2010 Preview: Los Angeles Dodgers

This is a preview of the 2010 season. We will look at the different divisions, teams, and players. This is also featured on Phillies Nation, as part of their 2010 preview.

In 2009, the Los Angeles Dodgers finished 95-67, 1st place in NL West.

For the second consecutive year, the Phillies ended the Dodgers' season by winning the National League pennant. The series was highlighted by Jimmy Rollins' walk-off against Jonathan Broxton, one of the league's premier closers. The Dodgers may not have advanced to the World Series, but they had strong combination of offense and pitching to build a very good team.

Manny Ramirez received a 50-game suspension, leading many to think that the Dodgers' season would be in jeopardy. However, players like Matt Kemp and Andre Eithier stepped up and led the Dodgers to the postseason.

Chad Billinsgley was not the ace he was in previous years, but the Dodgers still had one of the league's top pitching staffs. At just 21 years of age, Clayton Kershaw proved that he can be a dominant Major League pitcher. In addition, the Dodgers had one of the best bullpens in all of baseball.

During the off-season, the Dodgers did not make any significant moves to improve their team. After a 95-win season, did they really need to?

The Dodgers' lineup will look exactly the same. Ramirez, Kemp, and Eithier make up a star-studded outfield, and will provide much of the offense. The Dodgers are hoping catcher Russell Martin can rebound from 2009, when he batted .250 with a .680 on-base plus slugging percentage.

At this time, the fifth spot in the rotation is undecided. Kershaw and Billingsley will be the Dodger's one-two punch. If Hiroki Kuroda remains healthy for the 2010 campaign, the Dodgers could have one of the strongest rotations in baseball.

George Sherill, a former closer, will be the set-up man for Broxton. While Sherill and Broxton are the biggest names in the 'pen, relievers like Ramon Troncoso, Ronal Belisario, and James McDonald are ones to keep an eye on.

The Dodgers have the talent to reach the postseason once again, but can they avoid the heartbreak ending?

Prediction: 93-69

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Phillies Survive Game One With 8-6 Win

As seen on Phillies Nation.

It’s never easy. The Phillies survived an 8-6 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, taking a 1-0 advantage in the National League Championship Series. The pitching was shaky, but home runs by Carlos Ruiz and Raul Ibanez proved to be the difference.

There were hopes that Cole Hamels would return to form, especially against a team that he had so much success against. However, he is a completely different pitcher than the one who posted a sub-2 earned run average during the 2008 postseason. The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead on James Loney’s second inning home run. For awhile, it looked like that was all Clayton Kershaw would need. The 21-year old left-hander shut out the Phillies for four innings, but his 5.23 ERA against them this season showed that it wouldn’t last.

Carlos Ruiz showed why it’s ”Choochtober.” Ruiz is batting .348 with 10 RBI, five extra base hits, and eight walks in 18 postseason games. Ruiz’s three run home run gave the Phillies a 3-1 lead. In the same inning, Ryan Howard stroked a double down the right field line, similar to his hit during the final game of the division series. Howard’s 18 postseason runs batted in set a Phillies record. The Phillies took a 5-1 lead, but it didn’t take long for the Dodgers to strike back.

Hamels needed a “shut down inning.” He allowed a few base runners, but was close to escaping the jam. Andre Eithier grounded a dead double play ball, but Chase Utley airmailed the throw to first. The play was not fully Utley’s fault. Jimmy Rollins failed to get the ball out of his glove quickly. A run scored with Manny Ramirez due up. We all remember the troubles “Mannywood” gave the Phillies in last year’s NLCS. He had no trouble causing more problems. Manny smashed a deep fly ball to center field, stared at it for 15 minutes, then rounded the bases for a two-run home run. The lead was cut to one.

Hamels didn’t last much longer. He gave up four runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings. He struck out four and walked one. He now has a 6.97 ERA this postseason.

