Manny Ramirez
Rumors

Citing a likely moderate economy at best, the Dodgers team president, Dennis Mannion, felt that his team would not be able to pursue free agent pitcher John Lackey this off season. 

"You can't ignore the fact that the economy will be level at best for next year," Mannion said. "We're not going to make any outlandish-type decisions in a rough economy."

Beyond Lackey, the team likely lacks the resources to make a run at a significant free agent this off season as well.  The Dodgers are already paying $20M to Manny Ramirez next season. 

John Lackey may stay in Los Angeles, but not with the Dodgers

In a similar fashion to Bobby Abreu who agreed to a contract three months earlier than last year, Manny Ramirez has taken any drama out of the off season for him this year by accepting his $20M option for the 2010 season, espn.com is reporting. 

Last season Ramirez and agent Scott Boras famously did not reach a contract agreement with the Dodgers until after spring training started.  Though Ramirez had until the end of the month to accept the option or opt out of the rest of his two-year, $45M deal, Ramirez made the decision very early in the process. 

After serving a 50 game suspension for violating baseball substance abuse policy, Ramirez hit .290 with 19 home runs and 63 RBIs in 104 regular season games.

Manny Ramirez is back for another season in Los Angeles

There has been plenty of reaction to the news that Manny Ramirez tested positive for a performance enhancing drug yesterday:

• Gerry Callahan of the Boston Herald writes that Manny's stupidity got him caught.
• John Harper of the New York Daily News thinks Ramirez should not get into the Hall of Fame.
• George Vecsey of the New York Times notes that upcoming Hall of Fame ceremonies will lack cache without big stars like Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez in them.
• Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times points out that Ramirez will lose $7.7M because of the suspension.
• Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune wonders if the Dodgers now have enough money to trade for Jake Peavy after the money they save on Ramirez suspension.
• Bill Plaschke of the LA Times thinks that the Dodgers should cut Manny.
• TJ Simers of the LA Times believes Ramirez has some 'splainin' to do.
• Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post does not believe Ramirez.
• Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle says we shouldn't over look the other bad guys in the Ramirez case.
• Randy Youngman of the Orange County Register does not think anyone should be surprised by the suspension. Lance Berkman wasn't surprised.
• Eric Neal of espn.com thinks that Dodgers fans will get angry with Manny in the coming days.
• Peter Gammons of espn.com points out the danger any future employer of Ramirez takes on because Manny is one failed drug test away from missing 2/3 of the season.

ESPN is reporting that Manny Ramirez has tested positive for a performance enhancing drug and an announcement is expected later today from MLB indicating that Ramirez has been suspended for 50 games.

The LA Times is reporting that Ramirez "is expected to attribute the test results to medication received from a doctor for a personal medical issue"

Yahoo! Sports claims a source close to Ramirez has indicated that the substance Ramirez has been taken is typically used to boost sex drive. Ramirez has reportedly tested positive for two gonadotropins which can trigger testosterone production that leads to an increased sex drive. A side effect of steroid use is a decrease in testosterone production which leads to sexual dysfunction.

Today's daily trip around the league's rumors:

• Manny Ramirez made comments over the weekend about wanting to end his career with Cleveland.  Ramirez went on to say that he had discussions with Jim Thome about reuniting in Cleveland to end their careers, but today downplayed those comments saying "That was just me and Thome talking."  Ramirez's agent, Scott Boras, went on to say "Manny has been very happy in L.A. and will continue to be happy in L.A., but he did enjoy his time in Cleveland. Manny notices the difference here than other places. If I came here and hit .400, I'd be comfortable."
• The Phillies long time broadcaster, Harry Kalas, passed away today.
• Chad Gaudin had inquiries from eleven teams before settling on the Padres.
• Former pitcher Mark Fidrych was found dead of an accident at the age of 54.
• Delwyn Young has been designated for assignment by the Dodgers.  Tony Jackson of the LA Daily News suggests Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are all possible destinations for Young.

Late last night, we learned that Manny Ramirez and Scott Boras rejected the Dodgers two year, $45M offer.  Since then quite a bit has come out.  Let's take a look.

• Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports that deferred payments were the reason Ramirez rejected the offer.  Ramirez would have only received $10M of his 2009 $25M in 2009 and only $10M of his 2010 $20M player option in 2010.  The remaining $15M would have been paid out over 2011-2013, interest free.  Boras countered with the same annual numbers, but no deferred payments.  This offer was confirmed by an email from Boras to media outlets.
• Tony Jackson of the Los Angeles Daily News thinks that the Dodgers offer was simply so owner Frank McCourt could say that the team made an effort because they knew it would be rejected.
• Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti alleges that deferred payments have been part of the process since the initial one year, $25M offer way back in November.  Colletti also vented some frustration in dealing with Boras: "I have asked Scott many times to tell us where we are at, what we are bidding against, to tell us what we have to meet.  We have yet to be told what the parameters are.''
• Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated notes that Ramirez would accept the Dodgers most recent offer if the money is not deferred.  Since Boras made that exact offer, that's not that surprising.
• The Giants have not ruled out making a late run at Ramirez.  This can not be good news for the Dodgers.
• There are also rumors that the Boras/Ramirez counter-proposal was two years $55M, not $45M. 

Jayson Stark of espn.com has just reported on Sportscenter at 11:45pm that Manny Ramirez and Scott Boras has rejected the Dodgers two year $45M offer.  In speculating about the deal, Stark notes that Ramirez will likely play in 2009 and likely play for the Dodgers simply because there are no other teams out there that have $25M to spend in 2009 and have a need in their outfield.  The speculation continues that Ramirez and Boras feel as if the Dodgers will ultimately be forced to meet their demands because they need Ramirez more than he needs the Dodgers.  A fun game of chicken being played.

Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports is reporting that the Dodgers have made another two year, $45M offer to Manny Ramirez, but with the money front loaded into the contract.  The deal would pay Ramirez $25M in 2009 and a $20M player option for 2010.  Brown says that Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and general manager Ned Colletti met with Scott Boras earlier in the day to present the offer.  No decision has been made by Ramirez yet, but the offer has reportedly been presented to Ramirez, something that did not happen with pervious offers.

So far the Dodgers have made Ramirez two different offers.  In November, the offer would have paid Ramirez $15M in 2009, $22.5M in 2010 and a club option for $22.5M in 2011 with a $7.5M buyout.  Then, in early January the club presented Ramirez with a one year $25M offer.  Both were rejected.

There have been a ton of Manny Ramirez rumors today, so let's get started.

• Everything started with Ramirez rejecting the Dodgers one-year, $25M offer.  Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times had the story.
• Without the Dodgers Ken Rosenthal believes that the Giants and Nationals would be the only other possible suitors.
• Rosenthal also notes that the Dodgers are considering making runs at Randy Wolf, Orlando Cabrera and Adam Dunn instead of signing Manny.  Buster Olney confirms this possibility.
• Dodgers GM Ned Colletti says that they are still interested in Ramirez.
• Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle believes the Giants are still interested as well, but for no longer than two years.
• Jon Heyman from Sports Illustrated believes that the Dodgers and Ramirez are "no where near a deal"
• Dylan Hernandez and Bill Shaikin had some interesting comments from Dodgers owner Frank McCourt.
• Nationals general manager Jim Bowden says that his team is not in on Ramirez.

Ken Rosenthal has a new column up. Let's take a look:

• Rosenthal suggests that a two year contract with a third year player option that has a no trade clause in it for the first two years of the contract might be enough to get Manny Ramirez to resign with the Dodgers.
• Ramirez does not appear to be a good fit in San Francisco, however, because the ballpark is difficult and the supporting cast around Manny doesn't justify spending the money to get him.
• It seems like the remaining free agents will likely go with one year contracts so that they can hopefully improve their status by the 2010 free agent period. Adam Dunn is a prime candidate for this tactic.
• Freddy Garcia's asking price - $1.5M base salary with $6.5M in incentives - was too expensive for the White Sox.
• Oliver Perez is not a good fit for the White Sox, Rosenthal believes, because he is a fly ball pitcher in a ground ball park.
• The Phillies are considering a number of right handed hitters to replace the departing Pat Burrell and Rosenthal thinks that Nomar Garciaparra and Rich Aurilla fit the best.
• Rosenthal does not believe that the Angels will do much to change their roster before spring training.
• Zack Greinke's newly signed contract has limited no trade protection for 2009 and 2010 and nothing once his salary escalates to $13.5M in 2011 and beyond.