Tag: Manny Ramirez rumors (Page 7 of 7)

      Manny Ramirez threatens to retire

      December 12, 2008 /

      Upset that the offers aren’t pouring in for his services, free agent outfielder Manny Ramirez has apparently told friends that he’s willing to retire if he doesn’t get a deal soon.

      Manny RamirezNow, the truth is that Ramirez is highly unlikely to retire. But his dissatisfaction speaks to the lack of buzz that his free agency has generated, despite (or maybe because of?) his outstanding two-month stay with the Dodgers, which followed a highly contentious split with the Red Sox.

      The Dodgers offered Ramirez two years and $45 million and then pulled the offer once open free agency began. The Yankees have some interest in Ramirez but are unlikely to pursue him if they land another big starting pitcher – with A.J. Burnett the most likely target – in addition to CC Sabathia.

      The Nationals have been viewed as a potential landing site for Ramirez, yet for now, Washington is trying to acquire highly popular free agent Mark Teixeira.

      Ramirez told a friend that he spends most of his time working out, watching cartoons and playing video games. He’d much rather be speaking to his agent Scott Boras about high-stakes negotiations.

      Come on, Manny – buck up little guy. You’re 36, aren’t the best outfielder in the world and on top of that, you’re a freaking coconut. Every team would love to have your bat, but clubs aren’t going to rush to hand you a mega contract without thinking it over a few hundred times.

      This situation is the equivalent to a kid who’s upset that he’s not getting enough attention at his birthday party so he threatens to run away. Then all of the parents get together, make an effort to make him the center of attention and soon enough, the kid is back to playing with his friends.

      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

      Nobody wants Manny Ramirez?

      December 10, 2008 /

      Now that CC Sabathia is set to become a Yankee, the attention will start to turn to finding Manny Ramirez a home. According to YAHOO! Sports, there’s no market for Manny at this point.

      Manny RamirezThe Dodger offer, the only known offer, is for $45 million over two years.

      “Was for $45 million over two years,” one Dodgers executive corrected.

      It’s off the table, along with the third-year option that, if exercised, would have brought the contract’s worth to $60 million.

      The Dodgers are still in on Ramirez. Their offer could be reheated and reserved. But, they could in the coming days or weeks re-sign Furcal and find themselves up to their credit lines in Sabathia, and quickly turn away. So, what of the others out there?

      The Angels? Teixeira comes first, Sabathia second. Manny?

      “It’s not a likely scenario,” Angels GM Tony Reagins said. “We think there are opportunities we see that are more important at this time.”

      The Red Sox? Please.

      The Yankees? Sabathia first, then Burnett and Lowe, then more pitching, then Teixeira, then Manny. GM Brian Cashman believes nearly all the problems of recent seasons can be fixed on the mound. They could eventually turn to Manny, but it sounds like a distant priority.

      The Mets? GM Omar Minaya loves Manny. But he’s just added Francisco Rodriguez and he needs at least one starting pitcher and his owner is cutting payroll, not adding, say, $75 million over three years.

      I thought for sure that the Yankees would lose out on Sabathia and turn their attention to Manny, but obviously it’s a long shot that Ramirez winds up in the Bronx now. A potential sleeper candidate could be the San Francisco Giants. They’ve got plenty of pitching both at the big league level and in the minors, yet absolutely nothing in terms of bats. (Unless you consider Randy Winn, Bengie Molina and Aaron Rowand has heavy hitters.)

      Buuuuuuuuuut, I don’t know if the Giants will come up with the money. And compared to their needs in the infield, the Giants need another outfielder like Barry Bonds needs another federal charge filed against him. But if no market is established for Manny in the upcoming weeks, maybe the G-Men will make a move and finally get a true cleanup hitter back in the lineup.

      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

      Yankees believe they’re the only serious suitors for CC Sabathia

      December 4, 2008 /

      From Ken Davidoff at Newsday:

      CC SabathiaAs the Angels distanced themselves from Sabathia, leaving the Yankees poised to land their top target, the Braves moved closer toward signing Burnett, another item on the Yankees’ radar.

      Angels general manager Tony Reagins, meanwhile, told MLB.com late Tuesday that his top free-agent target remained Mark Teixeira, rather than Sabathia. Reagins said there was “nothing to” reports that the Angels, who clearly need offense more than they need pitching, were shifting their focus from Teixeira to Sabathia.

