Ding Dong the Dummy is Done
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Cutting bait: Sox trade Manny for Bay
In three-team deal, slugger heads to LA for Bucs outfielder
By Ian Browne / MLB.com
BOSTON -- It was almost done. Then it was dead. All of a sudden, a new deal with a similar result was back on. Then, in the one of the most dramatic non-waiver Trade Deadline deals in club history, the Red Sox sent superstar slugger Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-way deal that brought Pirates left fielder Jason Bay to Boston on Thursday afternoon.
At last, the Red Sox dealt Ramirez, a centerpiece of their team since 2001 and a core member of two World Series championship teams.
Bay, 29, appeared to be the only bat on the market who had comparable numbers to Ramirez this season. The right-handed-hitting Bay has a .282 average with 22 homers, 64 RBIs and a .519 slugging percentage. The 36-year-old Ramirez, who is having what is basically a par year by his standards, is hitting .299 with 20 homers and 68 RBIs.
The deal is reportedly pending approval from the Commissioner's Office.
The blockbuster move literally came down to the buzzer, just like it did in 2004, when the Sox traded Nomar Garciaparra to the Cubs.
Boston Globe reporter Nick Cafardo reported on NESN's Trade Deadline special that the Red Sox will also send reliever Craig Hansen and Triple-A outfielder Brandon Moss to the Pirates.
Ramirez had become increasingly disenchanted in recent weeks as his relations with club executives had soured.
Once he let it be known he would waive his no-trade rights, the Red Sox started working the phones, as they've often done in previous years.
But this time, it appears they've found a taker.
Initially, the Red Sox had spoken to the Marlins and Pirates about a three-way deal that would have sent Ramirez to Florida, Bay to Boston and Jeremy Hermida to Pittsburgh. That deal fell apart in the early afternoon hours of Thursday.
A fixture in the middle of the Red Sox's batting order since 2001 and a core member of two World Series championship teams, Ramirez ended his near eight-year run with the Red Sox by going 0-for-3 in Wednesday's loss to the Angels.
Ramirez, as a 10-5 man (10 years in the Major Leagues, five with the same team), had the right to veto any trade. But a few days ago, Ramirez told reporters he would approve any trade that would benefit both himself and the Red Sox.
A free agent at the end of 2008, the Dodgers will inherit $20 million club options for Ramirez for 2009 and '10.
The deal reunites Ramirez with former teammates Derek Lowe and Nomar Garciaparra.
Cutting bait: Sox trade Manny for Bay
In three-team deal, slugger heads to LA for Bucs outfielder
By Ian Browne / MLB.com
BOSTON -- It was almost done. Then it was dead. All of a sudden, a new deal with a similar result was back on. Then, in the one of the most dramatic non-waiver Trade Deadline deals in club history, the Red Sox sent superstar slugger Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-way deal that brought Pirates left fielder Jason Bay to Boston on Thursday afternoon.
At last, the Red Sox dealt Ramirez, a centerpiece of their team since 2001 and a core member of two World Series championship teams.
Bay, 29, appeared to be the only bat on the market who had comparable numbers to Ramirez this season. The right-handed-hitting Bay has a .282 average with 22 homers, 64 RBIs and a .519 slugging percentage. The 36-year-old Ramirez, who is having what is basically a par year by his standards, is hitting .299 with 20 homers and 68 RBIs.
The deal is reportedly pending approval from the Commissioner's Office.
The blockbuster move literally came down to the buzzer, just like it did in 2004, when the Sox traded Nomar Garciaparra to the Cubs.
Boston Globe reporter Nick Cafardo reported on NESN's Trade Deadline special that the Red Sox will also send reliever Craig Hansen and Triple-A outfielder Brandon Moss to the Pirates.
Ramirez had become increasingly disenchanted in recent weeks as his relations with club executives had soured.
Once he let it be known he would waive his no-trade rights, the Red Sox started working the phones, as they've often done in previous years.
But this time, it appears they've found a taker.
Initially, the Red Sox had spoken to the Marlins and Pirates about a three-way deal that would have sent Ramirez to Florida, Bay to Boston and Jeremy Hermida to Pittsburgh. That deal fell apart in the early afternoon hours of Thursday.
A fixture in the middle of the Red Sox's batting order since 2001 and a core member of two World Series championship teams, Ramirez ended his near eight-year run with the Red Sox by going 0-for-3 in Wednesday's loss to the Angels.
Ramirez, as a 10-5 man (10 years in the Major Leagues, five with the same team), had the right to veto any trade. But a few days ago, Ramirez told reporters he would approve any trade that would benefit both himself and the Red Sox.
A free agent at the end of 2008, the Dodgers will inherit $20 million club options for Ramirez for 2009 and '10.
The deal reunites Ramirez with former teammates Derek Lowe and Nomar Garciaparra.