Why isn’t Manny Ramirez garnering interest?
Manny Ramirez is still without a job, which is his and agent Scott Boras's fault.
Free agent outfielder Manny Ramirez is one of the most gifted hitters in baseball history, and arguably the best of this generation. So why is he still available this late in baseball’s offseason? There are four answers to this question. One, the economy. The recession has affected the sport, as many teams are looking for less expensive options. Two, even though the economy is woeful, Ramirez has stuck firm to his demands of a multi-year contract worth $20-25 million dollars per season, an unrealistic demand. Three, the baggage that comes along with him. The way he left the Boston Red Sox in the middle of last season was indefensible, which has made teams skittish. Four, Scott Boras, his agent, who has always demanded the most for his clients. Finally, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the only plausible destination for Ramirez, have been impatient, giving Boras every reason to look elsewhere.
The problem is, there may be no elsewhere. The San Francisco Giants reportedly expressed interest in early January, but weren’t about to devote a large portion of their payroll to Ramirez. St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols recently exclaimed that he wants Ramirez to join him, but when the team’s General Manager John Mozeliak was asked if he was interested, he answered “I’d say no.” Other teams have felt similarly, and would rather rely on their farm system, viable candidates already on their roster, or different free agent options. This makes sense, but it is still puzzling why he hasn’t had any suitors, given how dominant he was with the Dodgers.
Los Angeles’s General Manager Ned Colletti voiced his displeasure with Boras after offering Ramirez a three-year, $45 million dollar contract at the beginning of the off-season. Boras didn’t return his calls, seemingly not impressed by the offer. Though Boras is a talented agent, he has a tendency to scare teams off, and hurt the reputation of his clients. This happened with numerous other free agents in the past, most notably in third baseman Alex Rodriguez’s negotiations with the New York Yankees after the 2007 season. Rodriguez, through Boras, made the decision to opt out in the middle of Game 4 of the World Series, clearly attempting to upstage the Red Sox eventual win of the championship. Rodriguez had opted out of a 10-year, $252 million dollar deal he signed with the Texas Rangers, wanting more of an annual salary. Boras demanded at least $27 million dollars per season. Rodriguez would get this, but he had to crawl back to the Yankees to do so, negotiating the contract without Boras. Rodriguez acknowledged that opting out was a mistake, and was clearly fed up with Boras. That didn’t stop baseball analysts from portraying Rodriguez as greedy and Boras as a nightmare for the sport.
Boras compiles binders for each of his clients, putting forth information that he hopes will persuade possible suitors. Like Rodriguez, teams know Ramirez’s ability and don’t need a binder to tell them how good he still is, but his attitude and his asking price has forced them to look elsewhere. This means that Ramirez will be forced to settle for the Dodgers 3-year deal, at $15 million dollars annually. That is, if Los Angeles is willing to make that offer available again.
