Well - Manny Ramirez is no longer with the Red Sox. Traded to LA - with Andy LaRoche from LA, and Brandon Moss and Craig Hanson going to Pittsburgh. The sox had to give up a lot right there - but on balance, I like the deal. Manny's problems are well documented - though even on the field, I don't think it's a bad deal. He's not the hitter he used to be - he's still very good - about the same as Drew or Youkilis, or Jason Bay... he was a good deal more than that in his prime. But now - he hits like Drew or Youk or Lowell - but he doesn't bring their defense. And the odds are, he's not going to suddenly morph into his 2004-5-6 form again - he should maintain what he's doing - but that's all... And Bay gives them that - and Bay should play better defense... and costs a third as much.... This is what they would have had to do at the end of the year - find someone to replace Ramirez. So I'll take this deal.
As for the other teams involved? The Dodgers get a real hitter - can't be bad, at least as long as they know enough to sit Pierre. The Bucs? LaRoche was supposed to be ready this year, but got hurt; Hanson hasn't figured it out yet, but will probably have some decent years eventually - though who cares? Moss - provably won't do too much,but has the potential to be a solid major leaguer, I think. Though only LaRoche is good enough to maybe be as good as Bay...
Meanwhile - an even better player, though even more washed up, got traded - Ken Griffey heads t the south side of Chicago, where he is supposed to play center field. That doesn't sound wise - but if he can do anything, that could give them a boost... I mean - I still play center field once in a while, and I'm almost as old and crippled as Griffey...
Anyway - it is exciting. Some nice pennant races shaping up - in the AL East and central, all the NL divisions, though the west, even with Manny around, is a sad sad thing...
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So I'm curiou for some local flavor insight on this trade- was Manny really that much of a disturbance on this team? What have the local media reported over the past 4 months? All I ever really see are the Sportscenter highlights- Manny rolling over a ball and laughing while 2 runs score, his incredible leaping at the wall catch THEN high-fivin' a fan and "Manny being Manny" rhetoric- so was it that bad? I mean you're on a team that's won 2 of the last four World Series titles, the fans treat you like the second coming of Babe Ruth and you've got the chance to end your career here? I don't get it. Enlighten me, please.
Manny is a mystery. I'm not surprised to learn that after he heard about the trade he started trying to get the Red Sox to back out, deciding he liked it here after all. When he was interested, he was great - a hitting machine, and seemed to be a pretty funny, popular guy. But he'd go to Manny land a couple times a year and drive everyone crazy. That stuff gets overplayed - some of the local media prefers a good melodrama to a good team - and Manny always came back from Manny land, never seemed to hold a grudge, played hard again, and always played his ass off in the postseason.
This year - he was tradable, because his contract is up at the end of the year. So this time when he asked to be traded, they were able to do it for a player who can contribute for a couple years. And - there is the fact that this year he did knock over the (64 year old) traveling secretary. And take a swing at Kevin Youkilis for trying too hard. I imagine few people were rather happy to see someone tell Youk to dial it down (he's a notorious whiner), but there are probably just as many who'd like to see Manny dial it up a bit... That kind of stuff was distinctly missing in previous Manny episodes.
So - I don't know. I don't get Manny's gripes - he's been coddled here - partly because most of the time his weirdness goes away after a couple weeks, partly because the organization as a whole is more concerned with performance on the field than with things like hair, or what you say on your blog. Of course when you coddle prima donnas, they ask for more, but... All told - great as he is, I don't think he's the terror he used to be and will be lucky to get a contract anywhere near his last one. he truth is, he shouldn't have gotten that one. I'd certainly have been happier to have A-Rod for 250 million than Manny for 160. (Though for that matter, Manny's contract is nowhere near as bad as JD Drew's.) Though at least the Sox aren't afraid of spending money - they built team around the salaries and market the crap out of it...
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