This past week the Atlanta Braves released 305-game winner Tom Glavine Now, the fact that Glavine was released is not all that big of a surprise. Glavine is 43 years old, had surgery on his elbow and shoulder last year, and is not in a position where he can help the Braves pitching this season.

This was going to probably be Glavine’s last season in the majors, the Braves and Glavine both knew that. It would have been a great last hurrah with the team that Glavine won the majority of his games with, and won a World Series with in 1995. In fact, Glavine was the MVP of that series with two wins. Instead the Braves decided that those memories were not enough to keep him around.

The Braves could have allowed Glavine to pitch this final season with them, but they decided to save $1 million (Glavine would receive this bonus upon his return to the majors) and bring up top prospect Tommy Hanson. Hanson is going to be a major league star, and is cheaper than Glavine, so from a business point the move makes sense. The problem is the Braves should have made this move in spring training.

Instead, the team made Glavine pitch rehab assignments, and after he pitches what is supposed to be his final assignment they release him. The team is treading on dangerous ground that could result in one of the major cogs of the revitalization of the Braves after years in the basement turning his back on them.

Former team general manager and current president John Schuerholz issued an apology days after the release. Sadly, it may prove to be futile in what could be the end of Glavine’s long-term relationship with the Atlanta Braves.

Here are all of the finalists for 2009 Hall of Fame considerations:

Baseball Writers Association of America Finalists
Harold Baines          Jay Bell*
Bert Blyleven          David Cone*
Andre Dawson        Ron Gant*
Mark Grace*             Rickey Henderson*
Tommy John           Don Mattingly
Mark McGwire         Jack Morris
Dale Murphy           Jesse Orosco*
Dave Parker            Dan Plesac*
Tim Raines              Jim Rice
Lee Smith                Alan Trammell
Greg Vaughn*           Mo Vaughn*
Matt Williams*
*First-year candidate

Veterans Committee Ballot
Pre-1943                               Post-1942
Bill Dahlen                             Dick Allen
Wes Ferrell                             Gil Hodges
Joe Gordon                             Jim Kaat
Sherry Magee                         Tony Oliva
Carl Mays                               Al Oliver
Allie Reynolds                        Vada Pinson
Vern Stephens                        Ron Santo
Mickey Vernon                       Luis Tiant
Bucky Walters                         Joe Torre
Deacon White                         Maury Wills

Candidates on both the writers and veterans ballots need at least 75% of the vote to gain induction. The writers ballot is the shortest in history (23 players), and was mailed to more than 575 writers. The writers inductees will be named January 12th. A panel of 64 living Hall of Famers will vote in the veterans ballot with the inductees announced on December 8th.

Ford C. Frick Award Finalists
Billy Berroa          Tom Cheek
Ken Coleman       Dizzy Dean
Jacques Doucet    Lanny Frattare
Tony Kubek         Graham McNamee
Joe Nuxhall          Dave Van Horne

Awarded annually for excellence in baseball broadcasting since 1978, a 20-member committee of former Frick recipients and historians vote based on certain criteria: longevity; continuity with a club; honors, including national assignments such as the World Series and All-Star Games; and popularity with fans. The winner will be announced December 9th.

A little over a year ago, JB Bernstein had an idea for a television show in India. He figured in a country of over one billion people he could find a few that could throw a baseball fast and with accuracy. He named the show “The Million Dollar Arm” with the winner receiving $100,000 and a major league tryout. Earlier this month two contestants, Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel, held try-outs for about 20 scouts in Arizona, and on Monday they both signed minor-league contracts with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

While these signings may not be as earth-shattering as any we will see this off-season they are important. Singh and Patel are the first Indian-born athletes to sign a professional contract in North America, and have now opened the doors of India to baseball. With baseball on its death bed for entrance into Olympic competition in 2016, having another country with professional players can only help. An Indian baseball team for 2016 is highly unlikely, but a year ago Singh and Patel were working on their family farms. With the population base that India has, and the popularity of cricket, it is plausible that there are a few more guys farming who could pick up a baseball and compete.

Of the two, Singh has the most upside. He is tall (6′2″), was clocked at 93mph in those major league try-outs and the winner of “The Million Dollar Arm.” Still while watching videos of him pitching, (which you can do at the show’s website) I thought he looked awkward. I was not expecting the guy to look like Greg Maddux, but it looked like someone who has only been pitching a year. Obviously, the Pirates are gambling a bit with these signings, and if either of them even make the majors the gamble paid off.

