December 30, 2005

The Return Of Manny/Tejada

The Manny Ramirez/Miguel Tejada trade rumours have returned in the last two days -- with a bizarre twist. Boston has tossed Matt Clement into the deal, too. It sounds loopy -- there's been no official confirmation -- but that's what the Baltimore Sun and Boston Globe are reporting.

And after saying he wanted to be traded, then saying he didn't say he wanted to be traded, Tejada is once again saying he wants to be traded. "Now, I am more upset than when I requested the trade because it's been a month and they haven't done anything," Tejada said yesterday. "[L]ook at Toronto, they have strengthened themselves and we haven't done anything. ... If the Orioles don't do anything, I want them to trade me because I am tired of losing. ... Next year, I want to be somewhere where they want to win."

Chris Snow (Globe) highlights three stumbling blocks with that 2-for-1 deal:
1. Baltimore's ownership and management is largely opposed to dealing Tejada within the AL East; 2. Ramirez and Clement are owed approximately $22 million more in guaranteed money than Tejada. (Ramirez is due $57 million over three seasons, Clement $19.25 million over two seasons, and Tejada $48 million over four seasons plus $6 million owed on a prorated signing bonus); 3. Ramirez, who can veto any deal, would have to approve a move to Baltimore.
And Reason #4, courtesy of me, is: It's too much talent and a desperation deal for the Red Sox, who are not desperate.

Also, the Gotham Baseball website, quoting "multiple independent baseball sources," reported that a megadeal between the Red Sox, Orioles, Devil Rays and Mets was in the works that would, as far as Boston was concerned, mean a straight Ramirez-for-Tejada swap.

Peter Gammons says that the Cubs, Phillies, White Sox and Astros are also interested in Tejada. ... However, according to an Orioles official: "There is absolutely no deal we find acceptable to trade this very special player to another team."

Out west, the Seattle Times reports the Mariners have offered pitcher Gil Meche and center fielder Jeremy Reed for either Jonathan Papelbon or Jon Lester. An NL Scout: "Every team who has talked to the Sox about a deal has asked for one of them."

J.T. Snow hopes to sign with one of four teams, including Boston, before the new year.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...
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David Gourlay said...

The rumors are hot and heavy for sure - it's difficult to know what has any merit at all. Miggy is all over the map and who knows what he will do or wants to do. I find these media "reports" suspect at the best of times. However, I can appreciate his frustration as a Red Sox fan seeing Toronto clean up in the free agent / trade offseason war in the AL with the Mets doing it in the NL.

Regardless, we're only entering January and clearly the Red Sox Nation is looking for answers and the front office knows it.

Anonymous said...

I guess my only response to the Seattle deal is essentially... good luck with that. I would be hard pressed to find anyone in the majors not named Miguel Cabrera or Rich Harden that I'd trade Lester for, and there aren't too many more names on Papelbon's list. And none of them are going anywhere anyway.