Hit and Run with Dan Roche

Manny Trade Up in the Air

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:44:49 GMT

Checked in with some people all morning and just after noon. Nothing doing yet on the Manny trade front.

The Palm Beach Post and Baseball Prospectus stories were jumping the gun big time. The parameters for a deal...such as Manny to Florida....Jeremey Hermida to Pittsburgh...and Jason Bay to Boston may have been set, but that's it.

This deal is far from getting done for many reasons.

The prospects that will change hands has to be worked out. How much of Manny's salary will the Sox pay and what happens to his option years has to get solved. I'm sure Manny and Scott Boras will be included on all that and we don't know how they will react.

Reports out of Pittsburgh also have Tampa in the Jason Bay sweepstakes, so that could be a factor.

I do know that Manny Ramirez really upset a lot of people throughout the organization with his idiotic comments to ESPN Deportes. The players had to be rolling their eyes over that one. And what does it say that the Red Sox are willing to pick up Manny's salary for the rest of the season? They'd be paying Florida(or wherever he winds up) to take him.

This reminds me of 2004 when Nomar Garciaparra was so angry at management over his contract issues that he took it to the clubhouse with him every day. Granted, he played hard every day, but I think his teammates wanted him to let his anger go once he got into the room. He couldn't and Theo determined that it was best to move him.

I still think that might be what's happening here. My gut feeling tells me that Theo and his Baseball Ops guys could do something very creative in order to get this thing done.

However, keep this in mind, if things don't work out. As long as the team keeps winning, things would be ok in the clubhouse with Manny. Terry Francona and his key players will make sure of it. If the Sox start losing....watch out. It could get very ugly.

Manny

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 02:36:09 GMT

Several developments on the Manny to Florida deal on Wednesday night. Baseball Prospectus and the Palm Beach Post both said a tentative deal is done with Manny going to Florida....Jason Bay and John Grabow coming to Boston and possibly Jeremy Hermida going to Pittsburgh.

I asked a Sox source as late as midnight if any of these were true and if there was a tentative deal in place and got a "no".

I had three separate Red Sox sources tell me Wednesday evening that "Manny isn't going anywhere". Too hard to do. But, I think Manny's comments to ESPN Deportes on Wednesday evening may have caused the Sox to finally act.

Looks like we may have indeed seen the last of number-24 in a Boston Red Sox uniform.

Sad it had to end this way. It was awesome to watch. Manny ramirez will be in the Hall of Fame some day and we can't forget that he was a huge part of bringing two World Series Championships in four years to Boston.

I loved to watch the guy hit.

Thank you Manny.

Manny Update

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:05:26 GMT

There's about a 5-percent chance that Manny Ramirez will be gone by Thursday afternoon's Major League Baseball Trade deadline.

It would certainly make sense that the Sox and LA Dodgers would have a conversation about Manny going out to LA-LA land. The Dodgers have young major leaguers ready to give such as Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, or James Loney. Massachusetss man Frank McCourt, who owns the Dodgers has brought plenty of Sox players(Nomar, Bill Mueller) and staff(Grady Little) to Hollywood. And, the Dodgers could use Manny's bat.

However, it seems any deal would be too complicated. Manny's "veto power", contract situation, etc..

I was told "flat out" Tuesday night by someone I know and trust around the team that there's "no way" Manny gets traded. No way. Count on it. And he wasn't the first person to say that to me.

Could it happen? I don't discount anything simply because the Sox Front Office can and has gottten very creative in these situations. However, I was also told that there won't...won't be any 3-way trade such as Manny goes to team X for prospects and then the Sox turn around and acquire a big bat from another team. Nothing big like that.

Meanwhile, the Sox could use another veteran bullpen arm and perhaps the emotional boost that a trade can bring. We've seen the Yankees get Damaso Marte and Xavier Nady and LA get Mark Texeira.

So maybe the Sox will do something. However, don't expect number-24 to be going anywhere soon.

Manny

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 02:49:37 GMT

The Red Sox and Manny appear to be stuck with each other. There doesn't seem to be much interest out there right now in the Sox slugger. At least as far as the Sox getting something in return.

As the trade deadline approaches, they've had discussions with numerous teams, but nothing about Manny.

I've heard the "love/hate relationship" term several times when it comes to the two parties. The front office knows how good is bat is and they'd have a hard time replacing him and the players feel they need him in the line-up in order to make a run at their 3rd World Series title in the last 5 seasons.

As of Tuesday morning, it looks like the Sox will have Manny for the final two months of the season. It will be up to his teammates to keep Manny motivated and I think they're confident they can do that.

Meanwhile, I'm told there is nothing to the ESPN Deportes report that the Sox have had discussions with the Houston Astros about Miguel Tejada.

Let the rumors begin.

The Manny Story

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:57:32 GMT

Let me start by telling you this new Manny being Manny episode is not being driven by us, the media. I think you know me well enough by now that I am one that simply appreciates the "game". Everything else around it is secondary. I realize these ballplayers are human beings and have their share of problems just like everyone else. I understand.

So with that said, here's what I can tell you about this latest chapter and you make up your mind about how you feel and what you would do or think will happen.

