Manny being one of the best players in Red Sox history

Well, the deal is done now. I don't like it, but it's time to just accept it and move on.

As for Manny, I know a lot of people will remember how he shot his way out of town. They'll remember how he whined and moaned for eight years. They'll remember him for being a slacker and for being a goofball on the field.

Sure, I'll remember those bad moments too. How can I forget him taking a bathroom break in the wall or cutting off Johnny Damon's throw in center field (the best catch he made in eight seasons). 

But I'm really going to remember him as one of the best LF in club history. There's Teddy Ballgame, Yaz and Manny as the class of LF in Red Sox history. No one else belongs in that group.

I'm going to remember the two World Series Manny was instrumental in bringing to this town. He was the best player on the team in the 2004 regular season, and he won the '04 WS MVP. Then in 2007, Manny followed a subpar season (for him) with a phenomenal postseason, carrying the Red Sox offense at times. He did some great things with Boston, from hitting 500 HRs to high fiving a fan while turning a double play. There was never a dull moment when Manny was on the field.

He was fun to watch, and he was great. I'll remember that most of all. And I will miss him. And eventually, Red Sox Nation will miss him as well.

For now, let's enjoy the good old times as we prepare for a new era in Red Sox baseball.

The Trade

The pieces are finally falling into place here with the Manny Ramirez deal. According to the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo and Gordon Edes, the Red Sox will send Ramirez to the Dodgers, Craig Hanson and Brandon Moss will be shipped to Pittsburgh, and the Red Sox will get Jason Bay.

My initial reaction is that the Red Sox gave up a lot just to get rid of Manny. Two teams got better here, and neither was from Boston.

The Dodgers essentially got a premier power hitter (free of charge considering the Sox have agreed to pay the balance of his 2008 contract) for a guy who's 25 (Andy LaRoche), but has been a non factor in 62 big league games and a 21-year-old coming off Tommy John surgery (Bryan Morris). They are two promising young players, but hardly a high price to pay for Ramirez.

The Pirates really come out on top today, receiving the two prospects from the Dodgers and Moss and Hanson from Boston. While Moss didn't have much a place in Boston to play, he could succeed in the NL with Pittsburgh. He has David Murphy written all over him (i.e. a solid player who never becomes a star). Craig Hanson has always shown potential, so who the hell knows what he'll become when he faces NL lineups for the first time. He could develop into something nice, or do nothing at all.

In the end, the Red Sox gave up three players from their Major League lineup and only got one in return. On top of that, they traded a LF for a lesser LF. So they are worse at LF tomorrow, and they are without one more relief pitcher and a left-handed bat off the bench.

The Red Sox also were unable to address their biggest need going into the deadline, bullpen help. In fact, they made the bullpen more shorthanded. So how is this team better tomorrow than they were yesterday? I just don't see it.

Manny for Bay

As most of you know by now, the Red Sox are considering a deal that would send Manny Ramirez to Florida, and would essentially bring Jason Bay to Boston to fill Ramirez' void in the cleanup spot.

I have been a Manny supporter from day one. I think his presence and production in the lineup are irreplaceable during the season. If he is traded by 4 p.m. today, I will miss him, and I believe the Red Sox will miss him as well.

That being said, this is the best deal for the Red Sox I have heard to date involving Ramirez. Boston has tried to trade Ramirez every year since 2003, and it has never been able to work out a deal for anything remotely close to $0.90 per dollar. 

If the Sox are able to get Jason Bay in return for Manny, they will be able to replace a good portion of his production. The numbers are similar: Ramirez - .299, 20 HR, 68 RBI. Bay - .282, 22 HR, 64 RBI. The plan will be for Bay to hit cleanup, and looking at those stats it appears he will be able to replace Ramirez' production.

There are, however, two problems with this deal.

