Now that the extended and soggy World Series has come to an end, fans of both New York teams can finally and fully turn the page on a disappointing season. That means warming up to the rumors wafting out of the Hot Stove, and wishcasting about what new faces will help provide a brighter tomorrow.
A word of warning for those who are going to jump into the pool, though. Make sure that you aren't doing a swan dive into the shallow end of the pool. As a case study, let's take a look at today's New York Post report linking Manny Ramirez to the Yankees. George King and Bart Hubbuch quote "several industry sources" as saying the team will be making a big run at the slugger.
You're never going to go poor betting on the Yankees being interested in a free agent with a pedigree like Manny's. He's a Hall of Famer and, better yet, a former Red Sox icon who grew up in Washington Heights. Seems like a natural fit for the Bombers. A natural fit, that is, if you ignore the fact that the team has very little need for another aging left fielder who is better suited for designated hitting. Brian Cashman took a huge risk by refusing to deal Phil Hughes for Johan Santana because of age and financial reasons, would he turn around and throw more money at an older player?
It's important to remember that Ramirez's agent is Scott Boras. Agents can be industry sources just as easily as people from the team, and they all know the value of seeing their client's name linked to the Yankees. It makes for good reading and good fodder for conversation, but often time amounts to little else.
None of the above means the Yankees aren't interested in Ramirez. It just means that there are going to be a dizzying amount of names mentioned as potential Yankees and Mets over the next couple of weeks. To keep your sanity, I suggest taking all of them with a raised eyebrow until you see a picture of the guy holding up a jersey at a press conference.
