We’ve heard a lot of talk about the White Sox and Manny Ramirez, but for Chicago to have a shot at the unpredictable slugger, half of baseball’s teams have to let him pass through waivers. National League teams have priority for NL players, so the White Sox don’t have any chance of obtaining Ramirez if one of the Dodgers’ NL rivals makes a claim first.
The White Sox are presumably hoping that doesn’t happen, but it's not a foregone conclusion that every National League team will pass on Ramirez. One baseball person who spoke to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times thinks an NL team will make a claim (Twitter link).
Any team claiming Ramirez would have to be prepared to take on $4.4MM in salary, but $3.4MM of that total is deferred. For the season, Ramirez has a .306/.396/.497 line, though he has struggled since returning from the disabled list.
Will a National League team claim Manny Ramirez?
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ERROR: Ramirez is batting .306, not .206. having a .400 OBP and .500 SLG is impossible with that average unless you have 5 at bats
Everybody knows that the ChiSox are going to place a claim, so I assume a GM is going to have enough brains to block them.
Which GM would want to block them if they truly didn’t want him? The Dodgers could just hand the contract to the claiming team…”all yours”.
I don’t think anyone in the NL claims him. He’s pretty much been reduced to a DH now, and that’s where teams will get the most out of him. I hear the Giants could use another outfielder though… (sarcasm)
Wait, so 40% of you think Manny is staying in the NL?? Someone please indulge me: What team and on what alternate reality?
If the Padres are considering Brad Hawpe, I would be extremely surprised if they didn’t consider Manny. Hawpe has a career -19.3 UZR in the outfield, which is not much different than Manny’s -20.9, -8.3, -19.0, and -19.1 since 2007.
Manny has to waive his NTC. Manny is not going to waive his NTC for the Padres.
Why wouldn’t he? It’s not like he’s committing to staying there for years. The Padres have a very legitimate shot at the playoffs (at this point it would take a 2008-09 era Mets-esque collapse for them to miss it) and Manny only improves those odds, and he knows that.In fact, he only improves the odds for any team in contention. And $4 mil is not a lot of money for a player of Manny’s caliber. Yeah he’s terrible on defense, but so is Adam Dunn and he’s still doing pretty well in the NL. Would a move to the AL and the DH help either of them? Yeah, but only in the sense that it potentially increases their monetary value as they don’t have poor defense dragging down their offensive value. Manny will still hit like Manny regardless of what position he plays, and that level of production will help any team that gets him – even in the NL.
you make a strong argument…against your case. $4M is 10% of the Padres’ entire payroll!
The Padres haven’t added payroll because they haven’t had too, not because they won’t. They didn’t hesitate in swinging deals for Miguel Tejada and Ryan Ludwick, and Manny is owed like 1MM dollars this year. (The rest is backloaded.) Teams trying to win a division, and ultimately, a championship, won’t hesitate to add payroll to improve their team.
That being said, I’m not sure I’d want Manny Ramirez patrolling left field in the spacious Petco Park. When I look at the Padres, I think of the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” approach. Lol
Great points, but no way the Padres let Manny play left. No offense is worth that anymore. His awful defense is too much liability for any contending NL team, & he’s too expensive & not consistent enough to pinch hit. Good argument, but won’t happen
He’s not going to approve a trade to a team that won’t play him regularly. He doesn’t want to play the outfield, and at Petco, he’d have an even harder time with the deep fences (both when he’s in left and when he’s at bat). He’d be an expensive PH for San Diego. I don’t think they’ll claim, and I sincerely doubt he’d waive his clause to go there if they did.
Nothing is impossible. Most of us probably didn’t think this would be in any realm of discussion before this season started. “IF” the Pads wanted to do a little gambling they might be able to use 7 innings of Manny in LF for the next 30+ games, and especially in the playoffs. If they were actually able to get to the WS, they would have a great DH, and would probably see it as a bargain price.
I don’t think NL teams would want to pay for an overpriced pinch hitter.
Padres. Manny ain’t going to approve a trade to Petco Park in a contract year, and that means the Dodgers are stuck with him.
And, of course, the PR fall from the Dodgers trading Manny to a division rival, since Ned Colletti is has delusional contention visions (see: Dotel trade).
I think an NL team will claim him. In all honesty I wouldn’t be surprised to see a team like the Giants claim him. Heck maybe even the Braves. They need offense and he would only be there for 2 months.
Giants definitely need another aging outfielder with poor defense. Actually in all seriousness…Manny would be a better option than Burrell, Guillen, or Cody Ross for them.
Reds replacing Gomes. Both are poor defenders, Manny has more upside with the bat and they are in the hunt for the division. Makes their lineup better and gives protection to Votto
and they’ve already shown they are willing to spend. great post
I could see a number of NL teams putting a claim on him. Manny’s never been a good defender, that’s not why you have him on your team. And I would guess that Matt Kemp has cost the Dodgers more games with poor defense in the past few years than Manny has. His cost this year is $1.1 million, the rest is deferred over three years (?), so that’s something even the Padres could absorb.
I see possibilities with Atlanta, Cincinnati, the Giants and San Diego. I think St. Louis could use him, but would pass because they’d have to move Holliday. But Atlanta is trying to hold off the Phillies, Cincinnati is holding off the Cardinals, and the Giants are trying to get into a playoff spot. Manny is an upgrade over anything they have. He could add offense to San Diego. And if you’re Manny, you want a contract, you want to showcase your hitting in the postseason, so why wouldn’t you agree to go to a team with a strong shot to the playoffs. If he provides a spark to that team anywhere close to what he did for the Dodgers, it only helps him.
I will miss having him in LA, though…
“…Matt Kemp has cost the Dodgers more games with poor defense in the past few years than Manny has…”
Really? I must be watching a different Matt Kemp…. he hasn’t been gold glove this year, and he’s had no clue about the down and away breaking pitch, but “…cost the Dodgers more games with poor defense…”? I don’t see that.
How bout the Phillies? I know its a long shot but we didn’t get Ross and francisco isnt a good enough hittter. With Werth struggling against lefties why not get a RH OF that kills lefty. Also Manuel and Manny are close since Charlie coached him when he was 17.