The former Red Sox leadoff hitter and lovable idiot who "looks like Jesus, acts like Judas, throws like Mary," according to vendors around Fenway Park, may very well be on his way back to the Hub for the final five weeks of the regular season.
Damon hit .295 with 461 runs in four seasons in Boston. But he's not the only former Sox outfielder to be on the waiver wire, as the Dodgers are expected to place slugger Manny Ramirez on the block as well.
"Two idiots in limbo," as Yahoo columnist Tim Brown accurately puts it.
In 112 games for the Tigers this season, Damon is hitting .272 with 67 runs, seven homers and 41 RBIs. Ramirez, who returned from the DL earlier this week, is batting .312 with eight homers and 39 RBIs in just 62 games played.
While Damon appears to be a no-trade veto away from rocking the Red Sox once again, the thought of Man-Ram returning to Fenway in a Red Sox uniform is laughable, but certainly not impossible. Should Ramirez clear through the National League — which has priority over any AL team to claim him — the third-place Red Sox may put in a blocking bid on him so that the Yankees or Rays can't nab him for the stretch run.
But the odds of him going unclaimed in the NL are slim. Ramirez is only owed just over $1 million for the rest of the season (and around $3.3 million in deferred salary). The Braves, Giants and Reds have been rumored to be interested, so it's still safe to wait a few days before Red Sox fans dig past the boxed-up Joe Thornton, Antoine Walker and Richard Seymour unis to break out that dusty Ramirez jersey.
The Braves, who own a 2 1/2 game lead over the Phillies in the NL East, could use the power boost in the outfield. Rookie Jason Heyward leads Atlanta's outfield unit with 14 homers, followed by Eric Hinske's nine
The Reds also own a 2 1/2 game lead in the NL Central – over the Cardinals — and although they have ample power in the outfield, Cincy could certainly benefit from Manny's bat in the band box that is Great American Ball Park.
The Giants are 5 1/2 games behind the Padres for the NL West lead but just nabbed Cody Ross from the Marlins, so they could be content with their current outfield corps, which features a resurgent Pat Burrell.
