Ken Davidoff's baseball insider

Clearly, the Red Sox were absolutely determined to rid themselves of Manny. Impressive that they pulled this off.

They fared pretty well without David Otiz for an extended period this year, so you'd figure they'd be OK with Jason Bay replacing Manny in the lineup.

They gave up a lot, but man, this conflict grew ugly quickly.

Meanwhile, huge trade for the Dodgers, who desperately needed a bat. Jim, you get your wish: Joe Torre will get to manage Manny. I envision it going quite well, with a motivated Manny enjoying the more relaxed pace of the West Coast.

And the Pirates stock their cabinet with the four players. Pittsburgh GM Neal Huntington wound up lowering his price considerably on all three of his big chips _ Bay, Damaso Marte and Xavier Nady. But better to do that than hold onto them too long.

So really, very good trade for all three clubs.

Meanwhile, the Yankees made a small deal, giving up Alberto Gonzalez to Washington for Jhonny Nunez.

As for my previous blog post...oy vey. Why did I even bother? Busey, the first commenter, is right. I suck.

(But I'm gonna be right on Farnsworth-for-Pudge).

David Lennon reports on his blog that the Mets are working hard to acquire a reliever before the trade deadline. I think they'll find someone. Luis Ayala, as Jon Heyman reports? That would make sense, although if you look at his numbers, they haven't been very good this year.

Other last-minute predictions:

Jason Bay to Tampa Bay
Raul Ibanez to Toronto
The Red Sox get a reliever, but keep Manny.

Stay tuned...

There's got to be more to this.

The White Sox's Kenny Williams is one of the most bold, creative GMs out there. Is he going to deal Jim Thome somewhere? Is some team actually going to take Paul Konerko off his hands, and then they'll move Thome to first base? They can't possibly play Junior in centerfield.

The two pitchers the Reds reportedly received for Griffey are no great shakes, although you wouldn't expect them to be.

I'll give the edge to the White Sox, just for the shock value, and the anticipation that another move is coming. Meanwhile, I remember attending a Reds news conference in Sarasota in 2000, in which their general manager at the time, Jim Bowden, sat next to Junior and proclaimed, "Baseball is BACK in Cincinnati!" That never happened.

Get your trade deadline questions ready. Ken Davidoff will stop by to answer them in a live chat at 11 a.m.

Just a couple of quick thoughts:

A person in the loop just told me there was "nothing close" on a Manny trade to Florida, but that the Red Sox were still talking and seeing if there was a way to deal the eccentric slugger without sacrificing the season.

I'm betting against a Manny trade. Of course, I also thought the Diamondbacks were getting Mark Teixeira, and that the Yankees were set at catcher...

You know about the LaTroy Hawkins trade, right? An absolute miracle. I agree with Dennis. The Astros stink.

Good night. Thanks to this site for the photo.

Wow, do I not like this trade.

I'm not even sure where to begin, so I'll just enumerate my points, as they come to my head:

1. I understood and supported the idea of shifting Joba Chamberlain from setup man to starting pitcher. Because, obviously, Chamberlain was still going to be on the team, in a more important role.

But to replace Chamberlain, they had managed to take Farnsworth _ who had been a complete waste of space for two years _ and turn him into a dominant setup man. Dominant, with that upper-90s fastball and slider. The credit went to Joe Girardi and Dave Eiland. The blame went to Joe Torre and Ron Guidry for what transpired the prior two seasons.

So now they're going to have to rebuild that eighth-inning bridge again, and as good as Girardi and Eiland have proven themselves to be in this area, they'll have no one with the sort of tools that Farnsworth possessed.

2. Pudge. Maybe he can keep up his recent hot streak (42-for-110 with three doubles and four homers, according to the Yankees' press release on this trade). But the prior three years _ including last year, which was a virtual walk year, since the Tigers had a team option on him _ he has been a below-average offensive player. Look at his walk totals since 2005. Brutal.

Now, is he an offensive upgrade over Jose Molina? Of course. And defensively, he still nails an impressive share of baserunners (18 of 50, as you can see on his baseball-reference.com page). But was he worth giving up Farnsworth? I don't think so.

3. The Dave Dombrowski factor. Here are the three major trades that Cashman has made with Dombrowski, prior to today:

1) February 1, 1999. Mike Lowell to the Marlins for Mark Johnson, Todd Noel and Ed Yarnall.
2) July 5, 2002. Jason Arnold, John-Ford Griffin and Ted Lilly to Oakland; received Jeff Weaver from Detroit, as part of a three-way deal.
3) November 10, 2006: Gary Sheffield to Detroit for Anthony Claggett, Humberto Sanchez and Kevin Whelan.

