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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God Nation I am crushed...Nomar has been my idol since '97...god this hurts...I've never thoguht I'd have to talk about Nomar leaving and I'm pissed who we got back and gave up...look 5 months ago we were gonna get Magglio and now all Nomar is worth is O-Cab, DM, and Dave Roberts (I'm sure the Yankees really fear him)...the Cubs gave up noone and got Murton two...Jesus Theo I'm so pissed at you...the rivalry is never gonna be the same without Nomar...now instead of cheerin Nomar's better at Jeter, we get to cheer O-Cab's better...that just doesn't quite cut it..even if we did win it all, how much would it mean without are Franchise player...and Theo your "We need D" excuse is bogus...come on come playoff time everyones game brings out the best, a la Johnny Damon/Damian Jackson..but w/e I just can't picture winnin the WS w/out Nomar

Matt, Hamden, CT

Gut wrenching. Did they think Nomar had peaked? Maybe he'll fail the physical and the deal will be off :) Me and my kids are in utter disbelief. The Cubs should be thrilled. Good luck Nomar, you're the best!!!

JL, Lincoln

Remember when Theo said not to fall in love with your superstars? I guess the guy's a man of his word. For all the people who've had their hearts ripped out today, Nomar WAS the heart and soul of the franchise, but somewhere along the way he decided that wasn't what he wanted anymore. Nomar's highlight as a Red Sox player was in '99 after the ALCS when he stood outside the dugout and applauded the fans. I don't think he would do that today. I'm not sure what happened to him, but he lost his edge. He's still a great player, but he wasn't Nomar Garciaparra anymore. His bat speed was never the same after that wrist surgery, he's sitting out important games, even sitting out games on turf. To top it off, I think we all knew he was walking at the end of the year, things apparently had gotten too bitter between himself and the front office. I know we all wished he stayed. My parents got to see Williams and Yaz play his entire career here, and I wished I could've done the same with Nomar, but that can only happen if it's reciprocated on both sides, and it wasn't. Nomar was starting to slide. It was subtle, not being to get to balls up the middle he'd always gotten to before, the microsecond or two off his bat speed, the lack of power. Theo got two pieces that fill an absolute essentail to winning World Series: Defense. Granted, Cabrera and Mantkieviextsaterdaf (sorry) aren't Garciaparra with the bat, but they're no slouches, either. Cabrera's still somewhat of an unknown since he's played with Montreal his whole career, and I think he'll surprise people while he's here. Mantkieveidha0948fie is a poor man's John Olerud, which doesn't bother me at all. We traded a broken superstar for two, hopefully, instrumental pieces. Red Sox Nation, stop pissing an moaning about your fallen superstar, you were probably calling him a worthless piece of crap on July 1st when he skipped that Yankees/Sox game, anyway.

Myles, Boston, MA

Theo I hate you more than I hate the Yankees.

Ken , Bonita, CA

Hey, they have been very average for 3 months. The offered Nomar a contract twice, for amounts he is unlikely to receive after the season...and he turned them down. Twice. This hasn't been a team all year except for flashes. They were not going to do anything this season before the trade, this trade may make them less talented, but a better team. A little more defense, a little more speed, a little more depth. You put Pokey at 2nd, Cabrera at short, Mientkiewicz at 1st and all of a sudden their infield defense is MUCH better. The object is to win, right? If this team can sneak into the playoffs, they might be able to do something. Let's see how they do.

Jon , Phoenix, AZ

Yes it is a shame that Nomar is gone...but let's not lose sight of the fact that he was leaving after this season. Instead of receiving nothing in return (or a couple of draft picks if they offered him arbitration), they got two players who can help this year and perhaps beyond. Goodbye #5, we'll miss you, but it's time for this team to move on since Nomar clearly wanted out of town ASAP.

Eric, Red Sox Nation - Ohio Chapter

they got something for a guy they were going to lose.....not bad

mojo, Rock Springs, Wyoming

WE NEED PITCHING, NOT CRAPPY HITTERS!

Davy, Chelmsford

A real disappointment. It is a case of the Red Sox not having foresight and failing to treat Nomar as the star he is. This trade will go down as one of the biggest mistakes ever made by Red Sox management.

Matt , Cambridge, MA

Nomah.... will no longer be. Those midwesterns will be calling you nomaR.. We in boston... will always love ya, and I hope you feel the same.

mia, boston