I suspect the thoughts around Manny's home for the rest of the decade have changed quite a bit since August, so I wanted to re-run this poll.

I still think there's no way the yanks will sign him, especially at what will have to be bigger money than we thought a couple of months ago. If the Cubs can get a new owner by December, that could be an interesting wrinkle. I took the Giants and Indians out because there's just no way.

Regardless of how much further the Dodgers go, I think there will be enormous pressure on them to re-sign him.

It's the Angels. If Anderson comes back, they could easily share the LF/DH role. If Anderson doesn't come back, it makes even more sense. Even with Teixeira, the Angels lacked that one hitter who (when properly motivated) changed the dynamic of their lineup. If Manny's looking for 3-5 years, he's got to be thinking DH at some stage. He gets to stay in L.A., play in an easy division and out of the east coast timezone media.

I think this is an excellent question. McCourt will have tremendous pressure to keep this team together, and Manny is a very important part of the Dodger's offense. Although aging, theres no indication that Ramirez could not put up a 300/400/550+ line in the NL West for the next couple of years. The NL West is the weakest division in a weaker league. As far as stat padding goes, Manny has the best chance there to finish his career on top.

The AL has better pitching, better defense, and extensive scouting on Ramirez. Would Manny be a .330/.430/600 hitter in the AL, let along the AL East if he did sign with the Yankees? I have my doubts. He didn't put up those numbers in 2007, and his time with the Red Sox in 2008. What would make one think he could do it a year older in 2009?

Dodgers - nobody caves into public/media pressure quite like Frank McCourt, and the pressure to keep Manny will be enormous if they make the World Series. It may require a bad contract swap to get rid of Jones or Pierre and shift that money to another position, but that's the only obstacle I can see.

I voted for the A's because I wanted to the be "that one"

The real answer is either the Dodgers or Yankees. I don't see the Dodgers letting him get away "cross town"...

What no option for a kiss and make up session with Boston

I picked the Angels. He loves LA, so he'd really love Anaheim. And The Angels likely lose Teixeira and need a bat.

I wouldn't be shocked to see him go somewhere like San Francisco. They need hitting desperately, and they like to sign aging veterans. Plus, they need a "superstar" to market.

It would be a terrible move, but that would fit right into the Giants' plan.

I'm not sure if this is even in the ballpark, but with polls up for Manny and CC I'm wondering if Tampa should be taken seriously. They have the second lowest payroll and a (obviously) very talented nucleus. If they don't make it to the World Series I wonder if they open the wallet for one or two veteran FA's, including maybe one blockbuster, to put them over the top. I don't have a sense for what the Ray's FO is likely to do, but they seem to be more interested in winning than previous regimes down there.

There is also the strong possibility that because of the team's success this year they can count on increased ticket revenue over the next few years as fans start to become more interested.

I don't think that there's any way Tampa opens the vault (if they have one) for Manny. They have a lot of young guys that will probably be due some $$$ when Manny's near the end of the 4-5 years that it will take to sign him. That 20 plus million the last couple of years of his contract will go a long way toward keeping a few younger guys that have a future. Plus, that's just not their way of doing business.

I would be shocked. Their is no way that San Fran puts up more $$$ that any other team and there is no way that Manny takes less to play for the championship contending Giants.

IMO, the only way he doesn't go to an AL club is if the Dodgers pony up the money (and theyr'e stupid enough too, especially if they win/get to World series)

If not, I personally don't see the Angels or Yankees signing him. Yankees because they'll've already gotten Sabathia, Angels 1Bman whose name I can't spell, Burnett, Peavy, and Lowe by the time Free Agency starts; Angels cause they already have a DH and they can use Anderson as a scapegoat for all their problems.

I like the Jays suggestion I hear about on WEEI, but where can he go in the AL that doesn't already have a DH or is a small market team? Red Sox, White Sox, and the Angels have a DH; Rays, Twins, Jays (Sort of), Royals, Orioles, A's, and Rangers are too small market to afford him; and Tigers, Indians (Sort of), and the Mariners have too big of a payroll/too many problems to sign him

I guess he will sign with Yankees or go to the NL...

I am going to keep beating this drum until it sinks in. The Giants aren't signing another aging veteran. The fact that they used to do this had everything to do with "going for it" with Bonds on the team. He is no longer around and Peter Magowan is no longer involved in player personnel decisions. Furthermore, they do not need a "superstar" to market. They are in no way, shape or form a team with financial issues.

I think it is time everyone put the "OMGZ the Giants are old!1!1" meme to bed. It just isn't true anymore.

The Mets.