George Sherill hadn’t allowed a home run to a left-handed batter since June 14, 2008 against Adam LaRoche. The Dodgers acquired Sherill from the Baltimore Orioles for a reason: to get out lefties. Raul Ibanez had a different plan. Ibanez’s two-run shot gave the Phillies an 8-5 lead, and a little more breathing room.

Together, Chad Durbin and J.A Happ picked up Hamels’ pieces. Happ worked through a bases loaded jam without allowing a run to cross. Chan Ho Park, who just returned from a hamstring injury, was excellent in his seventh inning relief appearance. Park retired the three batters he faced and clocked 96 mph on the radar gun. On the other hand, Ryan Madson was atrocious in the eighth inning. He was lucky he did not allow more than two runs.

The ninth inning brought on Brad Lidge. Matt Kemp greeted him with a single. When the lead-off runner reaches base against Lidge, it’s usually a bad sign. However, Casey Blake hit a sharp ground ball to Utley. Utley made a fantastic play on a short hop, and was able to turn the double play. Ronnie Belliard flied out to end the game.

Friday, Pedro Martinez will start against former Phillie Vicente Padilla. A 2-0 series lead would be nice to return to Philadelphia with. Since the League Championship Series was extended to seven games, game one winners are 28-18. 29 doesn’t sound too bad.

Baseball's Latest

The New York Times reported that Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz were on the list of 104 players who tested positive for steroids in 2003. Both Ortiz and Ramirez were teammates at the time.

Ortiz previously made this comment about steroids:

"I think you clean up the game by the testing. I know that if I test positive by
using any kind of substance, I know that I'm going to disrespect my family, the
game, the fans and everybody, and I don't want to be facing that situation."

The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired George Sherill from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for prospects Josh Bell and Steve Johnson. Sherill has a 2.40 ERA and 20 saves as the O's closer.

The Pirates continue to be sellers and are basically giving up their whole team. The Cubs acquired John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny for Kevin Hart, Jose Ascanio, and Josh Harrison.

Omar Minyaya apologized to a reporter after saying that he "lobbied for a player development position." Today, Minaya said that his comment about Adam Rubin was "out of character."

QUOTE SOURCE: MLB.com

Violaters Shouldn't Rehab

Major League Baseball has allowed minor league rehab appearances for those who violated the drug policy. Manny Ramirez and J.C Romero, for example, were each allowed rehab appearances before their suspension ended.

Personally, I don't think they should be allowed to rehab before their suspension is up. They violated the policy, they should be penalized. They're banned from MLB for 50 games, that should mean all of baseball, minor leagues and its affiliates. If they need rehab, they should wait until the suspension is up. They can learn their lesson and it supports a stronger drug policy for MLB.

It's not really a suspension if they're still allowed to play somewhere. Yes, it's not the majors, but what if it is not Manny, instead a veteran player on a last place team, but borderline major league talent. He played in the MLB, but he isn't that good. He rehabs in Triple-A, but that is where he should play anyway.

Because of the rehab, Manny Ramirez is receiving more attention around the minor leagues now. Minor League Baseball even broadcasted the game live on their web site. Between innings, kids swept off the bases wearing Manny dreadlocks. Manny received so much fan support and said "People love me everywhere." What kind of message is this sending to kids? Take a banned substance get positive support and attention?

In conclusion, MLB should not allow rehab appearances. By allowing it, it is almost like they are somewhat supporting the policy.

News Around MLB

Ryan Howard has been diagnosed with acute sinusitis. He could return the lineup as early as Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Rays. Howard has been taking antibiotics and is improving. His 104-degree fever is gone and he will rest Monday at his home.

The Phillies could add on to their payroll to acquire pitching. The Reds are dealing Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo. Could this be an option for the Phillies?

In other news, the Detroit Tigers benched Magglio Ordonez and his agent Scott Boras is not happy about it. Ordonez is hitting .273, however is slugging only .343. Ordonez could return to the lineup, but either way, the Tigers could be looking for a power bat.

