Bay's introduction

It was almost a perfect day yesterday for Jason Bay. He made two impressive catches, hit a triple in the 12th inning and scored both runs for the Red Sox in a 2-1 12-inning victory. 

So far (and obviously this is as small as samples get), he's showed us everything that Manny lacked: hustle, athleticism and some speed.

Now, I still think the Red Sox got snookered in this deal. The Dodgers gave up two prospects and didn't pay a cent for Manny, and they are guaranteed two draft picks to replace those prospects when Ramirez leaves. So they are the big winners here.

But, in light of the fact his teammates approached Theo Epstein after the third loss in a row to Los Angeles Wednesday night, it appears the Red Sox had no choice but to deal the man. Like I said before, this was clearly the best deal they ever saw regarding Ramirez, so it makes sense they pulled the trigger.

Who knows? Maybe this deal will have the effect the Nomar deal had on the Red Sox. Cabrera was a solid player for the Sox (.294, 6 HR, 31 RBI) in his time in Boston, but the real impact was replacing Garciaparra's bad attitude with an upbeat player. This time, the Sox are moving a guy who didn't care about the team for a guy who apparently has the work ethic of a hockey player (understandable for a Canadian).