Last season, the Yankees signed two players from China, and set up academies there as well. Now, with the the signing of Singh and Patel the two largest markets in the world are open to baseball. I do not anticipate a flood of players from either country into the majors, and Singh and Patel could be the only two players we ever hear of from India. Of course, Major League Baseball is not worried about players coming from these countries to play here, it is more worried about marketing the game to India and China to help the game grow internationally.

Basketball obviously has the upper hand when it comes to marketing its game to foreign countries, but baseball can have that mass global appeal also. We are not going to see a kid in Kenya playing hockey, and no one understands American football outside of the United States, but baseball and basketball are fairly easy to play and understand. You may laugh, but you could hopefully teach someone to play baseball with basic rules in a few hours. There are no need for pads or ice, and helmets are optional. You don’t need a large area to play because there are no set dimensions to baseball. When I was a kid the trees at the back of the yard was a home run, and we used whatever flat surface we could find for bases. I have had arguments about all the stuff you need to play baseball, and really all you need is a ball and a bat.

Baseball can be a global game, and MLB wants it to be. Singh and Patel will be in the Pirates minor-league spring training camp in February, and while we may not see them in Pittsburgh this season, or ever, they have made the Pirates the most popular team in India. Let’s hope they show a couple of Red Sox or Cubs games as well because this experiment will be over quickly on a diet of Pirates games.

Here is an excerpt from an interview I did with author Tom Stanton. Stanton has written four baseball related books The Final Season, The Road to Cooperstown, Hank Aaron and the Home Run That Changed America, and Ty and the Babe. All four should be available from your local bookshop. Enjoy!

You have been to Cooperstown a few times; I have been there three times. For a baseball fan, is there any place that compares to Cooperstown?

I have been to Cooperstown many times, and I treasure the place. Fenway Park is grand. Wrigley Field, too. Yankee Stadium had its charms. Our Tiger Stadium, as well, but Cooperstown is special because its neutral territory and you get fans from all over the world (that) make pilgrimages to the place. The magic of the Hall of Fame is not that it tells the history of the game; it is that you relive your own history as you tour the place. Cooperstown will always have a special place in my heart.

 

They are tearing down Yankee Stadium, but we keep fighting for Tiger Stadium. Why do you think we cannot let it go? In addition, do you think it is right to drag this on?

I have mixed feelings about Tiger Stadium’s status. I would love for part of it to be preserved, but I would hate to watch it rot away like the train depot down Michigan Avenue. I think we are reluctant to bid farewell to the place because it is a touchstone for so many of us. It is personal. It is the place we went with our fathers and grandfathers. It is the place we took our own children. Long after the old family home disappeared from the Detroit landscape, Tiger Stadium became the last place I could go to connect with my grandfather who lived on through stories of baseball. We are reluctant to surrender the place because surrendering it means we are surrendering part of our lives and our history.

 

Have you been to “The Corner” to see what is left?

I have been by it several times. It broke my heart watching the walls come down.

 

In Ty and the Babe, you write about Cobb in a fairer light than anything else I have read. Was this something you decided you would do going in, or something that came about from research for the book?

I wrote Ty and the Babe in part because I often heard stories from old baseball figures – like (former Detroit Tigers announcer) Ernie Harwell — who said Cobb was not as bad as he had been portrayed. He certainly was not a saint, but he was not Satan either. I approached the work open to the possibility that there was another side to Cobb that had been lost to history, and I hope I captured some of it. It is difficult when you pull a person out of the context of his time, but Cobb was not all that different from many men who played the game in his time. It is unfair to demonize him now and pretend as if all the others were somehow much more culturally enlightened. Most of them were not.

 

You are obviously a Detroit Tigers fan, but when you are writing do you put that aside for the story, or do you stay emotionally invested in the team?

I am fortunate that I do not need to set aside my love for the team. It is part of my persona. People expect me to be a Tigers fan, and I am, but it is never really the same as it was when you were eleven years old.

 

As a Tigers fan what do they have to do for next season?

Like many other fans, I thought we were on our way to a World Series title. I even proposed co-writing a book with Jim Leyland. Fortunately, for both of us, he did not want to do it. I am not sure what they need to do to win. I do not know whether several of our pitchers had off-seasons in 2008, or whether they had career seasons in 2007. We need starting pitching. We need relief pitching. We need better fielding, a catcher, and a left-handed hitter, but what do I know?