Manny Ramirez has started "rehabbing" in Triple-A after being suspended 50 games due to violating the drug policy. Pending rainouts, Ramirez should be back in the lineup on July 3.

Tony LaRussa became the third manager to reach 2,500 wins.

On the injury front, Daisuke Matsuzaka was placed on the 15 day disabled list. CC Sabathia left his last start with bicep tendinitis. The Mets continue to get injured. Carlos Beltran was placed on the DL.

Phillies Reactions to Manny

Some Phillies players have discussed the fifty game suspension of Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder, Manny Ramirez.

Brad Lidge

"It makes you wonder, was he doing it last year? Every time something like
this happens, you feel cheated a bit. Was he on the substance when I had to
pitch against him in the postseason? Naturally, it makes you feel upset."

"So he either did it negligently, or he did something he wasn't supposed to
do? Either way . . . I'd be curious to know the details. It makes you wonder,
was he doing that last year?"

"It's real frustrating, because it continues to tarnish our game," he said.
"No one knows who is going to be next. As players, we should realize that
every time someone gets caught, our game takes a hit."

Matt Stairs

“If you know the stuff isn’t on the list, why take it? I know I’m not very
smart, but I know I can figure that one out. There are a bunch of guys who are
going to have to stop taking all this health [stuff] and go back to being chubby
and having fun.”

“I think now there are guys who are taking MLB approved supplements and
sticking with it,” Stairs said. “But I’ve never even used that stuff and never
will unless someone puts it in my drink by mistake.”

(For more on Matt Stairs, visit Stairs' Way to Heaven and see the "fact" I suggested.

Shane Victorino

“It’s sad. I feel bad for him, but I guess he brought it on himself.”

Charlie Manuel

“I used to do a lot of work with him as a hitter. I knew how good he was.
He’s a great hitter. I know his talent. I’m sad. I don’t know what to say. I’m
just sad.”

“I don’t know anything about [the possibility of Manny taking steroids in
the 90s],” Manuel said. “When he was young I don’t think he was taking
anything.”

“I’d like to see baseball get cleaned out – cleaned up,” Manuel said. “I’d
like to see baseball get through it and move on.”

QUOTE SOURCE: Philly.com, Comcast Sportsnet

Phillies Note: Danny Ozark passed away on Thursday. He had a career record of 594-510 managing the Phillies, including 3 consecutive division titles. He was 85 years old.

Call of the day: In 1983, Tony Perez hit a home run to win the game.

"The 2-0 pitch.. LONG DRIVE! Deep Left center! Outta Here! A 3 run homer, Tony
Perez. And the Phillies win it by a score of 7-4, on a 9th inning homer by
Perez!"

Manny Suspended 50 Games

Manny Ramirez of the Los Angeles Dodgers has been suspended for 50 games for the use of performance enhancing drugs.

The suspension is similar to J.C Romero's. Manny was unaware the substance was banned. The substance that caused him to test positive was likely from a medication he received from a personal doctor for a medical problem.

Depending on rain outs, Manny will likely be back on the field on July 3.

Ramirez has been a key player for the first place Dodgers who set a modern day record for their 13-0 start at home. In 27 games, Manny is batting .348 with 6 HR and 20 RBI.

Manny will lose $7.7 million in salary for suspension.

Xavier Paul fill be called up from Triple-A to replace Manny on the Dodgers roster.

UPDATE (5:34 PM): The steroid Manny reportedly took was HCG, or human chorionic gonadatropin, a women's fertility drug. The drug is normally taken when a steroid user comes off a steroid cycle in order to restart testosterone production.

Manny Signs With Dodgers?

Manny Ramirez is close to a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The deal is reportedly 2 years, worth $45 million.

Negotiations between the two parties have been on and off with several disagreements. Now, have the two have finally agreed to terms? Perhaps Manny was avoiding spring training?

