Are you kidding me?

It came out an hour after the trade was finalized with the Dodgers that Manny Ramirez asked his agent Scott Boras to tell the Red Sox he would behave the last 2 months of the season if the Red Sox would drop the (2) $20 million options on his contract.

Too little, and way too late. Sure he was well received (like Wayne Gretzky and David Beckem before him) in Los Angeles on Friday and went 2-4 in his debut with the Dodgers but Ramirez may have realized Thursday night that he shot himself in the foot by forcing the Red Sox hand. Not only is he now in a new league but also a league without a DH, so he'll have no days off in the field the rest of the way. Also, he will be to patrolling the huge left fields of the NL West which will expose his lackluster defense. On top of that, but he'll be facing the top NL pitching in the West while hitting in a weak Dodger line-up with little protection behind him. All of which will not help his campaign for a huge new contract.

Ramirez is seeking a 4 year $100 million deal to finish out his career but early reports are that he would probably only get about $35 million for 2 years (less than the 2 Red Sox options). In the end, what Manny (and Scott Boras) probably wanted was for Boston to void the 2 options on his contract, so he could become a free agent at the end of the year. Then, with Ramirez raking at Fenway the last 2 months of the season, Boston and their deep pockets would be in the bidding to help drive up the price on a new contract.

It's obvious that Manny Ramirez does not like to be controlled nor told what to do, so him having to take anger management classes for an altercation last month and the Red Sox holding all the cards on his contract was enough for him to quit and hold his talent hostage from the team. Unfortunately, it got ugly when the Red Sox called his bluff. His plan backfired and now the word his out on Manny as a possible 'quitter'. Big market teams won't be as interested in giving the 36 1/2 year old Ramirez what he wants this off-season unless he really tears it up the rest of the season and now that may not be as easy as Manny once thought. Oops!