The Oakland Athletics are in a win-win situation. If they get the good Manny Ramirez, they're getting one of the best hitters of his generation at the tail end of what should be a Hall of Fame career. If they get bad Manny, it won't be for long since he's coming cheap enough that getting rid of him won't be a hassle.
But it's pretty sad that it's come to this, as MLB.com's Richard Justice points out.
"Unfortunately, he may never get the credit he deserves for being a great player. Some will debate whether he was malicious or just a bit different. Regardless, there are former managers and teammates who believed he just didn't care about anything other than money."
Justice was almost frustrated with Ramirez. So much talent, so much time wasted. For Ramirez to have all of his stated faults, and still produce at the level that he did, does leave you wondering what could have been if he was all the way dialed in, all the time. It's pretty scary to think about the level of production he could have been capable of.
Other than Albert Pujols and Barry Bonds, there wasn't a more consistently dangerous hitter than Ramirez in his prime. Alex Rodriguez was prolific as well but his postseason numbers were up and down. Ramirez was consistent, no matter the time of year. If the Athletics get at least a piece of what made him worthy of $200 million over the course of his career, they could be getting a piece worth the risk.