The Detroit Pistons were determined to shake up a core group of players that got bounced from the Eastern Conference Finals for a third straight year. Most expected a major deal would have come much sooner than this.

Iverson, a four-time NBA scoring champion with a career average of 27.7 points per game, is averaging just 18.7 points through three games this season with the Nuggets. But that can’t be the reason for the deal, this was in the works for quite some time and not dependent on Iverson’s production through three games.

While the Pistons did want to shake up their roster, the real reason could just be cap relief after this year. Iverson is in the final year of his contract, which pays him $21 million this year. Getting that kind of money off the books would free up the Pistons to do a lot of other things.

The Packers get an unknown conditional draft pick and the Jets will likely have to release a QB. According to Glazer, the most likely suspect will be Chad Pennington.

Stay tuned on this one.

Chris DeMatteo, one of the original Blast launch issue staffers, weighs in on the Manny Ramirez trade.

Friends, readers, websurfers, lend me your eyes.  I write to bury Manny, not to praise him.  His legacy in Boston will live after him.  A legacy that includes two World Series titles and a series MVP. 

I have been a Red Sox fan my entire life and a Manny Ramirez fan since before he arrived in Boston.  I will continue to be a Manny fan through his tenure with the Dodgers and wherever he goes and finishes his career.  I am not saying “good riddance,” but I am not denouncing the trade and I am not condoning his recent behavior. 

As a writer and a fan, I believe that Manny Ramirez represents the best and the worst in baseball.  He plays like a god but always reminds us that he is human.  Although this has become a trade deadline tradition, I spent much of today awaiting the news.  If Manny stayed with the Red Sox, I probably would have titled this column “Mo’ Manny, Mo’ Problems” and speculated on what would and should happen for the rest of the season.  For better or worse, the Manny Era for the Red Sox is over.  For better or worse, the Manny Era for baseball is far from it.

“Manny Being Manny.”  We have heard it, read it and quite possibly said it, but have we really thought about it?  Manny has been decried as a “man-child” and an “idiot savant of hitting.”  He has also-and accurately-been called the greatest hitter of his generation and a first-ballot Hall of Famer. 

In recent days he has been called “spoiled,” “bratty,” “whiny,” “insulting.”  He is portrayed as a clown, a slacker who is able to get by on his natural talent of hitting and not always try his hardest.  His teammates however, tell a different story.  They have said in the past that no one works harder in the cages than Manny (Julio Lugo recently said that Manny is the first one to the park).  They say that he has an aggressive personal workout.  They have said, for the most part and that may change now that he is no longer with them, that he is a great teammate in the clubhouse.  Manny Ramirez is not a man-child, brat or savant.  He is an enigma.  He is a baseball player.  We mortals cannot comprehend how someone can be so good at anything.  We cannot comprehend the money he makes.  We cannot understand him. 

Major League baseball is not the pure, innocent game that father and son enjoyed so idyllically at the start and end of “The Natural.”  There are big bucks and big egos.  We have seen drugs, gambling and cheating tarnish our game.  We also see tremendous talent and amazing games.  Baseball is a game.  Major League baseball is a business on both sides-the owners and players-and we have the strikes, disputes and contracts to prove it.  Manny’s departure comes in the wake of what has been called his annual “tantrum.” 

This is not the first time he has asked out of Boston nor is it the first time Theo Epstein and management tried to trade him.  (Before the 2004 season, he was placed on irrevocable waivers and was then tentatively traded for A-Rod).  This season was the last of the eight-year contract he signed with the Red Sox but the team had two $20 million options for 2009 and 2010.  While Manny did say at the start of the season that he hoped his options were exercised and that he wanted to finish his career with the Red Sox, he apparently changed his mind and decided he wanted to become a free agent.  There is nothing wrong with trying the open-market.  Now-former teammate J.D. Drew hit payday when he opted out of his contract to sign with the Red Sox for $75 million over five years.  His New York counterpart Alex Rodriguez opted out of his contract only to re-up with the Yankees for more years.  Manny wants to play more than two years and wants a longer contract.  I would hardly call it greed.  The league and owners make billions-it is only fair that their workers who help them earn their fortunes be paid what they are worth. 

