Creating A Story

Dan Shaughnessy reports that the commisioners office will be investigating the Manny Ramirez trade. Shaugnhnessy explains why:

The Red Sox had an option to retain Ramírez in 2009 for $20 million. They had the same option for 2010. Ramírez, who will turn 37 next season, wanted to be a free agent at the end of this season. His agent wanted the same thing. Boras inherited Ramírez's old contract and stood to earn nothing until Manny signed a new one. It was in the interest of the player and the agent to have the options dropped.

Manny's only leverage was withholding services and playing at half speed. So that's what he did. Sitting out games against Seattle and the Yankees, jogging down the first base line (and maybe even looking at those three strikes against Mariano Rivera), he sent the message that he wanted out. He made sure the Sox knew he could not be trusted to play hard if they kept him until the end of the season with the options intact.

If this is true, Manny's as bad at dogging it as he is at hair care.

Manny before the All Star break: .293/.389/.518

After the All Star break with Boston: .351/.467/.622

As for not running down the first base line, this is a crime that most major leaguers are guilty of. Unless you think Manny also wants out of L.A., there's no evidence there. The only evidence that Manny might have given it half effort is that he struck out against Mariano Rivera, and he went 0 for his last 6 as a Red Sock.

Manny may have been unhappy in his last days in Boston, but there's absolutely no reason to believe he wasn't giving his usual effort out on the field.

Update>>Commenter El Lay Dave points us to a Bill  Shaikin article that says nothing will come of this.