Giants play waiting game with Manny

Team would benefit from adding slugger, but won't do long-term deal

Chris Haft - MLB.com

Besides ranking as the Giants' chief rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers also could serve as an example to them in the Manny Ramirez saga.

Stand firm. Don't yield to his contract demands. Somehow his path, which seems so divergent, just might intersect with yours.

It's inconceivable that Ramirez, 36, would refuse to play this year after finding no takers for his potentially prodigious services. Then again, at the beginning of the offseason it would have appeared inconceivable that Ramirez still would be unsigned less than two weeks before pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training. It appears more likely that he'll have to settle for a deal bearing a lower average annual value than the Dodgers' one-year, $25 million offer that he spurned Monday.

Ramirez obviously wants more years and more money than the Dodgers put in front of him. Educated guessers maintain that the slugging left fielder somehow will return to Los Angeles, but his employment future grows more hazy with each passing day -- especially now that Dodgers chairman Frank McCourt has declared that his club ultimately could "move on" to consider other personnel options.

Giants president Larry Baer did not return phone calls Tuesday, but he didn't need to. He, managing general partner Bill Neukom and general manager Brian Sabean have taken turns in recent weeks clearly outlining San Francisco's position regarding Ramirez. Yes, he'd fit nicely into the cleanup spot. No, they won't overspend to get him. And they won't give him a long-term deal -- anything exceeding two years -- that would impede the Giants' efforts to add homegrown talent to their roster.

Giants insiders offered no indication Tuesday that the club had altered its stance. Coming days will reveal whether the gravitational pull, and frustration, of remaining unsigned will pull Ramirez into San Francisco's orbit.

The Giants have no reason to overextend themselves for Ramirez. A .314 career hitter who has exceeded 30 home runs in each season but two since 1995, he certainly would stimulate their underwhelming offense.

But:

• His defense, which is widely considered suspect, would be exposed in AT&T Park's spacious outfield sooner than later.

• Though he rehabilitated his image with a remarkable season-ending performance for the Dodgers last year (.396, 17 homers and 53 RBIs in 53 games), the specter of his reported malingering with Boston continues to follow him.

• Even if the Giants signed Ramirez, clearing room for him would be a hassle. They'd likely have to trade an outfielder, and none of their projected regulars, despite their assets, is extremely marketable. Fred Lewis is coming off a foot injury, Aaron Rowand is owed $48 million through 2012 and Randy Winn becomes eligible for free agency after this season.

On the other hand:

• Ramirez would make the Giants instant favorites to win the National League West. He'd be the perfect complement to the club's starting rotation, which could be among the league's best.

• He'd pay for himself, or at least come close. The Giants' attendance, which is bound to be affected by the nation's sagging economy, would receive a boost from his arrival.

• He'd be more affordable next year, if the Giants chose to sign him to a two-year contract. More than $30 million in salaries will come off their books after this season, though that's partly offset by nearly $9 million in built-in salary increases. There's also Noah Lowry's $6.5 million club option, should the Giants decide to pick it up, and hefty pay hikes for Tim Lincecum, Jonathan Sanchez and Brian Wilson, who are likely to become eligible for salary arbitration after 2009.