Ramirez was dealt to L.A in part of a three way deal with the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates.

With the Dodgers last season, Manny batted .396 with 17 home runs in 53 games. He finished fourth in the MVP voting.

UPDATE: MLB Trade Rumors is reporting the deal is done. The deal includes an opt out for the final year and a no trade clause. Reports continue to say the deal is on or off, but this could finally be final.

Manuel Wants Manny

No, the other Manuel. Jerry Manuel, the New York Mets manager, welcomed the idea of unsigned free agent, Manny Ramirez.

"It's rare that you get that type of talent. I mean, boom! Right in the
middle of the lineup type of guy, and right-handed for us, that would be a big
bonus."

"Would you like to have that? Yeah. Would you like to add something
else? Yeah. But hey, we have to deal with what we have, and what we have , we
feel like we have enough tools to make it into the playoffs."- Manuel

In other news, the Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to terms with free agent pitcher, Jon Garland. The one year deal will be worth between $6-8 million. With the Los Angeles Angels in 2008, Garland was 14-8 with a 4.90 ERA.

The Diamondbacks also made an offer to former Phillie, Randy Wolf, but have no come to an agreement.

The Cubs, who have also been rumored to Wolf, acquired former Met, Aaron Hielman. The Cubs acquired Aaron Hielman from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Ronny Cedeno and Garrett Olson.

This is the second time this offseason Hielman was traded. The Mets traded him in a package deal for reliever J.J Putz. Hielman had a 5.21 ERA in 2008.

QUOTE SOURCE: Philly.com

One Win Away

A National League Pennant is just one win away for the Phightin' Phils. Just one win away. That's it.

The Phillies will have a chance to clinch tomorrow with their 24 year old ace, Cole Hamels.

Hamels dazzled the Dodgers in game one of the series. He allowed just 2 earned runs in 7 innings of work. He struck out 8 and walked 2.

Hamels will face off against Chad Billingsley. The Phillies rocked Chad in game 2 of the NLCS. Billingsley gave up 8 runs, 7 earned, in 2.1 innings. Billingsley will try to redeem himself, and he will sure be happy that he won't have to pitch against Brett Myers.

So far, the Phillies are 2-0 at home, and 1-1 at Dodger Stadium in the NLCS. Their loss at Dodger Stadium included some drama, and their win included some fireworks.

In game 3, the Phillies lost 7-2, but it was the incident involving Shane Victorino and Hiroki Kuroda that took the spot light.

Flash backing to game 2, Brett Myers threw a pitch that "slipped" behind Manny Ramirez. Ramirez was clearly upset. He was upset that Billingsley didn't retaliate.

Russell Martin was plunked twice in game 2. Martin, Ramirez or the Dodger's bench, must have told Kuroda to throw at somebody, and he did.

A fastball sailed over the ducking Victorino's head. Victorino was mad, saying "You can throw at my chest, but not at my head." After a few words with Martin, the game went on, Victorino grounded to first, but it still wasn't over. Victorino repeated what he said to Kuroda, and the benches cleared.

Manny Ramirez wanted some action, but he was restrained by his teammates. Romero, a close friend of Manny, was also restrained as well as other players. 7 players and coaches in uniform were fined for their actions. Warnings were issued, and no other problems to this point occurred.

The Phillies ended game 4 in dramatic fashion which let everybody know why they are called the Phightin Phils.

The Phillies and Dodgers' lead went back and forth. With a Dodger's 5-3 lead in the 8th inning, the Joe Torre decided to go with Corey Wade instead of a 2 inning save for Jonathan Broxton. And boy did the Dodgers ever pay.

Shae Victorino hit a 2 run homerun to tie the game. Matt Stairs followed with a 2 run homerun of his own that gave the Phillies a 2 run lead. Stair's homerun was a moonshot, measured at 360 feet into the Pavillion bleachers.

