NO DEAL: So the Rodriguez/Ramirez trade is now "dead"- unless it's not. Which means it won't happen- unless it does.
Yes, the Selig-imposed deadline for the two parties to agree on a new contract came and went without a deal- which you would think would put the kibosh on the deal, but you'd think wrong, because Our Favorite Commissioner concluded his "deadline has passed" statement with "at this time"- a big enough hole to fit together a later swap. Even one involving two players whose contracts together are worth more than the budget of the entire "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
The deal was crushed by the declaration of Players' Association big shot Eugene Orza that the union would not accept any deal that included a reduction in overall value. Orza is like the labor side's designated asshole- whether it's a work stoppage or something like this, when Gene Orza is quoted, it's never good news.
Then again, after the deadline the combative president of the Red Sox, Larry Lucchino, declared the trade "dead," while Rangers GM John Hart still held out hope- yes, the two sides are so far apart they can't even agree on whether or not the trade is dead. ESPN's three-headed monster of Peter Gammons, Jayson Stark, and Tim Kurkjian remain divided on the likelihood of a deal; as with the last month of negotiations, I'll keep you posted.