While Manny without question dug his own hole, none more than this week, I do feel he was unfairly vilified by the media-both national and local.  Maybe it is because he did not talk to them.  Maybe not.  He is far from the first or the only player to do the things he did and even worse things. 

Manny never fell out of shape, went to another team, demanded a trade to a World Series winner so he could win a ring, sign a contract that allows him special travel privileges, play only half a season, then audition his suitor teams like he was on a dating show.  If he did, would his team’s radio announcer lose it on the air?

Manny has never been linked to steroids or any other performance enhancer.  He did not have any abnormal spikes in homeruns (his 1998 total was actually below what he hit most other years) nor did he suffer a mysterious drop after the league’s new testing policy took effect.  If Manny did admit to taking steroids, would growing a mustache make everything better again?

Manny’s trade was not caused by a feud he had with a teammate.  If that did happen, which player would go to Miami? 

Manny never gambled, corked his bat or ripped his teammates (note the word teammates and not team or management) in the media.  

There are different rules for different people.  Manny was always given a lot of leeway because of his talent.  Whether it was ducking into the Green Monster during a mound conference, not running out groundballs, watching and celebrating homeruns, showing up late to spring training, taking time off, demanding trades or any of his other antics, Manny lived above the law.  The elite do.  Manny’s incident with the team’s traveling secretary in Houston is reprehensible.  Unfortunately, unlike what another Boston writer said at the time, that what Manny did would not earn him an arrest if he were not a baseball player, is not true.  Manny is an elite player-he can only be compared to other elites.  Elite lawyers, surgeons, politicians, scientists, musicians?  It is doubtful one of them would have been punished for pushing one of his or her organization’s employees.  If you are that good, you can get away with a lot.  It is the same in every sport.  Who is to blame?  Everyone. 

Because we cannot comprehend the immense talent or the money that it deserves, we fall in love with the so-called “lunchpail” players like Trot Nixon, Kevin Youkilis and Jason Varitek.  While they are still far better at baseball and far richer than we are, we still think they are like us and love that they had to work hard.  The truth is that they are also blessed with amazing talent as much as superstars like Manny do in fact work hard.  In life as in baseball, getting one’s uniform dirty only goes so far.  Talent and performance ultimately win out. 

While Manny at his worst represents the worst in baseball, when he is at his best, there is nothing better in or about the game.  As much as we have seen his business side, we have seen him at his playful side.  We saw him having fun and making the game fun.  Although it was only in 2007, one of my favorite Manny moments was his homerun off K-Rod in the Division Series against the Angels.  As soon as he hit the ball, Manny raised his arms and the ball soared into the sky to win the game for the Red Sox.  In the ALCS against the Indians, Manny did the same thing when he hit a homerun even though his team was still down three runs and lost the game.  That was Manny being Manny: he went up there doing what he always did-hit.  He hit and he hit it far and that was what he celebrated.  For that moment in time, it wasn’t about the money, management or even winning.  It was about hitting.  When the Red Sox fell down 3-1 in that series, Manny drew ire when he said that it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if the Red Sox lost.  He was right.  As much as it pains the players and fans, there are far worse things in the world than losing a baseball game or a play-off series.  If only more people knew that.  Then the Red Sox came out playing loose, came back and won the series four games to three.  All because Manny was what he was, a baseball player, doing what he did best, hit.  There is nothing better than watching Manny hit.  It is the other things he does that cause issue. 

Manny will be remembered for a lot in his career, especially in his almost-eight years in Boston.  He will be remembered for his great moments, his funny moments and unfortunately, his departure.  The Red Sox won two titles in his eight years and those will go a long way in healing wounds.  Only time will tell how they do without him.  I wish he could have stayed and more importantly, I wish he wanted to stay.  He will return to Fenway.  If not as a Dodger in the World Series or interleague play or with another team during the season, then as a Hall of Famer when 24 is hoisted over right field near the worthy company of 1,4,9,8,27,42 and, by then, hopefully 14.  Until then, I’m surely going to miss him.

