Boras Wants $55MM for Manny

Tony Jackson has the story here.

This is really getting ridiculous. Why on earth would the Dodgers give in to another $10MM in total salary when they're the only known team to have made any offers period? I'm baffled by Scott Boras, I really am.

Oh, and I have to share something else with anyone who might be reading this. This is actually very comical, amusing, laughable, whatever you want to call it. I left a comment on MLBTR a bit ago in today's Manny thread about how I didn't understand the Dodgers reasoning for deferring any money for Manny. I'll leave names out of this, but one certain Yankee fan responded to my comment by suggesting the Dodgers could just "cancel" Manny's contract after one year and not pay the remaining portion of the deferred money should he act up during the season. According to him, this would save the Dodgers from having to give Manny the remaining $15MM of the $25MM he's guaranteed.

I'll wait until you're done laughing.....

Ok. I'm done laughing my ass off, too. And on that note, more on Manny when it develops...

Who's To Blame? Who To Believe?

At first glance, it looked like you could ask this question: Why on earth would anyone turn down $45MM over two years? Sounds simple enough, right? Because that's exactly how it looked last night when it was learned that Scott Boras had rejected the latest offer for Manny Ramirez from the Dodgers.

Dodger owner Frank McCourt responded harshly by saying they weren't going to be bullied into negotiating against themselves, and gave Boras an ultimatum: Find the other 'serious offers' you so bluntly talked about in November, and we'll re-open negotiations with you.

Then this morning, we find out that the Dodgers wanted to defer much of their Wednesday offer for both the guaranteed first year, and the player-option second year. Ramirez was never going to get all $25MM in the first year of that contract, in the first year.

Boras responded with a letter to the media saying Ramirez was all set to accept the offer until they realized most of it would be deferred. The team was given a noon PT deadline to respond. That deadline has since come and gone, and we haven't heard anything, which leads me to believe they are still trying to iron out some kinks in the deal. Colletti said he's tried several times to reach Boras, to no avail, so what gives?

Well, here's what I don't get. What's the purpose of deferring the money? It's one thing if the situation was something like the Andruw Jones deal, where the team was just looking to get out from the contract and get rid of the player. But to ask a player you're trying to sign who could be the difference between a trip to the World Series and finishing around .500 to defer $15MM of a possible $25MM, makes no sense to me. The Dodgers claim the deferred money was always part of this, going back to the original two-year offer in November. But was it really? Seems kind of odd when this all just came to surface today.

Maybe it was McCourt's way of telling the fans should he wind up somewhere else, "Hey look, we tried very hard to sign the player." But as Tony Jackson said this morning, 'No Frank, you really didn't.'

Boras still claims there are other teams involved in the process. We know the Giants have publicly said they are monitoring the situation. But every other team that was rumored to have any interest in Manny shot down those rumors weeks ago. The Angels have already signed Bobby Abreu. The Mets supposedly have internal differences on whether they can actually make him an offer (GM Omar Minaya loves Manny, but ownership won't let it happen). The Yankees? Well they have a surplus of corner outfielders as it is, and plenty of options at DH. So who are the other teams?

I really think Boras is blowing smoke on this front, and I applaud the Dodgers for not taking the bait and bidding against themselves. But I also don't understand the purpose of asking Manny to defer so much money (unless you really can't afford to pay him $25MM all in one year).

I've said this before, and I'll say it again. One side or the other, or both, has to give up something, and right now, the most logical way to get this deal done is to compromise. It sounds to me like both sides are willing to do that, so let's get it done, and move on to more important things, like playing baseball.

Boras Rejects Offer For Manny

Here's the info from Dodger Thoughts. No personal thoughts at this time.

Dodgers Ink...

Not Manny. Not yet anyway. Obviously, I was way off in my prediction last night that Manny might be signed by mid-day today. But they did sign veteran first-baseman Doug Meintkiewicz and the Red Sox 2007 World Series-winning ball to minor league contracts and invited them both to camp. Official press release here.

Still no word on Manny, and Ned doesn't expect a response until tomorrow. Meanwhile, the Hated Ones to the North are basically in the same boat they were in before this week. They're really not getting involved in any kind of a bidding war, and as of today, claim they hadn't been asked to submit an offer for him. Giants President Larry Baer is still convinced Manny will re-sign with the Dodgers.

