Manny just what Giants need to tweak Dodgers, win NL West

It is the West Coast version of the Red Sox-Yankees arms race. Boston and New York spend, spend, spend. And when they tangle over the same player -- Mark Teixeira, Johnny Damon, Alex Rodriguez -- they bare their fangs and bring on the Brinks trucks.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants, and this whole matter of Manny Ramirez? They sit back and wait like they're lingering over their morning lattes. The workday is starting but, dang, the sun sure is nice. ...

A red-meat eating contest, it isn't.

"You first," the Giants say, shyly.

"No, you first," the Dodgers reply, courteously.

Ay-yi-yi, does anybody here want to win? I mean, really want to win?

Manny Ramirez can instantly change the tone of the NL West race. (Getty Images)

At the moment, the NL West is spectacularly uninspiring. Just like last year. And the year before that. It's a mediocre division on a good day, a bad division on the rest of the days.

Ramirez is one guy who changes the tone of the race, instantly. And if new San Francisco managing general partner Bill Neukom makes the command decision to go get Manny, the Giants immediately become NL West favorites.

They've got Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum. They've got another stellar young pitcher in Matt Cain. Jonathan Sanchez is promising, and Noah Lowery could really help if he bounces back from surgery. They've got rotation depth in Randy Johnson, and bullpen help in Bobby Howry and Jeremy Affeldt.

The one thing the Giants didn't have last year was power -- their 94 homers last season were the fewest in the majors. Ramirez addresses that.

While the hemming and hawing that constitute the Ramirez "negotiations" continued this week, I talked to four different baseball people who regularly watch the NL West -- two big-league executives and two scouts.

Two of them agreed that the Giants, with Ramirez, instantly would become the team to beat in the NL West heading into 2009. One of them said that if they wouldn't be the team to beat, they'd sure be serious contenders. Only one disagreed and said no, he still wouldn't see the Giants as favorites, even with Manny.

(Scouts and executives apparently are like dentists -- you never see "five out of five dentists recommend" ... it's always four out of five, right?).

"You're going to find a lot of guys pitching around Manny Ramirez to get to Bengie Molina," the naysayer, Scout 1, said. "It would be a Barry Bonds situation. A fabulous bat, but without much protection."

On the other hand. ...

"The division is so open," Executive A said. "The Padres have taken several steps backward. Colorado struggled last year. Colorado has good players and I wouldn't count them out, but Jeff Francis is hurt. Arizona has good young players, but they're still young. The Dodgers haven't done much. Their good young players are good young players, but there are flaws. We've seen it with Russell Martin.

"If San Francisco took Manny away from Los Angeles, that changes a lot of things."

Dodgers owner Frank McCourt said the other day that he likes this L.A. team heading into spring training more than the one of a year ago. That's laughable. Last year, their rotation included Derek Lowe and what they figured would be a healthy Brad Penny.

This year, their rotation is topped by Chad Billingsley, who was cuffed around by Philadelphia last year and enters the spring facing questions about his toughness; still-maturing whiz kid Clayton Kershaw and Hiroki Kuroda. Oh, and they expect to add Randy Wolf.

"The Dodgers, even with Manny, need another arm, don't they?" Scout 2 said. "They lost Lowe, Penny and (Greg) Maddux. Their pitching is down a couple of notches. (Ramirez) got them to the playoffs. I don't think they're anywhere close to where they were, personally."

"If the Giants sign Manny, I think it's a three-team race," Executive B said, referring to the Giants, Dodgers and Diamondbacks. "And who knows, if Randy Johnson can win 10-to-15 games, that could put them over the top."

At any rate, with Ramirez, they have a serious chance to go over the top.

Without him, they have a chance to play 162 games.

The Giants have uttered very few public words regarding Ramirez. But they are conversing with agent Scott Boras.

Maybe it's simply an attempt to hurt the Dodgers by driving up the price (a sound idea). Maybe they're just being their usual stealth selves (they did come out of nowhere to sign Barry Zito a few years ago).

Or maybe the Dodgers' prudent approach (their version) or indifference (the Ramirez camp's take) will help push him north to San Francisco.

At which point, assuming it's a deal for a minimum of two years, would Manny go back to being Manny, running halfheartedly and watching fly balls zoom over his head?

That was the second question I put to the four baseball men this week because, well, the woof factor goes with the Manny territory, doesn't it? They were unanimous in their answers. Essentially: Yeah, you'll have to put up with some stuff if Manny's signed for more than one year. But man, can he hit.

"If he's not happy with the years or he doesn't get the money he wants, is he going to be inspired?" Scout 2 asked. "If he's inspired, there's nobody better. I'd say it's 50/50."

"Probably depends on his no-trade clause situation," Scout 1 said.

"Even when Manny is a dog, when he hits, this guy is great," Executive B said. "No matter how he acts, when he steps in the batter's box, him and Albert Pujols are the best there is."

"The thing is," Executive A said. "He couldn't play at the pace he played for two months for the Dodgers last year or he'd die."

In this NL West, the one thing that went along more rapidly than a casual stroll last year -- Ramirez playing as if his dreadlocks were on fire -- was the turning point.

As it will be again this year if Ramirez lands in Los Angeles or San Francisco.

Say what you will about George Steinbrenner, but the guy always played to win.

In this NL West, it's as if the five clubs are competing to see who can set the bar the lowest. Sloths are quicker on the draw.

If I'm the Giants, I'm talking to my bankers right now. I'm meeting with my accountants. I'm setting up roadside lemonade stands, and I'm selling Rice Krispies bars.

And I gather up all the cash I can, lure Ramirez to the Bay ... and then I kick the Dodgers' butts.