Manny is gone and most of Red Sox Nation is relieved. Jayson Bay is the new hero after driving in three runs and scoring three and leading the Sox to wins in his first two games. Bay should enjoy his honeymoon while it lasts because it will end when he goes 0 for 4 a couple of times.

Things started getting bad when Manny finally realized that the Sox weren’t picking up his option for $20 million next year. Manny knew without the option, he would be making less money next year and he wasn’t happy about the prospect.

Manny is one of the greatest hitters in the history of the game but he has the temperament of a child. Once he became unhappy, Manny decided to make everybody around him unhappy; first Kevin Youkilis, then Jack McCarthy the traveling secretary and then everybody else. The Sox struggled; the veterans busted their butts to break the slide and every time a tough righty came to Fenway, Manny’s knee mysteriously became sore.

Since the Sox had to make a move, they made the best of a bad situation. Bay may not scare pitchers like Manny does but he has been productive as Manny this year. Bay plays better defense and is lot more cost effective and a lot less disruptive. Manny would have been gone next year but Bay is under contract to Boston through 2009 at “only” $9 million a year. The Sox can use the difference between Manny’s and Bay’s salaries to go out and get a good free agent in the off season.

The Sox sent two prospects to the Pirates to get Bay, outfielder Brandon Moss and relief pitcher Craig Hansen. I like Moss and he will be a solid major league player but not a star. Hansen has a lot of potential but he is not coachable and hasn’t been able to command his fastball and get the bite on his slider that he had in college. I saw Hansen pitch in the Cape Cod summer league and his slider was unhittable then. The Sox were willing to give up Hansen because they have a stud right handed reliever in AA, Dan Bard who actually throws harder than Hansen, up to 100 MPH and has a good slider.