The Cleveland Plains Dealer Speaks On The Trade.

Here is a blurb from the Cleveland paper from today..........Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter
A decision on the Coco Crisp trade could be reached today.
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"If negotiations continued to go the way they did Wednesday afternoon, Crisp might be staying in Cleveland instead of playing center field for Boston.
After the Indians questioned the condition of Boston reliever Guillermo Mota's right shoulder following his physical Tuesday, they re-opened negotiations with the Red Sox. They were willing to keep Mota, according to a major league source, if the Red Sox sweetened the deal.
Right-hander Manny Delcarmen, Boston's second-round pick in 2000, was the sweetener that the Indians wanted. They feel the hard-throwing Delcarmen, who appeared in 10 games for the Red Sox last season, could help this year in the bullpen.

The Red Sox, who have resisted previous Indians' requests for Delcarmen, said no and offered two lower-level prospects. The Indians said no, telling Boston to come back with its best final offer Wednesday night or today.

It appears the three teams involved in the deal -- not to mention the players -- want closure.

The foundation of the trade remains the same. Crisp, right-hander David Riske and catcher Josh Bard would go to Boston for third base prospect Andy Marte, catcher Kelly Shoppach and Mota. The Indians would then trade left-hander Arthur Rhodes to Philadelphia for Jason Michaels, who would replace Crisp in left field.

The deal for Rhodes and Michaels has already been agreed upon, but it is contingent on the completion of the Indians-Boston trade.

The Red Sox don't want to include Delcarmen, making it a four-for-three deal, because they consider him, Marte and Shoppach to be among their top prospects."
*****This is me again, echoing my past comments on Manny D. Please, Theo, do not part with this young man. And you know what? I think Theo Epstein is just as against adding Delcarmen into the deal as I, and others, are. He will be valuable to us, and THIS YEAR, too. Let us hope this ends well. Please.