Bay and Grabow Traded?

Baseball Prospectus is reporting that a three-way trade between the Marlins, Red Sox, and your Pittsburgh Pirates that is currently pending Commissioner Selig's approval will send Jason Bay and John Grabow to the Red Sox in return for 24-year-old Marlins outfielder Jeremy Hermida and three prospects, two from the Red Sox, and one from the Marlins. Mercurial outfielder MannyBManny goes to the Marlins along with a Red Sox prospect, and some money to cover his remaining salary.

Obviously a lot depends on who the prospects are, but at least up front, that sounds like reasonable return for the affordable Bay, who is under team control through 2009, and the reliable (if overworked) Grabow, who is immediately a bona fide LOOGY for the Sox.

The difference between MannyBManny and Bay is not that large (at least this season), and Grabow gives them much needed left-handed help, but if I'm Theo, I'm not sure I pull the trigger on this deal. It seems more likely that this is the kind of trade that falls apart at the last minute, and the Sox go "Gee Manny, we tried, I guess we just have to finish the season together," while they make a run at the World Series. Then in the off-season, they don't pick up Manny's option, and hope they can otherwise swing a deal for Bay or Matt Holliday, or someone like that who didn't get traded by tomorrow. Then again, Theo makes a ton of money and has a legion of female admirers, while I write a Pirates blog that no one reads. Something tells me his decision-making skills might be better than mine.

Personally, I've never disliked the Marlins (though I hate looking at their stadium), so it will be interesting to see what they can do with MannyBManny in that spacious outfield. That would make at least a third of their defense (the two Ramirez boys and Dan Uggla) comprised of guys who have deplorable skills with the glove. Seeing MannyBManny running around in left at Pro Player Field at Dolphins Stadium will be interesting to say the least.

We'll wait and see, I guess.

Also: The Baseball America prospects blog has a brief story about Ryan Tucker, the Marlins' AA player who's been jerked around all night with all the impending trade talk.