The Los Angeles Dodgers are interested in bringing Manny Ramirez back to the city of angels. And why shouldn't they be? Manny's arrival (for free!) from the Red Sox sparked the Dodgers lineup, propelled them into the playoffs, and even convinced a bunch of idiots to pick them to win it all. Sigh.
So now the Fighting Collettis want to sign him to a deal. He is, after all, an expensive, veteran outfielder, so expecting Ned not to fall all over himself would be asking too much at this point. And they're willing to pay him whatever money he wants to make ... but there's a catch.
That would be the whole "length of contract" thing.
One person who's spoken to Dodgers people suggested that the team is considering proposing a contract that may come close to matching Alex Rodriguez's record $27.5-million average annual salary but on a much shorter term, perhaps only two years. That person hinted he could see the Dodgers even exceeding A-Rod's salary, as long as the length of the deal was to their liking.
Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said he didn't want to say too much about their thinking until after the team had a chance to meet with Ramirez's agent, Scott Boras. But Collettti did say, "We don't have too many six-year deals,'' a reference to Ramirez's own public proclamations that he is shooting for a six-year deal. The Dodgers actually have no six-year deals; but they don't have any other players like Ramirez, either.
That's nice and all, Ned, but it also doesn't change the fact that Man-Ram just went off for a torrid stretch of baseball to close out a contract year, proving to everyone that he is still very much a dangerous hitter. And that he wants to get paid.
Now, since he wants a six year deal (i.e. last big contract), I don't see him jumping all over this offer immediately. However, there is some upside to what Colletti would propose. Los Angeles loves Manny, and Manny apparently loves L.A. So there's that. Manny would get a ton of cash, with the opportunity to make more in two years.
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Of course, he won't be able to get that six year deal in 2011, but he'll at least be good for one more contract, meaning that he might actually end up making more than he would over the course of a sixer signed right now. Then again, his agent is Scott Boras, so expecting anything rational to happen that doesn't max out his money now is probably a bit of a stretch.
