Manny unhappy returns
This isn’t a reprise of the 2003-04 winter soap opera with Manny Ramirez as the jilted superstar — and A-Rod certainly won’t be involved this time.
But is it possible this is a summer rerun of the 2004 blockbuster that knocked Nomar Garciaparra off his Red Sox and sent him to another hallowed ground at Wrigley? Could we actually see another Sox star leave?
Doubtful. Just bizarre enough not to dismiss outright, but doubtful.
Manny might want out, but granting his wish is tougher than the Sox trading a marquee name of the franchise like they did with Nomar last year. Really, how does a first-place team in the middle of a pennant race and a lukewarm (at best) trade market make it worth its while? That’s a lot to ask, even of Theo Epstein. Who could pick up that contract? And if Ramirez really shuts down, that’s not exactly going to make it easy to get it done, either. The very idea has so many holes in it, but you can’t ignore it or think it’s out of the realm of possibility. Not with Manny. Not with the Sox.
Hey, if young Theo can get something done in 72 hours that actually makes sense and doesn’t send Boston on a detour from its road to October, go ahead and hand him Exec of the Year honors.
This bizarre twist fits right in with the market so far this July — sure sounds intriguing but not all that plausible. The deal that brought Shawn Chacon to the Yankees tells you a little bit about what this season’s like — the Yankees have wherewithal to shore up their again, limping rotation, and that’s what they come up with. No offense to Chacon, who might benefit from the change of scenery, but this isn’t the stuff of celebratory back-page pronouncements. This is a B movie compared to summer blockbusters.
One thing that does seem apparent: Even if there hasn’t been a ton of significant action, GMs have been burning up the phones. There are enough discussions going around in different directions that maybe the weekend will have a flurry of interesting activity after all.
If somebody like Manny, or Manny himself for that matter, changes addresses, that’d still be a surprise.
P.S. Loving the string of trade rumors and discussions building up in the comments. Keep on keepin’ on.
Trade Deadline Reality Check 
O’s got screwed again when sidney took a line drive off his pitching hand last night
Ok first the Orioles ruin the Burnett deal, the Nevin rejects a trade that will finally get Ponson out of Baltimore, and now Ponson goes gets hurt and kills the Orioles again. What will it take for my O’s to make a deal. They’ve been wanting to rid themselves of Bigbie and in return get a corner outfielder, why not make a trade for Manny. Is it even a resonable thought that the Orioles would trade for Manny. Now i know Manny cant pitch, and I know he wont play defence, but if you put him 4th in that lineup after Roberts, Mora, then Tejade that might just be enough offence to boast them into the playoffs. Manny might have a big contract that Angelos doesnt want to pay, but he isnt old or injury-prone like the big contracts he fears. I just need to know if theres a chance of Manny wearing an Orioles jersey by the end of the week.
I also agree that Manny could help the Orioles in the pennant race but I doubt the Orioles would be willing to pay most of mannys contract. Being a redsox fan I know that the management won’t pay the majority of Manny’s contract and if the Orioles wantto strike a deal they would have to pay most of his contract. The Red Sox also are not going to tade Manny for nothing and would need a reliever or a starter and maybe some outfield prospects. It also is unlikely the teams would trade within their own division but your proposal is interesting.
The Sox will not trade Manny within their own division. Period. They are chary of any trade of a superstar with any team in the American League. Manny’s salary limits his opportunities. The only thing that will open the Red Sox management’s mind is a starting pitcher of the first rank. Florida? Houston (ssh, no names)? LA? Whether they deal or not, the Sox will be in the post-season. Theo holds all the aces.
What about the rumor going around that the Red Sox Mets and Devil Rays are going to pull off a three team deal that would send Manny and Danys Baez to the Mets Mike Cameron and 2 Mets prospects to the Devil Rays and Aubry Huff and 2 Devil Ray Prospects to the Red Sox
With Torii Hunter’s injury, are the Twins still buyers? If so, this must make the need for a right handed bat much more pressing. If the Twins are now not interested in buying, could they still swing a deal to unload some people that might not be back next season? I’m thinking that the Yankees wouldn’t shy away from a deal for Terry Mulholland and perhaps sending Kyle Lohse to Texas for a top prospect who would be ready to help next year. These are just thoughts, but I would like to know what the Twins do next.
hey how bout this for a trade? manny wants out of Beantown and the phillies need something that wont wither away and die like everyone else in my fabulous city of brotherly love. We need to unload Thome and his aching whatever the **** it is this week… Manny comes to philly with a decent catching prospect that can replace mike lieberthal, and the sillys send Thome to Boston with the flamethrowing billy wagner. This gives the sox a great closer and a big bat when he comes back, and it lets the phillies keep howard at first, and replace the difunct lieberthal. We have urbina ready to step into the bullpen and if it pleases manny we could slide him right in as the centerfielder we’ve always wanted and needed and doesnt have 1 and a half hamstrings
here how about this deal the rangers 2nd basebmen sorieno for todd or matt hill the cubs pitcher because the rangers need pitching and the cubs need another bat to there line up and move todd walker the left because todd can play out field and sorieno wants to play 2nd because thats his pos so cubs better make a trade for him come on please cubs GM jim hedry cubs fans love you and if u do this get a great player o man the fans will go CRAZYYYYYY