What do you think of the decision to put Manny Ramirez on irrevocable waivers? Will another team -- (gulp) Yankees -- take on the $104 million remaining on his eight-year, $160 million contract? If no team claims Ramirez, will the All-Star slugger get traded?

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What a scary Halloween event! It shows a willingness to go out on a limb to better the team that is, at once, enervating and exciting; if nobody picks up on Manny, we won't be able to deal from a position of strength in trading him. Plus, we'll have to pay whomever comes in the trade, so it could be a washout salarywise, with a net loss of 35(HR)100(RBI).325 against...who knows? Hypothetically, why would Steinbrenner bite, if he knows it's likely he could get Ramirez for, say, 10 million less per year by waiting and trading? Do the Sox brass know some inside information that guarantees George would be more likely to take him on waivers rather than give up a player to a hated rival? One thing is clear: Manny's gone, no matter what happens. Although it's irrelevant whether he would put up numbers for a team that doesn't want him (he's always played mostly for himself, anyway), his presence in the clubhouse, after this, would be an impossible distraction. Teams can win World Series with poor chemistry, witness the Reggie-era-Yankees, but laziness is an unpardonable sin. Manny saves his hard-nosed playing for situations where he can increase his profile; his baseball character is an insult to gritty guys like Trot Nixon and Jason Varitek. How about this...."Manny Ramirez, Met"! An intriguing thought!

BARRY, NYACK, NY

great move if the yanks jump. taking manny would seriously hurt their chances of making the improvements to their line up they need. soriano to the outfield, signing vlad,etc. please george, TAKE THE THEO'S BAIT!

paul, HARRISBURG,PA.

Good move! However, like a few others in the past, he'll probably finally grow up (smarten up) in another city, and come back to haunt his old team.

Glenn, Southport, CT

Terrible move. Aside from A-Rod, Manny's the best hitter in the AL. He's proven, consistent and by far the best hitter in the lineup. Losing him would hurt badly - especially to the Yankees. Guerrero is a stallion but he's always hurt. No one else in the major leagues can replace Manny's bat. What if Ortiz, Millar, Mueller and Nixon don't have the career-years that they had this year? With Manny, you're guaranteed a high level of production, not to mention the fact that he protects Nomar (who is likely gone, by his own choice....).

Jake, New York

I LOVE IT !!!!! I hope he goes to WHOMEVER! Let him be someone else's problem and quit on them 3 years in a row. everyone is "stat happy" with his numbers but look at when the vast majority of them come - when the situation is meaningless. The walk off HR's, game winning hits and game tying hits are WAAAAAAY to few and far between. Good riddance - I'm looking forward to freeing up 20 mil a yr for the next 6 years !

LD, Watertown

I don't think any team will touch him while he is on waivers. The only way the Sox can move him is via trade and that includes the Sox picking up a big part of his salary .

Dave, Gloucester

typical redsox move, no wonder yankee fan base growing in boston

von, florida

Both Manny and Pedro need to get otta here. They bring the team down. And why are Trot, Bill, and Todd all such Jesus freaks?

John, Cambridge

If the money can be used for top of the line pitchers that would be fine. If no teams claim him for nothing, why would someone want him and have to give up something in a trade?

Lee, Montville, N.J.

I actually hate the Red Sox. I am not a fan of companies, sports franchises, or individuals who have a chip on their shoulder or an inferiority complex. However, placing Ramirez on waivers has actually caused me to possibly believe there is a spine and some sense of pride within that ownership group. Ramirez is a fat loser, overpaid, a whiney baby, who acts like a 16 year old. It was pathetic that any team ever signed him to the type of deal he now has!

Tim, Northshore