Month: March 2017

Manny Ramirez is considered by a consensus of fans and sportswriters one of the best hitters in baseball, and unless he takes steroids or bets on games, he is expected to be a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame, when he hangs up his cleats.

Having said that, why is it taking so long for this king of the batter’s box to sign a rewarding contract for the 2009 season?

Spring training begins in something like three weeks!

The official word is that the Dodgers offered a two year contract and Manny wants a minimum of four. It also appears no other club is in contention for his services, which are so impactful that having Manny in the lineup can make the difference in reaching the post-season, as the Dodgers did in 2008, or warming the couch in October. I believe both sides are saying, “Forget You!” or what is known as the debilitating F-You response in negotiating. This sort of deadlocking happens all the time when amateurs square off to bargain.

Recently, Bill and his wife went out looking for beach houses to rent. A suitable castle on the sand was listed about $750 over market, according to Bill, who had done an exhaustive competitive analysis, so he offered precisely the listing price, less $750, explaining in detail how he had arrived at the figure.

The owner, who had been spoiled by higher rents when the economy was roaring, refused to lower his price by even one cent. He told the property management company, “Either they’re willing to pay my price, or forget them.”

The owner decided, at least tacitly, that he would prefer to watch the place stay empty, at a cost to him, personally, of thousands per month, than “give it away” for less than what it was worth, at least in his mind.

Playing the negotiation game the Forget-You way creates lose-lose outcomes; nobody wins.

The Dodgers and agent Scott Boras seem to be at an impasse.

They are negotiating Manny Ramirez’ 2009 major league baseball contract.

The team has offered a two-year deal, while Manny’s agent asserts it will take four or more to tango.

Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti is trying to avoid what is called, “negotiating against oneself.” If you’re the only or top bidder for something, the traditional negotiating playbook says:

(1) Wait for a counteroffer before sweetening your original offer.

(2) If you receive silence in return instead of a counteroffer, the other party will blink. If he has received no better offer than yours from a third party, he’ll have to deal with you, sooner or later, and accept yours.

(3) If you succumb to your impatience, or buckle under the pressure brought on by the approach of a deadline, such as the slated start of spring training, and you offer a better deal before receiving a counteroffer, you’ll make concessions for nothing.

In that case, you are bidding against yourself, and throwing away money.

Boras has heard all of this, and yet he’s acting as if he’s oblivious to the merit of Colletti’s position.

What Boras is tacitly threatening is this:

If the Dodgers do not sweeten the deal on their own, Ramirez will play for the first team that does improve on that offer, or for the highest bidder.

In other words, the Dodgers will have had one bite at the apple, and they may be denied a second chance to improve their offer, later.

But is that completely rational?

Not really, but who said negotiation is ever 100% reasonable, or predictable?