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Manny Ramirez
by CSF
Staff
12-02-2006
Bring
Manny home. Could a more perfect scenario be put on a silver
platter this off season than this one? It's a cookie Cleveland
Indians front office. Hit it out.
Five long
years of tearing it down, rebuilding, only to disappoint in
2006, THE year they were suppose to make the playoffs at least.
Many fans
have been sitting on the sidelines, waiting for a sign that the
team is a real contender. And they were promised by the Indian's
ownership, that when the time was right, they would spend big.
Until that time, payroll would be strictly tied to revenue. That
time is now.
True, the
team has more pressing needs. They could use a bullpen, not just
a closer, but a good setup man for the 8th inning, plus a left
handed specialist. The problem this off season is that those
players, at least the ones that aren't major gambles, are not
available in free agency. They cannot be bought, only traded
for.
Which
leads to one of the points that the naysayers will use as a
reason not to acquire Manny Ramirez. They don't want to give up
anything in a trade for him. They don't want the farm system
touched and they don't want to give up any starting pitchers.
If the
Indians don't acquire Manny Ramirez and instead wish to
legitimately upgrade their bullpen, the farm system or a
starting pitcher is going to get touched up regardless.
The
Indians are also in a unique situation given the reports that
Jake Westbrook, when contacted about a possible contract
extension, informed them he was looking to test the market after
2007. The Cleveland Indians will not anytime soon compete in a
bloated free agent market for middle of the rotation starters.
They might not even consider it for a front of the rotation
type, unless there is a special circumstance such as being a
home grown talent like CC Sabathia. All signs point to counting
the days until Westbrook is playing for another team. They can
either wait and get a draft pick as compensation or wait and
trade him for something mid season - which won't happen if the
Indians are competitive. The third option would be trading him
now for maximum value.
Everything
about this off season points to the Indians not being able to
get what they really need (bullpen) unless it comes via a very
expensive, resource wise, trade. And even if they do, bullpen
pitchers are, for the most part, very inconsistent year to year.
The Yankees will not be trading Mariano Rivera or the Blue Jays
B.J. Ryan. So they can forget about getting a no doubter type of
closer.
The
starting pitching for the Indians is good but more along the
lines of the Chicago White Sox than the Detroit Tigers. The
latter went to the World Series last year with a mediocre
offensive team because they had a good bullpen and great
starting staff - three of them had ERAs under 4 and one at 4.08.
The Indians had one guy under four, CC Sabathia. Don't even
count Jeremy Sowers and his 88 innings pitched, especially
because he's still basically a rookie and as big a question mark
as anyone on the staff going into 2007.
So if the
stated needs can't be upgraded in a significant way, why keep
beating your head against a wall and attempting to line up a
square with a circle? The answer is to somehow improve the team in a
significant way. Take the strength of
the team - the offense, and turn it into an elite hitting
machine that will roll through most of the American League's
pitching.
There has
been a little argument going back and forth about who is a
better hitter - David Ortiz or Travis Hafner. It sure would be
fun to settle this once and for all. Ortiz has benefited greatly
by the presence of Manny Ramirez hitting behind him. Look at the
Indians lineup with Ramirez added:
Grady
Sizemore
Ryan Garko/Shin-Soo
Choo
Travis
Hafner
Manny
Ramirez
Victor
Martinez
Casey
Blake/David Dellucci/Shin-Soo Choo
Jhonny
Peralta
Andy Marte
Josh
Barfield
Yeah-yeah,
I know. There are too many outfielders now. Well maybe another
team might be interested in trading something for Casey Blake or
Shin-Soo Choo.
I would
argue that with this offense (a Ramirez/Hafner powered one), the
Indians could trade two starting pitchers, run straight rookies
in the 4th & 5th spots, and be right in the thick of the race at
the end of the 2007 season.
And then
there is that little marketing problem that the Indians have.
This is what I hear when talking to casual Cleveland Indians
fans:
A) As soon
as anyone gets good the Indians get rid of them. (Belle, Thome, Ramirez
and more recently, Crisp, Millwood)
B) They
won't pay anyone-the owner is either cheap or doesn't have any
money. Dolan said he would spend when the time was right. They
almost made the playoffs in 2005. Why didn't he spend then?
C) Who are
these guys? I've never heard of of them.
All of
this goes poof the second Mark Shapiro steps up to the
microphone an announces he's made a trade - a trade to bring
Manny Ramirez back to where his Hall of Fame career started.
Manny says he hopes to end his career here, sorry he ever left,
etc..
The
Indians go on to lead the league in runs scored in 2007 by a
wide margin, in the process knocking out Verlander and Santana
with overworked arms because of all the pitches that this lineup makes
them throw. Making the playoffs is just icing on the cake after
the fans have seen such a deliriously fun season. Shapiro gets a
new contract and his choice of manager - whether that still
means Wedge or Showalter. Larry Dolan gets a sold out Jacobs
Field again, leading to huge anticipation going into the 2008
season. And the expense ain't bad either because Ramirez is only
under contract through 2008. But if he's still going strong, the
Indians would happily pick up the two additional option years
for what is now a bargain basement $20 million/year.
Happy
ending for everyone - the fans, the front office, the team, and
most
ironically, Manny Ramirez himself.
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