      With none of the other West Coast teams expressing much interest, Sabathia is left with the Yankees’ offer of six years and about $140 million and the Brewers’ offer of five years and $100 million. As much as Sabathia prefers the NL, he probably doesn’t prefer it enough to leave $40 million on the table.

      If they can sign Sabathia, the Yankees will be all but out of the running for Teixeira, and probably Manny Ramirez, as well. They’ll try to land Lowe while continuing their attempt to bring back Andy Pettitte at a pay cut.

      I’m still of the mind that one of the California teams – Angels, Dodgers, Giants – will make a big move for Sabathia and he’ll wind up in his hometown state. He wants to play in his hometown state, he wants to hit and if one of those teams are willing to give him a fair deal, than he’ll likely jump. If he’s all about the money, than the Yankees are his only option because they’re going to come up with the green in the end.

      Fantasy Baseball, MLB, Rumors & Gossip

      10 things in sports that I’m thankful for

      November 27, 2008 /

      Ah, Thanksgiving – the time to give thanks.

      I thought that since it was Thanksgiving (which don’t forget, is the time to give thanks) that I would lay out 10 things that I’m thankful for in the world of sports.

      I’m thankful for…

      1…there’s no possible way we’ll see a Big Ten team play in the national championship.
      I love the Big Ten for many reasons – the physical brand of football, the traditions, the rivalries, etc. But there’s no team in that conference this year that could match up with the likes of Alabama, Florida, Texas or Oklahoma on a national stage. Penn State and Ohio State are solid teams, but if the Nittany Lions took on the Gators in the title game, there’s a good chance that we’d all be watching “A Charlie Brown Christmas” by halftime.


      New York Jets      2…parity in the NFL.
      How exciting is the NFL again this season? None of the divisions outside of the NFC West and maybe the NFC East have been decided yet and we still have five weeks of action left. Granted, there has been a lot of mediocre football being played around the league, but at least parity has bred competition on a weekly basis. Who would have thought that at this point in the season, the Jets, Ravens and Falcons would all be vying for a playoff spot?

      3…rivalry week in college football.
      Granted, not all of the matchups are attractive, but how great is it that Auburn is playing Alabama the same week Florida is playing Florida State? Even Ole’ Miss and Mississippi State will be entertaining and the possibility that one of the ranked schools will be knocked off by a rival is exciting.

      4…the Hot Stove League is heating up again.
      Outside of Opening Day and the postseason, this is by far the best time in baseball. Who doesn’t love hopping on the computer each day and surfing through all the rumors? And once your team lands one of the prized free agents, it’s all you can do from imaging your team playing in the Fall Classic next year.

      5…fantasy football playoffs.
      Everyone sitting in the bottom half of their fantasy football standings right now just flipped me the bird, but for those of us gearing up for the playoffs, the culmination of everything we’ve been working for all season is finally here. This is the time of year when you say, “Work? What work? Sorry boss – I’ve got to check my roster 4,000 more times before noon and then hit the Steelers training room so I can massage Ben Roethlisberger’s hamstrings so to ensure he’s ready to go this Sunday.”

      6…shootouts in hockey.
      Hockey purists tell me that shootouts determining which team wins and loses “isn’t really hockey.” Fair enough, but at least when I spend $80 on a ticket now I actually see my team win or go down in flames. There’s nothing more unsatisfying than a tie in sports – any sport. If I watch a bunch of players go at it on a slab of ice for three hours, I want to feel either ecstatic or traumatized at the end.

      Manny Ramirez7…Manny Ramirez being a free agent.
      If you don’t like following the circus that is Manny Ramirez, than you’ve got issues. And the fact that he’s a free agent this offseason only means we’ll get “Manny being Manny” on full blast over the next couple weeks/months. I seriously can’t wait to see where this goofy bastard winds up playing next year, but I’m going to enjoy the process even more.

      8…humorous sports blogs.
      How great is it that I can get a recap of the Cowboys-Giants game at the same place I can read about how Tony Romo nailed Jessica Simpson on a beach in Mexico? It’s a beautiful thing.

      9…MAC football on a Tuesday night.
      When most people see that Northern Illinois is taking on Buffalo on a random Tuesday night, they usually keep flipping until they land on a new episode of “Dancing With the Stars.” Not me. During football season, I don’t care of Texas is playing Oklahoma or Texas School for the Blind is taking on Oklahoma Little Sisters of the Poor – I’m watching it…and recording that new episode of “Dancing with the Stars.”

      10…Erin Andrews working the sidelines.
      ‘Nuff said.

      College Football, Fantasy Football, General Sports, Humor, MLB, NFL

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