YankeesRedSox.com

We are less than 19 hours from the MLB non-waiver trade deadline.  After seeing the Red Sox nearly no-hit last night, I am struggling to contain my concern.

One game is obviously too small a sample size to draw any conclusions, but the Red Sox are officially flat.

Stats:  The Red Sox are 27-23 over their last 50 games.  11-15 over their last 26 and 11-12 in July.  That's not good baseball.

If for no other reason than to inject some new blood in this team, I think Theo Epstein and co. need to make a move.  Not a move for moves sake necessarily, but to try and improve the team...at any position.

I write this while watching one of the worst Red Sox performances of the year.  They can't pitch, can't field and can't hit.  They look like fools right now.  Again a one game sample size, but definitely the worst performance of the year.

Something's got to give.

Well maybe that's true, rumors abound that the Red Sox are speaking with the Florida Marlins about a deal sending Manny Ramirez and getting either Jeremy Hermida or Josh Willingham and prospects.  There is also talk about a 3-way deal with the Red Sox trading Ramirez and ultimately getting Jason Bay from Pittsburgh.

A good chance nothing will happen of course, but the sheer number of writers reporting rumors with Ramirez suggest to me anyway, that something could be happening.

MLBTradeRumors compiles all the rumors and has the following writers talking about a Ramirez deal:

Ken Rosenthal - Fox Sports

Gordon Edes - Boston Globe

Jayson Stark - ESPN

Joe Frisaro - MLB.com

Jim Molony - MLB.com

John Perrotto - Baseball Prospectus

Buster Olney - ESPN

Dan Graziano - NJ Star-Ledger

Will Carroll - Baseball Prospectus

That's quite a few writers reporting on the same deal.  Volume doesn't mean anything necessarily, but a few of these guys are well respected writers and some, well some I've never heard of.  Evaluating all the noise, I think I would be happy with Jason Bay for Ramirez or Josh Willingham.  I wouldn't mind Jeremy Hermida, but he is a lefty and suddenly your 3-4-5 hitters are lefties, makes little sense.  Hermida would be great past 2008, but not a good fit for now.

For those who missed it, Manny is still pushing for a trade in his own way.  Manny talking with ESPN Deportes today.

"The Red Sox don't deserve a player like me.  During my years here, I've seen how they have mistreated other great players when they didn't want them to try to turn the fans against them.

"The Red Sox did the same with guys Nomar Garciaparra and Pedro Martinez, and now they do the same with me. Their goal is to paint me as the bad guy.  I love Boston fans, but the Red Sox don't deserve me. I'm not talking about money. Mental peace has no price, and I don't have peace here."

I'm not sure where to start.  I think the first thing to say is this.  Manny, you are a bozo.  Any chance the Red Sox knew what they were dealing with with Nomar and Pedro?  I think they are 2-2 on those non-deals.  Manny, the fans don't like you anymore.  Sure you have your die-hards, but your act is a joke.  Fans like the Red Sox more than just the individual players.  You don't get it and you never will.  Go away.

I think that sums things up.  I have to assume part of his rhetoric is just an act to get a deal done, but he sure is pushing my buttons.  I am happy to know that Red Sox management deals with things in a business-like manner and doesn't get emotional (or as emotional) as I might.  Hopefully they are weighing the good and bad with any possible deal and will make the appropriate evaluations.

If I had access to the "please trade Manny" Red Button, I'd have pushed it already.  Deep breaths, keep it together....KIT.  There, that's better.  Anyway, stay tuned, anything can happen between now and 4pm tomorrow.