"I swing for the fences," he said. "That's how I've been my whole career. I
think of home runs. It carries over from batting practice. I try to hit every
ball out of the ballpark. I'm not going to lie, it's fun when you're there and
you're hitting balls out of the ballpark. The biggest thing is to see how far
you're going to hit the ball."

Lidge recorded his first 4 out save of the season as the Phillies are taking a stairway to the World Series.

Picture Courtesy of Philly.com

Quote Courtesy of Phillies.com

Part III: Series Keys & Preview

In Part II, we focused on the Dodgers and Phillies head to head matchups from the 2008 season. In this edition, we'll focus on the matchups, lineups, and keys to a series win and everything in between.

The Phillies and Dodgers will open their series tonight, 8:22 at Citizen's Bank Park. Pitching will be key in the National League Champion series. The Dodgers had the best team ERA in the National League with a 3.68 ERA. The Phillies finished 4th with a 3.88 ERA.

Game 1 Matchup: Derek Lowe vs. Cole Hamels

Lowe has plenty of playoff experience. In 11 games, his postseason ERA is 3.12. In his game against the Dodgers, he pitched 6 innings, allowing 2 earned runs.

The Phillies lineup collectively hit .240 against Lowe managing just 2 runs.

Cole Hamels is coming off a gem, and with 7 days of rest, he'll go at it again. He dazzled the Brewers in 8 shutout innings of work as he fanned 9. He did not allow a baserunner to get past second base. Cole is the type of pitcher who benefits from extra rest.

In 2 games against Hamels this year, the Dodgers are hitting .192 against Hamels as a lineup managing 4 runs.

Game 2: Friday, 4:35 PM at Citizen's Bank Park

Matchup: Chad Billingsley vs. Brett Myers

Billingsley, the Dodger's ace had an ERA of 3.14 with 201 strikeouts this season.

Billingsley gave up 3 runs against the Phillies in one start against them this year. However, the Phillies batted .304 against him. Billingsley allowed 1 run in 6.2 innings against the Cubs in the NLDS.

The Phillies will have to see if the good or bad Brett Myers will show up. Myers struggled before the All Star Break. He was sent to the minor leagues to work on a few things. He came back up and dominated. His final 2 starts of the season were extremely shaky as he allowed hit after hit. Myers rebounded in his start against the Brewers. He started off shaky, but escaped a bases loaded, one out jam, giving up just one run. He didn't have his best stuff, but allowed just 2 runs in 7 innings of work. To go along with it, he had an amazing at bat.

The Dodgers are batting .259 off Myers this season in 2 games. Matt Kemp has hit a homerun off him.

Game 3: Sunday, 8:22 PM, at Dodger Stadium

Matchup: Horoki Kuroda vs. Jamie Moyer

Kuroda's ERA was 3.73 this year. Kuroda has pitching tremendous against the Phillies this year. The Phillies are hitting .095 as a team, managing 2 runs off him.

Moyer has not faced the Dodgers in 2008. The 45 year old had an ERA of 3.71 this year. He did not pitch well in his last postseason start against the Brewers. He gave up 2 runs, but lasted only 4 innings. In order for Moyer to do well, he might need some help from the umpires. Moyer is going to need to get the corners called.

Game 4: Monday, 8:22 PM at Dodger Stadium

Macthup: Blanton vs. TBA

The Dodgers could possibly go with Greg Maddux, Clayton Kershaw, or back to Derek Lowe. Maddux pitched twice against the Phillies, allowing 1 run in the first game, and getting rocked in his next game.

Kershaw has struggled against the Phillies this year in 2 games. He gave up 9 runs and batters are hitting .310 off him.

Blanton pitched his best game in a Phillies uniform in his first postseason game. He pitched 6 innings, gave up a run, and struck out 7. He did not walk a batter, and gave up just 5 hits.

In 2 games, Blanton gave up 5 runs to the Dodgers. 4 of those runs came at Dodger Stadium, the other at Citizen's Bank Park. The Dodgers hit .326 off Blanton.

