Ramirez to return to Dodgers next season

Manny Ramirez will be a Dodger again
in 2010. His agent Scott Boras informed general manager Ned Colletti on
Friday that the 37-year-old slugger would not exercise the escape clause in his contract.
As part of the two-year, $45 million contract that Ramirez signed in
March, he had the option to re-enter the free agent market after the
season. Instead, Ramirez elected to return to the Dodgers for the price
of $20 million.

“Obviously, he enjoys L.A.,” Boras said. “If he went into the
marketplace, the real negative was that he could end up playing in a
place he wasn’t comfortable playing.”

His decision shouldn’t qualify as a
huge surprise considering the kind of season that he had. Ramirez was
off to a piping hot start, batting .348/.492/.691 with six home runs
and 20 RBI until he was suspended for violating MLB’s
performance-enhancing drug policy in May. But he just wasn’t the same
hitter upon his return, batting an underwhelming .269/.389/.492 with 13
home runs and 43 RBI. He risked making considerably less on the open
market.



Ramirez continues to be a liability
in left field, but anytime you can have one of the most feared
right-handed batters of all-time in your lineup, it’s pretty hard to
complain. With one of the most potent outfields in the sport, Colletti
will turn his focus to finding a taker for the remaining two years and
$18.5 million left on Juan Pierre’s contract.