He should be DH for the Red Sox, saving them $25mm on Ortiz.

He should be DH for the Red Sox, saving them $25mm on Ortiz.

If that were true, then 30 teams in MLB and 12 in NPB are making a huge mistake. You seem fixated on one team making that mistake: the one he was with five teams ago.

I'm not claiming Manny should be playing the outfield, so that halves the number of teams in error. And some of the rest have cromulent DH. But Manny's a good option for those without a good DH, which includes the Red Sox (and was always going to -- I said at the time the new Ortiz contract was money wasted.) If he hits as well in Taiwan as he did last winter in the DR, collusion on the part of ML ownership will be the only conclusion one can draw, since Manny was available for an NRI and minimal guaranteed money.

For shits and giggles, here are mlbdepthcharts projected DHs

Angels - Mark Trumbo
Astros - Carlos Pena
Athletics - Seth Smith
White Sox - Adam Dunn
Red Sox - David Ortiz
Orioles - Wilson Betemit
Blue Jays - Adam Lind
Yankees - Travis Hafner
Rays - Luke Scott
Royals - Billy Butler
Twins - Ryan Doumit
Tigers - Victor Martinez
Indians - Mark Reynolds
Mariners - Kendrys Morales
Rangers - Lance Berkman

The Brewers do need a 1B for a few months, hmmmm...

I could see him as a platoon DH on a few of those teams (Houston, all of the AL East teams sans Boston), but there's no room for that in today's MLB.

Doesn't Manny have a 50 or 100 game suspension that he'd have to serve before he could play for a MLB team?

Doesn't Manny have a 50 or 100 game suspension that he'd have to serve before he could play for a MLB team?

He served his suspension with the A's.

Doesn't Manny have a 50 or 100 game suspension that he'd have to serve before he could play for a MLB team?

Even if he didn't have to serve that, I can see a team not wanting to take the risk that he will test positive a third time.

Yeah, that .697 OPS (small sample size acknowledged) that he put up in the PCL last year really inspires confidence that he can still handle ML pitching. Ortiz is going to miss a little bit of time but he did put up a 171 OPS+ last year.

I hate to be a worrier, but someone has checked with the State Department and we're sure that any Taiwanese protection promises against mainland China explicitly exclude Manny-created incidents, right?

Even if he didn't have to serve that, I can see a team not wanting to take the risk that he will test positive a third time.

The risk there is that they find themselves without a DH. It's not like they'd have to pay him salary during a lifetime suspension, right?

If he hits as well in Taiwan as he did last winter in the DR, collusion on the part of ML ownership will be the only conclusion one can draw, since Manny was available for an NRI and minimal guaranteed money.

The fact that you start that sentence with "if" is enough to suggest it wouldn't be collusion. Even you recognize it's not a certainty he hits like that. Combine that with these facts:

- He couldn't crack the A's roster as recently as last year.
- He accomplished nothing in MLB in 2011.
- He didn't hit for the White Sox in 2010.
- In the Dominican League this past offseason, it is apparently not uncommon for players who were good in MLB a few years ago, but not recently, to hit well. To wit, Miguel Tejada was on the same team as Manny, and hit nearly as well. He last played in 2011, with a sub-600 OPS.

There's enough hitting uncertainty with Manny for teams not to bother with him, and to have reached that conclusion independent of other MLB teams. Never mind the general uncertainty that is Manny Ramirez in all other aspects.

Yeah, I'm just dying to give Manny some money to DH vs. leftys and maybe produce, until he gets suspended, hurt, just quits, etc. And pisses off everybody around him in the process, with the attendant media circus. The Yankees are more interested in Derek Lee. That should tell you plenty. I don't think there is any evidence of collusion when 15 AL teams decide they don't want to put up with his sh!t, even for free.

Hmmm, can the mods edit and make this picture in the headlines?

http://sphotos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/c0.0.403.403/p403x403/559703_304818446311274_1747123948_n.jpg


Rhino Manny mascot , that was fast.

News report that there were a couple hundred fans waiting at the air port when Manny arrived.... at mid night.

Am I the only one that doesn't entirely believe he will play a full season in Taiwan, of all places? I surprised enough he is expected to arrive today. Any kind of baseball is better with Manny around but I think I'd still be holding my breath if he is still playing three weeks into the season.

The risk there is that they find themselves without a DH. It's not like they'd have to pay him salary during a lifetime suspension, right?

Right, but there's some value to reducing uncertainty. Maybe a GM doesn't want to risk not having a DH and having the guy he was otherwise going to sign, be it Ortiz or someone else, now being on a competitor.

