The Red Sox have apparently put Manny Ramirez on irrevocable waivers, giving every team in baseball a chance to add him to their team by merely agreeing to pick up his $20 million dollar salary over the next day or so. (I say apparently because the waiver process in technically "confidential", but at least 3 newspapers and ESPN are reporting so.)
In a word this move is brilliant -- the Sox need to move Manny, he doesn't fit into the clubhouse and he is overpaid – he is the second highest paid player in the league. For his $20 million, the Sox could add a good starting pitcher and a quality hitter, plus free up some money to resign Lowe, Pedro and Nomar, who are all free agents in 2004.
As an added bonus, this move makes an already unpleasant trip to Tampa even more unpleasant for the Yankee brass, because Manny is a Steinbrenner type of guy -- gaudy numbers, but is not a Torre type of guy -- doesn't really care.
In the end, I will be shocked if Manny goes anywhere. I think that this may be a sign to everyone else in baseball that he is clearly on the trading block and the Sox will even take some of his salary. The three teams that may take a shot at claiming him are the Orioles, Dodgers and Mets. All three could afford him and need the bat (and he has an exquisite bat.)
My guess though, next year he is still patrolling the ground in front of the Green Monster. But the Red Sox are signaling that they are not merely satisfied with sitting back and letting the same team make a run at 04, but will make the moves necessary to go all the way.
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