Recently Los Angles Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez spoke returning to Cleveland where his career began. Now a days he will have plenty of time to at least visit. 

Major League Baseball slapped Ramirez with a 50-game suspension today for violating its drug policy. Before everyone jumps to conclusions and places a needle in ManRam’s gluteus, it should be noted that it isn’t necessarily a performance enhancing drug he tested positive for. 

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez

But the bottom line is he did test positive for something on the banned substance list. Something that is deemed worthy enough to miss a third of the season for.

The Dodgers, who already survived the ManRam free agent circus during the offseason, have to be thrilled to lose their $25 million dollar man. Especially after dumping outfielder Delwyn Young to the Pittsburgh Pirates last month for virtually nothing.

As I surf around the internet I am already finding a lot of people persecuting Ramirez for taking performance enhancing drugs.

The Orange County Register has a photo timeline up asking if you can see the change in ManRam’s body over his career. 

New York Yankees beat writer Peter Abraham says that Red Sox fans have no right to chant “Steroids” at Alex Rodriguez now, calling it the ultimate hypocrisy. 

Abraham even attaches David Ortiz’s power outage this season to possible steroid usage.

Come on people. As of right now ManRam violated the drug abuse policy, thats not taking performance enhancing drugs. He says it was a prescription for a personal health issue and ESPN is reporting it was a women’s fertility drug he tested positive for. 

While it seems like everyone uses the doctors excuse for steroids, ManRam hasn’t officially been suspended for “performance enhancing drugs” yet.

To put him in the same group as A-Rod already is a bit ridiculous. With Rodriguez there was a burden of proof already established that forced A-Rod to  admit to taking steroids. 

A-Rod is?/was a steroid user.
ManRam violated the league’s drug policy. 

So far Manny has no odd cousin buying juice on the streets of the Dominican that we know of. No clubbie has been reported tossing ManRam tubes of “the clear” in a dark corner of the locker room. 

Chances are Manny probably did use performance enhancing drugs. But without much evidence to support the cause, shouldn’t he be given some type of benefit of the doubt?

until we know exactly what was in ManRam’s system and the possible reasons for it being there it’s hard to accuse him of anything other than violating the MLB drug policy.

there was some new news on the Manny Ramirez front today. The Dodgers offered Ramirez a one-year deal for $25 million.

Not surprisingly, ManRam quickly turned it down.

The LA Times say the Dodgers aren’t done pursuing ManRam just yet.

Hooray for more weeks of absolutely nothing happening with ManRam!

In a bit of shocking news, Cleveland Indians third baseman of the future Andy Marte has little time left in Cleveland, MLB.com beat writer Anthony Castrovince reports.

Marte has not performed up to expectations in his three seasons with the organization, although he didn’t have many opportunities to either.

Marte saw the most action of his career last year as he played in 80 games. After Casey Blake was sent to the Dodgers in a midseason trade, Marte assumed a more consistent position on the field.

During the last 34 games of the season Marte hit .291 with seven doubles and 11 RBIs, according to Castrovince. the performance raised his season average from .167 to .221.

Barring an injury, or miraculous spring training performance, Marte is destined to hit the waiver wire; missing out on the 25-man roster for 2009.

The LA times decided to give us an update on the ongoing saga with Manny Ramirez. Bill Shaikin’s update?

There is no update.

Although there is plenty of interest in the situation, there is nothing new to report. Shaikin does a good job of summarizing the situation regardless.

Meanwhile, in the midwest, MLB.com Indians beat writer Anthony Castrovince decided to dash the hopes of many Indians fans by pointing out that a Manny return lives only in dreams.

The financial resources just aren’t there in Cleveland to sign ManRam, he reports.

“Signing Manny,” Shapiro said. “would have cost more than everything else we’ve done this year.”

San Francisco Giants beat writer Henry Schulman recently posted a little bit more on the possibility of former Indian/Red Sox/Dodgers left fielder Manny Ramirez signing with the Giants.

Schulman breaks down the financial demands of Scott Boras and implications of ManRam in the Bay. A signing doesn’t look imminent.

As speculated here before, at what point do mid-market — or even small market– teams begin to look at ManRam as a one or two year rental player at a lower market value price? it’s hard to imagine Scott Boras not getting top dollar for a client. Could the Indians be a team interested in ManRam in a short-term (one-year) situation?