 

 

Swisher Traded to Yankees
The Chicago White Sox have traded OF/IB/DH Nick Swisher and minor league pitcher Kanekoa Texeira to the New York Yankees for IF Wilson Betemit, and minor league pitchers Jeff Marquez and Jhonny Nunez. Swisher will make $5.3 million next season which is about $17 million less than what Jason Giambi would have made if the Yankees picked up his option.

Swisher batted a whopping .219 last season, or the lowest average amongst players who had 502 or more plate appearances. He did hit 24 home runs, but was in the Ozzie Guillen dog house for a large part of the second half of the season. Swisher gives the Yankees a first baseman, another option in the outfield, and (probably most importantly) a lot of money to lure someone to the Bronx. Manny Ramirez? Mark Texeira?

Kevin Gregg traded to Cubs. Good-Bye, Kerry Wood.
It appears that the Kerry Wood dynasty in Chicago is over. The Cubs acquired closer Kevin Gregg from the Florida Marlins for minor league pitcher Jose Ceda. Gregg was the Marlins closer until a knee injury put him on the bench. The Cubs are not willing to sign Wood to a long-term deal, and are looking to re-sign P Ryan Dempster.

Gregg did have nine blown saves last season, but did end the season with 29 saves and a 3.41 ERA. Wood had 34 saves and a 3.26 ERA, but his contract was the factor in the Cubs making this deal. It should be interesting to see whether Wood joins a club as a closer, or if someone gives him a shot to start again.

The free agent market opens in a few hours, and it should be interesting. The much-hated Scott Boras is hoping to score Manny Ramirez a six year deal?! Randy Johnson filed for free agency in hopes someone will sign him. He is only five wins away from 300. Mike Mussina is still trying to decide between retirement and one more season. Who will land CC Sabathia or AJ Burnett? Is Rickey Henderson going to screw up Rickey Henderson’s Hall of Fame chances by giving it another go? Probably not. Anyway, it should be interesting, and surprising.

Yesterday, Major League Baseball and the World Umpires Association reached an agreement on instant replay. The agreement was the last hurdle the league needed to overcome before the use of replay could be made official. Replay will only be used in determining whether fly balls are fair or foul and if they went over the fence. It could start being used in stadiums as early as the end of this month, but it will definitely be used before the end of the season with cameras already being installed around the league.

We all knew that inevitably technology would catch up with the National Pastime. Replay has been used in some form in the other three major sports since 1986 when the NFL introduced limited instant replay. The NBA added replay at the beginning of last season to determine whether “buzzer-beaters” should count. There have been ups and downs with the replay systems, and each league has tweaked them in some manner since introducing replay to their respective leagues. Major League Baseball hopes that by introducing replay before the postseason that the umpires will have the bugs worked out by October.

That seems a bit far fetched to me. Introducing a new system at the end of a season a month before the beginning of the postseason is a bad move. The umpires will be working with a system that they have never even looked at before. There is no way that the umpires will have the kinks worked out by October, and I’m sure that some questions will still need to be answered before the start of next season. Give the umpires the off-season to train with the new systems, and to work together with it. Use spring training as a test, and roll it out at the start of the 2009 season.

 So the question is why is the league introducing instant replay so late into the season? The answer is unfortunately all of us. The fans and writers and sports talk guys and Baseball Tonight guys and anyone who talks about the game have been upset about a call and want something done about it now. The league fell to that pressure and are sadly moving a little too quickly on this one. Sure the general managers voted for instant replay late last year, but the league moved ahead without consulting the umpires or the Players’ Association. They cleared one hurdle with the umpires we will have to wait and see if the Players’ Association makes a move.

If instant replay does go into effect sometime before the end of this season I will be a little more than sad. One of big reasons I enjoy baseball is that humans make all the decisions. Which leaves the game open to human error. Part of the game is hating the umpires when they make a call against your team, and loving them when they make one for. So why take that away? Just because Alex Rodriguez missed out on a home run? Or because a 12-year-old kid gave one to Derek Jeter? That’s part of the fun. It adds to the mystique of the game. It gives you something to talk about the next day or even 20 years from now. You think people in St. Louis would still grumble about the 1985 World Series if instant replay was involved? No.

I know that I may be getting a bit nostalgic, and that (for right now) instant replay only effects fly balls. How far are we away from instant replay involving plays at first or at home plate? Much discussion was made about the Colorado Rockies last season, and whether or not Matt Holliday touched home (he didn’t). What if that was taken away because of instant replay? What would we have to talk about? Humans make mistakes. Today I bought the wrong kind of Cheez-Its. Umpire Don Denkinger made a bad call that cost the Cardinals the World Series some 23 years ago. He apologized for it afterwards and received death threats because of it, but it is a memory of the game in its purest form with all the bad calls and errors that either make you pull your hair out or jump for joy. If this is the first step down that dark path to the dark side and instant replay on all questionable calls we will all lose a little bit about what we love about this game. Human error.

