Manny's market: Ramirez should be hot commodity once again

Manny Ramirez hasn't had a hit since June 29. He hasn't homered since June 19. He has been on the disabled list three times this season. And he still is owed more than $3.5 million for the rest of this season.

So it's no surprise that the sinking Dodgers figure to place him on waivers.
Nor is it much of a surprise that he likely will be claimed. The White Sox, for one, reportedly are ready to pounce on Ramirez as soon as they can. One NL general manager told Sporting News he understands why.
"I think Manny is a good get over a short, very short period of time -- if I had the financial capability to take on that money and the medical (reports) are OK," the GM said.
According to that GM, it comes down to one reason: "He can still hit and hit good pitching."
Ramirez's power numbers are down and his second-half numbers are pretty much zeroes across the board. But his .312 batting average and .404 on-base percentage in the 62 games he has played in are in line with his career numbers of .313 and .411. As usual, he has been even better with runners in scoring position (.352 average), lending credence to former teammate Johnny Damon's assertion that Ramirez is "the best two-out, runners-in-scoring position hitter I've ever seen."
Because his contract is up after this season, Ramirez has incentive to put on his happy cap and produce for a contender in September much like he did when he was shipped from Boston to LA at the nonwaiver trading deadline in 2008. Ramirez has less than six weeks to prove that, at 38, he is worth a contract for 2011. Any club wanting Ramirez -- the Rays and Rangers also have rumored interest -- needs to have him on its roster by midnight on Aug. 31 for him to be eligible for the postseason.
Having Ramirez on a short-term basis might be best for a contender. The longer Ramirez stays in one place, the more he seems to wear out his welcome.
"You do have to be set up to handle the distractions he will eventually cause," the NL general manager said.
A veteran NL scout who saw Ramirez earlier this season doesn't believe he is worth the potential headaches, even on a short-term basis. "When I saw him, he wasn't catching up with above-average fastballs," the scout said. "And his body language looked like he didn't care. I wouldn't touch him."
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Tuesday Aug 24
One NL GM tells Sporting News why the White Sox (and perhaps other teams) might want to add Manny's bat.