The Sox have shipped Nomar to the Cubs in a four-team deal and ended up with shortshop Orlando Cabrera and first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz. Are the Sox better off?

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This stinks. It only would have made sense if we picked up a pitcher or right fielder.

Jeff, Leominster

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! We give up one of the three best shortstops in the game, a guy that really fills out the Sox line-up behind Ortiz and Manny, for two scrubs? This is horrendous. We don't need Cabrera since we've already got Pokey, and we have a glut at 1B/DH as it is so Mientkiewicz is also a waste. How does the 2nd highest payroll in the league justify dumping a free agent salary at the deadline and get nothing in return?

Dave, Roslindale

Listen, it almost doesn't matter if the trade is good or not. As a life-time Padre fan who recently moved here from San Diego, I am extremely familiar with the current group of senior execs and ownership of the Red Sox. Tom Warner, Larry Luchino (sp?) and Theo Espein are all former Padre executives & owners. (Remember the Tom Werner fire-sale) When San Diego went to the world series in '98, within two years, they lost, Kevin Brown, Joey Hamilton, Andy Ashby, Greg Vaughn, Ken Caminiti, Steve Finley and perhaps the greatest pitching coach ever, Dave Stewart. The only kept Tony Gwynn because he didn't want to leave. As I told my colleagues, the current ownership has absolutely no history of re-signing established stars with short contracts. It's just starting to happen now. If the big 4, Lowe, Varitek, Pedro don't meet the owner's terms, they'll be gone. It's just starting now with Nomar. Beware Red Sox fans, you are closer to being the Padres than you might ever imagine. - LF

Lewis, Belmont

It's a real shame. Nomar is/was the heart and soul of this team (or at least he was until the off-season). He got caught as a pawn in the business of baseball. Do you think he would have been on the block if everyone just shut their mouths and kept the A-Rod deal quite? I'll take this guy 100 times out of 100. He's class, focused, hard-worker that Boston identifies with. He brought his lunch bucket to work every day. He will be missed as a leader on and off the field. However, at the end of the day, it's a business. It's clear the front office knew they would lose him at the end of year. So they dealt him while they could get something. The player in return are decent (Mientkiewicz needs to wake up his bat), but certainly not worthy of Nomar in his normal state. I hope Theo and Larry learned to keep their traps shut on doing these deals. They get the business side of it, just figure out how to better handle the people side of the equation. Good luck Nomar! (I still hope we kick your ass in the World Series!)

MJ, Austin Texas

This is definitely one of the sad days in Sox history... if ownership had signed Nomar earlier, which was the Right-Thing-To-Do, and had not flirted so shamelessly with A-Rod, this guy could have finished his career at Fenway. Lordy, what a stinkfest. This kind of stuff, along with the Big Unit nonsense ("ONLY SEND ME TO THE YANKEES... or I'll just stay here, thanks"), really sours me on the modern game.

Curtis, Old Orchard Beach, Maine

terrible deal. Theo was just trying to spin this as an upgrade to the pitching staff, as well as to the defense. Cabrera isn't quite Nomar, and they're both free agents after the season. Dave Roberts is a nice 4th outfielder, but his speed does nothing with the way this team is run (no stealing, no hit-and-run). I think Mientkiewicz could've been had without having to give up Nomar. To upgrade the pitching staff, the rumored deal involving Derek Lowe for the Cubs's Matt Clement should've happened. I don't like this deal at all. I hope they all prove me wrong though.

Pete, Stoneham

I believe this 4 team blockbuster will help the Red Sox defensively yes.. Mientkiewicz is a good first basemen with a very good glove and Orlando Cabrera is a good shortstop but gets no attention because of his old location in Montreal (and the situation is not good there either). Mientkiewicz and Cabrera both do not blow the world away offensively, but i can see help from both (minor). I think as much as this trade helps the so far horrible defense of the RedSox , it does hurt as well. Everyone in Beantown will miss Nomar, who was obviously, maybe not so much this year, a fan favorite. Nomar was the Red Sox at one time and his .300 batting average even this year after sitting out most of the first half will be missed. Overall I believe it was a good trade for the Red Sox.. Improvements in areas needed as well as a Very Big Loss.

Bobby, Harrisburg

Nomar was not happy here. You could see it in the dugout. If you are getting paid alot of money to play a "man's" game without a smile on your face its time for new scenery. Nomar was great while he was here, but as the saying goes......"If you love something set it free...................da da da da dah." This will spark the sox and propel them into the playoffs especially now that Randy is not in NY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Money can't buy Love! teh heh, heh , heh!!!!!!!

John, Middleboro

As much as Nomar has provided over the past 8 years - I think this is a good deal for everyone involved. Nomar can go play at Wrigley - if you are going to win a World Series - what better places to try than with the Red Sox and Cubs. Also - he's been playing disgruntled and he's a sore spot in the clubhouse. Bringing in guys like Mientkiewicz will be so good for the team - he'll provide a boost primarily defensively but he'll also give us some pop at bat. And he's a hard nosed player - so he'll fit in with a lot of the guys in the Sox dugout that just flat out work hard, stay positive, and play. So I think he's a great addition. Cabrera has potential - he's not playing well now - however, his glove is great and that's a plus. Hopefully, given the fact he'll play a bunch of games in Fenway the rest of the season - he'll pick it up offensively - which he has the potential to do. Overall - I hate to see Nomar's bat leave the lineup. But I love to see the added defense of Mientkiewicz and Cabrera. This will also mean less playing time for Kevin Millar - as he won't be playing first that much. However, he can split time in the outfield with Gabe Kapler, who has been doing great.

Erik, Brighton

YES, this deal is good for the Red Sox. While it may seem lopsided since the Sox are not getting another really big name player for Nomar, the new additions will stregthen the defense and speed of a team that still has sluggers Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz to knock in the runs. Don't foget that Nomar's bat was missing for the first couple months of the season, and nobody seemed to mind. Championship here we come...

Greg, Boston