They need another bat in that line-up, they need a LF, I think I've heard a thing or two about Minaya liking latinos, and Manny would love to be in New York and playing for a contender... The Mets will sign him, K-rod and one of the Burnett/Lowe/Wolf/whoeva

edit: clarification

I think it's the Angels for a couple of reasons:

1. Arte Moreno loves to bring in the Hispanic superstars and market them to the extensive Hispanic market in Southern California.

2. If they decline Anderson's $14 million option for 2009 (likely), that frees up LF for a Manny/Guerrero platoon between LF and DH. That way each one gets about 1/2 their games in the OF and half at DH, saving wear and tear for both. And if someone got hurt and needed to DH for awhile, they could have Manny and Vlad in LF and RF respectively. Poor Torii Hunter would be worked to death in that last scenario, but it keeps both big bats in the lineup. That also frees up an OF spot for Matthews to get back into the lineup in RF regularly (not that he is very useful, but would help the OF defense) and justify that contract he got.

Don't you see some conflict between Manny and the Gung Holier than thou, we'll suicide squeeze even though you know it's coming, Scioscia regime?

The Wilbons don't want to add payroll. They're shedding about $31 million, but they need to sign a closer and 2 starters. If they sign K-Rod and let's say, Burnett, there isn't close to enough room to sign Manny too.

I voted Dodgers, but I don't really have much of a clue where he ends up. Pretty much any team with money to spend and a hole in LF or at DH will probably consider him. I don't think Boras or Manny will care too much about going somewhere to win, and obviously Manny's going to have no problem playing for a franchise with little to no media coverage, probably preferring to avoid Chicago, New York and Boston.

The Manny/Dodgers love is visible and revolting right now but once the season is over I think it'll come down to the highest bidder.

I voted Dodgers because I think they've got the room to make an all out push but any team with money could take him away while his advisor is Boras.

I'm takng the field and going with "other AL". Most likely he is going to an AL team to DH. I think it's just as likely he ends up one of the other larger market teams as he does in LA or NY. I really don't see Oakland putting up the cash. The other contenders (in order of decreasing liklihood, IMO) are Detroit, Baltimore, Texas, Toronto, and Seattle.

the Angels makes sense, I don't see how a NL team can commit to him long-term when there's no DH.

I originally was thinking the Yankees, a couple of weeks ago.

Then watching Vlad down the stretch and in the playoffs and realizing that the Halos hold the option on him
While also sticking to the cross town team, I felt they were the front runners

But I vote Dodger Blue because they have "experienced" Manny and when he on he's on
My only comparison would be the leased car that expires, but the ride is so sweet you just can't pass on the buy option
And God for bid they win it all, I think it is a done deal

I agree. If Manny can get away with skirting the clubhouse rules of someone like Joe Torre, why on God's green earth would anyone believe that he would fit in with the snare-drum tight Angels? Scoscia is the Avery Johnson of MLB, the biggest micromanager in the sport. He and Manny would clash 20 games into the season.

Why? And please have something better than "they are the Yankees".

NY isn't my first choice, but:

1) They have a ton of money to spend this offseason.
2) They are losing a couple of their key bats to free-agency.
3) They usually have no qualms about punting defense for offense.
4) It would be a story to add to the New Toilet extravaganza. Manny Comes Home to Stick It to the Evil Red Sox. It will sell.

Anaheim would be my first choice, though. My guess is that NY grabs Teixeira and Anaheim gets Manny.

Unless Scioscia has lost favor, how can the Angels sign him? I agree that Moreno will be tempted, but wouldn't Mr. Squeeze veto? And if he does sign there and Scioscia is his manager what will the sanctimonios "respect the Game" crowd have to say?

I pray he stays with the Dodgers, but I fear it will be the Yankees due to Boras, money and Hank.

I think this is a bingo. But I will be shocked if it's not NYY, 4/100 or higher and longer.

Cashman, knowing the situation the Yankees are in, wouldn't have signed back on if he thought Hank would be pulling the strings. I suspect that it's Cashman and Hal running the show, so please, stop with the Hank talk. Until Hank pulls off a move we have to stop thinking of him as "The Boss" reincarnate. He is just a quote machine.

The Yankees need to get young. Not Phil Hughes young but entering-or-at-your-baseball-prime young. Manny Ramirez is not that. Teixeira will be 29 in April and CC will be 28 in July, these are two FA signings that are no brainers. A monkey butler could figure this out.

Manny is going to want a 4 year deal and the Yankees are in no position to give that kind of length to another LF/DH type. They need roster flexibility and less unmovable contracts. Plus they have to figure out what to do with Mussina/Pettitte, fill a hole in RF, and pick up some options in the bullpen. All the money that is coming off the books this season could easily be negated by signing CC, Teix, Manny, Sheets/Burnett/Mussina/Pettitte. It just doesn't make sense.

