Ramirez, Red Sox in sync about trade

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BOSTON -- For a change, Manny Ramirez and the Boston Red Sox are on the same page. Ramirez revealed Sunday that he wouldn't mind being traded and the Red Sox are now engaged in talks with at least four teams in an effort to accommodate him by Thursday's non-waiver trading deadline. "If the Red Sox think they can find a trade that is going to make the team better," said Ramirez, "and both sides are going to be happy, I'm going to agree." Toward that end, the Red Sox have begun discussions with teams to ascertain Ramirez's value, with the deadline drawing near, even as Ramirez doubted that the Sox would follow through. "They're not going to do it," said Ramirez. "They can say whatever they want. But when it comes to making a deal, they're not going to pull the trigger because they know what they've got here." As of Sunday night, it was believed that four teams had spoken to the Red Sox, all from the National League: the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers. The Red Sox could be reluctant to deal Ramirez to another American League team out of fear that he could help keep them from reaching the postseason, or once there, block their path to the World Series. Ramirez's landmark eight-year, $160-million deal expires at the end of the current season, with the Red Sox holding options for 2009 and 2010 at $20 million each season. The deal does not include a no-trade clause, but by virtue of his "10-5" status (10 years in the big leagues, including the last 5 with the same team) Ramirez has the right to veto any deal. The Red Sox, however, are said to have gotten assurances that Ramirez would be willing to waive his right to refuse the deal if he's given an assurance that his new team will decline his option for 2009, making him eligible for free agency this winter. Additionally, the Red Sox have had some internal discussions about paying off the remainder of Ramirez's 2008 salary to help facilitate a deal. With one-third of the season remaining, the Sox would be responsible for about $7 million of his remaining salary, which has already been budgeted. In the wake of a number of off-field issues -- including physical altercations with teammate Kevin Youkilis and traveling secretary Jack McCormick and removing himself from the lineup twice last week with no obvious injury -- declining production -- he's on pace to finish with fewer than 30 homers for the second straight year -- and advancing age, Ramirez's value on the open market has never been lower. But a team trading for Ramirez could conceivably do so without any salary obligations -- for the rest of this season or beyond -- and would be getting a motivated Ramirez, intent on re-establishing his worth before entering the free-agent market for one more long-term deal. Further, in the National League, where even contending teams struggle to score runs, Ramirez could also have a tremendous impact on one of two tight division races -- the N.L. East, where three teams are separated by just two games -- and the N.L. West, where the Diamondbacks lead the Dodgers by a single game. Philadelphia is seen as a logical trading partner because of the presence of manager Charlie Manuel, who served as Ramirez's hitting coach, and for a time, manager in Cleveland. It's conceivable, though unlikely, that the teams could swap left fielders, with Boston landing Pat Burrell, himself a free agent after this season. Arizona could offer first baseman Conor Jackson as the centerpiece of any deal, with the Red Sox shifting Jackson to the outfield for the time being. Los Angeles has the most young talent to offer, with outfielder Matt Kemp and third baseman Andy LaRoche the most obvious targets. The Mets, conversely, don't have as much as talent to offer, having stripped their minor-league system to land ace Johan Santana. But they might also be the most desperate of the teams, with GM Omar Minaya's job in jeopardy if the team fails to qualify for the postseason. This is merely Boston's latest attempt to move the mercurial Ramirez. The club placed him on waivers after the 2003 season, only to have him go unclaimed. Months later, he was to be sent to Texas in a mega-deal for Alex Rodriguez, before the trade collapsed over financial considerations. At the trading deadline in 2005, the Red Sox explored a three-way deal involving the Mets and Tampa Bay Devil Rays, then shopped him at the 2006 winter meetings, but failed to find equal value. Now, with another deadline fast approaching and the guaranteed portion of his contract winding down, the Red Sox are exploring a deal one final time, and Ramirez appears more than willing to leave. "Enough is enough," he said. "I'm tired of them; they're tired of me."(Contact Sean McAdam at smcadam@projo.com.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)