Manny Ramirez's tenure in Boston is over. The scatterbrained but talented slugger was traded to the Dodgers in a three team deal that brought Jason Bay to the Red Sox and prospects to the Pirates. Over the past few weeks, Manny has been a rather vocal distraction to the team. Everything seemed well until the All-Star break when Ramirez questioned the team's practices regarding contract negotiations. He said the management should talk to him about his status after the year. Later, Ramirez sat out a couple games, including one against the Yankees due to a bum knee. Many thought this was suspicious and after a MRI revealed no injury to his knee, people started to wonder whether he was slouching. Just a few days ago, all of the drama came to the fore front. Ramirez questioned the integrity of the front office and insinuated that he was unwanted and that the Sox don't deserve him. All of his shenanigans had been brushed off in the past as Manny being Manny. Now, however, it seemed that the feud between Manny and the team was irreconcilable. The Sox tried feverishly to trade the disgruntled Ramirez, but everything ended up dead. Finally, right before the four o'clock deadline, he was traded to the Dodgers.
The deal has been universally questioned by fans and analysts alike. The opinion shared by most people is that the Dodgers made out well, the Pirates made out well and the Red Sox got shafted. The trade shapes up like this: Manny to the Dodgers, Brandon Moss, Craig Hanson (from BOS), Bryan Morris and Andy LaRoche (from LAD) to the Pirates and Jason Bay to the Sox. Basically, the Sox traded Manny (and will pay his salary), Craig Hanson and Brandon Moss for Jason Bay. The Dodgers received Manny for LaRoche and Morris, both of whom don't add up to a player near the caliber that Manny is. The Pirates gave up Bay for four mid-level prospects. What the Pirates got for Bay seems like an even trade. The other two are steals.
The analysis of this trade goes a little something like this. Manny is a cancer according to the Sox. The Sox feel that just getting rid of his distracting nature is a win. Addition by subtraction. They also got a serviceable replacement in Bay. He is a player in the Mike Lowell offensive category. He will hit 20-25 homers, drive in almost 100 runs and hit about .280. My overall view of this is that it is lopsided but necessary. If they could have gotten a prospect along with Bay, I would think it was more fair. Giving up Hanson and Moss is nothing. Prospects are supposed to be used in trades. Hanson is a headcase who can't control his pitches. He won't be good. Moss is a solid player who could be like Bay in Pittsburgh but the Sox have a surplus of young, talented outfielders in the minors. Therefore, the loss of those two don't add up to much. I don't necessarily like the deal, but the Sox get a player that can hit and don't give up too much young talent. This could be like the Nomar deal in 04. Everyone thought the Sox got jobbed on that one and it turned out OK. The Sox gave up a superstar and prospects for fringe players in Cabrera and Doug. I can only hope that Theo is right about this one like he was about the Nomar one.
All in all, I love Manny. I wouldn't have traded him. He is a hall of famer and has helped the team win two world series titles. His production is immense and Jason Bay can only hope to be a sliver of what Manny was. He may be an egghead but he enjoys the game. I will miss him and I hope he does well in the future. I also hope that he doesn't sign with the Yanks in the off-season.
The deal has been universally questioned by fans and analysts alike. The opinion shared by most people is that the Dodgers made out well, the Pirates made out well and the Red Sox got shafted. The trade shapes up like this: Manny to the Dodgers, Brandon Moss, Craig Hanson (from BOS), Bryan Morris and Andy LaRoche (from LAD) to the Pirates and Jason Bay to the Sox. Basically, the Sox traded Manny (and will pay his salary), Craig Hanson and Brandon Moss for Jason Bay. The Dodgers received Manny for LaRoche and Morris, both of whom don't add up to a player near the caliber that Manny is. The Pirates gave up Bay for four mid-level prospects. What the Pirates got for Bay seems like an even trade. The other two are steals.
The analysis of this trade goes a little something like this. Manny is a cancer according to the Sox. The Sox feel that just getting rid of his distracting nature is a win. Addition by subtraction. They also got a serviceable replacement in Bay. He is a player in the Mike Lowell offensive category. He will hit 20-25 homers, drive in almost 100 runs and hit about .280. My overall view of this is that it is lopsided but necessary. If they could have gotten a prospect along with Bay, I would think it was more fair. Giving up Hanson and Moss is nothing. Prospects are supposed to be used in trades. Hanson is a headcase who can't control his pitches. He won't be good. Moss is a solid player who could be like Bay in Pittsburgh but the Sox have a surplus of young, talented outfielders in the minors. Therefore, the loss of those two don't add up to much. I don't necessarily like the deal, but the Sox get a player that can hit and don't give up too much young talent. This could be like the Nomar deal in 04. Everyone thought the Sox got jobbed on that one and it turned out OK. The Sox gave up a superstar and prospects for fringe players in Cabrera and Doug. I can only hope that Theo is right about this one like he was about the Nomar one.
All in all, I love Manny. I wouldn't have traded him. He is a hall of famer and has helped the team win two world series titles. His production is immense and Jason Bay can only hope to be a sliver of what Manny was. He may be an egghead but he enjoys the game. I will miss him and I hope he does well in the future. I also hope that he doesn't sign with the Yanks in the off-season.
0 comments:
Post a Comment