Reports And Rumours From Dallas

Red Sox special adviser Bill Lajoie on trading Manny Ramirez:

First of all, you’re not going to get fair value in any way, shape or form. This is an A-1 player, and you’re not going to get an A-1 player in return. You’re not going to get one person to make up for the (production). You might not get three or four.

Jed Hoyer, assistant to the team's non-existent GM, agrees:

We're not going to replace a 1.000 OPS middle-of-the-order hitter. ... Whether it's through a lot of young players or different pieces, we believe there's a chance we could put together a deal that could set the Red Sox up for the present and the future.

But now -- although Larry Lucchino has said the team has not made no effort to convince Manny to stay in Boston -- it looks unlikely that Ramirez will be elsewhere next spring. The Mets have backed off and the Angels refuse to deal Ervin Santana. There was some talk of Arizona getting involved and Troy Glaus coming to Boston -- ugh. ... One sticking point is that Ramirez would demand that his option years for 2009 and 2010 be picked up as a condition for accepting a trade.

Boston is ready to offer Johnny Damon something similar to what Jason Varitek accepted last winter: 4/40. Although Scott Boras would love the Red Sox and Yankees to get into a bidding war over his client, it isn't going to happen. New York won't even bid if Damon won't consider three or four years. Boras isn't helping himself any when he says that Rafael Furcal's 3/39 deal with the Dodgers sets the bar for leadoff hitters.

Are the Sox also actively shopping Edgar Renteria? The main rumor is that ER would go to Atlanta and Tampa's Julio Lugo would come to Boston. According to the Globe, Atlanta wants Boston to eat a portion of the $30 million remaining on Renteria's salary. With Lugo at second or short, Boston asked the Angels about Orlando Cabrera and have pitched a Doug Mirabelli-for-Mark Loretta deal to the Padres.

Boston is talking with Oakland about David Wells; the A's are offering former Sox propsect Justin Duchscherer. ... Seattle has asked about Trot Nixon. The team has also discussed sending Nixon to Pittsburgh for either Kip Wells or Mark Redman.

The Courant reports that Peter Gammons says the Red Sox nearly canceled the Josh Beckett after viewing the MRI on the pitcher's right shoulder. ... Boston spoke with Detroit about outfielder Curtis Granderson. Other possibiliies for center field are Juan Pierre, Torii Hunter, and Juan Encarnacion. The Sox also have spoken to Octavio Dotel's agent.

Several MLB soucres claim that the Yankees lost as much as $85 million last year. ... And the Dodgers new manager? Grady Little.