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Well Ramirez has never responded to the annual trade deadline frenzy before but his english interview is even more telling than the Deportes interview in some ways.

Manny basically said, "I am sick of them and they are sick of me." Seems to me this thing lost all dimension when it was played out before the media. The RS rightful beef is that the player did not mention he had been playing for a week with pain and did not request treatment prior to telling the manager he couldn't go on Wednesday in Seattle.

As for trading him I still tend to think that may be more complicated than the RS can deal with. No matter what Manny says in anger, his agent is likely to demand that Manny's options are either both converted or turned into player options. Manny once he cools off a little bit is unlikely to approve a mid season trade to NL. He has previously stated he wants to stay in the AL.

From the RS point of view I think their preferences are easy to guess what they'd like to do. Epstein would like to get younger with Texiera with their Manny money and move Youkilis to left. Theo makes that deal the RS are arguably a younger and better team. If not Ortiz becomes a .270 hitter with a huge OBP and 90 RBI.

We will all think what we want about how Manny has handled his current "injury". But we also will all question why this went quite so public and began with the media stretching something as bizarre as a guy get three straight called strikes against the greatest reliever that ever lived into "the message" before the knee scratches happened. Draw what conclusion you will, but the fact that the same storyline was being sold to us on such a silly point is note worthy

When I personally look at the totality of facts, I personally believe that the RS have played to the fan base to ensure nobody cries a tear when they don't pick up their option on Manny. They know that might cost them on the field in the short run. I won't bore you with all the stats but this team has not been as good W-L without Ramirez in the line-up. In fact as clutch as Ortiz has been the stats suggest from 2004 to 2008 no Manny hurts more than no Pap.i

Not picking up that option has some risk if Theo can't score Texiera and the Yankees flush with Giambi money, a new stadium, deeper pockets and a hunger to put the RS back in their place may win that derby. So if Manny can be made the bad man, how good is that if you are the very thin skinned Theo Epstein?

As for Boras talking Ramirez into being dysfunctional just to make a buck, that isn't Boras. Yes, Boras sometimes over estimates the ceiling of the market and in the process have hurt a client or two. But he also worked his tail off to reduce his agent fee when A-Rod wanted to come to Boston. The man makes enough money to always put what he believes are his client's best interests first and it is simplistic to suggest he would instruct his client to make the RS not want to pick-up their club option.

BTW I predicted a week ago in BP thread that this would happen. If you take a moment and step back from the fact the RS FO is good fan relations and turns that into revenue and choose to look at the Trio's history, this is what they do.

Unlike 2004 when Nomar couldn't play every day and the RS had a nasty 1-9 line-up, a trade of Ramirez won't make the 2008 RS better. This PR campaign is all about bringing in Texiera and if and when that fails being able to say "enough was enough" so that the brand remains strong in the minds of its fans. This promises to get uglier because the RS today are not a WS championship quality team and are in danger of not even making the playoffs. By making the best RH hitter in the franchise's history the blame the RS marketing plan moves on while hardly missing a beat. Dr. Chuck would be proud Theo!