Over the final two months of the 2008 season, Manny Ramirez put up historic numbers with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ramirez, 36, hit an astounding .396 with 17 home runs and 53 RBIs over the final two months of the regular season as the Dodgers surged to win the NL West. Conventional wisdom seemed to suggest that Ramirez, a free agent at the end of the season, would be in line for a gigantic contract that would cement him as one of the game's highest paid players.
Not so fast.
With only three weeks left until spring training begins, Ramirez remains unsigned with seemingly no end in sight. Ramirez's huge numbers in 2008 have not translated so far into a huge contract and many teams have shied away from pursuing the slugging outfielder.
So what gives?
Well for starters, the economic downturn has negatively affected Ramirez. While many believe that baseball is immune to the global economic crisis, the reality is that many teams not named the New York Yankees have been forced to cut back spending and cannot increase payrolls. In turn, this has limited the number of suitors who can seriously pursue Ramirez.
Also, Ramirez has priced himself above what most teams are willing to pay him. Multiple reports on ESPN have confirmed that Ramirez and agent Scott Boras are still looking for a five year contract worth roughly $20-$25 million per season. In this market, teams are going to be very hesitant to commit that much money or that many years to any player, especially one as old as Ramirez. Once again, the Yankees are the lone exception to this as they have already signed two players this off-season to deals worth more than $20 million per season.
To date, Manny has only received one formal offer. At the beginning of free agency, the Dodgers offered Ramirez a two-year, $45 million contract that would instantly make Ramirez one of the highest paid players in baseball. However, Ramirez has refused to accept the proposal thinking that he deserves a long-term deal.
At $20 million per year, you would figure that Ramirez would bring more to the table than just hit remarkable bat. But at this point in his career, Manny is no longer an effective defensive player and is quite a liability in left field. He would be a great designated hitter in the AL, but the thought of Ramirez playing left field 150+ times a season has to be a scary thought for NL teams.
In addition, Ramirez's reputation probably does him no favors on the free agent market. Even though Ramirez can tear the cover off the ball, his antics with the Red Sox have likely forced teams to reconsider whether Ramirez would be a positive addition to their team. In 2008 alone, Ramirez was accused of faking injuries and not playing hard with the Red Sox, all of which led to his eventual trade to the Dodgers in July.
By all accounts, Ramirez was a good teammate during his tenure with the Dodgers, but how can a team know for sure that Ramirez will not cause trouble or be a distraction? There is simply no way to know for sure based on Ramirez's checkered history with the Red Sox. It's tough to justify paying Ramirez more than $20 million per season when there is no guarantee that he will stay out of trouble.
But don't get me wrong; Ramirez can still bring a lot to the table. He is one of the most exciting players in baseball and brings an instant buzz to whichever team he plays for. But because of the poor market, teams are playing it safe with their money and have refused to overspend on players who are not a sure thing.
Manny Ramirez is no sure thing. At 37 years old, Ramirez has to decline at some point, which is why any deal longer than two years is foolish. And Ramirez's strange behavior could become a major distraction to any team, especially if he is signed for more than two years.
So while it might be inconceivable that Ramirez has not signed so far, teams have wisely stayed away from offering Ramirez a ridiculous contract.
You can reach this columnist at sports@theeagleonline.com.