This was as good a deal for the Red Sox as there could be in giving up one of the best hitters in the game and the best on their team.  It was a great deal for the Dodgers.  For the Pirates, maybe it will eventually make them a buyer at deadline day. 

Jason Bay will step right into leftfield for the Red Sox although he might not fill Manny’s cleanup spot in the batting order just yet.  Francona is very good at integrating players into a lineup and he may very well bat Kevin Youkilis or Mike Lowell fourth and Bay lower until he feels he is comfortable in the lineup.  Bay is not the hitter that Manny is (although his numbers this year are close).  He is however a better outfielder and baserunner (he can steal bases), younger, cheaper and definitely less of a distraction.  His runs and RBI will likely increase in the more-potent Red Sox lineup.  He does have the power that is needed to fill the Manny void.  Most importantly, he is under contract for only $7.5 million next year and may be locked into a long-term deal if he impresses this season and next.  Not to mention, he is a right-handed power hitter playing in Fenway.

Craig Hansen and Brandon Moss can hardly be considered losses.  Hansen has a live arm and high hopes but has yet to deliver for the Red Sox.  To his credit he was rushed, but still, he has had difficulty in pressure situations and when you are on a perennial contender, every relief situation is a pressure situation.  Now the Red Sox will not have the option to use him and that may in fact make their bullpen better.  He will probably do well in Pittsburgh.  Moss is a solid outfielder but he was never going to play regularly in Boston.  He does not have the power to take over for Manny in left, will not play center with Jacoby Ellsbury likely a fixture and will not supplant J.D. Drew in right.  For the Red Sox he was at best a fourth outfielder.  He can be an everyday player for a smaller team and may very well step up like former Pawtucket teammate David Murphy (who was traded to the Rangers with Kason Gabbard for Eric Gagne last year).  He was nothing more than a trade chip and now will benefit by receiving more playing time. 

Manny is one of the best hitters in baseball.  He will definitely help the Dodgers and will still hit homeruns in a more-spacious Dodger Stadium.  His defensive liabilities will show more but great hitting beats weak defense every time.  A new environment will also contribute to what will likely be a tear in August and September.  Manny always hits but he hits better when he’s happy and he should be happy in California.  The Dodgers are also a better landing spot than the Marlins.  There are more veterans-including former teammates Nomar and Derek Lowe-and a manager, former foe Joe Torre, who knows how to deal with larger-than-life players.  Moreover, the Dodgers are a big-market team that can afford to sign Manny when he becomes a free agent.  On top of that the Red Sox are paying the rest of his salary this year.  Despite the crowded outfield situation at Chavez Ravine, Manny will not be sharing time with anyone.

Andy LaRoche has played only a little in the majors but has shown he can get on base and may develop power.  In Pittsburgh, he will be able to play across the infield from his brother Adam who is the Bucs’ first baseman, currently on the DL. 

Bryan Morris is a 21-year old right-hander who has only played in the minors but is doing well in A-ball after missing last season due to Tommy John Surgery.  He was the Dodgers’ first-round pick in the 2006 draft and is considered a good prospect. 

Although trading Ramirez was a pressing need, it is hard to say that the Red Sox are better, mostly because they are not.  It is possible that the trade will inject some much-needed energy into an underperforming team but with a roster of veterans and professionals such as Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek, it is doubtful Manny’s antics were responsible for its woes.  The trade failed to address the bullpen and catching situation which are both pressing needs this year and next.  Still, a waiver deal or call-up can rectify the pitching situation.  Justin Masterson is already in the pen and the team may call up Michael Bowden.  If Bartolo Colon comes back, Clay Buchholz may be moved to relief duty where he might even be more effective.  While the Red Sox are paying the rest of Manny’s salary this year, it is only money. 