Game 5*: Wednesday, 8:22 at Dodger Stadium

Game 6* will be Friday, Game 7 will be Saturday, both at Citizen's Bank Park at 8:22 PM. Game 5, 6, and 7 matchups have not been announced. Games will only be played if necessary.

The bullpens are going to be key for this series. Both teams bullpens have blown leads against each other. Brad Lidge will try to close the door for the Phillies as Jonathan Broxton or Takashi Saito will attempt to shut the door for the Dodgers.

Offense is also going to be key for this series. The Phillies tied for second in the National League with 799 runs scored. The Dodgers were 13th with 700. The Phillies also were first in the NL in homeruns with 214, while the Dodgers were 13th with 137.

A reason for the Dodger's lack of offense could be because they only had Manny Ramirez for a few months. With him, their offensive production went way up. In order for the Phillies to succed, they will have to silent the bat of Manny Ramirez.

Manny is 7/33 this year against the Phillies with just 1 homerun.

The Phillies will have to continue their offense. The slumping Chase Utley and Ryan Howard will need to pick it up. They should be able to with 3 right handed pitchers in a row.

Just hours away, the first pitch will be thrown, and the NLCS will be underway. It's going to be an exciting series!

New Team Debuts

Last night, Ken Griffey Jr, Manny Ramirez, and Jason Bay all made their debuts to their new team. They all went pretty well for the most part.

Ken Griffey Jr. made his White Sox debut in Kansas City. The Royals fans even gave him a standing ovation. It seems as almost everywhere he goes, he gets a nice ovation by visiting fans. It shows what kind of respect this man gets, as one of the best players, and good guys in the game.

Griffey started the night playing center field. He batted 7th in the White Sox already potent lineup. Griffey went 2-3 with a walk in his debut. He also drove in two runs, the difference in the game, as the White Sox won 4-2.

The Manny Ramirez era started in Los Angeles. In his first at bat, Manny also received in ovation from the Dodger fans. Manny went 2-4 in his debut. In the bottom of the 9th, things were set up perfectly for Manny. Down 1, runner on first, no outs. However, instead of being the hero, he grounded into a double play. The Dodgers would lose 2-1 to the Diamondbacks.

Jason Bay had the best ovation of the three. He walked to the plate with Red Sox fans cheering. Bay had a huge smile on his face, and tipped his helmet.

Bay went 1-3 with 2 walks. But that 1 hit was the biggest hit of the night. The game was tied at one in the 12th inning. Bay hit a two out triple off the the top of the Green Monster. Two batters later, Jed Lowrie hit a little bleeder up the middle. A do or die play, the pay was not made, and Bay scored the winning run. Bay scored both of the Red Sox two runs as they beat the Oakland Athletics, 2-1.

Some other notable positive debuts in their first game with their new teams would include, CC Sabathia, Rich Harden, Casey Blake, and Ivan Rodriguez.

The Deadline

The baseball soap opera is over. The trade deadline. Some deals were made, while others were not. It's after 4:00 PM EST. Some last minute trades pulled through. More may come. I've waited to the last second to publish this to make sure every move would be included. If anything else comes in, I will be sure to edit. I've already have edited as many times as I refreshed MLBtraderumors.com.

Leading off, Manny Ramirez was not traded to the Marlins in a three way deal. In the deal, the Marlins would receive Manny and cash. The Red Sox would receive Jason Bay and John Grabow. Jermey Hermida would go to the Pirates. Manny approved the trade, but the deal became dead.. twice. The deal was off and on until the very last minute of the deadline.

However, that didn't mean Jason Bay would stay put. At least it looked that way for a while. Jason Bay was almost traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for prospects Reid Brignac and Jeff Neimann.