And in related news, check out this satirical blurb picked up by the Dodgers PR guy, Josh Rawitch, courtesy of The Onion. Pretty hilarious stuff!

So hang tight, enjoy your night, and hopefully there will be some news by morning.

Could This Be It?

UPDATE (7:00pm CT): Manny now has a new offer from the Dodgers. Details here from Tony Jackson... It's basically a revision of the original two-year, $45MM offer back in November. No agreement is expected tonight. Stay tuned as usual...

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You knew the end could be near, and it very well might be. A couple of updates have surfaced in the past hour or so, one from Ken Gurnick on the Dodgers official website, and a follow-up from Tony Jackson of the Daily News, each suggesting things might be finally coming to a closure. The first bit of coincidence before it was known why was when it was learned that Colletti left Arizona to skip the first Spring Training game against the Cubs today (which the Dodgers lost 5-3 after Ramon Troncoso gave up a go-ahead Grand Slam) to head back to L.A.

We have now learned that Colletti has been meeting with McCourt and Scott Boras. Gurnick called the meeting the most serious attempt to sign Ramirez to date in his report, and Tony Jackson went even further to say that from his vantage point, people around Dodger Stadium were acting strange, or not normal, and adds that it could be a long night. (Jackson confirmed the meeting moments later, saying that it was ongoing.)

So far, no details of what the possible contract might be. Two years plus? Three years? We'll know soon enough obviously. Stay tuned. I'm thinking this could happen in the next 12 to 18 hours.

Daily Manny Rumor Fun

These are becoming more frequent, and frankly, more wild, as the first Spring Training game nears tomorrow. I suppose in light of Ned saying this past weekend that conversation with Boras regarding Manny were more frequent and longer in duration, and Boras stating two weeks ago that he expected Manny to sign by the start of Spring Training games, you knew that would open the door for some interesting rumors to start making their rounds.

So no sooner than yesterday, Vic "The Brick" Jacobs suggested on Loose Cannons that the Blue would have Manny signed by the end of the week, and he even went as far as giving out contract details: "two-year fixed, third-year incentive-laced." That prompted the Dodgers to issue this denial through the media, basically saying "nothing had changed in the past 48 hours." The Daily News went as far as saying their wasn't any news to report.

Then today, two new rumors, beginning with this one. This second rumor today, was a bit more comical in how the rumor surfaced. Obviously, someone got a little carried away in the Dodgers ticket sales office, and while things may be progressing with Manny in recent days, nothing appears imminent, as confirmed here by the Daily News.

But you have to wonder if things are progressing more than we're being led to believe. The quotes by all parties involved in all of the reports above suggest that they have to be close to a deal. Obviously, even if a deal was done, nothing would be officially announced until Manny passed a physical.

By the way, there's even the possibility that McCourt Esq. could be headed to Florida to have a face-to-face sit-down with the man himself. This would obviously speed the process up. Personally though, despite all the denials from the Dodgers and Boras in the last two days, I'm with some people in thinking that Manny will be signed sometime this week. Just a hunch; just a gut feeling.

The O-Dog Is In

UPDATE (2:22PM CT): Here is Gurnick's new story confirming the agreement with O-Dog, with details of the deal included.

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UPDATE (2:16pm CT): Think this isn't done or not happening? Earlier today, it was reported that the Dodgers had begun talks with Orlando Cabrera as possibility at second base. Ken Gurnick's story, which was posted on the Dodger website earlier, has since been removed.

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UPDATE (2:08pm CT): A little bit more here from Tony Jackson of the Daily News. Check out the response from Ned and Kim Ng when PR guy Josh Rawitch asked them about the same XM report I heard...

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Just heard on MLB Home Plate on Sirius XM that the Blue have agreed to a one-year deal with Orlando Hudson. A physical is all that's pending. There's a blurb here on MLBTradeRumors.com. No other info was provided, but I can tell you this:

The Dodgers have just solidified their middle infield defense with this, and have added a nice #2 hitter to their line-up. Re-upping with Manny would make this look even better. Git 'er done, Ned!

