This just in from Yahoo Sports:
ESPN reported that Boston Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez has agreed to a trade to the Florida Marlins if the two teams can agree on the other players in a deal.
Florida’s making a run! They already picked up M’s reliever (and winner of the title “Reliever Most Likely to be Traded at the Deadline”) Arthur Rhodes earlier in the day.
The latest trade rumors focus on acquiring Robinson Cano from the Yankees for an outfielder and a pitcher – possibly Lowe and Kemp.
The Dodgers have indicated they are interested in Cano for a while now, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they put a package together to try and get him, but I’m not sure what outfielder (other than Andruw “Tubbo” Jones) is really expendable. Kemp has been untouchable according to previous reports from the team, and his strikeout rate is likely to raise eyebrows in New York.
Lowe isn’t exactly the #1 starter that they’d likely be looking for, although he does have AL East experience (Lowe previously played for the Red Sox) so he is familiar with the teams and many of the players and parks. Given that Lowe’s stock has been dropping as of late and he is a free agent at the end of the season, are the Yanks really interested in taking a flyer on this deal?
Granted, the 40-year old guy we have on second today (Kent) has not been as productive this year and likely doesn’t have a lot more life left in him in the majors, but he’s also seen as a team leader and a mature element amongst a number of younger players on the squad. What are his intangibles worth to the organization? No one seems to know.
The real question is: How badly to the Dodgers need an infielder right now and would dealing a top pitcher and solid outfielder be worth it?