AP -Orlando - After stints in Boston, Los Angeles and Chicago in the last three seasons, Manny Ramirez has found himself a largely unwanted commodity on this year's free agent market. In an attempt to patch up the reputation that has made "Manny Being Manny" a baseball cliche, Ramirez and his agent Scott Boras have sought a contractual provision that will make his flaky behavior a non-issue -- the first-ever must-trade clause.
"I took a lot of criticism in Boston, because I had to feign injuries or constantly show up late to practice, if I showed up at all. It took a lot of work to convince them that even though I was one of the best hitters in baseball, having me on the roster wasn't worth it. I don't want to have to go through that again with this contract," Ramirez said.
The must-trade clause provides that the team signing Manny to a one-year, incentive-laden contract is required to trade him to a contender by no later than July 31 of the 2011 season.
Agent Scott Boras said in addition to avoiding the trouble of forcing a trade through misdeeds, the must-trade clause offers another benefit.
"Let's be honest, the offers we're getting aren't exactly glamorous. Sure, maybe Manny could go play in Toronto, Tampa Bay, or Pittsburgh, but those aren't Manny Ramirez locations. Do you realize how hard it is to get Baseball Tonight to cover a Pirates game?" Boras said.
Although the must-trade clause is unique, Boras insisted that it was merely a practicality.
"I think there are contractual clauses that fit 99.9% of players and there are contractual clauses for players with a history like Manny Ramirez," Boras said.
Guest author: TSK
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