Manny Ramirez Confident He'll Be Re-Elected ... Er, Re-Signed - FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

For the first time in a long, long time, Manny Ramirez actually looked mortal last year, hitting just 20 home runs and slugging below .500 over a full season for the first time in his career. Don't get wrong, he was still an excellent hitter, but a relatively sub-standard season combined with the fact that he turns 36 in May might lead the Red Sox to wonder if he's slowing down -- and maybe, just maybe, not worth the $20 million options they hold for 2009 and 2010.

But Manny is as carefree as ever, sounding like a seasoned politician when reporters asked about his future on Friday. From the Boston Herald:

"I'm gonna get four more years here, man," Ramirez said yesterday while all but skipping out of City of Palms Park. "I'm going to get the two options and I'm going to get two more years."

Have the Red Sox already talked to him about it?

"They don't need to," Ramirez answered in his typically carefree nature. "I know I'm going to get it."

You'll lose your mind if you try to make heads or tails out of everything that comes out his mouth, but it's worth pointing out that he sounds a lot more confident about his future in Boston now than he did a month ago. Maybe he just woke up on the right side of the bed Friday morning, or maybe the team has actually had casual conversations about a potential extension. With Manny, there's really no telling.