And Then There Was One

So the Angels signed Bobby Abreu to a one-year deal for $5 million (although I still wish they had kept Garret Anderson) and the Nationals signed Adam Dunn for two years at $10 million per. I think Jim Bowden of the Nationals is just going to keep signing ex-Reds until he's re-created the entire 2002 Cincinnati lineup in D.C. - Jose Rijo works in the front office and Rob Dibble just signed on to be their color man. Ken Griffey, Jr. is still available . . .

But the whole point of this is now it's down to just Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers, staring at each other, waiting to see who blinks first. Spring Training starts in two days, and every day Manny's not in a camp, is another day his price goes down. The Dodgers offered a two-year, $45 million contract right from the get-go, and Scott Boras sniffed at it, preferring to wait for "serious offers." After that, all Manny got was a one-year, $25 million offer from the Dodgers, and there hasn't been anything since.

It was a telling sign when Will Clark, now working in the San Francisco front office, said of Manny, "We don't need a guy who just hits." And this from an organization that put up with Barry Bonds for 15 years. Can we say "backlash?"

The Dodgers need Manny. Manny needs a job. The waiting continues.