The Pirates have traded away their best players the past few weeks and have gotten even younger.  While the moves signify rebuilding, it must be stated that the Pirates have been “rebuilding” for years.  Maybe they will be buyers at the deadline.  One would think that if they had this much talent to trade away, they would have enough to use and augment with a trade for a veteran in their own stretch run.

The deal sends Jason Bay to Boston and the Pirates get four minor leaguers. Pittsburgh gets young talent from Boston in Craig Hansen and Brandon Moss, third baseman Andy LaRoche from the Dodgers and AA Dodgets pitcher Bryan Morris.

The $20 million club options on Manny for 2009 and 2010 were dropped, so he will become a free agent next year.

Bay is a two-time All-Star with a .376 career on-base percentage and .282 lifetime batting average. He’s hitting .282 with 22 homers and 64 RBIs this season. The British Columbia native was the NL Rookie of the Year in 2004, when he hit .282 with 26 homeruns and 82 RBIs.

Ramirez, one of baseball’s greatest hitters, was the 2004 Word Series MVP when he helped end an 80+ year “curse” in Boston.

Blast Magazine staff writer John Guilfoil contributed to this report from Boston

If you are curious as to whether or not this is a fair trade, Yankees fans unaffectionately call him “Farnsworthless.”

Yankees management is happy to have Pudge. “He’s hitting over .290 I believe and he’s been hot so we’re looking forward to having him,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said after New York beat the crap out of the Orioles 13-3 on Wednesday.

Actually, Pudge is hitting .295 with five home runs and and 32 RBI’s in 82 games. He is a welcomed addition to a team that just lost Jorge Posada for the season.

Farnsworth is 1-2 with a 3.65 ERA and is generally thought of as not so hot. He throws gas, but that’s about it.

The deal is still pending league approval and Shockey’s physical.

It’s been rumored that Shockey has been unwanted by the team ever since their Super Bowl run when the team seemingly got much better without him. His receiving and blocking talents apparently are outweighed by his boorish behavior and me-first attitude.

Look for him to be very productive in Sean Payton’s offense. Drew Brees must be the happiest guy in Louisiana.

“We acquired a perennial Pro Bowl player and one of the NFL’s top pass rushers,” executive vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato said. “He is a great leader who will fit in very well with our team. We feel that Jason is a great addition on the field as well as off the field.

“He is a playmaker who can do so many different things for us on defense.”

And, in true Redskins fashion, they plan on keeping Andre Carter at right defensive end and moving the guy that played 11 seasons there to the left side. It’s not easy to switch sides in football, as everything changes. So, keep an eye on this one as he may not be the guy they thought they were getting.

In this day and age, the sign-and-trade is a very popular approach for NBA teams to use in getting something for their free agents. In baseball and football when a team loses a key free agent they are compensated with a draft pick. In basketball, not so much.

NBA trades are usually very close to being dollar for dollar in matching salaries, so Philadelphia would need to send the Clippers Reggie Evans and almost $9 million more? Andre Miller? I would think Brand would come to Philly knowing he would play with Miller. Jason Smith? That’s only another $1.3 million. Willie Green at $3.3 million? Maybe.

Do the Sixers sign and trade Andre Iguodala at the same time? I don’t think they do that.

I don’t see how the numbers can match up in a sign-and-trade unless the 76ers clean house.

If Philadelphia somehow steals Brand away from L.A., I think they will just sign him for the maximum.

My opinion is that he stays with L.A., but something is telling me Philadelphia GM Ed Stefanski has something up his sleeve after trading Carney and Booth today (tomorrow) to free up cap space.

The deal is contingent on Sabathia passing a physical, but there is no more information available at this time.

-Jason Taylor, DE, Dolphins: Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga even came out and said he wanted to do Taylor a favor and move him to a team that has a chance to actually win a Super Bowl. So what happened? Ummm…you wanted a first-round pick for a 33-year old player. C’mon, Wayne.

-Jammal Brown, T, Saints: Brown’s name came up late in the Draft trade discussions. He was rumored to be part of a deal for the Eagles Lito Sheppard. He was also rumored to dangled in an attempt to jump up in the top five of the Draft. We think, in the end, the Saints weren’t dead set on moving him. Something could still happen, but it’s less likely now.

