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9:21 PM
Sources: Red Sox discussing deals to trade Manny
ESPN.com news services
With less than 24 hours before the trade deadline, the Boston Red Sox are engaged in serious conversations to trade Manny Ramirez to the Florida Marlins, as well as other teams, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.
The deadline to trade players without going to waivers is Thursday at 4 p.m. ET. As a player with 10 years in the majors and five with the same team, Ramirez has the right to veto any deal.
"They haven't asked me for anything," Ramirez told ESPNdeportes.com's Enrique Rojas on the phone from Fenway Park before the Red Sox-Angels matchup on Wednesday night.
"The Red Sox don't deserve a player like me," Ramirez said. "During my years here I've seen how they [the Red Sox] have mistreated other great players when they didn't want them to try to turn the fans against them.
"The Red Sox did the same with guys like Nomar Garciaparra and Pedro Martinez, and now they do the same with me. Their goal is to paint me as the bad guy," Ramirez added. "I love Boston fans, but the Red Sox don't deserve me. I'm not talking about money. Mental peace has no price and I don't have peace here."
The deal may be a long shot, but Marlins president David Samson didn't rule it out Wednesday.
On his weekly radio show, Samson addressed reports the Marlins are discussing a trade to acquire Ramirez from the Red Sox.
"The Marlins always seem to be in the middle of everything," Samson said on WAXY-AM. "It takes two to tango. We're looking everywhere. We're making calls. We're getting calls. But we're not going to be stupid."
Asked specifically if a deal for Ramirez was possible, Samson said, "I've always told you everything is possible. There are all sorts of crazy things. There's no way to say which trades are going to happen."
If the Red Sox plan to get rid of Ramirez, they haven't told the left fielder.
"Boston hasn't said anything, they haven't asked me to sign any papers or anything like that," Ramirez told Rojas.
"There are still many hours left before the trading deadline, but I doubt that they will trade me."
Ramirez makes nearly as much as the Marlins' entire roster -- he's in the final guaranteed year of his eight-year, $160 million contract. The Red Sox have options for each of the next two seasons at $20 million.
The Marlins' payroll of $22 million is by far the smallest in the majors. They've been one of the most surprising teams in the majors and went into Wednesday's play only two games behind the NL East-leading New York Mets, and 1½ games behind second-place Philadelphia.
Ramirez's often turbulent relationship with the Red Sox took a new twist Sunday when he said, "I'm tired of them. They're tired of me."
But there's a good chance the Red Sox will keep him. And Samson said the Marlins may stand pat with confidence they have "as good a chance to win the division as the Mets and Phillies."
If the Red Sox make a deal with the Marlins, it is likely they would kick in money to offset Ramirez's salary, and they would look for three young players in return -- perhaps outfielder Jeremy Hermida or outfielder Josh Willingham, plus pitchers, sources told Olney and ESPN.com's Jayson Stark.
"Trying to find a match is just hard," Samson said. "I can't say teams are exactly lining up to deal with the Marlins at the moment."
The Pittsburgh Pirates have joined the talks in a possible three-way deal for Ramirez. The sides are also discussing moving lefty reliever John Grabow from Pittsburgh to the Red Sox. The current sticking point, a well-placed source told Olney, is that the Marlins want the Red Sox to add a prospect to their take in the deal.
Speculation about a possible Ramirez deal was greeted with amusement in the clubhouse before Florida's game Wednesday night against the Mets. Hermida was among the players mentioned in reports as possible trade bait for the Red Sox.
"You going to Boston?" teammate Dan Uggla shouted at Hermida.
"I don't know. I guess so," Hermida said with slight smile.
Manager Fredi Gonzalez laughed off questions about a possible deal and where Ramirez would play for Florida.
"I think we'll just straight DH him," Gonzalez said.
Ramirez is hitting .301 with 20 home runs and 68 RBIs.
9:21 PM
Sources: Red Sox discussing deals to trade Manny
ESPN.com news services
With less than 24 hours before the trade deadline, the Boston Red Sox are engaged in serious conversations to trade Manny Ramirez to the Florida Marlins, as well as other teams, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.
The deadline to trade players without going to waivers is Thursday at 4 p.m. ET. As a player with 10 years in the majors and five with the same team, Ramirez has the right to veto any deal.
"They haven't asked me for anything," Ramirez told ESPNdeportes.com's Enrique Rojas on the phone from Fenway Park before the Red Sox-Angels matchup on Wednesday night.
"The Red Sox don't deserve a player like me," Ramirez said. "During my years here I've seen how they [the Red Sox] have mistreated other great players when they didn't want them to try to turn the fans against them.
"The Red Sox did the same with guys like Nomar Garciaparra and Pedro Martinez, and now they do the same with me. Their goal is to paint me as the bad guy," Ramirez added. "I love Boston fans, but the Red Sox don't deserve me. I'm not talking about money. Mental peace has no price and I don't have peace here."
The deal may be a long shot, but Marlins president David Samson didn't rule it out Wednesday.
On his weekly radio show, Samson addressed reports the Marlins are discussing a trade to acquire Ramirez from the Red Sox.
"The Marlins always seem to be in the middle of everything," Samson said on WAXY-AM. "It takes two to tango. We're looking everywhere. We're making calls. We're getting calls. But we're not going to be stupid."
Asked specifically if a deal for Ramirez was possible, Samson said, "I've always told you everything is possible. There are all sorts of crazy things. There's no way to say which trades are going to happen."
If the Red Sox plan to get rid of Ramirez, they haven't told the left fielder.
"Boston hasn't said anything, they haven't asked me to sign any papers or anything like that," Ramirez told Rojas.
"There are still many hours left before the trading deadline, but I doubt that they will trade me."
Ramirez makes nearly as much as the Marlins' entire roster -- he's in the final guaranteed year of his eight-year, $160 million contract. The Red Sox have options for each of the next two seasons at $20 million.
The Marlins' payroll of $22 million is by far the smallest in the majors. They've been one of the most surprising teams in the majors and went into Wednesday's play only two games behind the NL East-leading New York Mets, and 1½ games behind second-place Philadelphia.
Ramirez's often turbulent relationship with the Red Sox took a new twist Sunday when he said, "I'm tired of them. They're tired of me."
But there's a good chance the Red Sox will keep him. And Samson said the Marlins may stand pat with confidence they have "as good a chance to win the division as the Mets and Phillies."
If the Red Sox make a deal with the Marlins, it is likely they would kick in money to offset Ramirez's salary, and they would look for three young players in return -- perhaps outfielder Jeremy Hermida or outfielder Josh Willingham, plus pitchers, sources told Olney and ESPN.com's Jayson Stark.
"Trying to find a match is just hard," Samson said. "I can't say teams are exactly lining up to deal with the Marlins at the moment."
The Pittsburgh Pirates have joined the talks in a possible three-way deal for Ramirez. The sides are also discussing moving lefty reliever John Grabow from Pittsburgh to the Red Sox. The current sticking point, a well-placed source told Olney, is that the Marlins want the Red Sox to add a prospect to their take in the deal.
Speculation about a possible Ramirez deal was greeted with amusement in the clubhouse before Florida's game Wednesday night against the Mets. Hermida was among the players mentioned in reports as possible trade bait for the Red Sox.
"You going to Boston?" teammate Dan Uggla shouted at Hermida.
"I don't know. I guess so," Hermida said with slight smile.
Manager Fredi Gonzalez laughed off questions about a possible deal and where Ramirez would play for Florida.
"I think we'll just straight DH him," Gonzalez said.
Ramirez is hitting .301 with 20 home runs and 68 RBIs.
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