The first two were horrendous _ and those were Cashman's deals. They weren't pushed ahead by George Steinbrenner, or Tampa people, or anyone else. The last one, well, the Yankees benefited by disposing of Sheff. And the Tigers are worse for having him. So far, the trio of young pitchers the Yankees received hasn't panned out, although, to be fair Sanchez needs another year to be at full strength after his 2007 Tommy John surgery.

So this is a case of buyer beware. Dombrowski and Jim Leyland are as sharp a GM-manager duo as there is in the major leagues. What does it tell you about Pudge that the Tigers were willing to trade him, despite his respectable statistics?

4. Oh, and forget about offering Pudge arbitration and getting draft picks out of it. He's making $13 million this year. If the Yankees offered him arbitration, he'd get a raise from that, whereas he'll absolutely have to take a pay cut when he goes into the open market. So he would accept the arbitration, without question.

From reading your early comments, it sounds like many of us are going to be in disagreement. That's all right. It's all in the spirit of debate.

This is a stunner. More analysis to come shortly.

For the second straight day, Mets scout Russ Bove is at Yankee Stadium. But the Orioles' asking price for closer George Sherrill has been prohibitive.

Meanwhile, a source informs me that at least one Mets scout, and possibly more, attended last night's Mariners-Rangers game in Texas. We know that the Mets like Raul Ibanez.

Given the Mets' desire for a high-end reliever, is there any chance the M's would dangle J.J. Putz? Putz is having a terrible year, including a bad outing last night. He's signed for $5 million next year with an $8.6 million team option (and $1 million buyout) for 2010.

The Rangers, meanwhile, have Marlon Byrd, a serviceable, righty-hitting outfielder who can play all three positions.

Here is my Midweek Insider, which explains how this Manny Meltdown is being received differently than its predecessors.

The Mets had a scout at last night's Orioles-Yankees game at Yankee Stadium, presumably to watch Baltimore closer George Sherrill nearly blow a four-run lead in the ninth inning. They've also expressed an interest Oakland's Huston Street, who has appeared diminished this year.

The next tier of available relievers _ Scott Downs, Cla Meredith, Jack Taschner and David Weathers, just to cite a few from Jon Heyman's list (#19) _ is underwhelming, to say the least.

The term "reliable reliever" is largely an oxymoron, but overall, the Mets' bullpen hasn't been very good. Their 4.10 bullpen ERA ranks ninth in the National League. Among contenders, only the Cardinals are worse, as you can see here. Duaner Sanchez, pictured above, has lost his setup role, although Aaron Heilman filled in nicely last night.

So what would you do, Mets fans? I'd go for one of those second-tier guys if it didn't cost me any significant prospects. But if it proves to be a sellers' market, then I'd stay internal and try to get Mets minor-leaguers like Eddie Kunz and Robert Parnell involved.

Given Omar Minaya's personality and history, you'd bet on him making a trade for both a reliever and an outfielder. Yet Omar realizes that he can't keep gutting the farm system. We'll see which impulse wins, in the inevitable tug-of-war inside his brain.

The Mark Teixeira trade has considerably increased the degree of difficulty for the Red Sox to trade Manny. After all, if they had found a taker for Manny, then they could have made a run at Teixeira and asked Kevin Youkilis to please be a trooper and move from first base to leftfield for the duration of this season.

Nevertheless, the Sawx are still working the phones, trying to find an interested party. The Dodgers are interested, but as one person in the loop said, it's tough to complete a trade of this caliber done with them because their organization is such a mess. Owner Frank McCourt and GM Ned Colletti appear to have different agendas at times.

The Mets are still not displaying any level of interest in Manny, a source reiterated. But the Mets do have a scout, Russ Bove, here at Yankee Stadium - presumably to watch Orioles closer George Sherrill.

The price for Sherrill remains prohibitive.

Just as I (not at all) predicted, in the item below. Great job by Ken Rosenthal, with this story.

Victory goes to the Angels. Rarely has there been a team that makes the postseason so consistently that has such a consistent problem: Offense. After all of these years of being ultra-conservative this time of year, the Angels are going for it. Good for them.

So now Vladimir Guerrero has some middle-of-the-lineup help in Teixeira. I'm sure Teixeira will be fired up to play in his first postseason. I'm sure his agent, Scott Boras, is fired up to have Teixeira showcase himself in October as he prepares himself for free agency. And the rest of us should be fired up, because this is a good plotline for October.

