TORONTO -- By now, it's something of an annual event. Like the equipment truck leaving for spring training or the 11 o'clock start for Patriots Day, Manny Ramirez requesting a trade is now unofficially part of the baseball calendar.

In a meeting with Red Sox management this past week, the Boston Globe reported, Ramirez' agent, Greg Genske told the Sox that, once again, it would be better for all parties involved for Ramirez to be sent elsewhere.

(Not that Genske will confirm that request. Last spring, after he had made the same overture following the 2005 season, he danced around the issue like Fred Astaire in a top hat and tails.)

So once more, the Red Sox will devote a sizeable portion of their offseason time and energy to finding Ramirez a soft place to fall.

Was it coincidence that Ramirez appeared as a pinch-hitter yesterday -- drawing a walk in the seventh inning -- days after the request was made? Who can tell? But it's a safe bet that the Red Sox communicated to Genske that it sure would be easier to move his client if he got himself into a game or three in the final week, proving that the sore knee that has sidelined him for the better part of the last three weeks wouldn't be an impediment.

There's a theory that Ramirez's request will be easier to accommodate now that he has just two guaranteed years left at approximately $20 million per season. That's not chump change, but it's no longer burdensome enough to scare off most rational organizations, as was surely the case three winters ago when the Sox wheeled Manny to the end of the driveway and posted a "Free" sign on his forehead, only to find no takers.

Thanks to the windfall that is revenue sharing that has lifted many small-market teams into upper-middle-class baseball neighborhoods, more teams than ever before can financially afford Ramirez.

The question is, though: How many want Ramirez?

Let's begin with the obvious candidates, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Owner Arte Moreno has promised the team's fans that "major changes" are coming. That could mean free-agent Alfonso Soriano, Alex Rodriguez or Manny Ramirez.

Soriano is expected to have numerous suitors in his search for a multi-year deal while Rodriguez has already said he doesn't intend to waive his no-trade clause. That makes Ramirez the most attainable of the three for the Angels.

But, with other options available, what will the Angels give in exchange for Ramirez. Last year, talks between the two clubs shut down as soon as the Sox insisted on Ervin Santana.

Even if the Angels are willing to move Santana, who, at 23, has already won games in the big leagues, the Sox would undoubtedly require another young player be part of any deal. Infielders Erick Aybar, Brandon Wood or Howie Kendrick would all interest the Sox. But the Angels have been notoriously reluctant to move prospects and the thought of shipping out Santana and another valuable young player may make the price too steep.

What then for the Sox? The Mets, with a nucleus of Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, David Wright and Jose Reyes and the contractual obligations to Shawn Green have neither the need, nor payroll room to add Ramirez to the mix.

The Detroit Tigers, who are just sixth in runs scored in the American League, surely understand that their lineup needs an upgrade. But would manager Jim Leyland, the epitome of old-school managers, tolerate Ramirez? Unlikely.

Remember, too, that Ramirez, with his 10-5 status, has the right to refuse any deal. Wouldn't it be just like him to kill a deal that the Sox arrange, or insist that his new team guarantee his two option years?

All of which leaves the Sox dealing from a distinct disadvantage. Ramirez wants to go, but he can determine where and when, and the twin burdens of his contract and his reputation make him hard to move.

Then again, it's hard to feel too sympathetic for the Sox, who have enabled Ramirez from the start and failed to make him accountable to his employers or his teammates. Right down to what may be his final months with the Red Sox, Ramirez continues to claim ultimate control.

smcadam@projo.com / (401) 277-7340