The Marlins' Greed Cost Them Manny

As I've said here on FanHouse during the last week, I didn't think the Red Sox were actually going to trade Manny Ramirez. I figured it was just the annual tradition of the team acting like it was going to move their slugger just to get an idea of his worth before eventually scrapping the idea. Then, as time passed, it looked like Manny was really going to get traded to the Florida Marlins and for the first time ever, I felt the deal was distinctly possible.

Then two hours later I was hearing that Manny had been traded, but to the Dodgers instead of the Marlins. So what happened in those few hours to take the Marlins out of the race? Apparently they got too greedy (fourth item).

One high-level Red Sox official said he expected Manny Ramirez would end up with the Marlins, but the Marlins backed off Wednesday night and justified asking for an additional $2 million (on top of paying Ramirez's salary) to cover salaries of the compensatory draft picks Florida would get for losing Ramirez to free agency this winter. Plus, Florida's refusal to include outfielder Mike Stanton -- who leads his Single A league with 27 homers -- helped kill the deal.

Are the Marlins really that cheap? "Okay, we'll take Manny off your hands for you, but you have to pay his salary, pay for the draft picks we'll get when we don't re-sign him, pay Mr. Loria's mortgage, and build us a new stadium. Oh, and we're not giving you anything in return either. Deal?"

Just the Marlins being the Marlins, I guess.