Manny Ramirez has a $20 million option for the 2009 season (and another $20M option for 2010) with the Boston Red Sox, and he is focused on having the club exercise that option. According to Sports Illustrated, Ramirez has been working out since early December and plans on making the Red Sox decision a “difficult one”. The Sox have had to deal with “Manny being Manny” for the last few years, but it seems to have worked out for the better, as the Red Sox have two world championships in the last four seasons.

Manny, who will be 36 years old in May, continues to be one of the more dangerous bats in baseball. He is one of the better “pure” hitters of our time, and if he can have a healthy 2008 campaign, I would suspect Red Sox GM Theo Epstein would want to keep him around for 2009, even if it is for $20 million.

Filed under: Boston Red Sox