[Maflynn]

Did the red sox make a stupid deal by unloading Ramirez. He's a power hitter in the in the last year of his contract. He's stated that wanted to be happy but to get the deal done the red sox gave Brandon Moss (of ) and Craig Hanson (rhp) to the Pirates and agreed to pay the remaining 7 million dollars of Manny's 2008 contract. In exchange they got Jason Bay (lf)

I'm no heavy duty baseball guy but paying the his salary and giving up two other players to unload him makes little sense. I would think that Manny in the final year of his contract would have to produce to garner the best contract. His numbers so far support that fact and if you're going to be paying his salary anyways why not keep his bat in the club house.

Any thoughts regarding this trade.

[wallinbl]

The guy is a proven quitter. If you wait past the trade deadline, you get nothing at all. Getting Jason Bay is pretty good. Red Sox couldn't care less about the cash part. They're not the Rays.

[Maflynn]

True he is a proven quitter but he also needs to market himself and if fails to produce solid numbers especially at the end of the season that will reduce the next contract. These guys believe that size of their contracts = respect and having low RBIs, home runs or a batting average is a sure way to lose millions. True the man can hit but if he's trying to showcase his talent quitting is not an option.

[Dork.]

Exactly. He won't quit this year, because if he does, he doesn't get paid what he thinks he's worth next year.

And technically, he wasn't in the last year of his contract until the trade happened. The team had one or two (I forget which) option years at $20M remaining. As a condition of waiving his no-trade clause, he got the Sox to remove those option years.

So, Manny is basically betting he can get more than $20M on the open market this offseason. Why would he quit and possibly have to settle for less?

[wallinbl]

Originally Posted by Dork. 

So, Manny is basically betting he can get more than $20M on the open market this offseason. Why would he quit and possibly have to settle for less?

He has quit in the past when his team was in contention. If winning the World Series isn't a motivator, what is? I know people say money, but winning championships is what really drives most elite athletes.

[aepple]

A great hitter, but he's not the kind of player you would want to build a team around.

[Maflynn]

Originally Posted by wallinbl 

He has quit in the past when his team was in contention. .

Yes but he wasn't in the last year of his contract then. He was going to get paid megabucks regardless if he played or not.

As to Dork's contention, it was becoming quite clear that the Red Sox were not going to exercise those option years so while technically he wasn't in the last years of his contract, realistically he was.

[Jawbone54]

I never thought they'd actually do it.

[besson3c]

Why did Manny want out of Boston anyway? Was there some sort of contentious issue? Some sort of spat?

[besson3c]

I always make it a point to root for an underdog/low budget team, or a team that hasn't won in 203948290348 years. Therefore, this year since my Blue Jays are looking pretty lame, I'm going for the Rays and Cubs, or Rays and Mets.

It's pretty cool how the Rays went from last to first in one season with the resources they have!

[Dork.]

Although I approve of your choice of the Mets as one of your teams to root for, besson3c, I feel compelled to remind you that nothing about the Mets is underdog, or low budget, and they last won the World Series in our lifetimes, which ain't that bad. With that criteria, you need to become a Rays fan. And to think, all they needed to do to become successful was rid themselves of the Devil, once and for all!

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by Dork. 

Although I approve of your choice of the Mets as one of your teams to root for, besson3c, I feel compelled to remind you that nothing about the Mets is underdog, or low budget, and they last won the World Series in our lifetimes, which ain't that bad. With that criteria, you need to become a Rays fan. And to think, all they needed to do to become successful was rid themselves of the Devil, once and for all!

Yeah, but when was the last time the Mets won? It's been a long time, hasn't it? Not quite as long as the Cubs, but still a long time, right?

[Dork.]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

Yeah, but when was the last time the Mets won? It's been a long time, hasn't it? Not quite as long as the Cubs, but still a long time, right?

1986. Is that a long time?

[d4nth3m4n]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

Yeah, but when was the last time the Mets won? It's been a long time, hasn't it? Not quite as long as the Cubs, but still a long time, right?

let's think of it this way- the mets didn't even exist until 1962. the red sox streak was already 44 years old at that point and the cubs were sitting on 54 years.

[Dork.]

At the risk of jinxing the Mets for the rest of the season, let's bring up Philly, with four major sports teams and no championship since the Sixers won in the 1982-83 season. Plus, the Phillies have had precisely one Baseball championship (in 1980) since they started up in 1884 (or 1883, depending on how you count.)

Philadelphia Sports fans probably have the claim to be the longest-suffering fans. But they probably deserve it, after booing Santa Claus....

[Rumor]

Sorry, but Manny is an asshole and not a team player. He needed to go.