[quote name='depascal22']Ks are a little more hurtful in the NL though. You only get 8 batters so you really need to squeeze production out of the other spots.
Also, the Dodgers have a young lineup with good contact hitters. I'd hate for them to see that big bucks (or any bucks) get awarded to free swinging sluggers that strike out way too much.
I'd much rather see a guy that can be depended on to go opposite field (Manny), hit and run (Manny), and can play at least marginal defense (well you got me there). Basically, I want Manny back in LA.
You guys are acting like the Dodgers weren't a completely different team with Manny. The team and city were energized like Fernando was back on the mound. You just don't get that with Dunn, Abreu, Dye, or Nady. Not even close. Yes, they're cheaper than Manny but the Dodgers can win a championship with Manny and marginal pitching. They can't do it with those other guys.
EDIT -- Before you guys continue to defend Adam Dunn. Remember, he's never gotten his team over the hump. His best Cincinnati team finished 3rd in the NL Central. He was brought in last year for the DBacks and they finished 2nd in the West and a whopping 8 games out of the Wild Card. Would they have been better if Griffey had been healthy? Maybe. It's not like Dunn helped them over the hump hitting .247 over his career. And his OBP is only .381.
Look at Manny. The guy does nothing but win everywhere he goes. He's never finished below 2nd place. The Indians did finish in 6th in '93 but Manny only played in 22 games and got 53 ABs. Oh, and Manny is a career .314 hitter with an OBP of .411.[/quote]
No one isn't saying that manny isn't a stud offensively. He is, and he was an even bigger stud when he went to the dodgers. But you are overlooking many things.
I am NOT a fan of adam dunn. He does k to much, and he has a rather pathetic BA. He DOES have a solid if not great OBP. It is in the same ballpark as manny's. I don't really pay much attention to the reds, but I would imagine that dunn takes a lot of pitches, probably looking for something he can crush, thus getting him into situations where he will K, but he has a great obp, so he is getting on base. His OBP, HR, and RBI are in the same ballpark as manny, no he isn't as good but is manny worth $17 million more a season. IMO he is not. The dodgers don't have to replace manny with just one player (dunn, abreau, dye, nady etc) they can add other players to improve the depth/strength of there lineup. IMO, I would rather have orlando hudson and abreu/dye with money left over to improve the bullpen then have manny and blake dewitt. Even you mentioned that the NL only has 8 batters and you need to squeeze production out of all of them to get by the pitcher hitting.
Your point about manny winning everywhere he goes is utter bullshit. He was on some incredible clubs. The indians teams he was on had a lot of stud player that had some incredible seasons such as Sandy alomar, robbie alomar, jim thome, carlos beagra (sp?), omar vizquel, travis fryman, kenny loften, russell branyon, david justice, albert belle, batolo colon, jose mesa etc...they were all studs at some point if not for one season, several. The 04 redsox the AL batting champion hitting 7th or below all season, they had your alleged ace, derek lowe, as the #5 starter in the playoffs. Manny did contribute to these teams success, but he was a part of incredible teams.
Your other big issue is that you are only looking at a snapshot of manny as a player/person. He was happy to be in LA, he hit ungodly #'s for roughly a 1/3rd of the season. You haven't seen the player that takes almost 6 seconds to 1b, (mind you in a game where you team was being no hit) or a player that was pissed at redsox brass before the allstar break and in a game he was brought into pinch hit, didn't swing. Or the player the slaps his teamates and throws a 67ish year old traveling secretary to the ground. Or the guy that just decides he doesn't want to play today, or the guy that ( i think it was 04) sits out the majority of the games on a west coast trip because he wants to DH, and the manager wants him to play in the OF. The guy that has more phantom injuries then anyone that has ever played. Yes, your fans were energized but it wasn't just manny being there, it also had to do with the fact that your team was winning. Do you really want a player like him influencing your young studs on how to NOT play the game properly. You don't think they don't see him getting away with shit (ie not trimming his dreads for a very long time) and getting paid the money he is getting. They are taking that in and some may think it is ok to act like that.
In the end he would improve your team assuming he is happy manny for a full season, but in the current MLB market he isn't worth $25mill. IMO in the current market he is closer to $15mill and he doesn't deserve more then a year or 2 contract. The dodgers are most likely bidding against themselves and should stop contact and let boras contact them 2 wks into spring training when manny is ready to report.