‘Enough is enough’
Manny rips Sox management, dares them to make a deal
Just when it seemed safe to slide back into lovable, zany “Manny Being Manny” mode, the slugger is at it again.
Manny Ramirez held a one minute, forty-two second press conference just prior to batting practice last night, and admitted to being “tired” of Sox ownership and management while openly daring the club to trade him over the next four days.
“If [the Red Sox] think they could find a trade, you know, that’s going to make their team better and both sides are going to be happy, I’m going to agree,” said Ramirez.
“If they can not find that trade, it’s no big deal. At the end of the season, all they’ve got to do is call my agent and tell him, ‘Hey, we’re not going to pick up Manny’s option for ’09. He’s going to become a free agent, and that’s it.’
“I’ll go my way, and you guys go your way. It’s something simple.”
The biggest problem: It’s not as simple as just finding a trading partner. First of all, the Sox aren’t going to deal Ramirez to an American League competitor. Then — on top of that — there’s the contractual boondoggle of $20 million a year.
Ramirez cannot be dealt without his approval, and it’s not likely that agent Scott Boras would agree to relinquish those rights without having either the 2009 and 2010 options guaranteed or a big money extension in place at Ramirez’s new landing spot.
Sox shortstop Julio Lugo said the much-debated right knee injury that caught Sox officials by surprise last week has been bothering Ramirez for an unspecified amount of time. In addition, Lugo said he felt bad about the much-publicized run-ins with traveling secretary Jack McCormick and teammate Kevin Youkilis earlier this season.
“I know he felt really badly about the Jack [McCormick] thing, and he apologized to Jack and he apologized to [Kevin] Youkilis,” said Lugo, one of Ramirez’s closest friends on the team. “Sometimes people misjudge him and think he doesn’t care, but that’s not him. The whole situation is unfortunate.”
The most likely scenario: The mercurial left fielder plays out the string for the Sox this season without his $20 million team option getting picked up.
“I’m happy [in Boston],” said Ramirez. “But enough is enough, you know?”
Finally, something both Manny and the Sox agree on.