Via Mark Feinsand –
Are the Yankees preparing to give Manny Ramirez a happy homecoming?
The pride of Washington Heights remains one of the biggest names left on the free-agent market, and while it may take some time before the future Hall of Famer finds a new home – or returns to his old one in Los Angeles – the Yankees figure to be a player for his services before all is said and done.
One baseball official told the Daily News that the Yankees’ interest in Ramirez is more than cursory, that they see the slugger as the perfect complement in their lineup to Alex Rodriguez, forming a 1-2 punch like he did in Boston with David Ortiz.
The official believes that the Yankees are “going hard” after Ramirez, to the point where they are willing to give him a three-year deal worth from $22 million to $25 million per year.
Two other officials are skeptical that the Bombers would commit three years to the enigmatic Ramirez, who has already seen the Dodgers make and withdraw a two-year, $45 million offer this winter. Both of them believe the Yankees will linger in the background while agent Scott Boras works to gather offers, and if the market is limited, the Yanks will try to jump in with a two-year, $50 million package.
According to a source familiar with the Yankees’ thinking, Brian Cashman has been lukewarm to the idea of signing Ramirez, but the rest of the front office – most notably Hal and Hank Steinbrenner – believes he is precisely what the Yankees need to bolster a lineup that underachieved in 2008.
Remember that scene from The Natural when Roy Hobbs strikes out “The Whammer” and then Harriet Byrd shifts her gaze from the slugger to the young pitcher?
Well, I can’t get this image, now, out of my head (should the Yankees sign Manny) of Madonna turning her head away from A-Rod and looking towards Ramirez…much like Byrd in the movie.
Yeah, I know…crazy, huh?
8 Responses to “Yanks “Going Hard” After Manny?”
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December 17th, 2008 at 9:39 am
Well, I can’t get this image, now, out of my head (should the Yankees sign Manny) of Madonna turning her head away from A-Rod and looking towards Ramirez…much like Byrd in the movie.
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…lol you gotta let it go man
December 17th, 2008 at 10:18 am
Three years for Manny? Why not just give him one year at an over-market deal and see how it goes? You can always re-sign him if it goes well and you really get to keep him motivated.
Defensively, the OF would be horrendous with Manny-Damon-Nady out there.
December 17th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Manram in pinstripes? They already signed AJerk so what else is new. So they have two cancers in the clubhouse! Look Girardi and Manram will clash but they need the production with the Sultan of Shot (Giambino) and Bobby ” Wallphobia victim extraordinaire” Abreu out.
MJ, There is no way any team is getting Manny for one year for several different reasons.Firstly, the Nationals seem willing to give Manram a megacontract if Teixeira doesn’t come to the Nats. Secondly, if Teix signs with the Bloody Red Pox then the Orange County Angels of Pasadena will gun for Manram. In addition, village idiot Ned Colletti(a GM who is worse than Cash Man IMO) will try to sign Manny despite the hardcore exterior. I think that Manny will get at least a three year deal if anything because other teams will give at least that.
The OF? I’ve asserted several times that Cash Man has screwed up because this defense is already suspect as is. You want pitching and defense, unh? You got an overrated injury risk and haven’t really shored up the defense. The outfield is not defensively sound and the Yanks will suffer because of it. Right now, they look like a third place team without Manny…….
December 17th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Other than the fact that Harriet Byrd was an insane homicidal maniac, it’s a perfect analogy.
Barbara Hershey played more weird characters than even Glenn Close in the last 20+ years.
But it may be a choice that gives pause: Death or marriage to Madonna? I kid, I kid. I could certainly grit my teeth for 8 years and then $92 million.
The head says no: Manny’s too old.
The heart says: To see him rake in Fenway wearing the road greys would be magical.
December 17th, 2008 at 11:16 am
“The OF? I’ve asserted several times that Cash Man has screwed up because this defense is already suspect as is. You want pitching and defense, unh?”
Butchie, the current Yankees squad is more talented defensively with far better pitching than the 2008 squad. Just losing Abreu and Giambi and replacing them with league average fielders is a big improvement. Damon and Gardner are both above average defenders at their outfield positions as well. Also, CC and AJ (not AJerk, you make yourself sound like an idiot when you say that) are two extremely talented pitchers who help their defense by missing bats and racking up 200+ strikeouts a season. I think your hatred for Cashman has exceeded rational baseball thinking so if you’re going to slam our GM have some actual reasoning behind it, please.