The downside to all this? Two things... One, Blake DeWitt could be the odd man out (granted it would be for only one year) if they do re-sign Manny. (Without Manny, the Dodgers could shuffle Casey Blake to the outfield and put DeWitt at third. This scenario obviously still leaves Juan Pierre without a job.) And two, the Dodgers lose their #17 pick in this year's draft to Arizona because Hudson was a Type-A free agent.

Weekly Musings From Dodger Camp

Some of the latest musings and links from around Dodger Spring Training...

• Missed this one last week, but fortunately, Russell Martin is fine after an MRI revealed no serious problems with his ankle. Maybe the Dodgers knew something when they signed Brad Ausmus that they would still need Danny Ardoin. Thank God that MRI was negative!
• Juan Pierre wants to either start, or be traded... again. Mr. Torre says 'no dice!'
  
• Jason Schmidt is aiming to reclaim a spot in the rotation. Good luck!
• Former Dodger Brad Penny traded barbs with third base coach Larry Bowa. Penny took the first shot, with a couple of jabs at the team included, while Bowa responded (check out the Torre quip after Bowa's reaction... great line by Joe Cool!) without ever reading or hearing what Penny said about him, or the Dodgers. I've always loved how Bowa has a way with words!
• Mr. Colletti says the Blue can afford both Orlando Hudson and Manny Ramirez if they want them both; they are indeed talking and remain interested in O-Dog. I'm still not sure why they need him, but Blake DeWitt can not be thrilled about this.
• Just before the team was to go in front of a three-man arbitration panel with Andre Ethier to determine his 2009 contract, the two sides reached an agreement to avoid the process. Apparently, getting all dressed up in suits and ties for nothing, and having a side meeting out in the hallway was all it took to iron out a deal.

There are some minor Manny dabbles out there, as well...

• Manny told one Giant player that he will be a Giant.
• A rumor made its rounds suggesting the Hated Ones to the North and Scott Boras were planning to meet in San Francisco; it was false. Then word was they've only had some conversations. The Giants insist they're simply just monitoring the situation. Right.
• Today we learn there apparently was some sort of counteroffer made by Boras on behalf of Manny to the Dodgers at some point; obviously Team Colletti felt it was too unrealistic for them to consider. We do know they've only made the two offers, and the two sides do continue to chit-chat.
• Read into this one however you want, but the Dodgers have reserved an empty locker in the corner of their Spring Training clubhouse for Manny.

In other words, nothing new to report on the Manny circus...

Abreu & Dunn Sign - What's Next For Dodgers?

So, what does this all mean for the Blue? Well considering both Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu were fallback options for the Dodgers had they failed to sign Manny, who knows! But this much we do know: the Dodgers had better know what the hell they're doing because if they don't figure this all out, they could not only end up losing Manny, but Dunn and Abreu, as well. Think about this for a second here. The Dodgers could very well end up starting Juan Pierre in left field again, and this time there is no Andruw Jones to platoon him with (although in hindsight, is anyone upset about that part of this?!).

On Sunday, Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times spoke with Manny who said negotiations "were in the seventh inning." What we don't know is with whom. The Dodgers? Giants? Some other team who has already said 'No thanks' in regards to Manny? We know it won't be the Angels since Abreu just reached an agreement with them this morning, so McCourt and his brass don't have to worry about Arte Moreno and the Halos stealing their SoCal thunder. Then yesterday, the East Valley Tribune in Arizona reported that the Dodgers "could make a splash in the next 72 hours" and they went on to elaborate on Manny and possibly Orlando Hudson.

Is this all a preclude to what could happen in the next 48 hours now? Are the Dodgers really that close to signing Manny? This all just seems too coincidental for me to not believe. I think Abreu was more or less waiting for the right team to come along with a decent offer. One year and about $5MM isn't necessarily a decent offer considering he made $16MM last season with the Yankees and was looking for at least a three year deal. But the way this market has gone this winter, is anyone really surprised that Abreu had to settle for just one year? (I actually thought he would re-sign in New York a long time ago, but apparently there was no interest from the Yankees.)

