"In all honesty, even with his comments and behavior over the last couple weeks, this is still really difficult to talk about."

Allen Chace at Over the Monster nailed it earlier today with that statement. At least, he did for me.

But consider this an acknowledgement of the Manny Trade, at least, even if I'm still working on figuring out exactly what it is I can say about it. This isn't usually a site with a hugely crowded comments section, but this can also be an open thread for anybody out there who's inclined to talk about it, and hasn't already been satisfied with what I'm sure are about 4321 other threads and posts already open on the topic.

Comments

[Ryan]

Maybe I'm wrong but giving a way a competent Lfer, a mediocre relief pitcher, AND a future hall of famer who is currently batting .299 with 20hrs for a 30 year old batting .288 in the NL doesn't make any freakin' sense.

Also, who are you going to put in the lineup to replace: "I should go to Green Bay straight up and they should send Brett Favre to Boston. That will end two soap operas at the same time," and http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2227/2422558049_5ef6d80385.jpg

I'm officially bummed. Let go Red Sox! (I miss you already Manny)

[Bloggy]

I agree with the entirety of the second paragraph in the above comment. No matter who you put in front of that Monster...it won't be Manny. While so many people focus on Drama Llama Manny...I have always focused on Huggy Manny.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the matter...I need to get my own together....

[Bloggy]

By the way, for the record I would like to state here and now that I plop all of this drama and Manny's subsequent departure firmly at the feet of Scott Boras.

[Caroline]

I'm gonna miss him.

But I don't think you can let him hang the threat of malingering over the team's head over and over again without ever pulling the trigger, and while it does seem like we overpaid for Bay, we had no room for Moss in our outfield and Hansen wasn't at the top of the org chart, so it's a price we could afford.

But I'm gonna miss him.

I want to hear what Papi thinks.

[Devine]

I agree just about entirely with Caroline. For next year, we have a lot more money to play with, we're younger (with less chance for injury), we can extend Bay at a reasonable rate if he turns out to work for us, and we're not missing the minor pieces we gave away to get him. (I think this year's about over with the Yankees and Rays improving at the deadline and our bullpen unchanged, but next year just got interesting.)

But Manny was my favorite player, and my heart is broken. Like a good friend has gone out of my life. So yeah, my brain and heart are at odds tonight.

[jenny again]

does this mean pedey will have to go without new suits?

[Sammy]

"A relationship is like a shark. It has to keep moving forward or it dies. I think what we have on our hands here is a dead shark"
----Woody Allen, in Annie Hall

Nuff said. This had to happen. Still hurts badly, but it had to be done. Theo's got brass ones and that's a good thing.