-Lito Sheppard, CB, Eagles: It’s been well-known for some time now that the Eagles want to move this guy. So why hasn’t anything happened? Most likely, the Eagles have over-valued him. He’s missed 14 games over the last three seasons, he played hurt last year and he wants more money. Again, something might still happen (and most likely will at some point), but the Eagles need to chill out on their asking price. Reuben Frank of Phillyburbs.com does a great job of detailing how they got to this point.

-Chad Johnson, WR, Bengals: He’s said publicly that he won’t play for the Bengals. The Bengals said, ‘fine, then sit.’ Cincinnati supposedly turned down two first-round picks (two first-round picks?!) for his services. We think the Bengals are just stupid and stubborn. Based on their aggregate record over the past 18 or so years, we’re probably right.

-Roy Williams, WR, Lions: See: Bengals. Williams is a free agent after this season. They could possibly tag him, but it’s clear he won’t be in Detroit much longer. Matt Millen…what can you say? Why get something for him while your team isn’t that good when you could just let him walk and get nothing? Oh, and your team still won’t be any good.

-Anquan Boldin, WR, Cardinals: Wow, this is really a pattern here. Maybe they think they can work out a deal with Anquan to make him happy. Currently, he isn’t. He wants to be paid closer to Larry Fitzgerald type of money and we don’t know that we can blame him. The Cardinals aren’t the smartest franchise, so it’s no surprise that they weren’t able to parlay Boldin into help on the defense. They will be tying up an awful lot of money in the WR position should they re-do his deal. Last we checked, WR’s don’t win Super Bowls.

Jeremy Shockey, TE, Giants: This one confused us. Surely, Shockey would have been a Saint by the end of Day 1. Shockey has come off like even more of a punk during his time on the injured list (which is tough to do) and it’s time for him to go. Eli Manning was even better without him and whatever he brings to the table on the field, he subtracts just as much (if not more) off of it. Obviously, the Giants weren’t bowled over by any deals and probably aren’t as convinced as the rest of us that he has to go.

Don’t watch the Draft without guidance! How will you know whether or not Mort and Berman are full of it again? What will the Dolphins do with the first pick (we’ve got the inside scoop)? Does Mel Kiper seriously expect us to believe him when he says “so and so will anchor that line for the next 10 years,” when meanwhile so and so has never played a down in the NFL and the draft is an inexact science and Kiper has no idea or else he’d have a general manager job? Can the guys on the set ruin every damn pick by telling us who will get drafted just seconds before Roger Goodell does? Will the ESPN yahoos suggest that “they may take Darren McFadden” on every team’s pick? Will Susie Kolber ask more brilliant questions to free-falling players like “what’s the game plan now?” (damn Susie, what do you think the plan is? Ummmmm….wait to get picked?) Will the Eagles move Lito Sheppard? Will the Giants trade Jeremy Shockey? Will the Saints acquire more of someone else’s retreads? How many picks will the Redskins trade away for aging veterans, some has-beens, and a few never-will-be’s? Where will Jason Taylor land? Are Roy and Chad really staying put?

We’ve got the information and insight you need to follow the Draft!

Pop on by. Perry will be watching the NFL Network broadcast and I’ll have the (sigh) ESPN broadcast.

It’s well known that the Eagles want to unload the unhappy corner, but early reports were that they wanted a high-end wide receiver in return. With just about all of those options exhausted, I’m hearing that he will be used to improve draft position.

Andy Reid and company have proven in the past that they aren’t afraid to move up in the first round to get a lineman. In 2003, the Eagles traded halfway up the first round from the #30 slot to the #15 slot to take Miami DE Jerome McDougle. The following year in 2004, they traded up to the #16 position and nabbed Arkansas offensive lineman Shawn Andrews.

“The contract is in place,” Arora said Monday. “They are not unintelligent people. They know what they are doing.

