The Business End Of The Manny Trade

With all the squabbling over the Manny trade it seems to me that fans have forgotten the real reason the Boston Red Sox are in the baseball business.  To make money. 

Now don't pretend to be shocked or disgusted because if you're a true fan and have attended a game at Fenway or even watched one on television you've seen the Sox Marketing Machine in full swing. 

Forget about $4.75 hotdogs and $7.00 beers, thats chump change.  Lets talk about the "official (insert product or service here) of the Boston Red Sox", the licensing of the logo, and the advertising plastered around the park.  Those things bring in the big bucks.

Why do they bring in the big bucks?  For a few reasons.  First and foremost is that New England is a rabid sports region and the Red Sox have the largest following of all the franchises here.  However the growth of the Red Sox popularity abroad is the most important issue facing management.  Yes I said the most important.  More so than winning the World Series in 2008 and keeping players happy, though these go hand in hand. 

Growth abroad is influenced by a number of factors including the nationality of the players, exhibition games to expose overseas markets to the team, and most importantly the success of a team.  Remember everyone loves a winner.

So what does this have to do with Manny?  Everything.  The Red Sox are a $816M business with $200M in player expenses for this year alone.  Would you bet your $200M on one player who may or may not give you his all?  If you have a sound mind you wouldn't.  The risk of Manny deciding he doesn't want to play is too great.

Instead you bet your money on a steady player, one who by all indications wants to play for a winning team.  While he may not be the same caliber of player as the one you traded away you can rest assured that he'll play.  That you won't have to fill a crater in the lineup when he suddenly takes himself out of it.  The Red Sox exist to make money, and from what I remember World Series Championship t-shirts go for about $25 a pop.