Adam Dunn is a whole different bag of oranges. He, too, was waiting for the right deal and team to come around with a solid offer, and he did manage to get two years from Washington. But was that really the team he wanted to play for? About a month ago, it was said that Dunn was essentially waiting for the Dodgers to figure out the Manny thing because the Dodgers were at the top of his 'wish list' of teams he wanted to play for. Many believe the Dodgers would have been better off with Dunn over Manny, but of course, as I've said in this space before, I don't buy it. I'm in the minority.

So have the Dodgers and Ned Colletti lost their leverage with Manny? I think they have, but I also think they haven't. Hear me out here. The Dodgers are the only team to have made any known offers to him. Manny turned them both down. Manny wants four years; the Dodgers haven't gone any higher than two, and have no reason to at this point. Or do they? If the Giants are seriously involved, and are negotiating with Manny and Scott Boras, then there's obviously a good chance they'll find a way to come up with three years to meet Manny at the half-way mark between two and four years. But we all know damn well that the Dodgers will do whatever they have to prevent that from happening. This is where the three year deal from the Dodgers comes in. I've been saying all winter that a three year, $70MM deal will get this done.

The Dodgers played this very same game with Rafael Furcal, and it worked. The Braves came out of nowhere with a three year offer, something the Dodgers publically said they would not do. When the Braves did, the Dodgers were given one last opportunity to match or beat Atlanta's offer, and they did. Who's to say this can't happen with Manny? For all we know, the Giants might be the team Manny was referring to on Sunday when he said negotiations were in the seventh inning. The Dodgers could very well come to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning after the Giants make an offer, and come up with a walk-off and get this deal done.

Some people think now that Abreu and Dunn are spoken for, the Dodgers need Manny more than Manny needs the Dodgers, and these two signings could prompt the Dodgers to bid against themselves (assuming no other team is in negotiations with Manny - which I find hard to believe considering Manny's agent is Scott Boras), cave in, and offer a third year. But this much we know: the Dodgers have made it be known publicly, in recent days, as well, that they want Manny. No other team has been as vocal about it. At this point, in light of the reports, rumors, stories and events that have transpired over the last 72 hours, I can't imagine Manny is close to signing anywhere but with the Blue.

Add Another Veteran To The List

Ned the Great's at it again! This isn't a reunion, but more from the recycling bin. According to the Denver Post (since when do they cover Dodger news?), the Blue have inked veteran righty Eric Milton to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. He'll be in camp on Saturday when the other pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report.

And here's an interesting tidbit regarding the Dodgers from the East Valley Tribune in Arizona. They're reporting that the Dodgers "could make a big splash in the next 72 hours." The report suggests the Dodgers could have Manny signed, as well as Orlando Hudson, by the end of the day Friday. At first glance, the story didn't seem to have much merit, but MLBTR's Tim Dierkes says he received an email from the Tribune columnist who wrote the report citing a "pretty reliable source."

Stay tuned... this should get very interesting over the next few days as we head into Spring Training Saturday.

Another Reunion?

Add Jeff Weaver to the list of former Dodgers coming back on a minor league deal. Here's Ken Gurnick's story, with more info here from Tony Jackson. Weaver and his beach bleached-blonde hair are a longshot to not only crack the rotation, but to make the team. Next on Colletti's list: Darren Dreifort! By the way, Ned, how's Manny?

Oh, forgot to mention this from my neck of the woods. Andruw Jones has inked a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers, with a chance to earn $1.5MM (including incentives) if he makes the team. The funniest part of this? The Dodgers get half of any guaranteed money he earns from the Rangers. Brilliant!

Manny!

No, he hasn't signed anywhere yet. But there's a lot of news and rumors out there today, even on a day like today where A-Rod is dominating the headlines.

In a nutshell, though, here's what you need to know about the Manny Daily Scoop. L.A. Times Dodger beat writer Dylan Hernandez apparently spoke with Manny himself today, and said Manny is still holding out for a four-year deal, something the Dodgers, or any other team, apparently, won't give him.

Also, the Giants say they're not holding out hope that they can sign Manny, and that it would take" a special set of circumstances" for the Giants to sign Manny. The Giants, obviously, continue to monitor the Manny saga nonetheless, and appear to the be the Dodgers only threat as far as where he will end up.

BUSTED!

