Not that I take anything Dan Shanoff writes seriously since he’s proven to be nothing if not an idiotic mook but I did read the following:
“Thome has his elbow surgery. Is he done in Philly? Phenom Ryan Howard is installed. (Next stop: Swap to Boston for Manny in the offseason?)”
God I only hope this trade happens. Not only does it break up the lefty-righty combo of Ortiz/Ramirez but in Thome it gives the Red Sox an older and more fragile player who is in decline. At his peak Thome was still less productive than Manny – the Red Sox would be giving up on perhaps the single-greatest run producer in baseball – and Manny’s still in his prime. Not only that, but the Red Sox would be losing production in left field where, if it weren’t for Manny, they would have one of the weakest power-hitting outfields in the American League.
I have to believe that the Red Sox will shop Manny again this offseason, even if they do win the World Series again this year. I have to believe that they’ll trade him to the National League, just so they don’t have to see him and get burned by him on another team. I also have to believe that Theo Epstein won’t trade Manny for a guy like Jim Thome. He might be an overrated GM but he’s not a complete moron (for the record, as overrated as he might be, I still think he's a damn fine GM). The Red Sox do have needs at first base, centerfield and in their pitching and bullpen corps but I seriously doubt that Theo will go after Thome to replace Millar at the corner infield spot. More realistically, Theo will go after a package deal where Manny can net the Sox 2-4 players to fill in holes.
The Red Sox were wise not to trade Manny for Cameron and Huff last month because they were in the middle of a title defense and a pennant race. If a similar deal were to come along in the offseason, the Red Sox might be more willing to pull the trigger.
In the meantime, I’d love it if Shanoff were right for once in his life. Unfortunately, though, I think Philly’s stuck with Thome. Too bad. It’d be nice seeing him at Fenway with his .205 average RISP/.764 OPS (RISP)/.723 OPS (close and late) in 2004 and 2005. That beats having to face Manny…
“Thome has his elbow surgery. Is he done in Philly? Phenom Ryan Howard is installed. (Next stop: Swap to Boston for Manny in the offseason?)”
God I only hope this trade happens. Not only does it break up the lefty-righty combo of Ortiz/Ramirez but in Thome it gives the Red Sox an older and more fragile player who is in decline. At his peak Thome was still less productive than Manny – the Red Sox would be giving up on perhaps the single-greatest run producer in baseball – and Manny’s still in his prime. Not only that, but the Red Sox would be losing production in left field where, if it weren’t for Manny, they would have one of the weakest power-hitting outfields in the American League.
I have to believe that the Red Sox will shop Manny again this offseason, even if they do win the World Series again this year. I have to believe that they’ll trade him to the National League, just so they don’t have to see him and get burned by him on another team. I also have to believe that Theo Epstein won’t trade Manny for a guy like Jim Thome. He might be an overrated GM but he’s not a complete moron (for the record, as overrated as he might be, I still think he's a damn fine GM). The Red Sox do have needs at first base, centerfield and in their pitching and bullpen corps but I seriously doubt that Theo will go after Thome to replace Millar at the corner infield spot. More realistically, Theo will go after a package deal where Manny can net the Sox 2-4 players to fill in holes.
The Red Sox were wise not to trade Manny for Cameron and Huff last month because they were in the middle of a title defense and a pennant race. If a similar deal were to come along in the offseason, the Red Sox might be more willing to pull the trigger.
In the meantime, I’d love it if Shanoff were right for once in his life. Unfortunately, though, I think Philly’s stuck with Thome. Too bad. It’d be nice seeing him at Fenway with his .205 average RISP/.764 OPS (RISP)/.723 OPS (close and late) in 2004 and 2005. That beats having to face Manny…
5 comments:
When the Tribe/Mark Shapiro were considering resigning Thome they put together a fairly nice financial package but balked at a long term deal because of fears of his fragility later in his career. Turns out Shapiro was right to be skepitcal. While I would like for Thome to have a long career I have feeling Thome is done for. Manny is the best run producer in baseball today and there is no chance anyone (well maybe Baltimore) would trade Manny for an aging power man. I'm fairly curious to see if the Phillies can get out of Thome's contract.
The only place I see Thome is going back to Peoria (or Cleveland, if he still lives there), shucking corn and coaching little league. I love Thome, but I think that his career is over.
I've always like Thome throughout his career. His career seems all but done now. I hate to make the accusation, but if there's any guy I'd accuse of steroids, its Jim Thome. I know its strange to accuse someone that you are a fan of, but he was just so much smaller when he first came up (1992?). In addition, I'm applying the X-files to MLB, "trust no one."
I really do think they'll explore their options with Manny. The fact that they put him on waivers, that they'd traded him in principal to the Rangers for ARod and that they came close to pulling the trigger on two trades last month gives it away that they're interested in moving him. I'm sure they know how extremely valuable he is but I also think that they're interested in creating flexibility with their roster.
Manny's dream is to come play in New York (either team). I think the Mets will go after him and Soriano hard this off-season.
No one's ever accused Manny of being a rational individual. Why he'd rather play in New York, which is way, WAY bigger, makes no sense. But the heart wants what it wants and Manny really seems to think that New York is where he wants to play out his contract.
The odds of him in NYC as a Yankee are exactly ZERO. The Red Sox are not trading their best run producer to their biggest rival. They were willing to cut him and have him land in Pinstripes as a financial ploy but they're not willing to actually open dialogue with the Yanks on any trade at all. Steinbrenner would never allow it and John Henry would never allow it. Manny's going to the NL if he's going anywhere.
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