Three reasons why Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon will not be Yankees

If you haven’t heard, the Yankees have been linked to both over-the-hill outfielders. Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon just don’t fit with the Yankees.

Twitter: Red Sox claiming Damon to keep him away from Yankees, Rays

The Red Sox claimed Johnny Damon off waivers, but it’s up to Damon if he’ll make a return to Boston because of his no-trade clause. He has until 1:30 p.m. Wednesday to decide.

Red Sox blogger Chuck H. of Two Cents From Beantown wondered the same thing I wondered.

I'm not really clear what the Red Sox are hoping to achieve with this claim of Damon. I am confused. This team did ZERO at the trade deadline to improve this ball club, yet now they want to bring Johnny Jesus back into the fold to help them with the nearly impossible task of making the playoffs at this stage of the game?

Doesn't add up.

Couldn’t agree with Chuck more. The Red Sox are not COMPLETELY out of the playoff run yet; 5.5 games isn’t absurd when you consider how many times they face the Rays and Yankees down the stretch.

So why ‘d they do it?

A lot of people on Twitter added input to this discussion. The quick vote was 7-2 in favor of the Red Sox claiming Damon to prevent the Rays and Yankees from getting him, but take a look at what they had to say.

One tweet I’d like to discuss for a second is the one from truegrich. Would Damon hurt the Yankees if they acquired him?

I don’t think so. With Lance Berkman on the DL and Brett Gardner struggling, Damon would add a nice spark to the offense. And everyone knows he adds nothing but good to a clubhouse.

That being said, I’d rather have Manny Ramirez than Damon. But he’s not available, and likely wouldn’t be to the Yankees.

Guest post: Trade deadline ideas for Yankees — the Long way

By Susan Long 

The trade deadline feels so far away at the end of July - but it will be the All Star break soon and then the trade deadline will be upon us. The Yankees look like a solid team, 36-22 and two games behind Tampa. But the recent series against the Mets (1-2) and Toronto (1-2) exposed some key weaknesses.

There are two moves that the Yankees should make prior to the trade deadline in order to make a solid team even stronger. One, an offensive outfielder. Granderson has shown some pop since returning from the disabled list including the grand slam against the lowly Orioles, and Swisher is consistent but between Gardner, Thames and Russo, there is no power threat off the bench or in late innings. The second, a DH. Right now, Jorge is the DH since he cannot catch. However, he cannot hit either and between he and Cervelli who is in a slump, that’s two holes in the line up.

With those weaknesses in mind, there are two potential moves for the Yankees. One is significantly easier than the other: Ty Wigginton. I hear you already. They don’t need a 2B/1B man, they have Cano and Tex. True. Very true. But Wigginton has the power and consistency to DH. He could bring some much needed pop and oomph to the line up and spell either Tex or Cano without losing anything in the line up. He would also be a late inning power threat off of the bench.

The second is more of a challenge but very much a rent a slugger in the fashion of Cecil Fielder, Ruben Sierra, David Justice, et al. I think if the Dodgers are out of it, the Yankees need to trade for Manny Ramirez. Yes, Manny. That Manny. Yankee and American League pitcher-killing Manny. He can play the outfield or DH and he would be a threat. He wouldn’t want to play in New York? Yes he would, with the hope of a ring. Manny would wear pinstripes. And I don’t necessarily think that would be a bad thing. The Yankees need him - and he needs the Yankees.

As for who they’d trade for either of these? That’s a little harder. I think there’s some value in Juan Miranda, or even Brett Gardner if they’re serious about going after Carl Crawford in free agency. The Yankees brass is good at making lemonade out of spoiled lemons: A-Rod for Alfonso Soriano. Nick Swisher for Wilson Betemit? Cashman will make a solid move at the deadline and this team will be stronger for it.

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About the Author: Susan Long is a dedicated Yankees Fan who would love to give up her day job at Sell Property Quickly and keep those Yankees in line full time!

Poll Results: Red Sox offseason just OK

In my latest poll, the majority of fans graded the Red Sox offseason as OK, while a modest percentage voted it was a good offseason.

I fall with the majority because the Red Sox bolstered their pitching and defense, which is good. But the lineup is still lacking a few important pieces. Without a normal David Ortiz, Jason Bay, or Manny Ramirez, the team is different.

A lot of the weight lost falls on the shoulders of first baseman Kevin Youkilis.