Plus it's not great PR when one of your players gets a lifetime ban for steroid use.

Am I the only one that doesn't entirely believe he will play a full season in Taiwan, of all places? I surprised enough he is expected to arrive today. Any kind of baseball is better with Manny around but I think I'd still be holding my breath if he is still playing three weeks into the season.

Possible, though I haven't read the details of his contract anywhere, so I'm not sure of it's conditions on opt outs and what not.

Assuming that the MLB boat has sailed though, I don't see the NPB / KBO being a clear upgrade to CPBL, especially not when the Rhinos clearly look like they're committed to him.

You really should click on the link posted in #14. No Albright.

I hate to be a worrier, but someone has checked with the State Department and we're sure that any Taiwanese protection promises against mainland China explicitly exclude Manny-created incidents, right?

Manny is in the same category as Quemoy and Matsu.

Right, but there's some value to reducing uncertainty.

True, but (I can't believe I'm doing this) to km's point there's uncertainty in giving a 2-year contract to an old, heavy DH with an ankle injury.

collusion on the part of ML ownership will be the only conclusion one can draw, since Manny was available for an NRI and minimal guaranteed money.

If MLB wanted to totally screw Manny, it would be as easy as having some team sign him to an NRI, then having him "fail" a drug test.

Anyway, it will be interesting to see if Manny can avoid ending up in a Taiwanese jail, since "recreational drugs" aren't taken as lightly there as they are here... on-the-spot urine tests in nightclubs, etc.

true, though foreigners rarely get in trouble for those things here for some reason, we certainly don't send grannies to the firing squad for sneaking in coke at least....

Manny's being paid more than the MLB minimum that's for sure. not to mention assuming he doesn't do anything disastrous, it should be much easier for him to get additional money as the biggest star in Taiwan than a nobody in ST.

I think this will work out about as well as Babe Ruth with the Boston Braves.

Details on contract with foreign player is always opaque in the CPBL, but some basic information seem to suggest that Ramirez will get paid around 750K NT a month (aka a bit more than 25k USD) for the season (6 to 7 months so something like 175K USD a season?) but there are murky rules on winning bonus that few people outside the loop really knows the details about (gee I wonder why we have such a problem with fixed games ? XD ) . local players are generally paid less but treated as full time employee.

Manny is also getting a 3 story mansion for him and his family instead of the usual players dorm, I guess that is a pretty decent incentive. also that there isn't much travel to be done in Taiwan for obvious reasons.

I'd hazard a guess that with the bonus and probable ad that would come his way he shouldn't have too much trouble cracking 1M USD, but who knows. )

Though I do think that Manny Rhino doll will sell well ;) maybe he should get a copy right for that.

Either way, the Rhino have huge incentives to make this work.

Former MLB star Manny Ramirez said Tuesday he is ''starting a new beginning''

As opposed to finishing a new beginning or starting a new ending.

Sometimes the jokes really do write themselves...

Well at least he hit all he right notes on the press conference.

Also, took a look at the schedule, the Rhino season begin right next to my house on the 23rd, now all i need to do is drop by the nearest 7-11 (which you can find blind folded in Taiwan ) to get a ticket ... hmmm..

collusion on the part of ML ownership will be the only conclusion one can draw, since Manny was available for an NRI and minimal guaranteed money.

Why would ANY ML team risk the publicity disaster that it is to sign Manny. He's a headcase, he's a two time offender, he is one dimensional etc. The risk is not worth it, it has nothing to do with collusion, but instead with 30 teams making the smart decision that he isn't worth the headache.

Here is a guy who signed with a team last year, waited out his suspension, then promptly told the team he doesn't want to play. Why would anyone want to deal with this ####### again?

He has a domestic abuse charges, even if they were dropped. There is no reason that any team that cares about their image, would pick him up. So he's perfect for the Astros, Marlins or Mess.

Rhino Manny mascot , that was fast.

That's one of the most horrifying things I've ever seen

has checked with the State Department

First Rodman, now Manny...has anyone heard from Canseco?

...has anyone heard from Canseco?

I think he's busy campaigning for pope.

I went to a EDA game this weekend, but unfortunately they decided to save Manny until the home opener tonight in Kaoshung (too far for me ) . btw, the EDA team got completely crushed by the home team Lamigo Monkeys that game.

Ticket sells have blow through the roof so far, with tonights EDA home opener set to easily shatter the previous record for a weekday game (it has already sold 200 more tickets pre game than the previous record.) the one I went to was pretty much full in the infield (though the new outfield seats remained relatively empty) but it that's despite heavy rain most of the game. so that's kinda impressive.

So far so good.