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It is certainly in the realm of possibility that Manny Ramirez is indeed another waste of money for the Dodgers.

His play after the 2008 All-Star break was remarkable. Batting an astonishing .396, terrorizing pitchers with 17 home runs, as well as his 53 RBI in 53 games. He was immediately a hero, welcomed to the team, and looked at as the savior for a season lost.

During the post-season the Dodgers fell to the Philadelphia Phillies in five games, despite Ramirez clubbing his name into history with profound performances.

Still, people tend to forget what happened before that.

Manny was traded to the Dodgers July 31 2008 to the Los Angeles Dodgers who had to pay a total cost of $0 for the “Future Hall of Famer.” Primarily the cause for the Red Sox internal problems and success, Ramirez was starting to exemplify the exact behavior that would lead to a trade.

While that may be the past and it is 2010, it is known history repeats itself.

Ramirez has silenced himself from the media. One of the last things being said to the public was that this would be his last season playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Even after the organization named left field after him and made him the second highest paid player in baseball.

The sad thing is history is truly repeating itself. Instead of leaving Boston with the kind of response he deserved, Ramirez left with emphatic cheers.

The Dodger fans have wrongly been known to be less involved in the team. The old “arrive in the fourth, leave in the seventh” still applies for some reason.

This may be the chance fans and an organization as a whole might be able to shake.

Moments prior to a game that determined whether or not they would be tied with a team for first place in the National League West, Ramirez was removed from the lineup. Joe Torre later expressed that it was “a freak thing.” He was stretching in the locker room and hurt his toe on an object.

Ramirez was taken to the hospital where X-rays showed that there was no damage.

At the moment the team is in need of pitching.

If Manny wants to be Manny again he will. Management must do what took Boston years to do: get rid of him before he divides and ruins the clubhouse and the team’s chances of facing and dethroning the Phillies in the playoffs.

Seattle may be a possibility for the prize of Cliff Lee. The Mariners may be in need of a new DH.

All may be well for Seattle and the Dodgers.

Los Angeles needs the arm that can take them into the eighth and ninth on a consistent basis. They have all ready proved they can win without Manny.

Seattle would obtain an upgrade, more fans, and it is certainly in the realm of possibility Manny will put on a show.

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Andre Ethier suffered an injury on Saturday, breaking a bone in his right pinky finger. Such is the consequence of taking extra batting practice.

Currently the Dodgers are on a six game winning streak, scoring four runs in the first game of Andre’s absence. Last year Manny Ramirez, the slugger who’s image is now tainted was unable to provide his services while serving a fifty game suspension. It was with contributions from the likes of Juan Pierre, Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp that kept the team afloat during a time that many hailed as the teams time to collapse.

So far this year Los Angeles’ future is up in the air. It would be a great step if the team can continue to produce like it has the last fifteen games without the triple-crown leader.

For two consecutive years the Dodgers have made NLCS appearances, sweeping the competition in each Division Series. This is not easy to accomplish if you play with the odds of the media. The good thing for Los Angeles is that the team is continuing to mature and develop.

A team of stars to be, led by the likes of Joe Torre are being bread for one thing, winning. They are unsatisfied with something to prove and this just may be the time to prove it. Championship quality teams know how to win when a man goes down and that is what the Dodgers must do.

A portion of the team needs to continue to produce like it has, but there are key players that must amplify their game that takes teams to the next level.

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As it stands, the Dodgers are 15-17.

This is an appalling statistic for a team loaded with talent. Unfortunately the Dodgers are one dimensional and can’t play with the mentality of always climbing uphill; mainly due to the fact that it isn’t uncommon to be down five runs in the third inning.

The remedy would make for a story comparable to the Manny Ramirez trade. Eight letters encompass what the Dodgers desperately need: Cliff Lee.

The former property of the Philadelphia Phillies, Cliff Lee would be (by far) the most coveted player on the Dodgers radar, should he become available. It would be astounding should the former CY Young award winner become the topic of trade.

It’s still fresh in the minds of Los Angelinos how the southpaw handled their team in the post-season. Especially given the caliber of play the Dodgers were showcasing.

With that in mind, Seattle is off to a lousy start as well, dipping at 12-19. That would point to the fact that the master plan for Seattle’s organization failed, though it was gutty enough to make the moves they did.

Now it’s the Dodgers turn.

In 2005 the Boys In Blue started the “Youth Movement”. This was the idea that the team would eventually grow into All-Stars and consistently appear in the post-season.

Last year Los Angeles swept the long hated Cardinals to advance to the National League Championship Series for the second year in a row. Then it got better. They were presented with facing the Phillies again in a rematch of two formidable powers. 

Unfortunately the Dodgers had to face a test that they were not capable of passing. The unanswerable question was how to solve Cliff Lee.

The offense was scorching and Lee shut them down with insurmountable authority.

The Phillies reached the World Series and failed to defeat the Yankees, leading to the trade of… Cliff Lee. This defiantly turned out to be hard news to handle for Lee.

If geared in Dodger Blue, Lee would make the Dodgers the co-favorites to reach the NLCS, along with Philadelphia. An exciting time it could be, Roy Halladay the Ace of Spades against Cliff Lee, the answer to again becoming the boys of summer.

Los Angeles fans and players have done what they could and gotten as far as they could go. The off-season came and went, and an ugly divorce within the Dodger’s Organization replaced what would have been an arbitration offer to Randy Wolf.

Still, it could happen.

Trading a player who can help Seattle now as well as in the future should be an attractive option for the Mariners.  That player would be James Loney.

It would be a heavy loss in Dodger hearts but necessary for a possible marquee maneuver. He would be a huge upgrade form Casey Kotchman. Throw in a couple prospects such as John Ely, Carlos Monasterios, and Scott Elbert and you might have a deal.

In order for the Dodgers to even reach the post-season (let alone compete in it), they must acquire the qualified pitching. Cliff Lee would lead the rotation and present a major threat to go eight innings in every start.

Hope may be on the horizon for the Dodger faithful as baseball has a way of making the unbelievable happen.

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