Bay to Sox, Manny to Dodgers

Posted Jul 31, 2008 by Marc Lancaster

Updated Jul 31, 2008 at 04:18 PM

Updating, 5:15 p.m. We’re supposed to have Andrew Friedman on a conference call at 6 p.m. Check back for his thoughts on the day shortly thereafter.

Updating, 4:35 p.m. Wow—Jon Heyman is reporting Bay to the Red Sox and Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers came in under the wire. He had been saying the Dodgers were in it when no one else even mentioned them, so nice work by Heyman.

And of course that’s doubly bad for the Rays. They could have lived with not getting Bay, but seeing him go to the team they’re trying to hold off, and knowing that the Yankees have improved themselves, well, that’s not so good.

Updating, 4:10 p.m.: Rosenthal has pulled back and is now saying the vaunted three-way deal is dead, AND that it would take a “miracle” for the Rays and Pirates to get together on Bay. From what I hear, Pittsburgh was really fixated on Jeremy Hellickson.

Updating, 4 p.m.: Ken Rosenthal is now reporting the three-way deal may be back on, with Bay going to Boston and
Manny Ramirez to the Marlins. Unbelievable.

MLB.com is reporting a deal that would send Jason Bay to the Rays for Reid Brignac and Jeff Niemann is done, but a high-level Rays person says that is not the case and another has not heard either way.

Not to stay it isn’t going to happen within the next half-hour, but I’m not hearing that it’s been wrapped up, nor have those in Pittsburgh.