In retrospect, Manny for Bay

[nickagneta]

Looking back at the trade that sent Manny to the Dodgers and had Jason Bay come here, I wonder how many have come to change their minds regarding who got the best of this trade. When it all went down, I remember sooooooo many here at CB that were dead set against shipping out Manny and basically came to the conclusion that trading away Manny meant trading away any chance we had at winning it all last year.

Manny went wild in Dodgertown and the Sox didn't repeat. So, of course, much of those that were against the trade claimed they knew what they were talking about and that the Red Sox were foolish to trade an asset like Manny, regardless of the immature problems he brought.

Fast forward to now.

Here are the stats of each player since they were traded:

Bay 100 games, 78 runs, 106 hits, 25 doubles, 38 HRs, 88 RBI, .289 BA, OPS somewhere around .950

Manny 80 Games, 58 runs, 106 hits, 23 doubles, 23 HRs, 74 RBI, .380 BA, OPS somewhere around 1.190

Manny still has to serve about another 25 games or so of his 50 game suspension for PED use and it can be argued that Manny's numbers could be inflated due to PEDs.

So considering everything involved, does everyone still feel the same regarding the Manny trade as they did the day it happened?

I do. I liked it then and still do and think Bay has been even better than what I expected him to be. You can't replace nuber for number the numbers that one of the best hitters in MLB history puts up, but Bay's contributions overall to this team have been exceptional and I hope they don't lose him in free agency. I think he's a great fit here in Boston and for his swing and the left field wall.

[Redz]

Other keys stat:

Bay induced headaches: 0

[Donoghus]

I was of the opinion that Manny HAD to be traded.  From the reports I was reading at the time, things were getting pretty bad in the clubhouse with him and I felt a move needed to be made.  Also, it just looked like he was shutting it down on the field.  

When the deal was consummated, I felt that the Sox got short-changed.  I knew Bay from following him in fantasy and I thought he was an adequate replacement but I thought the Sox would've been able to get more for Manny.  I felt Bay would be a nice fill for that lineup but he has really exploded this season.  I don't know if its one of those "contract year" pushes that you always hear about but he has certainly exceeded my expectations.

Manny did go wild last season with the Dodgers but I remain convinced that he would not have done the same thing if he had stayed with the Sox.  

The Sox need to work on an extension for Bay.  I'd hate to see this guy walk away via free agency.  He's certainly not getting any cheaper.

[jambr380]

Being a fantasy baseball geek, I didn't think the trade was all that bad when it went down and certainly didn't think it was Bay's fault we didn't win the ws. Manny probably wouldn't have even been playing for us at all at that point...don't get me wrong, I have always been a HUGE Manny fan, but midway through last year, I was as disappointed with him as the rest of us.

Frankly, I hated to see Manny get busted for steroids. I wanted him to move on, be happy and finish his career on an up note, even if it wasn't with us...but now that is not going to happen...and he will probably blame Boston for it.

[nickagneta]

See, I saw it the same way as you guys. I LOVED Manny. He was my favorite Sox player since Clemens. But he had to go and I doubt he would have had numbers anywhere close to what he had in LA if he had to finish his year here. Also, from the comments that were coming out of the clubhouse, Manny had to go so that stability and calmness would return(if it was ever there) to the team.

I love the way this team is playing this year and think if Dice, Beckett, and Lester get their stuff together, they will be very difficult to beat, especially if Ortiz turns it around and Buchholz gets called up and deals the way he is in the IL.

[Roy Hobbs]

I didn't like giving up Hansen in the deal.  After seeing him struggle yet again in Pittsburgh, it seems like that worry was overblown.

[Redz]

8th inning tonight. Sox up 5-0 with runners on 2nd & 3rd, and no outs.  Bay crushes a liner that hits the pitchers glove and lands a few feet away from the mound.  The pitcher picks up pretty quickly, but Bay is busting tail down the line and beats it out.

Never mind the offensive production comparisons.

That, right there, is the advantage of Jason Bay over Manny Ramirez.

[nickagneta]

8th inning tonight. Sox up 5-0 with runners on 2nd & 3rd, and no outs.  Bay crushes a liner that hits the pitchers glove and a few feet away from the mound.  The pitcher picks up pretty quickly, but Bay is busting tail down the line and beats it out.

Never mind the offensive production comparisons.

That, right there, is the advantage of Jason Bay over Manny Ramirez.

I also love his defense. I think it is vastly under rated and that the Sox have one of the best defensive outfields in the game with Bay in left and Drew in right surrounding a guy that can basically run down a high pop up to left or right field if he had to, in Ellsbury.