Manny Ramirez has had tendinitis in his right knee for years. It's something he's had to deal with. He's had hamstring issues. However, all ballplayers deal with tendinitis, arm issues, etc. For instance, Jason Varitek has had to battle through all kinds of stuff on a daily basis to be able to play. Just ask him and he'll tell you. I've had conversations with Tek about certain injuries and he would say something along the lines of, "it's nothing I can't handle or haven't dealt with before". Again, all ballplayers have ailments. It's part of the game.

I will say no one...no one...knows how someone else's body feels. However, the Sox front office and their medical staff get paid to keep tabs on how serious injuries are.

In Manny's case, he surprised his manager last Wednesday afternoon in Seattle by suddenly asking out of the line-up. Ok, it was surprising, but the Sox obliged and said fine.

Then Friday, the Sox assumed he would be good to go in the opener of one of their biggest games of their 2008 season. It also was the day that David Ortiz was coming back to the Sox line-up. A huge day for the team. Manny tells Brad Mills that he can't play again.

The Sox, because they have seen this stuff from Manny in the past, think he may be bluffing. After all, Manny has expressed that he wants the Sox ownership to pick up the two option years remaining on his contract. And, I can tell you folks that Manny(from what his teammates have told me over the years) is an insecure person. Nothing wrong with that, but it's the way he is. He does not like to have things to worry about. So, maybe Manny is a bit upset. Doesn't like having someone else control his future. I understand that. Again, he's human. Some people handle things better than others. However, Sox ownership was upset with him because they have already paid the guy $168 million for his services.

So, back to his knee. The Sox, again, think he may be battling his normal tendinitis. And, they go back to Manny and say, alright, let's get an MRI done to see what's going on. If it shows some damage, we'll address it. Maybe put you on the "disabled list" to let it heal. If it's the same as it has been over the years, you have to get yourself back in the line-up. The MRI comes back fine on both knees.

The Sox say get back in the line-up and to make their point even stronger(because they need him), they tell him that of he doesn't play, you may be fined or suspended. Saturday, Manny is back in the line-up.

Now this comes after the fact that Manny pushed down the traveling secretary because he wanted a large amount of tickets. But all parties cleared that up, as we know. Manny apologized to Jack McCormick, was fined, was talked to by his teammates, etc...

However(and this is my opinion here)...those same teammates had to be disappointed with him not playing Friday night against the Yankees(a game they lost 1-0). When Manny shut it down in 2006 with an injury, some of his mates were livid. It hurts when you feel the guy next to you in the office, on your team, etc..isn't doing everything in his power to help you win.

So now.....what do you do?

Theo Epstein will take phone calls from other teams and listen to offers. Can he get "prospects" back for Manny, plus a major league player? How much of his salary will he have to pick up? If he works out a deal and Manny says "I'm not going unless that team picks up both my options," does Theo pay some of those option years? If you deal Manny, can you find another bat to go with Ortiz somewhere else.

In other words, is it worth it? Or do you suck it up and keep him? Hope Manny's teammates rally around him again and get him to play hard the final two months of the season. Maybe his agent, Scott Boras, can help in some way. The Sox and the hard-nosed Boras do have a good working relationship and this is the first time Boras has seen this up close.

Who knows what will happen. The Sox have been prepared to trade him before, but have never gotten anything close to the right offer for him. But Theo and the Baseball Ops guys are creative. Maybe they can work something out.

My best guess? Manny stays. This is just another hiccup and this dies down. But, who knows at this point.

As always, stay tuned. Should be an interesting week at Fenway.

"Another Starter"

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:09:35 GMT

Interesting article from Sean McAdam.

I couldn't agree more with the Schilling analysis. You won't miss him now, but come the second season, he could be a huge loss. Schilling's 11-2 postseason record says it all. And last year's 3-0 mark is nothing short of miraculous now that we see his arm was barely functional.

I do think that Jon Lester could emerge as that number two starter behind Josh Beckett. The confidence he gainswith each and every start is amazing. He's also grown quite about in the last six months. I would be willing to take my chances with a Beckett-Lester-Matsuzaka-Wakefield rotation in the play-offs.

And don't forget there's Masterson, Buchholz, Colon, Bowden, etc...in the wings.

So, if you're Theo Epstein and the Baseball Ops department, do you pursue a C.C. Sabathia, Erik Bedard, Rich Harden, or A.J. Burnett ?

Sabathia is a "no-brainer". I think the Sox would get him here, rest him like they did with Beckett and Dice-K in the final few months, and gear him up for a huge postseason.

Bedard is interesting. Talked with one Sox player the other day who told me that Bedard's velocity went up dramatically when he faced the Red Sox. Does that mean if he comes here that the same thing would happen on a start-by-start basis?

Harden scares me. Scary good stuff, but breaks down way too much. Big risk.

Burnett? Don't know. Can't seem to blossom. If he's reunited with Beckett? Maybe?

And, as always, the question is....what do you have to give up? Masterson? Bowden? Buchholz? Is it worth it for what you feel would be a "better" shot at a title? Sox fans said no when it came to dealing away Ellsbury for Johan Santana last off-season?

What do you think this time around?