Dodgers Manager Joe Torre said the deal had no downside. General Manager Ned Colletti said he felt it had to be made. Shortstop Nomar Garciaparra said the Dodgers gained greater control over their October fate.
In the minutes leading up to the 1 p.m. non-waiver trade deadline Thursday, All-Star outfielder Manny Ramirez became a Dodger -- at minimal cost to the team, which lost to Arizona, 2-1, Thursday night to fall two games behind the Diamondbacks in the National League West.
The Dodgers acquired Ramirez from the Boston Red Sox in one of the most significant deadline deals in their history, sending triple-A third baseman Andy LaRoche and Class-A right-hander Bryan Morris to the Pittsburgh Pirates as part of a three-way trade. The Red Sox received outfielder Jason Bay from the Pirates to replace Ramirez and dealt outfielder Brandon Moss and right-hander Craig Hansen to Pittsburgh.
Ramirez will be paid the remaining $7 million of his $21-million salary by the Red Sox.
"We figured we had to do it," Colletti said. "Why would we not do it?"
Ramirez is expected to be at Dodger Stadium tonight. The 36-year-old slugger, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, has a .312 average and 510 home runs over a 16-year career that has included 12 All-Star selections and nine Silver Slugger awards. He hit .299 with 20 home runs and 68 runs batted in in 100 games this season for the Red Sox, his employer for the last 7 1/2 years.
Torre, who faced Ramirez often as the manager of the rival New York Yankees, said he was surprised that the Red Sox let go of the notoriously temperamental outfielder.
"After 12 years of looking at him straight in the eye, it was tough to conceive of him being anywhere else," Torre said.
For the deal to be completed, Ramirez had to waive his right to refuse a trade as a 10-5 player -- a player with 10 or more years in the majors, the last five with the same club. In turn, the Red Sox removed the $20-million club options in Ramirez's contract for the 2009 and 2010 seasons, meaning he will be a free agent at the end of the season.
Ramirez, who said he was unhappy playing in Boston and demanded that the Red Sox trade him in recent weeks, was pleased with the outcome, according to his agent, Scott Boras.
"This is kind of a resolution to the situation," Boras said. "He's just really excited about coming out and starting a new part of his career."