Next poll: What was the most important part of the 2009 champs?

David Ortiz is latest leak from 2003 PED list

Michael S. Schmidt of the New York Times reported that David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez tested positive for PEDs in 2003. What concerns me is the last part of his lead paragraph:

…according to lawyers with knowledge of the results.

This is otherwise known as a leak. Alex Rodriguez’s name was leaked before the season, and now right before the trade deadline, another significant name is leaked. As for Manny, we already knew he was on something.

As ESPN’s Skip Bayless pointed out on Twitter, it would make perfect sense for the guy who leaked this information to be a Yankees fan that was mad about A-Rod being leaked.

With Ortiz now revealed, Yankees fans can happily take their shots at Red Sox fans who brag about the Red Sox’ recent championships.

Keep in mind that 2003 was the year Ortiz was traded to the Red Sox when he broke out of his shell. Even though Ortiz has struggled in the past two years, he is still another borderline hall of famer with a tainted career.

As Peter Gammons said last night, more key information on this matter will be revealed over the next few days. The question is, will the media explode around Papi as they did with A-Rod. The only difference I can see between the two cases is that it is midseason oppose to preseason.

Manny Ramirez positively took PEDs

Wow.  This is not my opinion, he really did test positive!  Manny Ramirez has incurred a 50-game suspension now that the MLB has confirmed this report.

UPDATE: A source told Yahoo that the substance Ramirez took, HCG, was meant for sexual enhancement.  Do you buy this?

One more baseball gargantuan has lost his reputation, forever.  Does he make the hall of fame now?  Does Alex Rodriguez?  Who knows what baseball will do with this era, but it is one of the most disappointing issues in all of sports.

The Manny offseason saga comes to a close

Finally, yesterday, Manny Ramirez re-signed with the Dodgers to a two-year $45 million deal.  I know he is not Yankee related, but he is a topic of discussion for any kind of fan.

You either love him or you hate him.  Personally, I love the guy.  Would I like to see him in pinstripes?  - Not in a million years.  With the press the Yankees get and the Manny sideshow off the field, there would be madness every week at the next thing Manny says in an interview. 

However, here's a hypothetical for you that could make you drool.  Imagine this:

3. Teixeira

4. A-Rod

5. Manny

If the Yankees had the money, it's hard not to go after a middle of the order like that.  No team has ever had a 3-4-5 better than what the Yankees would have had if they had signed Manny.  Plus, with the Yankees much-improved rotation this year, you would have to immediately favor the Yankees as World Series champions. 

Dropping all the outside distractions changes a lot, huh?  Take Terrell Owens for example.  He just got cut from the Cowboys - and it wasn't because of lack of talent.

A-Rod injures hip, WBC in question

Jack Curry of the New York Times reports:

Alex Rodriguez has an injured hip and may not play for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, according to a person in baseball who has spoken to Rodriguez.

Despite the cyst, Rodriguez went 1 for 3 in the Dominican Republic's 10-1 victory over the Florida Marlins on Tuesday. The Dominicans open the W.B.C. by playing the Netherlands on Saturday in San Juan, P.R.

If this continues to be a nag of an injury, than the Yankees should force A-Rod out of the W.B.C.  This was one of my concerns going into the WBC.  It is too much competitive baseball too fast.  It's like an All-Star game, but the players have to play hard in it.  It makes no sense.  This is why players like Manny Ramirez make up excuses to miss the All-Star game and the WBC.

Why Manny, why?

I have recently heard multiple sources say that the Yankees are still one of the top destinations for Manny Ramirez.  Why?  

The Yankees already have Damon, Gardner, Melky, Nady, and Swisher in the outfield(assuming Matsui's knees stay the way they are).

If the Yanks signed Manny, we'd have to reshape our entire roster: trading at least one of our spare outfielders.  Not to mention, Scott Boras would probably ask for the most outrageous contract in the history of sports from of the Yankees (knowing the Steinbrenner's are on our side).

Another important reason to avoid Manny is his age.  He turns 37 at the end of May, and the Yanks have been looking to get younger for the past couple of years.  Getting rid of Melky or Gardner would not help the cause.  

I am happy with our current team.  Cashman did a great job of addressing our biggest offseason needs (SP and 1B), and I am definitely looking forward to the AL East race this year.

Although I've always been a fan of Manny's antics, plus he did grow up in the Bronx, it is just too late in his career for him to dawn pinstripes.