Manny Ramirez on front page of SF Chronicle Sports - 1/4/08

As a follow up to my previous post, now things are really getting crazy.  Opened up the Sports section today to find Manny staring back at me.  The Giants are in the hunt and there are rumors that they’ve already made a 3 yr offer with an option. 

Here’s the article from the San Francisco Chronicle.  It’s a good one that really follows what I last wrote.  He is a gamble for the Giant’s just like he is for the Dodgers.  He brings lots of baggage, but he can hit and he will sell tickets.  Even more, it puts the Giant’s at the top of the division.  The bottom line he writes is that he is a worthy gamble. 

I  think Dodger fans better watch out because I bet the Giant’s are more in this than we think.  Coletti is going to have to pony up because Boras has found another suitor.  The Giant’s have new ownership and it wouldn’t surprise me if he grew up with the Dodger’s rivalry and now wants to snag the Dodger’s prize. 

Back to work after the holiday – I’m sure all I will here about are the Giant’s going after Manny.

Manny Ramirez on front page of SF Chronicle - 1/3/08

So the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle had Manny Ramirez on it with links to the Giants. Now we’re getting more serious. A newspaper in Colorado first broke the story (not sure how they had it not being in California…), and now it does seem that Scott Boras is talking with the Giants.

This adds significant drama. First, I really believe the Giant’s aren’t serious players. They are trying to get younger, and to get Manny, they will have to commit for at least 3 years with a player whose defense is declining.

Having said that, if the Giant’s got Manny it would suck.
First, the Giants would be better on paper than the Dodgers. They have the pitching the Dodgers lack and they really just need one or two big bats. Manny is at least 1.5 bats. Honestly the fans around here are mixed on him, but so were Dodger fans before he led them to the playoffs last year. The boasting by Giant’s fans would be horrible. The worst part is – they would finally have something legitimate to brag about…and I don’t know that I would have much to say, especially if the Dodgers don’t compensate (It already seems Jones is on his way out – more to come on that topic.)

If they do get Manny and he nosedives in a year – it would be great to rub it in to Giant’s fans…but we all know he’s not going to nosedive any time soon. Manny is still a better fit in L.A., and I think this is a Boras scheme to get the Dodgers going…but the Dodgers better watch themselves. The Giants could snag him, and the rivalry would only go up like crazy. Unlike some players, Manny won’t have any problem taking the money and going to the Dodgers biggest rivals.

I get starved for Dodger information in the off-season, and this is a pretty good article.  It’s all speculation, but it’s what I think most fans would be fine with.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/10/22/heyman.manny/index.html