Do you really need this line of thought drawn out for you? Do you really need someone to explain to you that the Yankee's payroll is higher than some small countries' GDP, and that only a World Series constitutes a successful season for them, and that they potentially have holes in both the outfield and/or DH, and that they can outspend anyone they like for one of the best RH bats in the majors? I'm not saying it's likely or probable, I don't know, but it isn't a difficult proposition to figure out.

Teixeira strikes me as a guy who would not want to play in NY. He seems to be a quiet pro type who may shun the attention and noteriety of NY. Honestly, I see Manny an NYY before I see Tex there. That said, I like Teixeira a lot. I wish the RS needed him.

The Sox don't necessarily need Teixeira, but he would certainly be an upgrade. Tex at 1B, Youks at 3B, buh-bye and thanks for everything Lowell.

I think Manny to NYY is more of a fall back position. If they fail on CC, and fail on texeira, then they move on Manny. If they get CC and not Teixeira then I still think they don't pursue Manny, unless he come sniffing around for much less than has been expected (ie 2/40)

Sure they are. A couple of things: 1) Damon and Matsui are both FAs after 2009. 2) Manny will most likely play the majority of his final years as a DH.

Again, I think they are Option #2 for Manny behind LAA, but it's kind of stupid to completely rule them out.

I'm sorry, I just thought you had something a little better than "they are the Yankees so they land every superstar player that becomes available." I must have missed all of Johan's starts for the Yankees this year.

And no, they don't have holes in the OF or DH. The plan for 2009 seems to be Damon in LF, Gardner/Cabrera platoon in CF, and Nady or whoever they acquire as a stop gap for RF. Matsui can no longer play the OF, he IS their DH (a position that he has said he enjoys) until he is granted free agency in 2010. Jorge Posada's catching days are numbered so it wouldn't be too bright to sign on for 4 years of an aging Manny Ramirez.

As much offense as Manny would add for them you have to imagine that an OF of Manny-Damon-???? would be historically bad. Both in range and holding runners. With the right opposing teams, 1st to 3rd would turn into 1st to home against them.

First, I'm not the same person you were responding to at first. I'm just someone that thought it was comical that you would need some in depth analysis of why the Yankees might be interested in Manny. Second, I don't have any idea what this means:



Finally, I just can't imagine the Yankees FO would feel comfortable going into 2009 after the Sox and Rays just played each other in the ALCS with an outfield of Damon, Gardner/Cabrera platoon, and Nady. I'm also not sure why you are so adamant that Matsui "IS" the DH. They are the Yankees; they can spend their way out of mistakes and aging better than anyone. If that means Matsui is a fourth outfielder and Manny is the DH, or some over alignment that doesn't include one of worst platoon CF options in the majors, I'm sure they will adjust.

The word from my MFY friends is that he's going to be a Met.

Oh, crap. Yea, sorry about that. It was a poorly constructed joke that illustrated how the Yankees don't always get the big time superstar that is available via trade or free agency. Not because they don't have the bucks but because they simply have other plans, Johan and Beltran are two recent examples of this.


I am very much adamant about Matsui being the DH because every time he tries to play LF he gets injured, he is getting old and he has balky knees, but he can still hit. That's the essence of being a DH. No way is he the 4th OF because 1) he isn't going to accept a lesser role entering his walk year and 2) being a 4th OF implies that you can be slotted into multiple outfield spots while not sucking defensively AND that if you could just hit a bit more you would be starting, Matsui falls under neither.


2008 should be a huge indicator that they can't continue down this path.

After one of the first postseason games, Manny said "I want to thank Joe for cutting my hair". It's noticably shorter. Joe Torre got Manny to fall within his rules. His hair is probably shorter than it's been since '04. If the Dodgers were smart, they'd tie this guy up. Torre has proven his ability to sooth egos and play the veterans and young guys well.

Though it doesn't make a ton of sense, MFY going after Manny could happen. Selling high on Gardner and the out-of-favor Cabrera could open a space for Manny. Likewise, Damon too could be shipped out. I wouldn't be surprised. Though it didn't work out, the MFY deadline trades showed they're not idiots. Who the hell wasn't surprised by the ARod pickup? If they can make that happen, they can certainly make Manny happen.

#2 is key here. I don't see an NL team being comfortable choosing to sign Manny for more than 2 years, simply because of the DH/defense situation. Not even SF, which suffered through the final years of Bonds. And Manny Boras won't settle for less than 3 years.