Tomorrow the 2008 Summer Olympics kick off in Beijing. Starting on August 13th at the Wukesong Baseball Field will be the last Olympic baseball tournament. That’s right after these games baseball and softball will be the first sports eliminated from Olympic competition since polo in 1936. Two new sports will be joining the Olympic games in London in 2012.

I’m not going go on a tirade about why the IOC should keep both of these sports on the docket because I get it. Outside of North America, Asia and northern South America baseball just doesn’t have the appeal or the support. If you look at the teams competing only one (The Netherlands) is from outside of those areas. The international appeal of baseball is not on the level of soccer or basketball and so it makes sense to give it the axe.

Of course you could almost make the same argument about handball. Handball is almost an entirely European sport. If you went out on the street and asked 100 people maybe five would have heard about it. I’ve heard about it, but I couldn’t tell you anything about the scoring or that Magnus Wislander was selected the World Handball Player of the Century in 1999. I had to look that up. At these Olympic games the only non-European countries competing are South Korea, Brazil and China. Ironically enough handball was dropped from the Olympics from 1942-1968 before being reintroduced at the 1972 games in Munich. Why not compromise and slash softball and handball? Or even baseball and handball?

So why are baseball and softball being eliminated? If you ask the US Softball team they’ll tell you that it’s because they tend to dominate and crush their opponents. At the 2004 Olympics in Athens they cruised to a gold medal outscoring opponents 51-1 along the way. Which sadly makes a lot of sense. If only one country can put together a winning team then why have a tournament at the international level? Well the US team did lose the 2005 World Cup, and had a 185-game winning streak snapped by Virginia Tech, but can you really put together a tournament worthy of international play? I don’t think so. That’s why the IOC cut softball it wasn’t a competition it was a suicide mission for the other teams.

US Baseball on the other hand repeatedly falls short in international competition, but the IOC probably had good reason to cut baseball as well. Yes, the MLB is a global league with players from Latin America and Japan becoming more and more prevalent on major league teams and the World Baseball Classic was a success, but two problems are keeping baseball off the docket for the 2012 games.

One, is no major league players. US Basketball sends “The Dream Team” every four years and the NHL actually stops play for two weeks, but the US team is made up of minor leaguers. Which is the only way that the US would be able to field a team. The Olympics usually are held in August or September so no owner is going to allow their players to head off witha month or two left in the season. It doesn’t matter if its the Boston Red Sox or the Pittsburgh Pirates they’re not going to let their multi-million dollar players compete. Without the big names no one cares about the Olympic team. Name me five players. I can name two, Mike Hessman and Bryce Neal, and that is because they play for the Toledo Mud Hens.

Two, no one growing up in the United States or the Dominican Republic or Venezuela dreams of playing in the Olympics. They dream of the major leagues. They dream of millions of dollars and nice cars and the World Series. They don’t dream of traveling to Beijing in August and playing baseball. Baseball players want to be playing for a pennant in August not a gold medal, and I have no problem with that. The highest accomplishment for a baseball player is not a gold medal, but for a swimmer or a runner a gold medal equals millions of dollars. I don’t think that Alex Rodriguez wishes he was in Beijing right now. Well, actually he might, but he knows that his place is in the pinstripes playing to make the playoffs.

While it may make sense to eliminate both sports it doesn’t mean it has to happen. If the Olympics are about educating the youth through sports as the IOC says it is then why eliminate a sport that is played by millions of people? Sure a kid growing up in St. Louis, Missouri may not dream of playing in the Olympics, but if he gets chosen to the team is he going to be upset? No. The same goes for softball. Being an Olympian is a pretty big accomplishment, and while the gold medal for baseball may not equal Sports Illustrated covers and endorsements it does mean something.

The IOC will get a chance to reevaluate both softball and baseball, and there may be a chance that both will be reintroduced for the 2016 games. That chance will gain momentum if either Tokyo or Chicago is selected to host the games. I for one could not imagine an Olympics in the US without baseball, and I’m sure the same goes for anyone in Tokyo. Until then we will have to enjoy this (possible) final Olympic tournament (mostly online by the way), and hope the IOC makes a change for 2016.

