Let Manny be Manny

Look at your calendar right now. The date you’re reading is February 26th, 2009. In case you’re wondering, that means Spring Training started exactly twelve days ago. Teams had their first games on Wednesday afternoon. And yet, arguably the greatest right handed hitter of all-time, Manuel Aristides Onelcida remains unsigned. No idea who he is? That’s the birth name of Manny Ramirez, the quintessential power hitter of this generation. Sure, there those individuals who have better career numbers, who are younger (See: Rodriguez, Alex), but Manny brings a different aura to the teams he plays on.

It is exactly because of that fact, that Manny Ramirez would be the perfect fit in the New York Yankees lineup. I know you’re thinking three things right now. 1) He’s too much of a distraction to the teams he’s been on in the past. 2) The Yankees don’t need him, because we already have too many outfielder / designated hitter types. And 3) the Yankees have already spent $423.5 million this off-season with the acquisitions of Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, the spending has to stop somewhere.

Well, you’re right and you’re wrong. Hear me out for a minute. First and foremost, Manny Ramirez only caused problems when the Boston Red Sox forced his hand. Never in his Cleveland Indians career did he cause problems. And, if you ask anybody not named Curt Schilling (the loud mouth moron of the Northeast), Manny was the model teammate in his time with the Red Sox. The Red Sox management did what they normally do to an aging star, who they are trying to phase out and that is alienate him from the team, the front office and the fan base and turn them into the enemy (See: Garciapara, Nomar).

On the Dodgers, did Manny ever cause a problem? The answer would be an emphatic NO. And the reason is, because the Red Sox created those problems. They created all of the negative feelings that Manny felt which would cause him to make up phantom injuries to get out of the lineup, because he was unhappy. And frankly, I don’t fault him for that. Yes, he went about things in the wrong manner, but who in life has ever not grown frustrated with their working environment and wanted a change? But, unlike most of us, Manny didn’t have the option of quitting and starting anew. He was forcibly trapped in a place he no longer wanted to be.

Addressing the thought that the Yankees don’t need him because we have too many outfielder / designated hitters as it is. You can NEVER have too many players. Depth is very important. The Yankees as it stands right now are going into the season with too many outfielders and have been exploring possible trades for Xavier Nady or Nick Swisher.

The Yankees could sign Manny Ramirez to a contract that would be sufficient in his and Scott Boras’ (his agent) eyes. Something in the range of 3 years and $72 million ($24 million per year) with a vesting option for a 4th year based on performance for some outrageous figure in the $28 or $29 million range. All winter long, Manny has been clamoring for a 4 year / $100 million contract and with that offer, the Yankees would be offering 3 years and $72 million, with the possibility of raising it to 4 years and $100 million.

This would work out well for the Yankees for the next few years, not just this year. For the duration of the off season, Brian Cashman would reiterate the fact that the Yankees were looking to trim payroll, which even with their additions, they’ve succeeded in doing so (much to the chagrin of the rest of the world). If the Yankees signed Manny, our payroll would obviously increase by nearly $20 million. But, it would save the Yankees money in the long run. After this season, the Yankees will have Xavier Nady ($6.5 million), Hidek Matsui ($13 million) and Johnny Damon ($13 million) coming off the books, in the outfield alone! That’s $32.5 million the Yankees will be looking to replace in their outfield, with a very thin outfield market shaping up in free agency. It makes optimal sense to sign Manny now, take the media scrutiny for the Yankees “buying another championship” and be ecstatic with throwing out a lineup that would boast the most feared 3, 4, 5 in baseball history. Mark Teixeira, Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez would be a new age Murderers’ Row, making the 1927 Yankees lineup surrounded by Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Bob Meusel looking like the 1962 New York Mets. The Yankees would also be able to shift things around by dangling Xavier Nady and a prospect or two in exchange for another arm in our bullpen. In doing so, the Yankees would then be able to shift Johnny Damon to right field and be able to slot Ramirez into left field without a hitch.

Coming to the Yankees would motivate Ramirez more so than if he signed with any other team. Not only would Ramirez get to play the Red Sox 19 times a year and exact revenge for his wrong doing, but, he would be coming home so to speak having spent the majority of his life living in Washington Heights.

The Yankees want to bring a World Series title back to the Bronx after nearly a decade of never being good enough. Moving into a new stadium, with increased ticket prices and increasing fan expectations to get back to the promised land, the Yankees front office should be breaking the bank at doing whatever we can to win.

Last season, Yankees left fielders hit a combined .285 with 27 home runs and 113 runs batted in. They also attained a .364 on base percentage with a .351 slugging percentage.

In contrast, Manny Ramirez hit .332 with 37 home runs and 121 runs batted in, while reaching base at an astounding .430 and slugged an astronomical .601. The Yankees would be getting a dramatic increase in production for their lineup, at a time when there are question marks surrounding Jorge Posada (is his shoulder healthy?), Robinson Cano (can he bounce back?), Hideki Matsui (can his knees hold up?) and Alex Rodriguez (did he find another supplier?).

What Manny Ramirez brings in the regular season is nothing short of tremendous, but it’s what he does in the post season where the Yankees most sorely need his bat. Alex Rodriguez is a poor post season performer. It happens to a lot of people. He’s a great talent, works hard and can tear the cover off the ball, but come October, he wilts quicker than his Madonna Lilies (was that a cheap shot?). The Yankees could use the addition of the man who has hit the most home runs in post season history.

Say what you want about Ramirez and the whole mantra of “Manny being Manny”, but it’s all about entertainment. Baseball is a game that’s supposed to be fun. Nobody has more fun than Manny Ramirez; really, he’s just a big kid with a baseball bat. The controversy and public scrutiny the Yankees would receive for signing Ramirez would take some of the pressure off A-Rod and his steroid debacle. Not to mention, it would grab the public’s attention. The rest of the country already hates the Yankees for signing Sabathia, Teixeira and Burnett. Why not just take the final step and sign Manny?

If Manny Ramirez wants to really stick it to the Red Sox, what better way to do it, than going to their biggest rival? I say let Manny be Manny in the Bronx. And I’ll be the first one to stand up and applaud.