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Manny finally signs with the Dodgers; he had no other choice
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(Photo: Andy Holzman/LA Daily News)
Yea! Let's all clap with Manny. He's a Dodger again.
Rumors were flying around all night Tuesday that Manny Ramirez was going to sign with the Dodgers today. And those rumors are true. Manny's a Dodger again.
Frank McCourt flew back to LA from Arizona to meet face-to-face with the slugger with Predator hair.
Joe Torre was even called back to LA to help be the ultimate closer — there to make sure Manny did the right thing and signed the contract.
McCourt wanted to hear from Manny's own mouth if he can be a team player, in body and spirit, for the Dodgers despite the months of contentious negotiations. Only then, after Manny said "si," did McCourt feel comfortable welcoming Manny back to the club.
According to MLB.com, the Dodgers version of hardball paid off:
Ramirez apparently is willing to accept the same deal the Dodgers offered last week -- two years, $45 million ($25 million in 2009, $20 million in 2010), payment deferred over five years without interest, with an opt-out clause after one season.
Wow. Just a few days ago, this offer was called a joke by prominent Dodger watchers. McCourt was blowing it, acting like a silly child. You can't offer a player as good as Manny a contract with deferred payments and no interest! That absurdly unfair to Manny. Boras might have Manny sign with the Giants just to spite McCourt. And if the Dodgers don't get serious, the scheming Yankees will finally do what they always do — swoop in and take the best player on the market.
How's that analysis looking now? I've said all along, that the Dodgers were playing this right. With no other serious bidders, the Dodgers had no reason to play Boras' games and negotiate against themselves. The market value for Manny Ramirez was exactly what the Dodgers said it was, not what Boras wanted it to be.
Manny is expected to be in uniform and ready to go as early as Friday. And Dodger fans will find out soon enough if they got the happy-go-lucky Manny who brought energy and a winning attitude to Chavez Ravine, or the surly Manny who got run out of Boston.
If we get the latter, that's the fault of Manny, and not the Dodgers — who handled the difficult negotiations about as well as any team I've ever seen. At any rate, we can finally stop talking about Manny's contract status, and start talking about his production on the field. Play Ball!
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(See additional coverage from Examiners Paula Duffy and Theo Fightmaster.)
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