That one word in the headline says it all. Alex Rodriguez, the pretty boy everyone thought couldn't have ever used steroids, and had played his entire career the right way, clean, reportedly tested positive in what was supposed to be a blanket, anonymous survey test in 2003.

Here's what we know based on today's report:

In 2003, when rampant steroid used in baseball had come to the forefront, the league was looking for ways to salvage the sport's image by implementing a testing program with stiff penalties for positive results. In order to determine this, the league tested each of the 1,198 players in the league at the time, anonymously, and if there was more than a 5% positive return, a testing program would be implemented the following year. The league and the player's union agreed that the names of any player's test who came back positive from this testing would be kept anonymous, with no penalties. Of the 1,198 players, 104 players tested positive, an 8% positive return, thus testing would be implemented the following season.

A year later, when the BALCO investigation began to take shape, federal investigators searched one of the California labs that was holding the samples and other viable information, with a search warrant. The warrant allowed them to seize information regarding 10 specific players as part of the BALCO investigation, and in the process, the list of the 104 players that failed that 2003 test was discovered. The original list was supposed to be sealed by a court order in California per MLB and the player's union agreement regarding the 2003 testing.

However, several sources told Sports Illustrated that one of those names on the list was in fact Alex Rodriguez. Those sources also claim that several players were tipped by the player's union's chief operating officer, Gene Orza, about unannounced, upcoming testing, a direct violation of the agreement between the players and the league. ESPN has confirmed all of this through one more source.

Now, I've never been a fan of Alex Rodriguez, but I've always believed in his talent as one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen. I never really had any suspicions that he used, or was using, performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). The stories I read, and videos I saw of his work ethics told me he was genuine, and his achievements came naturally from raw talent. So to wake up this morning and see two text messages sent to my phone with breaking news alerts that A-Rod had failed a test back in 2003, was a surprise to say the least.

But here's what bothers me most about it. Before today, there was no evidence that A-Rod was using PEDs. (The only real link between A-Rod and steroids was in Jose Canseco's first book in 2005, Juiced, in which Canseco claims plenty of players were using steroids and PEDs anyway.) In 2007, his name never came up in the Mitchell Report. He probably figured that since it hadn't, he was probably in the clear, and could say and deny whatever he wanted, knowing that the results of this 2003 test were anonymous and couldn't possibly make their way out to the public because they were sealed by a court order in California. So, several days after the Mitchell Report came out, in an interview with Katie Couric of CBS News, she specifically asked him, "for the record," if he had ever used any steroids or any other PEDs, and he vehemently said "no" without any hesitation. And so, in light of today's report that he failed a test in 2003, he lied. To me, that holds more water in my pail than anything else.

I honestly really don't care that he took any PEDs, or even failed a test when there was no concrete testing for it, and steroids and PEDs hadn't been banned from the game yet. There were enough players using some kind of PEDs at the time that the playing field was leveled out anyway. (And I'm not talking about the 8% return mentioned above.) We already know based on information from the BALCO investigation when Barry Bonds supposedly started using. He was a great player, a great hitter for years before the suspicions came out. The same can be said for A-Rod, more or less. These are two great players who should not be punished in the court of public opinion for something when there were hundreds of players using PEDs. In my opinion, when the time comes, they both belong in the Hall of Fame.

But the fact is, and this is what irritates me more than anything, we now know he lied about it, and in the court of public opinion, that will hurt him more than anything else. Now, Alex Rodriguez will be labeled as a steroid user, and a liar. So the best thing A-Rod can do at this point to salvage what is now a tarnished image and reputation, as well a tarnished career, is to come out and publically apologize for lying in that TV interview with Katie Couric, and to admit he used steroids during his 2003 MVP season with Texas, and any other time, if in fact he did.

(A-Rod claimed in that inteview in 2007 that he had been tested "eight or nine times" and so far there's no evidence of any positive results. In fact, in 2005, when he and others were part of the WBC, every player was tested then, as well, but under international rules rather than MLB's rules. Any positive test would disallow a player from participating in the WBC. A-Rod played for Team USA in 2005.)

