OUT FROM UNDER:

All yours, if the price is right (Bill Reynolds, October 29, 2006, Providence Journal)

[T]he word is Manny's available. Then again, we shouldn't be surprised. It seems like he's always available, whether it's to get out from under his onerous contract or because the Sox [have] simply grown tired of the act. [...]

Manny's salary has always been viewed as an albatross by this new ownership of the Red Sox, especially for so problematic a player. Or if you're paid $20 million a year, can't you at least hustle most of the time? And if A-Rod makes the most money of any player in the game, why isn't he carrying the Yankees on his back like the Yankees' greats of old did? Money is always part of the equation with these two players. How can it not be?

Which is not to say it's a sure thing either will be moved.

We've heard this before with Manny, of course.

But whom do you replace him with him?

Unless you're getting Albert Pujols or A-Rod you can't replace Manny, who's one of the best right-handed hitters in baseball history. But you don't have to precisely match his production in order to protect David Ortiz and you can improve the team in a variety of other ways, particularly in a deal with the LA Angels. Ideally you might get Juan Rivera, who's already established himself as a big-league power hitter. But even without him in the deal, the Angels have extras at all the spots where the Sox could use help over the next few seasons: 3B (Dallas MacPherson), ss (Erick Aybar/Brandon Wood), catcher (Jeff Mathis), 1b (Kendry Morales/Casey Kotchman), and starting pitching (Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders, Nick Adenhart, Tommy Mendoza, etc.).

Posted by Orrin Judd at October 30, 2006 12:00 AM