“They (Titans) have already made it publicly known that he needs to find another home. Hopefully, it will be Dallas,” Arora said. “At some point there is not going to be a market for him. If the draft comes and goes, his value for them reduces. If there is going to be a deal, I imagine it would come in the next three weeks.”

So, what does NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell think of this? He doesn’t really care.

“He has to accept responsibility for his actions and, when he does, I will consider him for reinstatement,” Goodell said. “If he doesn’t meet that status, I don’t feel any obligation to reinstate him.”

Don’t forget, since he was suspended for a year, Pacman has pleaded no contest to a felony charge in Georgia and guilty to a misdemeanor in Nevada. Yes, this was after the initial suspension. Goodell has been on a mission to clean up the league and Pacman has been on a mission to sully its reputation.

Stay tuned.

UPDATE: Larry Fitzgerald has officially renegotiated with the Arizona Cardinals. His new deal is reportedly worth $40 million over four years, with $30 million in guarantees. The contract changes his cap number from $16,485,000 to $7,643,334.

Regardless, the Cardinals inability to get this hammered out before the start of free agency has cost them dearly. They now have some wiggle room to add some free agents and there is really no one left. Well done, Rod Graves.

As I said previously, this will require the efforts of Head Coach/VP Andy Reid, General Manager Tom Heckert and salary capologist Joe Banner, as they will need to work out compensation with the Arizona Cardinals as well as restructure Fitzgerald’s current ridiculous deal. He is scheduled to make $14.6 million in 2008 with a total cap number of $16.5 million.

The source also mentioned that Patriots free-agent cornerback Asante Samuel is on the radar as well. This would dovetail with another rumor that has Lito Sheppard wanting a new contract shortly, if not now. While both the Eagles and Sheppard have said that any notion that they have given him permission to seek a trade is false, Sheppard did tell Comcast Sportsnet’s Derek Gunn that he should be paid like a top corner. Maybe he is a top corner, but it’s tough to tell when he’s on the injury report so often.

While I am not reporting that all of these things will happen, what was clear from my source is that the Eagles are not resting on their laurels this off-season. They want to add weapons for Donovan McNabb and infuse playmakers throughout the roster.

How it all plays out remains to be seen, but this is good news for Eagles fans who want the organization to make the push required to get the city a championship.

The name “Chad Johnson” was also floated, but I don’t see that as a realistic possibility. It is rumored that the Redskins are interested in Johnson, and we all know they’ll overpay and give up tons of draft picks. In contrast, the Eagles are much more careful with their April selections.

The source also stated that the Eagles are not planning on rebuilding (ie not trading Donovan McNabb) and that they have a list of guys that they want to go after. Fitzgerald, according to the source, is on the top of that list.

There was also a mention that the Eagles had their eyes on a kick-returning cornerback with their 19th overall selection in April’s draft. Poor kick and punt returning was a hallmark of the 2007 Eagles season.

Malik Allen will join Kidd in Texas in exchange for Devin Harris, Jerry Stackhouse, DeSagana Diop, Maurice Ager and Devean George.

I firmly believe the Dallas Mavericks just became the team to beat in an already-stacked Western Conference. Dallas got their hands on the NBA’s best point guard in Kidd, which will only make basketball easier for All Stars Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard.

Kidd is the most complete point guard in the league. He might not have the scoring ability of Steve Nash, but he can defend and rebound like no other point guard in the NBA. Kidd already has 12 triple doubles this season and he sits on number 99 for his career as he heads back to the team that drafted him with the second-overall pick in 1994.

However, New Jersey picked up a very nice player in Devin Harris. In his 4th year out of Wisconsin, Harris has improved in every season averaging 14 points and five assists in 2007-08. Kidd’s time was up in New Jersey. He deserved this trade to get another shot at winning the title. New Jersey wasn’t going anywhere this year, and this could be the missing piece to Dallas’ title hopes.

UPDATE: We all know that this deal hit snag after snag, so we now officially say that Jason Kidd is officially a Dallas Maverick.