[*10:25 pm - Baseball Prospectus claims there is a deal in place that would send Manny to Florida and Jason Bay to Boston, and the Pirates and Padres would be involved, too. According to the site, all that remains is nailing down of what prospects are to be involved.]

Less than 24 hours until the MLB trade deadline, and we’re doing a post at 8:15 pm because maybe, just maybe, the Red Sox could be on the verge of dealing Manny Ramirez to the Marlins. While it might seem strange – nee, downright bizarre – that the defending champs would deal their most reliable and clutch right-handed bat while in the throes of a pennant race, Boston might be entering a four-team deal that reportedly involves Jason Bay (to the Sox), the Padres and the Pirates. That’s the word out of Miami from a nascent blogger whom we might throw a party for if his sources are accurate. The Palm Beach Post and Baseball Prospectus are on the case, as well. [Jon Heyman just updated his SI story with this same business at 8:10 pm.]