1. We do not know how Bay will deal with the pressure of playing in Boston. It's hard to guarantee he will put up similar numbers in this difficult market. Playing in Pittsburgh and Boston are totally different animals. Maybe he will do even better in Boston than he did in Pa., but it's a big question mark that has to be answered either way.

2. Bay won't have the presence Ramirez has in the Red Sox lineup. He's a fine player, someone who can hit a few home runs and drive in some runs in the right situations. Maybe he will do even better now that he will have a more formidable lineup around him. But he hardly strikes fear into pitchers like Ramirez does. Part of what makes the Manny/Ortiz combo so great is the fact that pitchers have to choose who to pitch to. My argument is that Bay will not convince pitchers to face Ortiz.

The thing is, if ownership has decided that Ramirez is such a problem in the clubhouse that a deal absolutely must be done, than this is the best deal they will be able to get. I would still prefer no deal at all involving Ramirez, but if it is really that bad (and I am not in the locker room so I cannot say either way), they should pull the trigger on Bay, because it won't get any better than this.

Why Manny's being Manny this year

For eight years, Manny Ramirez has had all the bargaining power. He signed an eight-year $160 million dollar deal that was guaranteed through 2008. If he didn't want to play, the Red Sox could trade him, or release him or do whatever. But it didn't matter, because Manny was still going to get paid.

Things are different this season. Manny has no bargaining power. 

He doesn't want the Red Sox to pick up his option for next season, because he will have to continue to work hard to earn the next option on his contract. Then he will have to keep working hard to earn his new contract when that's all said and done. Basically, Manny could be facing three consecutive contract years. That's a lot of pressure, and a lot of work for a guy who hasn't had to deal with this for eight years.

So what's the solution? Surprisingly there may actually be one. Even more surprisingly, Manny seems to have figured it out.

First, I must point out that Manny signed on to be represented by Scott Boras. Boras did not negotiate the eight-year deal with the Red Sox, or the subsequent club options. Therefore, he does not see a dime from Manny's contract until he is freed from the Red Sox. This is important.

According to Peter Gammons, Ramirez thinks he can get a four-year deal on the open market worth up to $100 million. However ridiculous this may seem for a 36-year-old with declining skills, it is clearly what Boras has indicated is possible for Manny.

However, Manny can only get this deal if he is a free agent. And he can only get this deal if he shows his skills haven't diminished. It seems like a paradox, but it doesn't have to be.

If Manny causes a disturbance in the Red Sox clubhouse, by complaining about anything and everything, he is counting on the club getting fed up with his act. If management gets so fed up with his act that they decide to let him go at the end of the season, he can be free without his numbers declining. 

This would lead to a perfect storm for Manny to cash in this offseason. 

Believe it or not, Manny's not dumb. He's actually making a very savvy business decision by causing a stink this year. 

Maybe I'm giving him too much credit. But maybe, just maybe, Manny is being stupid like a fox.

ESPN's Jerry Crasnick breaks down the options

Crasnick did a crack job breaking down what the Red Sox can do with Manny going forward this season. He lists the possible scenarios and comes to this conclusion.

"...A trade seems unlikely for two reasons: The Red Sox need Ramirez's bat if they want to try to win in 2008. And if Manny is having trouble staying focused amid the financial uncertainty in Boston, wouldn't that be just as big an issue in his next destination? Potential suitors are probably smart enough to realize that.

As for Option 2, anything is possible. But given the harsh rhetoric making the rounds, Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards probably stand a better chance of getting back together than the Sox and Manny do of perpetuating their union.

Which leads us to the most likely course of action: The Red Sox keep Ramirez, hope he's gripped by a sudden fit of maturity over the next two months and realizes it's in his best interests to play hard and produce. Then the Sox decline his option and: a) funnel some of that $20 million into Pat Burrell, Jermaine Dye or another free agent; or b) dig into their deep well of prospects and make a trade. We always hear how ''creative'' Theo Epstein and his front office team are. This is a great opportunity to prove it..."

Crasnick went on to discuss Mannygate with his readers. Check it out here.