The Mets are involved in a complex, three-way trade discussion with Boston and Tampa Bay that would bring Manny Ramirez to Flushing.
The odds remained long against completion of a deal involving so many moving parts and so much money. However, multiple executives involved in this deal or who have talked to the Red Sox described the organization as so irate with what they consider Ramirez’ petulant and borderline insubordinate behavior that they would consider dealing him.
In the proposed trade, the Mets would receive Ramirez, closer Danys Baez and infielder Julio Lugo, who probably would play second base for them or be spun off in another deal. Boston would receive Mike Cameron, Aubrey Huff and top Met prospect Lastings Milledge, whom they would likely spin off in another deal, as well. The Devil Rays would get a bushel of prospects, including Yusmeiro Petit from the Mets, and some combination of Hanley Ramirez, Kelly Shoppach, Anibal Sanchez, Brandon Moss and Jon Lester.
One person who has been involved in the talks said the Red Sox might try to include Cincinnati in this deal, as well, in order to obtain Adam Dunn.
An official who is in regular contact with one of those three teams described that deal as “very hot.” A second official described this scenario as just one of dozens that Boston is mulling with the strong likelihood that trading Ramirez during the season will be too difficult.
An NL official familiar with the Met thinking said the Mets were not even sure that the Red Sox really wanted to deal Ramirez, and that the Mets think this might all just be a show to convince Ramirez that the team tried to meet his trade requests, but could not.
The NL official also said that the Mets would never absorb the whole three years at $57 million left after this season, which could be a deal breaker by itself. After all, the Red Sox are not looking at trying to get rid of Ramirez just to move as much of his salary as possible. Boston would expect to have a team at the conclusion of the trade that can still repeat as champions while moving into the future without Ramirez’s bad attitude and with financial flexibility produced by his depature.
What is clear is that the Red Sox are annoyed at Ramirez. What is not clear is if they are annoyed enough to trade an RBI machine. Boston has long tolerated childish, indifferent behavior from Ramirez and may simply choose to look the other way again. But Ramirez’s refusal to play the other day in place of the injured Trot Nixon and his request to be dealt for a fourth straight year has moved the Red Sox to see if they can find a workable deal between now and tomorrow’s 4 p.m. trade deadline.
Remember, this is a team that traded an organizational icon, Nomar Garciaparra, at the deadline last year, in part, because the Red Sox had grown tired of what they considered his bad behavior.
At least one Met – and one of Ramirez’ former teammates in Boston – Pedro Martinez, would love to see Manny at Shea.
Asked yesterday if it was time for a Manny trade, Martinez replied, “I don’t know if it’s time or not. I just know I would take him on my team anytime. That would be one to go – David [Ortiz]. Two to go – [Jason] Varitek.”
Martinez later added, “I think he would be a great fit here.”
Cameron has a partial no-trade clause in which he cannot be dealt to 10 teams, but the Red Sox are not on it. One National League GM told the Post for yesterday’s papers, “[The Mets are] letting it be known that [Cameron’s] now a name that they’ll talk about.” Asked if he thought he’d be here in two days, Cameron said yesterday, “I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe not.”
On a call with reporters yesterday, GM Omar Minaya addressed the possibility of making a major trade.
“Whenever general managers are talking about players, there’s always a chance of something happening,” Minaya said. “That being said, the reality is, I think you guys have followed this market for a while now, there’s really not much out there that makes a big difference or impact.”
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Puzzle pieces
It could get complicated, but it’s possible Mets could get Manny Ramirez in three-team deal with Red Sox and Devil Rays. Here’s look at proposal:
Red Sox would get
Mike Cameron
Aubrey Huff
Lastings Milledge
Mets would get
Manny Ramirez
Danys Baez
Julio Lugo
D-Rays would get
Yusmeiro Petit
various prospects