Baseball Tournament Participants:
Canada
China
Chinese Taipei
Cuba
Japan
South Korea
The Netherlands
The United States

The final is slated for August 23rd. If you want to watch players you may never see in the majors check out the Cuban National Team which has won 3 of the 4 Olympics they have entered.

Just as I was about to write that the trading deadline was going to pass us by with a slight whimper it decided to go out with a bang. A huge Los Angeles bang. Here is a rundown of the trades that have been made since we last met:

Florida Marlins receive: LHP Arthur Rhodes (2-1 2.86 ERA 26 K’s in 22 Innings)
Seattle Mariners receive: Minor League P Gaby Hernandez

The Marlins get help for their bullpen for a playoff run and the Mariners receive a prospect as they begin the long rebuilding process. A good move for both teams at this time.

Chicago White Sox receive: OF Ken Griffey Jr. (.245 Avg, 15 HR, 53 RBI)
Cincinnati Reds receive: P Nick Masset (1-0, 4.63 ERA)
                                             2B Danny Richar (.230 Avg., 6 HR, 15 RBI)

Griffey waived his no-trade clause to head to the AL Central leading White Sox. But this is not the Griffey of the late 90s, and with a move back to center will this trade backfire on White Sox GM Kenny Williams? They could platoon Griffey with Nick Swisher in the field and Jim Thome at DH, but does this make for a crowded clubhouse and lineup card for manager Ozzie Guillen? The White Sox and Reds did agree to split the remainder of Griffey’s contract for this season, and his $4 million buyout for 2009 giving the White Sox the chance to dump Griffey at the season’s end if he does not pan out.

Adding Griffey does not make them all that much better than the Minnesota Twins who sit 1 1/2 games back of the White Sox in the division, or even the Detroit Tigers who are 6 games back. A new environment could help rekindle the fire in Griffey’s belly for the postseason and maybe even a World Series appearance, or he could be a 38 year-old over the hill player. This is not the make or break trade the White Sox needed.

Los Angeles Dodgers receive: OF Manny Ramirez (.299 Avg, 20 HR, 68 RBI)
Boston Red Sox receive: OF Jason Bay (.282, 22 HR, 64 RBI)
Pittsburgh Pirates receive: RHP Bryan Morris
                                                 RHP Craig Hansen
                                                 3B Andy LaRoche
                                                 OF Brandon Moss

This trade was supposed to involve the Florida Marlins, but something happened today and the Los Angeles Dodgers stepped right in. The Boston Red Sox obviously could not get equal value for Manny Ramirez, but they did get an All-Star and very capable hitter in Jason Bay.

The Pittsburgh Pirates once again unloaded a great player in exchange for some pretty good prospect. If they would start paying those prospects when they become great they might have a good team again in Pittsburgh. 

Ramirez will make the Dodgers a better team and as they sit one game back of the NL West leading Arizona Diamondbacks they definitely should be in the playoff race. But the question is will Ramirez show up and contribute? Manager Joe Torre will have his hands full with Ramirez, but he worked with problem players and their egos for years in New York. Ramirez wanted out of Boston and he got his wish, and the Dodgers are a better team.

Bay may have the hardest job in baseball now. He has to come in and continue the offensive production that Ramirez was putting out. Of course he is a better defensive outfielder, and his numbers this season are very comparable to Ramirez’s, but the shoes are very big. If Bay can come in and continue to play like he has with the Pirates the Red Sox should not fall off and should continue to chase the Tampa Bay Rays for the AL East title.

Everyone in this trade is getting what they want. Ramirez is out of Boston, and the Dodgers got a slugger they wanted in Andruw Jones. The Red Sox get rid of a headache in Ramirez, and receive a All-Star in Jason Bay. The Pirates unload money and get good young players in return. All in all the trade of the day may have been the best trade for all involved.

We may see a trade or two trickle through as the night progresses. If they do I’ll post them. Also we may still see a move or two happen before the waiver deadline passes on August 31st.

Other News:
- The Detroit Tigers placed beleaguered closer Todd Jones on the DL with a sore shoulder.

With less than 24 hours before the MLB trading deadline teams are working the phones, and rumors are swirling about numerous veterans. Top of that list is a rumor that the Boston Red Sox will be dealing OF Manny Ramirez to the Florida Marlins. To put that into a bit of perspective the total payroll of the Marlins is just over $22 million, and Ramirez alone makes $20 million. Also possibly heading elsewhere before the tomorrow afternoon deadline include Greg Maddux, Jason Bay, Jarrod Washburn and Raul Ibanez.