Earlier this morning, in light of the report, one of his former coaches, Larry Bowa, spoke on MLB Network about this, and about Alex: "Alex lets little things bother him. This is definitely not a a little thing, obviously. This is going to be weighing on his mind, how he's going to go about dealing with the media everyday, 'cause this is not just go on one day, this is gonna go on and on and on and on. It's not going to just end in Spring Training. It's going be an ongoing thing, and you got to be mentally tough, and hopefully Alex has gotten some mental toughness since he's gotten to New York 'cause he's gonna need it, and you know, he's a great kid. I'm concerned [how he's going to react to this] 'cause he's a sensitive kid."

Bowa couldn't be more right about A-Rod. All of that other stuff that's been going on with him, from cheating on his wife, to sleeping around with Madonna, takes a back seat to this. This just adds more fuel to the fire and his image. He isn't going to get away with keeping quiet, because if he does, it could be the worst damage he could do to himself and his reputation as a great baseball player, and this will no doubt drag on all season. Remember, he still plays in New York, the largest media market in the country, where the media is about as tough on anyone as any market in the country. And as Bowa added in his interview, he's going to have to face the media (and fans) in places like Boston, and the West Coast, where he will be crucified. Even in Texas and Seattle where he once played. A-Rod will not be able to run and hide from this. And he sure as hell won't be able to handle the backlash should he decide to deny it, or ignore it altogether.

Dodgers Ink The Wolf-man

UPDATE (7:45 PM CT): Dodgers make it official as Wolf passes physical.

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UPDATE (5:19 PM CT): It's official now. Well, not from the Dodgers, but Yahoo's Tim Brown is reporting they've come to an agreement.

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Just read from Ken Gurnick that the Blue Crew and El Camino Real High alum Randy Wolf are "closing in on a deal" to help bolster an otherwise young rotation. Question is, how do they expect him to "help"?

It would be a one-year deal according to Tony Jackson.

More Manny...

This is fun, isn't it?! Here's the latest on Manny and the Dodgers as told by Ned in an email a bit ago.

Also a bit of clarification now from Boras as to when he thinks Manny will sign... funny that this changed suddenly from the start of Spring Training to the start of Spring Training games...

Early Predictions?

Usually around this time of year, as teams and players start preparing to report to Spring Training, I begin to assess each of the six divisions, breaking them down, and making my fearless predictions and projections. But because there are still so many free agents still unsigned, it would be unfair for me to pass judgment on teams that still have unfinished business with filling their rosters. So instead, I'm just going to rate which teams have improved and which teams haven't so far this off-season.

Most Improved Teams:

1. Yankees - This was a no-brainer. They signed three of the top four free agents available on the market and filled some much needed holes in their lineup and rotation. The Bombers still aren't perfect, as I still feel the bottom of their lineup still has too many questions. The rotation one through five is about as good as any can get with the additions of CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett, and the re-signing of Andy Pettitte added to Chin-Ming Wang and Joba Chamberlain/Phil Hughes. The bullpen has a lot of arms, but most of them are fairly young with limited experience in front of Mariano Rivera.
   
2. Mets - The Mets had a ton of issues with their bullpen blowing games last year, especially after closer Billy Wagner went down with a season-ending injury. So how did they remedy that? They went out and signed the top closer available to a nice three-year deal. They also added much needed depth by trading Aaron Heilman for another closer, JJ Putz, to set-up newly signed Francisco Rodriguez. Add that to an already solid rotation and offense, and the Mets should be a favorite to win the NL in 2009.

No other team has really improved that much from 2008 than the two New York teams. Some teams have improved only slightly by adding a starter to their rotation, a bat to their lineup, or an arm to their bullpen (Cubs, Braves, D-backs, A's, Royals). For some, it's simply still too early to tell as they're still negotiating with key free agents to better themselves (Dodgers, Giants). Then there are those that don't do much, or anything at all, to better themselves, either because they don't feel they need to (Angels, Phillies, Rays, Red Sox, Twins), or they simply don't have the wherewithall to do so, such as being tapped out on their budget (Astros, Cards, Brewers, Marlins, Rangers, Rockies, Jays, Orioles, White Sox, Indians, Tigers). And sometimes teams move players around and make themselves worse even if they add other players (Padres, Pirates, Nats, Mariners).