However, the Rays didn't want to give up those prospects, and the deal did not fall through. It's a shame for the Rays, because it could of been a steal. The Pirates were looking for 4 prospects for Bay, and the Rays would of only gave up 2. They must really see something in those 2 prospects.

Hold your horses. Bay and Manny are involved in a trade that is official, according to Sports Illustrated. The Pirates and Red Sox are involved, but not the Marlins. Instead, its the little engine that could.. the Dodgers.

The Dodgers will get Manny Ramirez. The Red Sox will get Jason Bay. The Pirates will get Andy LaRoche and Bryan Morris from the Dodgers. They will also get Brandon Moss and Craig Hansen from the Red Sox. The Red Sox will also pay part of Manny's remaining salary on his contract.

The Red Sox gave up a lot for just Bay. Bay's a good player and all, but they gave up one of the best outfielders in the game and 2 prospects, and only got Bay in return.

Raul Ibanez was almost traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. Seattle had second thoughts, and back out. It would have been a 2-for-1 exchange, involving major league players.

No Manny doesn't mean the Marlins would stop looking for more players. All Phillies fans can take a deep breathe now. Not just because it means no Manny for the Fish, but also because we don't have to worry about the Phillies acquiring Arthur Rhodes. The Marlins took care of that by acquiring the lefty in exchange for prospect Gabby Hernandez.

The White Sox acquired future Hall of Famer, Ken Griffey Jr. from the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds will receive Danny Richar and Nick Masset in return.

Griffey being traded was bound to happen. But to the White Sox? The White Sox already have Carlos Quentin and Jermaine Dye at the corners in the outfield. Nick Swisher plays first base and center field. Jim Thome is the DH. Paul Konerko, who is struggling, plays first base. So, where are the White Sox going to play Griffey? They need to find a place to put the future Hall of Famer without sitting some of their other star players. The chances are Griffey moves back to center field. With Konerko struggling, another idea is move Thome to first base and DH Griffey.

All the teams had different interest in different players, but no other deals worked out.

As for Pat Gillick and the Phillies, looks like they "Stand Pat" again. Look for a Front Office Blog post in the future.

Manny a Phillie?

Could it be? Manny being Manny in Philadelphia? According to recent rumors, the Phillies have interest.

Manny Ramirez has a club option for 2009 and 2010 with the Red Sox. There is a chance that the option will not be picked up, thus making him a free agent. Pat Burrell will a free agent after this year. If the Phillies do not resign Pat the Bat, that creates a hole in left field. Could Manny fill Pat's shoes?

Recently Manny made very controversial comments:

"If they can get a trade, I'd approve it. If they can't trade me, then they will
simply have to inform me by the end of the season that they won't use the
options and we'll go separate ways."

(QUOTE SOURCE- MLBTRADERUMORS.COM)

There is always a chance Manny would want to come to Philly. Charlie Manuel managed Manny when he was with the Cleveland Indians.

What would it be like if Manny wore red pinstripes? How would he hit in a hitter friendly park like Citizens Bank Park? In 25 ABs at Citizens Bank Park, Manny has 3 home runs. Those doubles or long singles off the Green Monster at Fenway could possibly be home runs in Citizens Bank Park. My guess is that Manny would benefit hitting in Philadelphia's home field.

However, how would the fans react with Manny being Manny in Philly? Manny was showered with boos when the Red Sox visited the Phillies in June of this year. As long as he helps the Phillies win, those boos would turn instantly into cheers by Phillies fans.

If Manny is traded to the Phillies before the trade deadline (which is highly unlikely), that would mean that either Manny or Burrell would have to move to right field, unless Burrell is involved in a trade. I don't think that would sit to well with either of them. But, keep in mind that Burrell has a no trade clause. He would have to wave it. Burrell has said that he would like to stay in Philadelphia.

The only chance I see Manny coming to Philadelphia is if the Phillies sign him as a free agent after the season. However, I don't think the Phillies will go after Ramirez. I think Burrell would be their first priority.