With more than 1,100 home runs between them, two of baseball’s greatest sluggers switched leagues just before the trade deadline Thursday to play prominent roles for playoff contenders.
Unhappy with the Boston Red Sox, enigmatic outfielder Manny Ramirez got his wish when he was shipped to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a blockbuster deal that sent All-Star outfielder Jason Bay from the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Red Sox.
“When a player like Manny becomes available, I don’t think there’s a manager in baseball who wouldn’t say they’re interested,” said Dodgers skipper Joe Torre, whose Yankees teams went toe-to-toe with Ramirez for years. “It was something that happened very quickly, obviously.”
Ken Griffey Jr. also agreed to a trade, leaving his hometown Cincinnati Reds at age 38 to get back in a pennant race with the Chicago White Sox.
“I just think there’s a lot of added things he can bring,” Chicago’s Nick Swisher said. “I had posters of that guy on my wall growing up. So I think it’s going to be an awesome thing for all of us.”
Despite all kinds of names being thrown around, only a handful of deals was completed in the days leading to the deadline. But the ones that did get done featured several big stars.
Mark Teixeira went from the Atlanta Braves to the torrid Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday. The New York Yankees acquired catcher Ivan Rodriguez and slugging outfielder Xavier Nady within the past week. And two top pitchers were traded in early July, with CC Sabathia going to the Milwaukee Brewers and Rich Harden to the Chicago Cubs.
Teams still can make trades but the players involved must pass through waivers first, which limits availability.
Ramirez and Griffey could have blocked their trades, but both were happy to find new homes. It was the first time two players with at least 500 homers have been traded during the same season - let alone the same day, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Griffey hit his 600th homer this season, and Ramirez connected for No. 500.
As of early Thursday, it appeared Ramirez might be on his way to the Florida Marlins. But when those talks fizzled, the Red Sox and Pirates found a willing third partner in the Dodgers.
After years of speculation, Boston finally parted ways with Ramirez minutes before the 3 p.m. CDT deadline.
“We figured we had to do it,” Los Angeles general manager Ned Colletti said. “There was obviously a point in time that you have to make a major decision. We did and we were glad we did it. Hopefully it pays dividends. We’re confident we’ve got one of the best hitters in baseball coming in here - one of the best hitters of his generation from the right side.”
Boston will pay the estimated $7 million owed to Ramirez, 36, through the end of the season, at which time he can become a free agent. Ramirez was in the final guaranteed year of an eight-year, $160 million contract, and the Red Sox held $20 million options for the next two seasons.
As part of the trade, the club options were eliminated.
So now, Manny can be Manny on the West Coast. But he’ll be without his power-hitting partner, David Ortiz.
“That was a 1-2 tandem that was one of the best in the game,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.
Colletti said Ramirez was expected to join the Dodgers in time to play tonight against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The last-place Pirates gave up Bay and received promising young players: reliever Craig Hansen and outfielder Brandon Moss from Boston and third baseman Andy LaRoche and pitcher Bryan Morris from the Dodgers.
“It’s a good deal for Pittsburgh. They got four good players,” Scioscia said.
A two-time All-Star, Bay, 29, was hitting .282 with 22 homers and 64 RBI. Tampa Bay pursued Bay before he wound up with the Red Sox, who trail the first-place Rays by three games in the AL East.
The Reds sent Griffey and cash to Chicago for reliever Nick Masset and Triple-A second baseman Danny Richar.
Griffey agreed to the trade earlier in the day. Because of the cash involved, the deal did not become official until the commissioner’s office approved it.
White Sox GM Kenny Williams coveted Griffey for years. Once one of baseball’s premier players, Griffey never has reached the World Series and has not been in the playoffs since 1997 with Seattle.
“One of the things that factored into this was a guy who has had a great career but has not won a championship and how motivated he’s going to be to get on that stage,” Williams said.
It’s uncertain how much Griffey has left in his oft-injured body - it’s been a long while since he was voted to the All-Century team.
Griffey played right field the last two seasons but will return to center when he joins the White Sox today for the start of a series in Kansas City. Manager Ozzie Guillen and the White Sox led the Minnesota Twins by 1½ games when the trade was made.
“When I talked to Junior, he was very honest,” Williams said. “He said, ‘Well, I’ve got to tell you, I don’t know that you’re going to see the guy from Seattle.’ I said, ‘We’re not looking for that guy from Seattle. What we’re looking for is for you to use your instincts.”’
Griffey takes over for Swisher, who moves to first base in place of the slumping Paul Konerko. Swisher also will give up his No. 30 to Griffey, who wore it during his earliest years in Cincinnati.
Greg Maddux, Adam Dunn, Raul Ibanez, Jarrod Washburn, Brian Fuentes, Huston Street, Jeremy Hermida, Mike Jacobs and Bengie Molina were among the players who stayed put after there was speculation they could be moved before the deadline.
The only other deals announced Thursday drew little attention. The Florida Marlins acquired left-handed reliever Arthur Rhodes of Waco from the Seattle Mariners for Double-A pitcher Gaby Hernandez, and the Yankees sent shortstop Alberto Gonzalez to the Washington Nationals for pitcher Jhonny Nunez in a swap of minor leaguers.
