). I know when I was looking for a job a few years ago, I had my number, and when they gave it to me, I went in happy and was ready to work. There were higher expectations because it was a higher number than they initially wanted to give, but I did good work, and they weren’t disappointed in the end.
So here’s the question, how can the Dodgers safely give Manny 4 years? I don’t think the real issue is money here. 25 mil for 4 years will pay itself off if the Dodgers get to the playoffs all 4 years. Great article on SI.com on how Manny is one of the winningest players of all time. Manny will bring people to the stadium, so the cost can be there.
The concern for the Dodgers is two-fold. One his age. He is 36. At 40, how bad will his defense be? Second, what happens if he is sick of LA after 2 years and wants out. Then what?
So how do you compensate for these two? Regarding age, you are limited. He hasn’t had a lot of injuries, but he has had some. You can’t really move him around the diamond, so he’ll still be in left field.
Regarding liking it in LA, that’s a wildcard because anything could change the circumstances. If the fans turn on him because the Dodgers aren’t winning, or Manny is in a slump, then he may want out too.
The key factor here is that both sides need the opportunity to change if circumstances change. I see the value of the Dodgers holding at least a limited trade clause if they need to trade him. The problem then becomes the 25 mil per season.
Go with me on this one. A 4 year deal worth 100 mil. After year 2, and for every year after that, there is the ability to walk away for both sides. It could be an opt out for Manny, or a cessation of contract for the Dodgers. It will be hard for Manny to get 25 mil anywhere else as he ages, so there is incentive to stay. For the Dodgers, they have an out if he doesn’t want to stay.
From Manny’s point of view, he won’t want to be dumped if he doesn’t want it. Therefore, perhaps there is language that the only way the Dodgers can dump him is if he mutually wants out, he was injured and missed a certain number of games, or if there are at least 2 “incidents” during the year that lead to voiding of the contract. These would be sticky to define, but I’m talking injury to Dodger staff or media, sitting out games due to “false injury,” etc. (Basically similar to what happened in Boston.)
The other option I thought about would be if the money somehow rolled forward based on the first 2 years. Say it is a 4 year deal worth 100 mil, but if the Dodgers make the World Series the first year, he gets say 35 mil. Similar the second year. The Dodgers would have more money due to the World Series attendance, and it would pull money off the 100 mil in case there needed to be a trade in years 3 or 4.
Bottom line, Manny wants guarenteed money, but even he knows circumstances can change. I really do think he wants to play for the Dodgers, so I bet he’d be more flexible on these finer details if he really does get 4 years and 100 mil.
Let me know your thoughts. I think we need to help Ned with some options here to help get this deal done.
Tags: Manny Ramirez, Ned Colletti
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Conceptually, I like the idea however the implementation would be trouble. In the American League with the DH I think the deal is a doable deal. In the National League it would just be really hard to deal with a player making 25 Million a Year but only being able to play in 130 games or so (aka Barry Bonds) On a one-two year deal this makes sense. Anything above that it gets tricky.
If Length is what he really wants then I say you offer him 4 different contracts. You have the One Year 25 Million that is on the Table. You can make a 2 Year 45 Milion Dollar Contract, a 3 year 65 million contact, and a 4 year 80 million dollar contact. Many players sacrifice dollars per year for “security” If you get the annual value down to 20 million a year then I say you can go 4 years. But to give both when no other suitors can even get there then you are just competing against yourselves for the sake of making someone happy. The first couple years of his contract will pay off no matter what but after that it gets shaky. I would also be ok with a 2 year 50 million with a 3rd year vested option based on PA’s (to cover for injury risk) with a player opt out and/or buyout. I think in the end that is what it is going to be. Like Furcal who wanted 3 years but dodgers only wanted to give 2. In the end they gave him the 3rd year and they got the deal done. I think it will be similar with Manny in the end.
I don’t know who you are sfdodgerfan but this is my new FAVORITE blog! I am a HUGE Dodgers fan and grew up in the Bay Area, to much ridicule. I now live in San Diego and its not so bad. But I know what it’s like being a Dodgers fan in the Bay.
I like Lance’s idea above of offering 1, 2, 3, and 4 year deals. And the other option of making the contract incentive based is the best idea I think. Probably some hybrid of incentives and years will end up working for both sides. But the Dodgers need to either start getting creative with offers for 3+years or move on. They need to set a timetable and quit playing chicken with Boras.
Hey Miguel,
Thanks for saying hello. I’m glad you like the site, and please pass it on. Let me know what else I can do to make it better – I love hearing from other fans. High points for growing up a Dodger fan – I believe you when you say you were ridiculed. My cousin is a Padre fan, so I do have a semi-soft spot for the Pads in San Diego…even though they really stink right now.
Hey Lance – I hear you on competing against yourself, but I wonder on the 4 year 80. It is 40 more than he would have gotten with Boston, but I still think he wants the high dollars. I think we’re all right – that three years will probably be the answer, I just think he’s going to want 25 per year.