Rays manager Joe Maddon is a funny guy.

Check out his take on the Sox claiming Johnny Damon on waivers.

"If he can’t be a Ray, I’d rather he be a Tiger, actually,'' Maddon told reporters in Anaheim yesterday. "Or a Red. Cincinnati’s fine. Or a Dodger is fine. But not a Red Sox.

Johnny Damon is a very good baseball player. He still has a no-trade clause in his contract. I think he needs to really, really understand what a great community Detroit is. It would be a great place to raise a family, even if he explores some of the suburbs, for instance, Birmingham – it’s a beautiful little enclave over there. ... There’s a lot of good things going on in Detroit. I’m sure he does not want to miss it.

"I have a lot of respect for that guy. That guy’s a big-game player for me. He’s very good, and he still is good. We saw him a couple days ago – bat’s still quick, he’s running well, nothing’s wrong with John Damon.''

Meanwhile, what exactly is the point of waivers in August?

Why not just extend the trade deadline to Aug. 31 and do away with all these silly procedures? By Aug. 31, every team would know whether it wants to be a buyer or a seller, salaries would be more manageable, etc.

I'm sure there is some reason for all this cloak-and-dagger waiver maneuvering. But baseball should make it much less complicated.