Manny Ramirez is tearing it up in LA (.464 BA, 4 HRs, 9 RBI in 7 games). Most people haven’t questioned his ability to hit a baseball, but rather his motivation. Apparently, his motivation now is to play for the Yankees to get back the Red Sox:
“He wants to play for the Yankees so he can get at the Red Sox,” a close friend of Ramirez’s told The Post.
Of course, every free agent says he wants to play for the Yankees. They pay well, will always have a chance to make the postseason, and when they show an interest in a free agent, the price from other clubs skyrockets.
Considering Ramirez is represented by Scott Boras, every imaginable angle will be played when the 36-year-old, a product of George Washington High School in Washington Heights, will become a free agent following the World Series.
The Yankees should stay away. They’ve stuck to a plan of trying to groom younger players and to not go after big time players like Johan Santana.
Offense isn’t the team’s problem. And even though he’s still one of baseball’s best hitters, he’s beginning the downward slope anyways.
For a franchise that views success and lack thereof in terms of World Series rings, how much success has signing vets past their prime brought to the Yankees? So, why should the Yankees pursue a 36-y.o. headcase? They shouldn’t.