December 17th, 2008 at 11:21 am
Manram in pinstripes? They already signed AJerk so what else is new. So they have two cancers in the clubhouse!
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Eh, I understand where you’re coming from (well, not with the AJerk nonsense), but come on, Manny’s just absurdly entertaining. I want him on my team, hitting cleanup and doing somersaults in the outfield.
And, yeah, one year’s not going to do it. But I don’t think a two or three year deal is particularly risky. His bat will still be great, even even with a decline.
December 17th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Justin, if you paid attention to AJerk’s tenure in Miami and Miami you would know what I’m talking about. Long story short, he will become the new Arod. He was already their Arod in Toronto and got involved in an embarrassing mess that involved the cops. Manram was not entertaining in his last month in Boston, even Big Papi turned on him of all people. I think Manny is one of the greatest hitters of all time and would help the cause but the clubhouse will be a wee bit more chaotic.
BTW, Yank Crank it’s nice of you to make such a puerile ad hominem attck on me based upon what I think of AJerk! Very infantile of you and quite amusing from someone who: Yanks their Crank!:) Your name says it all….. Look, ,Yank Crank Jeter, Swisher, Posada , Damon, and potentially Manny are not great defenders. That is a no brainer, understand? The hitting is still deficient, so what is Brainless Cash Man trying to do? The defense still is mediocre,no? Swisher is a middling position player not a Gold Glover. They want to be a pitching and defense team and their main concerns would be hitting AND defense last year.PERIOD. They have not in my estimation remotely improved that situation and spent a lot of money to bring in a million dollar talent with a 10 cent brain and absolutely no heart. In essence, Cash Man hasn’t made the adjustments that should be top priorities like Teixeira and the hitting but rather making a splash on a relative(compared to their defense and hitting) strength.
As for my dislike of Cash Man…..there are a myriad number of reasons. He has the most money for drafting,signing free agents and player development and his moves have resulted in the same result for the last few years.The result is:mediocrity in the postseason and no World Series championships. He also speaks in this neutral boring GM type of speak ,which is extremely annoying. My rationale is one that many people share, when much is given much is expected. His rate of success in the last year relative to the money he spends is very low. I would rather have someone like Theo Epstein and the Boston Brain trust who dedicated themselves to smart drafting and player development as well as picking the right free agents. They also spend a hell of a lot less money and have two championships in the last 4 years and vanquished the Yankees in 2004 under Cash Man’s watch.
December 17th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
“They want to be a pitching and defense team and their main concerns would be hitting AND defense last year.PERIOD.”
Once again, just saying “PERIOD” after your statements don’t make them true…actual stats do. So Cashman hasn’t improved the team, huh? He’s a terrible GM? Sabathia and Burnett were useless acquisitions?
Using FanGraphs 2009 projections a rotation of CC, Wang, Burnett, Joba and Pettitte has the Yankees at +19.5 wins (CC at +5.5, AJ at +3.5). The staff of 2008 was at +13.8 wins, so if you round the win numbers up to 20 and 14, the 2009 Yankees staff has the potential to add 6 wins to the Yankees total of 89 in 2008. That’s 95 wins butchie, and 95 wins gets you into the playoffs. Those 6 wins still occur even if the Yankees offense implodes with injuries and scores 780 runs again. You can hate AJ all you want but he’s a massive improvement over Aceves, Ponson and Rasner.
Also add that the Yankees will have Posada and Matsui returning to the lineup, a more productive Cano (fingers crossed) and walk years from Damon and Nady and the Yankees offense, while not 900 run potential, looks to be adequate.
Look, butchie, i’m sorry if I came off as an a-hole. I didn’t mean to insult you, but if you’re going to make a case for Cashman not improving the team or not making the right moves, try using some actual statistical analysis to prove your points. If you gave me proof other than tabloid name calling, than I would process your arguments but you aren’t saying anything that’s resulting in a meaningful argument. PERIOD.