manny has only once arguably been worth $30M – last year. if you check his fangraphs page, he had a freakish year defensively and became a 6.5 win player. but that’s in a year when he posted only a -2 run defense, after three years of -15, -19, and -20 runs defensively. So, i think it’s reasonable in a 37 year old outfielder to expect his defense will get worse (feel free to make whatever caveats about LF in Fenway), more along a -15 run level.

His offense is terrific, regularly worth about 40 runs/yr. I imagine we could anticipate getting something along those lines. but he’s not the steady metronome of production that, say, pujols is — manny wasn’t even worth 2 wins in 2007. he’s difficult to project, especially as he ages.

the question is whether manny is an improvement over what we’ve got. Well, we have a stacked outfield, full of great defensive and offensive talent. Ludwick is a 3-4 win player, even with some regression; ankiel is likely a 2-3 win player. Rasmus should likely a chance to start in center. Behind that starting three, we have schumaker, who can be valuable role player, duncan who may very well come back with a .550 slugging percentage, mather and barton who show a great deal of promise in the field and at the plate, and a wagon train of talented OF behind them (Jay, Jones, etc.).

So, we’re probably talking about replacing a 2-3 win player with a 4 win player, and paying $30M for the privilege? No, thanks. If we were going to spend money, we would do much better to take on one of the orlando’s and have a good chance of getting 2-3 wins at second for much less money. Or we could look at trading for substantial starting pitching help. This of course leaves aside the fact that we would have to find this $30M somewhere, which I don’t see happening.

The only way Ramirez comes to Saint Louis is if his buddy Albert convinces him it would be fun to spend one year “making his point”. Rather than sit out a year, or take a sub-par offer from the Dodgers, Manny COULD come to the Cards for a very affordable 1-year rate. But it would have to be rock-bottom low.

Even Mozeliak would drink the Kool Aid if Manny agreed to something like $5M for a year of service. Then just let him pinch-hit every game (7th inning or later) in the four-hole behind Albert. Would you do a deal like this?

150ABs
15 HRs
30 RBIs
.320 AVG
1.000 OPS

And don’t forget, with Ramirez batting fourth, Pujols probably sees his numbers go UP (hard as that is to imagine). BUT – before I’m flamed, let me be very clear. THIS DEAL WILL NEVER HAPPEN.

could the cardinals afford Manny? plus we already have a shit ton of good outfielders last time I checked

Then he can mash the ball and have LF adventures just as much as Manny at like 1/25 the cost.

Because of the financial status of many franchises, that’s all he’s going to get. He should have taken the $25 million from LA, when he had the chance.

You really want a clubhouse cancer on your team? I know I sure as hell don’t! Not only would it be a waste of money, but Manny’s attitude is terrible. Not to mention we have an abundance of OFs…