Dodgers get Manny; Bay to Red Sox; four players to Pittsburgh

Colletti said Boston general manager Theo Epstein got in touch with him early Thursday.

"It really wasn't many hours at all," Colletti said. "Theo reached out to me in midmorning and wanted to gauge our interest, and I said, `You know what? We have an interest.' Then, we probably spent the next two-plus hours hammering it out. This wasn't on the board for very long."

Ramirez, the MVP of the 2004 World Series, remains one of baseball's best hitters and has enjoyed plenty of big moments in October. But his relationship with the Red Sox soured -- again -- in recent months.

So now, Manny can be Manny on the West Coast.

"Manny being Manny can also mean he'll hit a lot of home runs and drive in a lot of runs," Colletti said.

Dodgers infielder Nomar Garciaparra, who played for the Red Sox from 1996-2004, said he's always had the utmost respect for Ramirez, who helped Boston win another title last year.

"It's nice to see we've done something like this, to make a push for the next two months," Garciaparra said. "I think he'll be just fine. Manny is really a simple person. He works extremely hard. He just wants to play baseball and go home and be with his family. How can you not respect and love a guy like that?"

Even before landing Ramirez, Los Angeles had a crowded outfield. Dodgers manager Joe Torre has been juggling Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Andruw Jones and Juan Pierre.

"When a player like Manny becomes available, I don't think there's a manager in baseball who wouldn't say they're interested," said Torre, whose Yankees teams went toe-to-toe with Ramirez for years. "Manny's certainly not a simple personality, that's for sure. He's complex. But I've seen him when he competes."

The Dodgers, who began the day one game behind the Diamondbacks, were seeking a big bat. Boston, in the middle of the AL East race and chasing a second straight World Series title, wanted a productive hitter in return and got that in Bay.

The 36-year-old Ramirez hit his 500th home run this season. He was batting .299 and led the Red Sox with 20 home runs and 68 RBI. He is one of eight players to hit at least 20 home runs in 14 consecutive seasons.

Among active players, he ranks third in RBI (1,672), fifth in home runs (510), sixth in on-base percentage (.409) and seventh in batting average (.312). He also ranks eighth in baseball history, and second among active players behind only Albert Pujols (.620), with a .590 slugging percentage. His 2,318 hits rank 10th among active players and his 493 doubles are tied for fourth.

"It's good for them," Arizona's Orlando Hudson said. "He's one of the greatest hitters ever to play the game. It's going to be a battle between us, starting tonight."

Ramirez has made it clear in recent days he wanted out of Boston. Perhaps the final straw came Wednesday, when he told ESPNdeportes: "The Red Sox don't deserve a player like me. During my years here I've seen how they have mistreated other great players when they didn't want them to try to turn the fans against them."

The often contentious relationship between player and team included Ramirez requesting trades after the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Earlier this year, he knocked down team traveling secretary Jack McCormick in the visitors' clubhouse before a game in Houston when he asked for tickets, the Providence Journal reported.

The Pirates looked to the future with their acquisitions.

Hansen, a 24-year-old right-hander, was 1-3 with two saves and a 5.58 ERA in 32 games. A first-round draft choice in 2005, he became the first Boston player to reach majors in the year he was picked.

LaRoche, the younger brother of Pirates first baseman Adam LaRoche, hit .203 with two home runs and six RBI in 27 games for the Dodgers. A power-hitting prospect at 24, he spent most of this year at Triple-A Las Vegas.

Moss, also 24, split the season between Boston and Triple-A Pawtucket. He hit .295 with five doubles and two home runs in 78 at-bats. Last year, he led the International League with 59 extra-base hits.

Morris, a 21-year-old right-hander, was 2-4 with a 3.20 ERA for Class A Great Lakes.