This puts Toronto at the top of my list, if only because Manny doesn't fit into Scoscia's managing style. I also wonder if M's, starting to see light at the end of their tunnel in their pitching staff, would like Manny as a way to shore up the lineup and be competitive in the AL's weakest division by 2010. And the MFYs have a lot of space opening up in their roster in 2009-10. Manny and ARod in the same lineup? Deadly, and priceless.

Yankees would be the obvious choice I would think. The Yankees have the money, they need the upgrade to make it back to the playoffs, and it would stick it to the Red Sox (in Hanks mind at least). At the very least the Yankees will be players for him.

I think it is rather doubtful that LAAAAA ends up with both Manny and Teix. If they get Teix signed quickly I don't think Manny will wind up there and if they miss on Teix they will probably be the favorite. Both Bora$ clients though and while it seems likely for each one to stay put it seems unlikely that both would.

Again, people keep bringing up contenders, and I don't think that's a factor at all for Manny. If he can find a market where they'll love him unconditionally regardless of the team's success I think he'd probably love that situation. Seattle, San Francisco, Baltimore, Texas, Detroit...think teams with big payrolls and bad records.

How about the White Sox?

The White Sox have a "window" that will stay open until 2010 or so. After that, a lot of their players become free agents; they'll still have talent to build around or use as trading chips, but they won't endure in their current form. Given that 2-year window, they seem like an ideal candidate to sign Manny to a 4-year deal without worrying that he'll be grossly overpaid in year 3, and an albatross in year 4.

Yes, Jim Thome's 2009 option has vested, but at 1/13 a lot of teams would take Thome, so long as Chicago didn't expect much in return. I'm not sure if the no-trade clause he had in his original contract in Philly still applies, but I don't think it's a deal-breaker in any case-- only contenders would be interested, and Thome presumably would rather play for a contender that wants him than one that doesn't. (The Griffey trade this summer illustrated the Chisox' lack of confidence in Thome.)

Whether Manny could co-exist with Ozzie Guillen is an open question. Ozzie is a red ass, but not the same sort of red ass as Mike Sciosia. Imo, it's not an obvious non-starter like Manny in Anaheim.

The Chicago White Sox are an interesting potential suitor. Nice one, man. Kenny Williams will have to move some stuff around to make it fit but I'll be surprised if they aren't at least interested. I forgot where I read this but one of the biggest reasons KW traded away for Swisher and Cabrera was their attitude. That kind of jackassery that keeps a clubhouse "loose" was something he tried to add to the 2008 team. Why not go all the way and bring in the king, Manny being Manny?

And Ozzie is the kind of guy that doesn't really care either way, he just wants to win. Some quotes from mid May:



Also, remember when Manny supposedly said he wouldn't mind playing for Ozzie through a friend or however it was, and Ozzie was thrilled to have a hitter like him. Something to watch.

If I were a betting man, no NL team outside of the beltway would even consider Manny for 4-plus years. And the Nats wouldn't muster more than 4-$60M, If I were to guess. So AL-only. My money is on Seattle. Good fit for both sides, and Manny can shepherd an anemic offense (2nd worst RS in AL), give confidence to a young pitching staff (4th worst RA in AL) that's getting a returning Bedard and a more seasoned Felix. With Manny, I see them threatening around the ASG, then fading by mid-Sept.

Outside Nintendo-land...Toronto is a good "fit" in most ways, except they don't need him. Texas has stopped being monumentally stupid with money - what was their last long-term contract? They'll offer something that Boras will balk at. Baltimore is stupid, but in the talent evaluation way. Detroit is a possibility, but I just don't feel it. For some reason, I get the feeling they want to go young, the way the BoSox are.

The Yankees are a perpetual x-factor in all bidding wars, but if Cashman's in control, I doubt it. Both the Red Sox and Yankees have the same hopes with Manny - that Manny DOESN'T go to a serious current contender, and that his impact is limited against the AL East. Obviously, neither Theo nor Cashman can influence this aspect of things, but you know they're hoping Manny stays away from the AL East, Central, and Angels (for good measure).

Manny's gotta ask the little lady. Do you think Mrs. Manny would be happy in Seattle?

Toronto would be a great fit - he'd look great in the lineup among Wells, Rios and Rolen, Cito is generally a laid-back, veterans player type of manager, Manny seems to be hitting a homer a game in the SkyDome etc, but in my opinion there is NO way they commit the money or years required. Couple of reasons for this: first the sudden gaps in the rotation (AJ gone, Marcum on the shelf until '10), second I think they'd rather fill the LF / DH roles with guys like Lind and Snider.