The Braves did all right for themselves. Kotchman is a nice player - more of a doubles hitter than a home run hitter, but that's all right. He's under team control through 2011, so he gives the Braves stability at first base. If I professed to know anything about Double-A right-hander Stephen Marek, I'd be lying my rear end off. I'll let you know what I hear about this guy, when I hear it.

UPDATE: Rich Ackerman of WFAN and Sirius e-mailed me Marek's Baseball America write-up. Marek pitched for San Jacinto Junior College, the alma mater of both Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte. (Insert George Mitchell joke here).

Meanwhile, with Teixeira in Anaheim, I don't see how the Red Sox can unload Manny Ramirez. Their only plausible scenario in which they could unload Manny and replace his offense was getting Teixeira.

At this point, I'm going to say that Teixeira's most logical landing spot is Arizona.

The Diamondbacks are offering Chad Tracy and a couple of second-tier prospects to Atlanta for Teixeira, a source confirmed. The Braves aren't accepting that, as they want one of Arizona's young pitchers prospects like Max Scherzer.

Tracy's numbers aren't great, but that's because he's missed time the last two seasons with a significant right knee injury that he got surgically repaired. He's signed for $4.75 million next year and has a $7 million team option for 2010 - very reasonable dollars, if he can get back to somewhere between his 2005 and 2006 production.

The Angels are reportedly interested in Teixeira. It would be very out of character for them to give up Casey Kotchman for a rental. Officials from other clubs are skeptical whether the Angels would actually go through with that.

In other trade news...

From 2000 through 2004, the Yankees fell into this nasty habit in which they absolutely, positively HAD to import big-name help from the outside. The players grew accustomed to it. Ownership mandated it. The fan base and the media fell in line.

Brian Cashman set out to change that, when he gained full power in 2005, and he largely succeeded. Aaron Small, who had been signed to a minor-league deal the prior offseason, was the savior that year, along with Shawn Chacon, whom the Yankees picked up in a low-profile July trade. In 2006, minor-league system product Melky Cabrera plugged a major hole before Cashman waited out the Phillies for Bobby Abreu.

And last year, instead of overpaying for Eric Gagne, the Yankees promoted a fellow named Joba Chamberlain to set up for Mariano Rivera. That worked out all right.

That lesson needs to be retained as we enter the final days of non-waivers trade discussions, and the Mariners hold firm on their asking price for Jarrod Washburn.

Yes, the Yankees need some help in their starting rotation. Sidney Ponson and Darrell Rasner are established mediocrities, and if you really want to be paranoid, you can worry about Mike Mussina's stinker last night.

But if I were Brian Cashman, I just wouldn't take Washburn, not under any circumstances. Not with that $10.35 million salary looming next year. He has been a league-average pitcher since he went to the Mariners in 2006, and really, five out of the last six seasons. Look at his stats.

With Mussina and Andy Pettitte now likely to be back next year, along with Chien-Ming Wang and Joba Chamberlain, I want to leave room for Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy in the rotation.

No, I'd try to get by this year with some combination of Ponson, Rasner, Hughes, Kennedy, Alfredo Aceves and, should he show enough in his Aug. 5 throwing session, Freddy Garcia. That way, you're not overpaying _ and not clogging up your roster for next year _ for a guy who isn't that good in the first place.

Over on the Mets' side, they have the same issue with their corner outfielders. Fernando Tatis, pictured above, has hit remarkably well, so much so that Jerry Manuel committed to him yesterday as his everyday leftfielder.

If the Mariners drop their price on Raul Ibanez, then I'd trade for him, because Ibanez is a free agent at season's end. But if he doesn't? Then you ride Tatis' good vibes. I'd sign Kenny Lofton, but the Mets don't seem inclined to do that.

The last few days before the trade deadline are always fascinating. Last-minute scenarios arise that you didn't see coming. I'll try to check in here as often as I can, as new info pours in.

This is really just a way to express my giddiness that we received our first comment yesterday from Islander505.

505 is somewhat of a legend in the Newsday sports blog world. To have him drop a comment on my little blog, I feel like Marcia must have after Davy Jones kissed her in this episode of "The Brady Bunch."

Here's what Islander505 wrote:

Speaking of worthless dregs who get into the Hall Of Fame, Tim McCarver on Saturday went on a 2 minute or so rant making a case for Marvin Miller getting in.

