White Sox make a claim for Manny Ramirez off waivers
After Manny Ramirez cleared waivers in the National League, the Chicago White Sox made a claim on the slugger as expected. Other teams also made a claim for Ramirez, but the White Sox will have until Tuesday to make a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers for him.
Ramirez will now become a designated hitter in the American League as his past has proven that his strength and contributions lie in his batting. The White Sox got the rights to Ramirez first because they are the team with the lowest record that made a claim for him. Other teams that made a claim for him include the Texas Rangers and the Tampa Bay Rays.
The White Sox can work out one of several options with the Dodgers. They can either agree to pay the rest of Ramirez’s salary. (He is due $3.3 million in deferred money) or they can send a prospect or two to L.A and the Dodgers would pay the rest of Ramirez’s salary in return.
Ramirez has a no-trade clause and can reject a trade to Chicago. Sources have said though that Ramirez is likely to waive his clause. He can still ask for financial compensation from the Dodgers or ask for an extension if the White Sox acquire him.
There’s also the possibility that the Dodgers can back down and keep Ramirez. The reason they were willing to waive him was because they appeared to be out of the playoff race. They have caught fire this week though and have moved to within five games of the NL wild card. With them moving closer to a playoff spot they may decide to retain their no.3 hitter and make the push for the playoffs. The Dodgers will likely wait until the Tuesday deadline to make their decision so they can get a better feel for where they’ll be in the standings.
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