A potential deal that would send disgruntled slugger Manny Ramirez from the Boston Red Sox to the Florida Marlins appeared to fizzle as Thursday's trade deadline approached. Talks with the Marlins were barely alive, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press an hour before the 4 p.m. deadline. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because discussions were ongoing. A day earlier, Ramirez offered his most pointed criticism of the Red Sox in a telephone interview with ESPNdeportes.com.

"The Red Sox don't deserve a player like me," he said. "During my years here I've seen how they have mistreated other great players when they didn't want them to try to turn the fans against them.

"The Red Sox did the same with guys like Nomar Garciaparra and Pedro Martinez, and now they do the same with me. Their goal is to paint me as the bad guy. I love Boston fans, but the Red Sox don't deserve me. I'm not talking about money. Mental peace has no price and I don't have peace here."

But Boston, aware of the slugger's ability and his role on two championship teams, wants to get a player or players who could help in the final two months of the season.

The Palm Beach Post reported on its Web site Wednesday that the Marlins reached a tentative agreement to acquire Ramirez from Boston for outfielder Jeremy Hermida and prospects, who would then trade Hermida and the prospects to Pittsburgh. The Pirates would send outfielder Jason Bay and left-handed reliever John Grabow to the Red Sox. The Post attributed the information to an unidentified baseball source.

"There's no news, nothing to talk about," Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria said early Thursday.

The Red Sox had a day off Thursday before a three-game home series with Oakland. They began the day in second place in the AL East, three games behind Tampa Bay. Florida was third in the NL East, 1 1/2 games behind Philadelphia.

Ramirez is hitting .299 with a team-leading 20 homers and 68 RBIs, and is one of just eight players to hit at least 20 homers in 14 consecutive seasons.

He is in the final guaranteed season of an eight-year, $160 million contract. It also contains club options at $20 million each for 2009 and 2110. Boston has until Nov. 8 to pick up the first option.

On Sunday, Ramirez criticized the Red Sox, telling ESPNdeportes, "I'm tired of them. They're tired of me."

Later Sunday, he said in the clubhouse, "What I said was, if the Red Sox think they can find a trade that's going to make their team better and both sides are going to be happy, I'm going to agree. But they cannot find a trade. It's something simple. It's no big deal."

The often contentious relationship between Ramirez and the Red Sox included him requesting trades after the 2005 and 2006 season.

Two days earlier, he was scratched from the starting lineup when he said his right knee was sore. MRIs later that day on both knees "came back fine," manager Terry Francona said.

Ramirez knocked down team traveling secretary Jack McCormick in the visitors' clubhouse before a game in Houston when he asked for tickets, the Providence Journal reported.

And he told the Boston Herald during the All-Star break he wanted to know what his situation was and he didn't want the club to "tell you one thing and behind your back they do another thing." Red Sox owner John Henry said he found that "personally offensive."

Written By HOWARD ULMAN

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