One of the longest running jokes at my place of employment is that eating lunch with me on a regular basis is your ticket out. Several colleagues who doubled as my lunch buddy over the years have left the bank. I like to joke that I should start eating with the people I like less since it's the best way to get rid of them. The same thing seems to happen with the Red Sox. Anointing someone to be my favorite player, or buying their jersey, seems to get them sent out of town. My favorite players growing up included Wade Boggs and Roger Clemens. I was a huge fan of Mo Vaughn. I currently own Carl Everett and Rickey Henderson t- shirts. I also own a Nomar jersey! All are gone, and Nomar may be next.

Nomar is a rare homegrown superstar in Boston. Since his Rookie of the Year campaign during which he unseated popular incumbent shortstop John Valentin, he has been a fan favorite. He hits for average and power, has a strong arm and great range. He carries himself with an air of dignity and kids everywhere imitate his adjustment of his batting gloves and kicking of his feet in the batter's box. He provides a perfect foil to his Yankees counterpart Derek Jeter. 'NOMAR'S BETTER' chants echo around Fenway when Jeter steps to the plate there. Since missing most of the 2001 season with a wrist injury, things have gradually changed between Nomar and the fans. In the 2003 playoffs his bat was a nonfactor. Fans are tired of popups in clutch situations, and he makes a large number of errors. He has cutoff most contact with the media. But fans seems to forget that baseball is a game where you fail at the plate at least three times more than you succeed just be to considered above average. His error numbers are higher because he grabs more balls than Paris Hilton, and his double play partners change more often than Michael Jackson's nose(s).

During the 2003 season the Red Sox conducted a survey asking fans their most pressing concern about the Red Sox future. The top answer was the re-signing of Nomar Garciaparra. In response, the team announced that it would be a top priority this off-season. But in a plot twist eerily similar to the one that led to the Attack Of The Clones, the negotiations have failed. Nowadays you can't watch the news without hearing about the impending Manny for ARod trade. I do not profess to be an insider, but experience dictates that where there is smoke, there is fire. We are hearing reports that Rodriguez has met with Sox owner John Henry, and that together with his agent, Scott Boras, ARod has sent a restructured contract to the Player's Union for review. The trade sounds more like something done in a video game or with baseball cards. As outlandish as it may sound though, it could become reality, and I don't mean the kind of reality that got Sharon Osbourne her own talk show.

From the Red Sox point of view, there may be several reasons to do this trade. Although it means they must jettison Nomar, they add someone who is probably the only player at the shortstop position that is an upgrade, and one of the best all- around players in baseball. There is no question that ARod is Nomar's superior in just about every facet of the game. As has been reported by a variety of sources, the Sox prefer ARod to Nomar because he is more comfortable with the media and would be a major marketing force for the team. This is huge. Regardless of what he is saying currently, Nomar gives you the feeling that he would prefer to be somewhere else. Sure he goes about his work diligently, he is always in the lineup and he is almost always productive, but he is not the public face the team craves. It was great to see how Schilling stepped to the forefront when he was acquired. I imagine ARod would act similarly. Who knows what the heck Nomar is thinking, we'd like to know at least occasionally. His charity and community work is top notch, but he remains an enigma. For years people have assumed he wanted to play closer to his home in California, but only now he is refuting those claims publicly. Why did it take so long? Nomar is easy to emulate because of his quirks, but I guarantee most have rarely, if ever heard his voice. Do the fans feel like they really know Nomar? He sometimes comes off more like Michael Jackson. With ARod and Schilling it seems there is a whole new personality aspect that supporting players like Millar and Ortiz had last year, but the superstars sorely lacked. Frankly, it makes the team and the player much more likeable. I don't want to hear everything about their personal life, and I don't want to know every minute detail of an at- bat, but a little flavor wouldn't hurt!

Getting rid of Manny is something the Sox have apparently decided is a major priority. His apparent indifference and childlike persona attached to an exorbitant salary makes him expendable. Passing his contract through irrevocable waivers did not rid the team of him, so they are exploring a trade. Considering that just a few months ago they risked getting nothing for him, acquiring ARod for him is amazing. As I have noted on The Couch many times, it is not the severity of Manny's actions, but the timing of his indiscretions that are especially damning. At crucial points during the past two seasons when the team should be focusing on the task at hand, he has stirred up trouble. Manny does not speak with the media either, but his loose grasp of the English language is a convenient crutch. Surely the Sox knew what they were getting when they signed him, but that was a Dan Duquette signing, the new owners have shown they are not afraid to cut their losses, and Manny being Manny is no longer acceptable.

When paying top dollar to an employee in any business, leadership is often expected. Leadership has many facets, including performance and communication. No one can argue with Nomar or Manny's on- field performance. Nomar especially is a posterboy for leadership by example. Throughout the years and across sports, players such as Ray Bourque have led by example. Never having been in the clubhouse with the team, I do not know Nomar's role there, but he does not seem to be the vocal type. I can recall no instance of a teammate or manager labeling him as such. This is not a knock on Nomar, some people are just not cut out for that type of contribution. But the Sox in recent years have lacked a vocal leader in the vein of Mo Vaughn. Perhaps it is a goal of Theo & co. to acquire that leader. It is not hard to imagine Schilling standing in front of the microphones after a tough performance explaining what went wrong. We know Manny, and to a lesser extent Nomar cannot be counted on to do the same.

As for the effect of the trade on the lineup and defensively, the Red Sox will still need to find a leftfielder to replace Manny. The middle of the lineup suffers, especially the 3-4-5 tandem. I would suspect that Nomar- Manny- Ortiz would become ARod- Ortiz- Nixon, certainly weaker than it is currently constituted. Manny's defense was surprisingly good last season, but he sometimes seemed to be thinking about counting his money rather than how many outs in an inning. His defense and baserunning should be easily replaced. Second base still remains a hole, although they may be able to get someone in whatever transaction moves Nomar. Theo's acquisitions of offensive players have been impeccable, but his ability to judge pitching has thus far been sketchy at best. Do you think they wish they could have Freddy Sanchez back? The addition and subsequent extension of Schilling, along with the retention of Timlin, almost completely erases the failed construction and reconstruction of the bullpen last season. The already strong starting rotation is now top- shelf, but the bullpen requires further stabilization. The aformentioned retention of Timlin is a step in the right direction and allows them to focus on acquiring a closer. I am not sold on Keith Foulke, but he seems to be the best available option and is highly coveted. It is hard to comment on the hiring of Terry Francona, so we give the front office the benefit of the doubt.

I was in Florida this past weekend and I was able to follow the trade story on television- it is national news. Millions of dollars and the future of three potential Hall of Fame players are at stake. The future of two franchises hangs in the balance, and the pressure is building. Absent in much of the talk is what happens if the trade falls through. By making the negotiations regarding the trade and Nomar's contract public fodder, the team and the players take on enormous risk- the risk of alienating the players and the risk of alienating the fans. Is it even possible for Manny and Nomar to play here next season? The Texas Rangers have asked for the Sox to make a decision on the ARod- Manny trade by the end of the General Manager's meeting. As the next few weeks unfold there is little doubt that the Red Sox will be team far removed from the one that was 4 outs away from the 2003 World Series. That said, if you have a player you'd like for them to get rid of, send me their jersey.