The past couple days have not been without activity though with two large trades involving top teams in the American League. Yesterday, the Los Angeles Angels acquired 1B Mark Teixeira from the Atlanta Braves for 1B Casey Kotchman and minor league pitcher Stephen Marek. The Braves wanted to unload Teixeira after being unable to finalized a deal to keep the Scott Boras client from becoming a free agent at seasons’ end. The Angels don’t usually make deals around the deadline, but this season they needed to strengthen a lineup that is 19th in runs scored and 15thin batting average. Teixeira was batting .283 with 20 HRs and 78 RBIs, and should be the answer to the Angels offensive woes. It is unclear at this time if the Angels will attempt to re-sign Teixeira at the end of the season, or if this is just a rental for the postseason. Either way this trade only helps the club that already owns the best record in the league.

Earlier this afternoon the Detroit Tigers sent C Ivan Rodriguez to the New York Yankees for reliever Kyle Farnsworth in a trade that is a minor head scratcher. Both teams received players in positions that they needed major help, but did the Tigers not get face value for a future Hall Of Famer? With the season ending surgery to Jorge Posada the Yankees needed to get a catcher for a playoff run, and the bullpen has been an issue for the Tigers all season long. Should the Tigers have asked for more than a relief pitcher? Maybe throw in a minor leaguer? The Tigers knew the Yankees needed a catcher, but maybe they were willing to trade away Rodriguez to get something in return. Most Tiger fans knew this was going to be his last season in Detroit, and many were surprised he returned for this season. Farnsworth is a proven reliever and can close if the Tigers need him to.

So does this trade help both clubs? On paper yes, but in the clubhouse and on the bench for the Tigers no. Rodriguez was the first piece of the new look Tigers when he was signed in 2004, and he made it clear then that he thought the team was close to playoff contention. The trade of Rodriguez is a blow to the Tigers team, and is the first sign that the management is starting to show the white flag on this season. Rodriguez was not only the starting catcher for the Tigers he was their team leader, and his departure is not only a blow to the fans but also to his teammates.

Tomorrow should see a flurry of activity from clubs in and out of the playoff races. The deadline is 4pm EST tomorrow. Head back to Ground Rule Double early tomorrow evening for a complete rundown of deals made around the league.

In an interview with ESPNDeportes.com yesterday Boston Red Sox OF Manny Ramirez said, “I’m tired of them. They’re tired of me.”  He then went out batted 3-5 with 2 RBIs and helped the Red Sox beat the New York Yankees 9-2.

“I don’t have any preferences. I could choose a team that offers me the best conditions or one in the chase for the postseason. I don’t care where I play, I can even play in Iraq if need be. My job is to play baseball,” Ramirez added.

Red Sox owner John Henry and team GM Theo Epstein both stated that their focus is not on Manny Ramirez, but on the current AL East race which has the Red Sox sitting one game back of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Ramirez missed two games last week with soreness in his right knee, but tests showed no injuries. Team officials including manager Terry Francona met with Ramirez on Friday. If Ramirez did fake an injury he would face disciplinary actions according to reports out of Boston.

But is this just “Manny being Manny?”

His contract is up at the end of this season with a club option for the next two at $20 million a season. If the team decides to not pick up that option Ramirez becomes a free agent at the end of this season. Ramirez says that the team is not being cooperative with negotiations, but Epstein said he will not worry about the contract until the end of the season. Which would make sense if the player was anyone other than Ramirez.

Ramirez obviously wants his contract situation figured out sooner than later, but he should know that the Red Sox are not going to trade him in the middle of a playoff race. They would not be able to make a trade that would get them equal value, and that is what they would be looking for. It is also what the Red Sox would need to stay in the race.

“I’d take a guy that’s hitting .500 that’s miserable as opposed to a guy that hands out bouquets to his teammates and is hitting a buck 45. … You move on. The goal is to get better from it. I think we’ve done a good job of that here,” said Francona.

Ramirez knows that the Boston Red Sox need him right now a lot more than he needs them. He can get his $20 million somewhere else, and will if the team does not pick up that option. Would the Red Sox be willing to lose Ramirez to the Yankees? I don’t think so.

A trade before Thursday’s trading deadline seems unlikely. A new contract for Ramirez before the end of the season is unlikely as well. So it appears that Manny will still be Manny in Boston, without a contract but maybe playing for a third and last World Series title in Boston.