Manny Ramirez could help save the Dodgers

After the way Manny Ramirez left the Los Angeles Dodgers - a disappointing season coming on the heels of a 50-game suspension for performance enhancers - who ever would have believed that Dodger fans could be looking to Manny with a sense of optimism?

ESPNLosAngeles.com's Molly Knight reports that Ramirez is owed $8.33 million in deferred money from the contract he signed before the 2009 season. That's bad news for Frank McCourt who needed advances in order to cover payroll at the end of May and reportedly will be able to cover the payroll that comes later this week.

But with McCourt expected to need to scramble to make payroll at the end of June, the payment to Ramirez could be his back-breaker. MLB has been looking into the team's finances for several weeks now and a failure to make payroll would likely be the issue that causes the league to force McCourt out. Right now, the owner is pinning his hopes on a June 22nd hearing in which he will ask a judge to approve a multi-billion television contract extension with Fox that McCourt says will make him solvent and cure the team's financial woes.