Manny Ramirez hit .396 in 53 games with the Dodgers.

Al Tielemans/SI

Why should Manny Ramirez accept a two-year offer worth $45 million? He shouldn't. And he isn't about to from the Dodgers.

Ramirez may have been an insubordinate malcontent in his final weeks in Boston, but he became a major box office hit in Hollywood over the last two months of the season. He has more star power than the other 24 players combined. Nobody is buying a ticket to see Orlando Hudson or Rafael Furcal. With or without a bat in his hand, there isn't a player as entertaining as Manny.

On the field, it's not like Ramirez had declining numbers. He hit .332 with 37 homers and 121 RBI with the Red Sox and Dodgers. Ramirez, who had spent his entire career in the American League, was equally adept at tearing up National League pitching. In 53 games with the Dodgers, he hit .396 and was on base nearly 50 percent of the time (.489 on-base percentage).

The Dodgers are in no position to play hardball with Ramirez and agent Scott Boras. Ramirez might not have a job but he has the leverage. Somebody other than Boras needs to remind the Dodgers they need Manny more than he needs them. Sometimes you have to overpay for the star.

Boras knows he isn't going to get $100 million over four years and Dodgers owner Frank McCourt knows Ramirez isn't going to accept a two-year deal worth $45 million. And neither side should be pointing fingers, unless it's at themselves.

The Dodgers can blame themselves for publicly saying they want Ramirez. Fans are smart enough to know that is nothing more than a negotiation strategy to garner public support and paint the player as greedy in case he ends up signing with another team. By saying the price of gas is up and so is his price back in October, Ramirez didn't fuel the negotiations. If anything he stalled them.

Only Boras and McCourt can restart them.