Well, if you haven’t heard the news…this could be Manny’s last weekend in Dodger Blue. If you haven’t heard, I’m assuming that you have been out of the country, because once again he is the talk of baseball.

The rumor right now is that the Dodgers and White Sox already have a deal in place and are just hoping no other team can claim him.

I have to admit, I’m a little mixed on his leaving. He was fun for a time, and he gave me a great picture at the top of this page, but his leaving is no surprise…and honestly it’s just time.

Manny has been on the DL three times this year.  He has not produced as expected and definitely has not earned his 20 million dollar paycheck.  They have already taken the “Mannywood” signs down in Dodger stadium making it obvious that the front office is also ready to move on.  Manny leaving saves the Dodgers some money in the next few years and honestly does get rid of a major distraction to the team.  The team is on a little tear since he got back, but it’s not like he has done that much.  He sat out yesterday after a night game the day before.  That in itself is still ironic with him.  Manny can’t play a day game right after a night game.  There is too much risk of injury.  Think about that for a minute.  The thought of keeping someone for that price who is so fragile just makes me shake my head.

To me though, I think Manny has been ready to go for a long time.  Manny is at his best when he is cracking jokes and making a scene.  This year after the suspension last year, he has been no where to be seen.  He won’t talk lest he say something wrong or right.  He went into a shell and thus hasn’t been the presence or force he once was.  I think he’s still embarrassed by his suspension and just doesn’t feel comfortable in L.A. any more.

The rumor right now is that he will waive his no trade clause if the next teams gives him an extension for 1 year.  That in itself is funny to me.  It makes sense that he wants something guaranteed, but he hasn’t really played this year.  He just wants to lock up the potential of him playing next year. 

There’s no way the Dodgers would give him an extension for next year, so it is funny that through this trade and his agent that he can lock a team into paying him next year.  Once again Manny can play the game and come out ahead.  There’s no guarantee that he will produce or even be healthy, but there is that potential and therefore he will get paid. 

Really, Manny has to go because he needs to end his career as a DH.  He may be able to pull out a few more years and actually contribute again.  If he stays with the Dodgers, and especially if he goes on the DL, he’ll be in for a major pay cut next year. 

It was a fun ride…at times, but it’s time for the Dodgers to move on.  Get a good solid player who can play everyday, and couple that with good pitching early and late. 

This could be the start of some major changes with the Dodgers.  It will depend on the divorce outcome, but I really wonder if this year will be the end of Joe Torre too.  If they can lock up Ted Lilly they will actually have the solid pitching staff they have wanted for years.  This could keep Joe, but I do believe he’s frustrated with the divorce limitations.

Well, so long Manny.  Everyone knew going in that signing you could be a mixed bag.  That it was.  Thanks for the memories, but buyer beware.

Tags: Joe Torre, Los Angeles Dodgers, Manny Ramirez, San Francisco Giants, Ted Lilly

This entry was posted on Friday, August 27th, 2010 at 8:32 am and is filed under 2010 Games. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.