According to Rotoworld.com, Boston Red Sox GM Theo Epstein told FOX broadcaster Tim McCarver that the club is will to trade Manny Ramirez if the outfielder waives his no-trade clause.
Does Manny really want out of Boston, where he’s on a very good team with fans that adore him and management that has been willing to go out of its way to accommodate him? Or is he just being a drama queen? The Red Sox are leaving it to him to make the next move. If Manny truly wants a trade, then the Red Sox could try to get something done and maybe pick up Adam Dunn as a replacement. The Mets are the one team that would make real sense as a destination. Even if the Angels wanted him, the Red Sox probably wouldn’t want to send him to a team they could well end up facing in October.
This is a great move by Epstein. Too many teams are afraid to force a player’s hand when they start to make demands. Ramirez has been one of the most fickle players in any sport and Epstein just basically said, “What do you want to do Manny? Do you want to play for a winner or not? Because if you don’t, we’ll be more than happy to deal you.”
Even though the middle of Boston’s lineup would be severely weakened if Ramirez were traded, I think Epstein has some brass balls for handling the situation this way. (If of course this report is true and not fabricated.)
