Manny Ramirez Re-Signs with Los Angeles Dodgers for 2010 Season

Manny Ramirez decided to re-sign with the Dodgers for 2010. Manny Ramirez exercised his option to return to the Los Angeles Dodgers next season, and in doing so will stand to earn $20 million in the 2010 campaign. This was a really smart decision by Manny Ramirez, and surprisingly drama free when you compare it to past off-seasons that Ramirez has had in the game of baseball. The Los Angeles Dodgers might not have wanted him to accept the option for the 2010 season after the stress he put them through last season, but now they have a starting outfielder for the 2010 season already signed and ready to play.

The decision by Manny Ramirez to exercise his $20 million option had to be an easy one for the outfielder, and he acted very quickly after the end of the 2009 baseball season to make this announcement. It means that he won't have to worry about free agency for another season, but it also means that he is going to be paid a higher rate for the Dodgers than he would probably get from the free agent market. It's hard to envision any other team out there that would be willing to Manny Ramirez $20 million to play for one season, and it's a gamble that the Dodgers took in order to get Ramirez to re-sign with them last year that he even had this option.

The biggest thing working against Manny Ramirez is the 50 game suspension he was forced to endure during the 2009 season, and everything that came along with being linked to violating baseball's drug policy. Not a lot of people bought his excuse that he used for taking the drug, and that has tainted his image all around the game of baseball. There is no denying that he might still have some talent to offer the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2010, but there is a question about what level of performance they can expect from a hitter that is now going to be a year older in the game.

Manny Ramirez will be 38 in the coming baseball season, and after posting only a .290 average to go with 19 home runs and 63 RBI during his 104 games last season, his numbers need to improve. Manny Ramirez is a career .313 hitter, but he needs to keep those power numbers up if he is going to be of value to the Dodgers next season. If Manny Ramirez can return to form and get close to where he was when he got the Dodgers to the playoffs in 2008, he could end up being a bargain for that $20 million salary. Anything short of that though, and he will seem like a huge drain on both the team and the pocket books of the Dodgers ownership.

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Manny Ramirez Exercised Option

Manny Ramirez Player Card