Time will obviously tell how these teams do, but once Spring Training arrives, and the season approaches, we'll have a better, more concise idea about them. That would be a more ideal time to bust out my predictions and projections for 2009, so stay tuned!

As The Manny-Saga Turns

Well, that was a fun two days of back and forth barbs from the Dodgers and Scott Boras. And so, as we approach Spring Training (pitchers and catchers report next weekend), as Tony Jackson of the Daily News so mildly put it about two hours ago: there's nothing new to report.

As I was preparing to sit down for dinner on Monday night (which comprised of roasted chicken with shell pasta in a light creamy white sauce for those of you nosey folks who are keeping score), we learned that the Dodgers had made what they called their third offer to lure Manny back to L.A. (Offer one: the two-year, $45MM offer made during the GM Meetings last November while the team still had exclusive negotiation rights with Manny; offer two: offering him arbitration in December, which would have arbitrarily made Manny a Dodger had he accepted it.) The initial reports suggested one-year, $25MM. Now that's a whole lotta cash if you ask me! The idea behind the offer was to give Manny the second highest annual salary in baseball history, and give him the opportunity to re-enter the market next year with a chance to to get the long-term deal he so covets in a potentially more stable economic environment, while he still has some years left in him.

Now, I'm not so sure what exactly Team Ned is trying to accomplish with Manny, but it came as no surprise to me that Manny rejected the deal not more than two hours later, as reports suggested once again. Some feel the Dodgers low-balled Manny. Some feel the offer was fair. I'm still on the fence as to which one it was, but one thing is still very clear to me: the Dodgers need Manny.

I have been reading from several baseball people online since Monday (and even before that from one or two others) that the Dodgers should just forget about Manny altogether, and move on to their Plan B. This apparently constitutes signing three guys instead of one: Adam Dunn, Orlando Hudson and Randy Wolf instead of Manny. Well, let's break this down for a minute here.

The Dodgers were already negotiating with Wolf, anyway, and are so close to inking the veteran southpaw, you can almost smell it in the L.A. smog. Signing Orlando Hudson would have made sense had they not re-signed Casey Blake back in December. But if you sign O-Dog now, where does that leave Blake DeWitt? Not to mention, we heard him campaigning on the new MLB Network on Monday night hoping that one of the two New York teams could make room for him. So does that mean he really has no interest in L.A. at all, even though they're "talking"? And let's get one other thing straight here: Adam Dunn is no Manny Ramirez. Sure, Dunn can hit 40 homeruns a year, and he has an insane knack for getting on base, which is rather shocking considering he's about a .240 hitter. But there's more to hitting than just hitting 40 homeruns. Manny hits roughly 35 homeruns a year, with the same ability to get on base, but he's a .330 hitter. I just don't see how people can be content with the current version of Dave Kingman or Rob Deer instead of Manny Ramirez, or even make the comparisons. Frankly, Plan B, and C, and D, make no sense to me what-so-ever.

The Blue had an abysmal offense last year before Manny showed up. Sure, Raffy Furcal missed most of the season, and if he had been healthy, things might have been different. But they weren't. The Dodger pitching staff kept the team afloat in a very mediocre division until Manny arrived. And now, even if they do add Wolf to the mix, the rotation still isn't good enough to win the division without Manny. They don't have enough offense without Manny to overcome Arizona or San Francisco's pitching. That's just the reality of it. (Heck, even a miracle season by the $47MM man probably couldn't even help!)

Manny single-handedly changed the dynamics of the Dodger offense, the team, the clubhouse, even the city! He reminded the young players on this team that it's okay to have fun while playing, even during the down times. Manny brings so much more to the game than just his bat. He brough an excitement to the team that hasn't been seen really, since the days of Fernando-mania (sans "Game Over." if you want to include it). That's how much the team needs him in their lineup. Because without him, even if you add Dunn, Hudson and Wolf, the Guys are just another average team in an average division.

So back to the circus itself. Colletti & Co. and Manny's reps (and Wolf's) continue to talk, and will continue to chat. All I can say is, just get it done, Ned. Stop screwing around. I realize Manny's age (he'll be 37 next month) is an issue, especially in the senior circuit without the benefit of the extra hitter, and the fact Manny Being Manny comes with the package, so be smart about it, but get it done.