A's sign Manny Ramirez

[bluesky5]

A $500,000 minor league deal. He got his 100 game suspension reduced to 50. He can play may 30th.

[UnderPressure]

May 30th is his birthday. What a coincidience.

[chain220]

Big fan of watching Manny play, but isn't this the third time he's been suspended for 50/100 games? How many will he get before he's just banned from the game?

[KHenry14]

Wont the A's be out of the playoffs by the time Manny shows up? One wonders what the point is...

[chain220]

The A's could (in theory) use Manny as trade bait once they're officially out of the playoffs.. not that it would be a smart move on any other team's part to give up prospects for him, but that's the only thought I can see behind it.

[CandlestickBum]

The A's could (in theory) use Manny as trade bait once they're officially out of the playoffs.. not that it would be a smart move on any other team's part to give up prospects for him, but that's the only thought I can see behind it.

Or an attempt to excite the fan base? To show MLB they are *really* *really* trying?

[John Shoemaker]

I think it's a great move by the A's. I think Manny has got more baseball left in him.

[GiambiJuice]

What I don't understand is how a guy who has earned over $200 million in his career can bring himself to work for a pro-rated $500,000 contract.

That said, Manny is one of my favorite all-time players and I think this is a smart low-risk move for A's. At the very least they will get that money back in ticket and jersey sales.

[GiambiJuice]

duplicate post....

[davewashere]

Or an attempt to excite the fan base? To show MLB they are *really* *really* trying?

That's an interesting thought. "Hey look, we just signed Manny Ramirez, a (former) superstar player!"

Even to a team like the A's, $500,000 means very little and they know they'll probably make it back in merchandising and increased ticket sales. Even if he's terrible and tests positive for another fertility drug on July 1st this move makes sense because there's no financial risk and it gives the impression they are trying to put together a winning team.

[White Knight]

Big fan of watching Manny play, but isn't this the third time he's been suspended for 50/100 games? How many will he get before he's just banned from the game?

Second time testing positive and suspended, although he also tested positive in 2003 and is on that 103 players list.

[RaysFan_98]

They just added pure poison to the team and organisation

[jnakamura]

What I don't understand is how a guy who has earned over $200 million in his career can bring himself to work for a pro-rated $500,000 contract.

Perhaps some people actually enjoy being a major league baseball player.

[Rich the Giants fan]

What I don't understand is how a guy who has earned over $200 million in his career can bring himself to work for a pro-rated $500,000 contract.

That said, Manny is one of my favorite all-time players and I think this is a smart low-risk move for A's. At the very least they will get that money back in ticket and jersey sales.

That's an easy one. He loves to play the game and wouldn't be able to do it if he demanded more money. He actually wants to play the game because he loves it, not for the money. How refreshing.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

Well, I'm sure players like Manny love playing baseball but i have no doubt that he also enjoys earning a rather large salary as well. Yes, $500,000 is nothing to what he was making in his prime. However that is far more than he will ever earn once he retires. Manny doesn't strike me as a ballplayer who will be a coach or baseball TV guy once his playing days are over so he is trying to maximize his income before he retires. I never understood the idea that players would no long have 20 year careers because they make so much money. The opposite has proven true, however. Because of the money in the game players know that even in decline in their late 30's if they can stay healthy and stay reasonably productive they can still pull down a large salary, far more than they will ever make in retirement.