White Sox reportedly will claim Manny Ramirez
White Sox fans who probably can't stand the thought of any more drama might soon have to deal with one of the biggest prima donnas in sports joining their team.
According to what was first reported today by Ken Rosenthal, the Sox plan to claim Ramirez if and when the Dodgers place him on waivers with the intention of acquiring him. Because the Sox have the worst record among teams reportedly interested in getting Ramirez (Tampa Bay is the other one that is rumored to have interest), they would get first crack at him.
That Ramirez will be placed on waivers at any time seems like a foregone conclusion; Dodgers manager Joe Torre is sick of him, and they've already got a crowded outfield that includes Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, Scott Podsednik and Reed Johnson. Los Angeles has fallen out of contention, and while Ramirez is owed money beyond this season, his contract ends when it does.
I say go for it, provided the Dodgers are going to pick up most or all of the money owed to Ramirez, which it sounds like they plan to do. The Sox need some kind of a jolt if they've got any shot at all at getting back in the AL Central race that the Twins are threatening to put away. And Ramirez has a history of sulking his way out of one place (Boston) and then tearing the cover off of the ball for a few weeks after joining a new club (as he did when he first joined the Dodgers).
Sox fans will worry that Ramirez will upset team chemistry, but with that chemistry intact, the Sox have managed to lose 10 of their last 14. Chemistry doesn't mean nearly as much as hitting the heck out of the baseball, and Ramirez can still do that if you coax it out of him. Given general manager Kenny Williams' love for the risky, high-profile acquisition, I wouldn't at all be surprised to see Ramirez wearing white and black by the end of the week.
