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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Good. Finally. Time to get Vlad.

Don, Royal Oak, MI

I don't think it's a great move -- you're counting on Steinbrenner to make an impulsive, stupid decision, and if that doesn't happen, you're letting Ramirez know that you and the rest of the league that you're desperate to get rid of him. Maybe Ramirez and the league already knows those things, though. If the Sox do lose Ramirez, there's going to be a big hole in the middle of the lineup. Not many people in the game can compete with Ramirez' ability to hit for average and power with plate discipline. Ramirez is also one of the few Sox hitters who didn't have a year out of line with the rest of his career, and so he's one of the few who could be counted on to replicate his numbers in the next few years. If they trade him, they're bound to eat a lot of his contract, and I don't know that losing him is worth that. The pieces are in place now (hopefully still, after the game 7 collapse), so they should just try to win it this next year, and then rebuild after that.

Neil, Philadelphia, PA / formerly Brookline, MA

"Harry sells the Babe!" "Dan dumps the Rocket!" "Theo puts Planet Manny on the market!" I believe this proactive move is designed to play upon one (and only one) person's ego. If he bites, the last headline will be rewriten: "Sox get even for the Babe and Rocket!"

Chuck, Atlanta, GA

Keep Manny he's the only one who hits (besides walker) vs. the Yanks. Trade hillbilly trot and choker Nomah. Don't forget his 3 run homer vs. the A's to clinch it either.

DG, Waltham

My heart is breaking. Are they ignoring the fact that he lost the battting champ title to Mueller by only 1 point? Are we seriously going to hand over our best player to the Yankees? No wonder we never win anything.

pamela, salem

No one will take him given his contract. Who can gauge his reaction? It may backfire or it may light a fire with him to prove he is worth the money. The Sox haven't got the payroll flexibility though they would like to get Varitek, Garciaparra, Lowe, Martinez, and Nixon signed long term. All of these guys are great players, even Manny, we just can't afford to keep them all even with one of the leagues highest payrolls. So long as we can spend 100 million - 110 million, and New York can spend 165 million - 200 million, we will make moves like this and they will just keep adding players.

Michael, Swampscott

It definitely sends a message to Manny, if he ends up staying with the team. However, I believe the reason for the move is strictly business. It appears that the Red Sox are going to have serious discussions about moving this overpaid underperformer. Putting him on waivers is a necessary procedure. I've been saying for the past 2 years, I would "eat" $10 million (easy to say, because it's not my money) of Manny's contract, to free up that slot to get a better $10 million player. Essentially, that is admitting that we overpaid Manny by $10 Million. We certainly are not getting $20 MM worth of production now. Ask Bill James, especially production when it matters. Teaxs, on the other hand, is getting good production out of A-Rod; and to boot he is a model Citizen, which helps the gate down there. Anyway, I hope this is goodbye to Manny, and I applaud the Red Sox management here.

Ray, Seekonk, MA

Never played hard, can't even say good bye, just bye.

Al, Arlington

I think it is a good move, now they can secure the contracts of those who are ready to go on the free agency list.

Fred, Ormond Beach, Florida

Manny's contract is an albatross. So is Pedro's. It is better to use that money to sign Nomar, V-Tek, D-Lowe and get some other top notch pitchers. If only baseball players would be willing to restructure contacts to make a team better--like the Pats--or turn the deals into ones heavility laden with incentives.

Mitch, Medford