Former Indians farmhand Max Ramirez is excelling in the Texas Rangers organization. The catcher is the No. 8 prospect in the Rangers organization, according to Baseball America.

Ramirez just won Rookie of the Year in the Venezuelan Winter League on Tuesday, MLB.com reports.

The Indians acquired Ramirez from the Atlanta Braves in 2006 for relief pitcher Bob Wickman. Cleveland then traded Ramirez to the Rangers in 2007 for Kenny Lofton.

Despite losing Ramirez, The Indians have a highly touted catching prospect of their own in Carlos Santana, a switching catcher acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Casey Blake deal last season.

Santana is the Indians top-rated prospect according to Baseball America.

I like this story by the Canton Rep’s Josh Weir on possible Comeback-Player-of-the-Year candidates – including two Indians in newcomer and right-handed pitcher Carl Pavano and All-Star catcher Victor Martinez. Of course, designated hitter Travis Hafner could have easily made the list as well.

Around baseball: Several players hope to recapture old magic in new locations

Barry Zito
The Giants are hoping for a little return on their $126 million investment.

Free agent closer Trevor Hoffman pulled the old switcheroo over the night miffing everyone — read “Me” — by passing on an offer by the home town Los Angeles Dodgers and signing with the Milwaukee Brewers.

The former San Diego Padre was thought to be keen on staying close to his Anaheim home. He played 16 seasons with the Padres and is baseball’s all-time saves leader with 554 saves in 621 chances.

The always reliable Tom Haudricourt, of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, reports that it is a one-year deal worth six Million, with 1.5 million in incentives.

The deal leaves the Dodgers with Jonathan Broxton as the likely candidate to close games this season, the Kam Brothers report.

Where, oh where will Manny Ramirez land? It wasn’t that long ago when ManRam had this to say after his Dodgers were eliminated from the playoffs:

“I just want to go home and spend some time with my family. I want to see who is the highest bidder. Gas is up and so am I.”

Well, unfortunately, ManRam, gas prices have dropped since then and so has your market value.

The Dodgers offered a two-year, 45 million deal in November and are sticking to their guns against super agent Scott Boras.

With the Yankees already adding over 420 million in payroll this offseason, they don’t seem like a likely landing spot. The Red Sox? been there, done that.

Now reports connect the former Indian to the San Francisco Giants.

Some say its baloney! I hear ya, Jayson Stark!
Some say it’s a fraud. Kam Brothers, point taken!

So with the mass confusion brought on by Manny mania, Giants beat writer Henry Schulman decided to clear our dread lock-filled heads a little bit with “Truth and Baloney, Manny edition.”

the Giants have not made an offer to ManRam just yet, but talks just haven’t reached that point yet, Schulman writes. Both sides are trying to find a creative way to make this work.

It is very much alive, but to reiterate a key point, a lot of things will have to fall into place for this to happen, and it remains a longshot.

If the Giants fall out of contention and the Dodgers remain the only major player, how long until mid-market teams start looking at ManRam as a one-year rental?

Ramirez on a one-year deal, playing for a large contract next season is a dangerous thought for any opposing team. Pure speculation but, If that happens would ManRam be in a position to come (back) to a place like Cleveland for a season?

Just like the “fluid” Giants situation, A lot of things would have to fall into place for this to happen, but I wouldn’t write it off just yet.

It appears as if former San Diego Padres closer Trevor Hoffman is down to a decision between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Haudricourt doesn’t like his team’s chances of signing the Padre legend:

Hoffman grew up in nearby Anaheim and has played the last 16 years in San Diego, where he has made his home.

As I reported last night and this morning in the JS, that geography gives the Dodgers a distinct advantage. Accordingly, I’ll be surprised if he takes the Brewers’ offer over the Dodgers’ offer.

Meanwhile, over at Blue Notes — a Dodgers Blog at the Los Angeles Times — The KAM Brothers are already sampling different rock tunes for Hoffman to enter the game to. Will “Hells Bells” transfer to Chavez Ravine too?

The Kam Brothers also note that the dodgers have made offers to journeymen relievers: Dennys Reyes and Guillermo Mota, who worked out great for the Tribe a few years back.