Unless Manny is traded before the winter meetings, we can expect several more days of feverish speculation on whether or not the best right-handed hitter of his generation will be playing in Boston next year. Right now, both the local and national media are saying Manny won’t be patrolling left field at Fenway come April; the Globe’s Gordon Edes reports that while talks with AL teams have cooled off, the Sox are deep in discussion with the Padres, Giants, and Dodgers, while the Herald’s Michael Silverman says the Angels and the Rangers are still the frontrunners in the Manny sweepstakes.
Regardless of where he ends up, if Manny isn’t batting behind Papi next year, there’s sure to be outcry among the natives. And without knowing anything more than your average schmuck on the street (or at least your average schmuck on the street who spent a year living with the team), color me confused. Back in June, I explained why I thought this year’s anemic free agent market meant it was more likely that Manny would stay in Boston, a sentiment which was later echoed to me by Red Sox execs. And even if Manny is threatening, as he has many times over the past five years, to shut it down, history would seem to indicate the likelihood of that happening being close to nil. Whatever happened last year could make this offseason different, but until I hear otherwise, it’s hard for me to see why you’d jettison a player who now seems like a relative bargain…especially if the offensive replacement has a healthy history of not being healthy. (If some variation of these deals do go down, it’ll be a gutsy move by the Sox: if Manny came back to Boston in ‘07 and performed below expectations, the outcry wouldn’t be nearly as severe as if Manny left and smacked the shit out of the ball…especially if nominal replacement J.D. Drew had a tough acclimation period in Boston.)
You have to wonder however, if moving Manny and shaving $10 mm off last years OF payroll (Manny $19, Coco $3, Trot $7.5 - roughly $30 mm -> WMP $2, Coco $3, Drew $15 - roughly $20 mm) is a necessity from a payroll perspective to acquire the pieces to fill glaring holes they have in their lineup now.
Closer, SS, Matsuzaka: These guys all will be paid and is that $10 mm freed up necessary to make that happen? and is the team overall better with those gaps filled and no Manny than with Manny and those gaps not as well plugged?
The decision to trade Manny or to sign Drew can’t be looked at in a vacuum, there are many many corresponding moves that are inexorably linked to each other.
Tim
Red Sox Times
It seems as if the Red Sox are almost desperate to unload Manny–some say they are now willing to accept less than equal value in a trade. They want to practically give away one of the best right-hand hitters of his generation, while leaving a gaping hole in the cleanup spot, assuring David Ortiz never sees another good pitch. Like everyone else, this strikes me as ludicrous, which suggests that there is something more to the story that the public doesn’t know about. I wonder if Terry Francona has had enough of Manny’s act and its effect on the clubhouse, and requested that Theo do what he can to ship him out of town.
Peter Gammons is reporting (rumoring?) that a three players for Manny deal with the White Sox is coming. Off the top of my head, the guys I’d want back include Bobby Jenks (who is certainly untouchable), Joe Crede (subject to lots of rumors himself), and Jon Garland or Freddy Garcia (both also surrounded by rumors).
Realistically, Crede and Garland and somebody else? Not terrible.
[via rotoworld
I’ve loved watching Manny hit in a Sox uniform as much as anyone. The past couple of years, the prospect of Manny getting being traded caused me a lot of anxiety. That prospect causes me less anxiety now. I have no idea whether or not he really did quit last September, but a lot of people obviously do believe it. That fact, along with the annual trade request, indicates to me that if Manny does come back the questions about his attitude are going to be a daily distraction of major proportions. Even if he seems to be back in the fold and putting up his usual numbers there will be a lot of people waiting for the meltdown. That in itself seems to me to be an unhealthy situation for any team. But I certainly agree that a good value has to be gotten in return. Eric Wilbur’s column today suggests Andruw Jones might be possible. That sounds good. On the other hand Gordon Edes quotes an executive who thinks Manny would never agree to be traded to the National League. Confusing saga indeed!
why is it that everyone seems to be missing the bigger picture here? Does everyone really think that if and when they move Manny there will not be a second deal already lined up? bottom line - he is a fantastic hitter. Second bottome line - he is 34, potentially bad knees, has a side show and wants traded. I love Manny as much as anyone else here - but it seems no one else is looking at the bigger picture and that no is probably the best time to move him given the market and the fact that at least 5 teams are in on the bidding. There is no doubt in my mind that if the Sox trade Manny for prospects it is because there is another big bat awating a combo of prospects from us - See A. Jones, V. Wells, M. Teixeira. Theo has been down this road before and has chosen not to pull the trigger. So if and when he does pull the trigger on a deal it will be a good one.
Theo is stark raving mad. Maybe we can get Shank to write another article to make him quit again.
No Manny? I will walk away from this team and never look back. I know they will have all those new Japanese fans to take my place, but schitzophrenia seems to be driving the bus over on Yawkey way these days.
Papi is getting cockier by the day. I am not liking that side of him any more than the “bling-bling”.
Seth -
I’m frankly surprised that you are guessing that Drew will REPLACE Manny in the event of a Manny deal. This is the frustration I have with local media outlets who are filling out lineup cards on Nov 29th. I fully expect that a trade involving Manny will net the Red Sox in some way either a right-handed power bat or the ingredients for a trade for one. This FO is known for it’s creative methods. That teamed with a lot of time before the opening day lineups are exchanged, leads me to believe we don’t know the resolution to the 2007 Red Sox yet. Don’t jump on what’s happening today - let’s keep an open mind.
I’ve watched this dance for four winters now and in the short term, Boston will of course not receive equal value in return for any Manny trade. Ortiz and Ramirez flat out SCARE opposing teams. Ortiz and J.D. Drew? No way. Ortiz and Willy Mo? Nope. Buster Olney says without Manny, Ortiz will walk 200 times this season. An estimate way too LOW. Pitching will be the only salvation from this one, if there is any at all. Geez. Keep Manny for crying out loud.
The Hernia did a great baseball hot stove. See 5th bullet down for Manny item. Sums up the bizarre off-seasons well:
http://thesportshernia.typepad.com/blog/2006/11/its_time_for_th.html