MLB deadline deals: Manny to Marlins?
July 31st, 2008 Posted in MLBBefore the season started, who would have imagined the Marlins trying to swing a deal for Manny Ramirez at the trade deadline? It is still just a rumor but it seems likely at this point.
The rumored three-way deal is the Red Sox shipping Manny and the cash that he is still owed this season to the Marlins. The Marlins dealing Jeremy Hermida and prospects to the Pirates. The Pirates trading Jason Bay and possibly a relief pitcher to the Red Sox.
The deal makes sense for the Red Sox and Pirates. The Red Sox apparently have decided that Manny being Manny is not a part of how they want to defend their championship, and Jason Bay is a star in his own right that could fill Manny’s shoes. The Pirates need to stock good players and Hermida has shown star-quality glimpses at the MLB level. We’ll assume the Pirates get at least two more good to very good prospects out of the deal, possibly getting prospects from both the Marlins and Red Sox.
But the Marlins mortgaging a good bit of their future for Manny Ramirez at this stage in his career? Manny is 36. If the Marlins keep him past this season it would be very expensive and they’d be taking the risk of paying an aging superstar. Manny is still a feared hitter but the Marlins don’t seem to have the cash to take that risk. Is Manny the missing piece for the Marlins; the player that can lead them to the World Series?
The Marlins, Phillies and Mets have been within a couple games of each other at the top of the NL East for most of the past month. It is possible that Manny could help separate the Fish but they’d still need a few breaks to finish at the top of that three team race. And anything can happen in the playoffs but the Diamondbacks, Cubs, Brewers and Cardinals all look very strong right now, and the Dodgers (also rumored to be on the fringe of the Manny discussions) could be dangerous as well. The Marlins would need everything to go right to make the World Series.
So, unless the Marlins are down on Hermida for reasons that we don’t know, and aren’t giving up big-time prospects, this seems like a big-time risk. The type of risk a team like the Yankees could afford to take. But the Marlins? That’s the major reason why I’m still a bit skeptical that this deal will go through, but it sure seems like it is close. It could also motivate some of the other NL contenders listed above, especially the Mets, to pull the trigger today (MLB trade deadline day), so it could be an interesting day.