At some point in time that criteria for getting into the Baseball HOF needs to be tweaked and clarified a tad.
People nominated for the HOF should at least demonstrate a passion and love for the "game" of baseball.
Not a demonstrated passion and love for the "business" of baseball.

Islander505, I'd like you to meet Richie G. He has been waiting for you his entire life.

I'd also like you to meet Jim and Bob Tufts. They might disagree with what you wrote. I'm not sure. They play their cards pretty close to the vest.

OK, I'll step out of the way now...

It's always interesting to see which teams take the driver's seat during the trade-deadline talks. Last year, for instance, Trade Deadline Central was not-so-lovely Arlington, Texas, as Rangers GM (and Queens native) Jon Daniels auctioned off Mark Teixeira, Eric Gagne and Kenny Lofton as he successfully helped rebuild his team's farm system.

Now that the Pirates have made their move, the team to watch, particularly for New Yorkers, is the Mariners.

The Yankees want Jarrod Washburn. The Mets want Raul Ibanez. In both cases, the Mariners' demands have been unreasonable, in the eyes of our locals, so far.

The Mariners, one source told us yesterday, are actually hoping that Hank Steinbrenner pushes for Washburn and forces Brian Cashman to give up more. There's a better chance that the Tooth Fairy will barge into Yankee Stadium and make such a demand than Ole Hank.

So we'll see. It wouldn't be a stunner for the Mariners to drop their price. Yet should they, necessarily? If they hold onto Ibanez and let him go as a free agent, they get draft picks. And if they hold onto Washburn, who is set to earn $10.35 million in 2009, it gives them a more competitive team next year.

As much as a fiasco as the Mariners' season has been, the industry consensus is that this is not a team that needs to blow everything up and start from scratch. There's some talent here. Contention in 2009 would not be out of the question.

It's Hall of Fame induction day, and my Newsday colleague Jim Baumbach has been in Cooperstown since Friday morning, working his tail off. Check out The Final Score for all of Jim's coverage.

Here on this blog, I know there has been a fascination with inductee Bowie Kuhn, and how unjust it is that he is now a Hall of Famer and Marvin Miller isn't.

There are two of you in particular _ and I would never, ever throw anyone here under the bus _ who have ripped into this with a fierceness and a barrage of passion, facts and logic.

I love it. But I'm tired of it.

So use this blog item as your personal punching bag. Submit endless comments to express your outrage and frustration. But let's end it here. It will stand as a monument to the injustice of this occurrence.

Thanks to Leon Schweir, executive producer of the Big Ten Network, I now have what I think is the definitive list of Bobby Murcer's 31 broadcast partners.

Leon worked at MSG Network (my new corporate sibling) during the Yankees' time on MGS's air, 1989-2001, and he has an extremely sharp memory. Leon pointed out that Bobby actually worked with 32 partners, if you count Mike Crispino, who occasionally did play-by-play on MSG. But none of you submitted Crispino, anyway, so we won't count him (no disrespect intended if you're reading, Mike) for our purposes.

The winner is Tim Boat, who came up with 29 names. Tim missed only the legendary Mel Allen and Dave Cohen, both pictured here; I hope you know who is whom. I will mail Tim my copy of Bobby's book, Yankee for Life. I encourage the rest of you to read it.

Dennis came in a close second with 28, followed by Jim and Brian Mac Millan with 26 each.

Here are the 31 correct answers:

1) Mel Allen
2) Rick Cerone
3) David Cohen
4) David Cone
5) John Flaherty
6) Joe Girardi
7) John Gordon
8) Greg Gumbel
9) Hawk Harrelson
10) Fran Healy
11) Tommy Hutton
12) Tommy John
13) David Justice
14) Jim Kaat
15) Michael Kay
16) Tony Kubek
17) Al Leiter
18) Mickey Mantle
19) Tim McCarver
20) Frank Messer
21) Paul Olden
22) Paul O'Neill
23) Lou Piniella
24) Phil Rizzuto
25) Spencer Ross
26) Tom Seaver
27) Ken Singleton
28) Dewayne Staats
29) Al Trautwig
30) Suzyn Waldman
31) Bill White

Here is my column from yesterday's Yankees game, concerning Alex Rodriguez getting hit by Glen Cove native Craig Hansen and whether it had anything to do with Joba Chamberlain's Javert-like pursuit of Kevin Youkilis.

Here is my Insider, which focuses on what the Mets will do about their outfield situation now that Casey Blake is off the table. The Mets do not intend to trade for Manny Ramirez, despite the fact that he is a righty-hitting outfielder.

Here is the Seventh-Inning Stretch.

