Mike: so seriously, how much we paying Manny?

Tom: yoof

Mike: well it’s Delgado + Alou

Tom: I’ve kind of gotten on board with the people who think they’re not releasing him

Mike: Manny Ramirez’s comments about his dealings with the Boston Red Sox front office hit a nerve with ownership.

William Perlman/US Presswire

Manny Ramirez’s comments at the All-Star Game raised some hackles in Boston.

At the All-Star Game in New York, Ramirez said he is hoping for a meeting with management to let him know what that future will be. The Red Sox hold one-year options on Ramirez for and at $ million each. If they don’t pick up the option for , Ramirez becomes a free agent.

“I want no more [expletive] where they tell you one thing and behind your back they do another thing,” Ramirez told the Boston Herald. “I think I’ve earned that respect, for a team to sit down with me and tell me this is what we want, this is what we want to do.”

On Wednesday, Red Sox principal owner John Henry took exception with that statement.

“I find remarks that we have been anything other than completely straightforward to be personally offensive,” Henry said in an e-mail, according to the Herald. “Manny has been a crucial part of two world championships. I do not believe we would have won either without him. He has never played a more important role than he has thus far this year.”

Tom: What do they replace him with?

Mike: the Red Sox?

Tom: yeah
Tom: that’s my point

Mike: his bat could be easily replaced by Teixeira
Mike: with that 20 mil freed up

Tom: then what do you do with Youkilis?
Tom: trade him back to the A’s?

Mike: OF?
Mike: defensively in left he probably wouldn’t be a massive downgrade from Manny

Tom: true

Mike: although you do bring up a good point
Mike: and until i read that today i thought they’d keep him
Mike: although i still think he ends up not being picked up and they give him a “here’s what we think you’re worth” contract
Mike: for like… 15 per season

Tom: oh i think that’s fully possible
Tom: although, Theo’s been right in every other case
Tom: with letting guys who are old go

Mike: yup

Tom: although I think if they do that it solves the Giambi problem next year
Tom: for the Yankees

Mike: what, Manny?

Tom: I could see it
Tom: Damon, Matsui, Manny

Mike: who plays right?

Tom: Matsui’s Japanese, he’d play there if they asked him.

Mike: actually i know exactly who replaces Manny
Mike: if the Sox let him go
Mike: Adam Dunn and his .400 OBP
Mike: they’re a SABR team

Tom: Makes sense. They’d probably get him for half the price with similar run production and better defense in right.

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Keith’s Moustache sincerely hopes this doesn’t happen, as we want Dunn instead of Vlad or Manny next season.