Here is Kat O'Brien's story on the Yankees' increasing likelihood of acquiring Jarrod Washburn. This is a move with which I don't agree, and I will express my disapproval more fully should it become official.

Here is a story about Bernie Williams' likely return to Yankee Stadium this year, before moving day, for some sort of farewell. The two sides are working together on this. Their cold war has ended.

Here is a story I wrote about Yankees adviser Ray Negron and his new book, "The Greatest Story Never Told: The Babe and Jackie."

I'll check in later. I've got some more thoughts, and we'll see if Washburn starts for Seattle today, as scheduled.

The Dodgers, very much in the race in the weak NL West, owed it to their players to make this trade. That said, one official from a team not involved in the deal thought that the Dodgers overpaid for Blake, giving up two good pieces in Santana and Meloan.

So let's call this one even.

I agree with David Lennon: This is bad for the Mets. If they don't get Raul Ibanez, they're really going to have to fake it with their corner outfielders the rest of the way.

Yes, as some of you noted in the previous item, the Yankees have announced the trade for Damaso Marte and Xavier Nady. In addition to Ross Ohlendorf and Jose Tabata, it'll be Jeff Karstens and Dan McCutchen, rather than Phil Coke and George Kontos.

I agree with baileywalk and Jim - this hurts the Yankees a little more than we first thought, and now the Pirates don't look as dumb as we first wondered.

McCutchen is not that young, 25, but he's only in his second full professional season. He's a guy who had put himself on the radar screen this year with some power pitching.

We saw Karstens - he's nothing special.

So, still a good trade for the Yankees. But not as good as we first thought.

It's not an official deal yet, as there are some unclear medical issues to resolve, but the Yankees and Pirates have agreed in principle on a trade that would bring outfielder Xavier Nady and left-handed reliever Damaso Marte to the Bronx in return for Ross Ohlendorf, Jose Tabata, left-hander Phil Coke and right-hander George Kontos. The final two were with Double-A Trenton.

Instant analysis: Seems like Pittsburgh lowered its price considerably. We saw that Ohendorf was no great shakes, and Tabata's behavior has been a major issue. I don't know much about Coke, although one official from an AL club with whom I spoke with tonight likes him and thought the Yankees gave up too much in this deal.

For now, though, the Yankees get an offensive boost and the final piece to their bullpen, without sacrificing any of their prime minor-leaguers. Pretty good.

So much for "nothing new"...

UPDATE, 11:06: It appears that there are no mystery medical issues. The players will either take physical examinations or have their medical records reviewed tomorrow, and as long as everyone passes, Marte and Nady will be in Yankees uniforms Sunday at Fenway Park.

UPDATE, 12:42: Here is my column for Saturday's Newsday about the trade.

I'm still working on it.

There are two more people I'm trying to contact who might have the precise answer. If neither person comes through, then I'm just going to send a book to each of the four people who took the time to enter.

I knew I shouldn't have tried a contest.

Up here at Fenway - there doesn't appear to be anything new on the trade front for the Yankees.

Thanks to the IMDb for the photo.

In honor of Estelle Getty, who passed away this past week, and who brightened many a weekend...

1. The Yankees will drop two of three to the Red Sox at Fenway Park - not a shocker, given the Sawx's league-best 36-11 home record. On Saturday, they'll catch a break when Andy Pettitte makes his first Fenway appearance of the season _ and Red Sox Nation will forget to come up with creative, derogatory chants, since it's been such a long time now.

2. The Mets will continue their era of good feelings by taking two of three from the Cardinals at Shea. There'll be a team barbecue Saturday afternoon, but when master griller Billy Wagner can't make it, Duaner Sanchez, Joe Smith and Pedro Feliciano will combine to ruin everything, burning the burgers and steaks beyond recognition and putting the Mets' lunch in serious jeopardy.

3. I thought Anthony Rieber raised an excellent point in this Web column: What if Jose Reyes had committed the sin that Melky Cabrera did on Tuesday night? My goodness, the Reyes-haters, who have been muted lately, would have been re-energized.

OK, I gotta catch a train to Boston. I'll be in touch throughout, from Fenway.

Remember when Carlos Delgado tallied 9 RBI against the Yankees on June 27, in the opener of the two-stadium, day-night doubleheader?

Here is the column I wrote that day.

Yeesh. Up above, you see Robinson Cancel and David Wright celebrating the fact that I'm an idiot.

Where would the Mets be without the shockingly reborn Delgado? With him, they're all alone in first place.