David - with all due respect, do you believe that Johnny Damon meant as much to Sox fans as Rivera does to Yankees fans?

Damon was a hired gun who spent a few years in Boston. Rivera is a Yankees-home-grown legend.

Mo's number will be held with the likes of Mantle, Joe D., etc. They were never going to retire 18 in Boston for Damon.

Rivera going to the Sox is not the same as Damon coming to NY. Rivera going to the Sox is more like Boggs coming to New York.

Sox fans died seeing Boggs on that horse in 1996. Yankees fans would feel the same way seeing Rivera get a Boston ring.

Sox fans would hate to see Damon win as a Yankee, yes. But, it won't kill them.

Steve took the words right out of my mouth.

Rivera's only doing what his agent advised him to do. He knows he's not leaving the Yankees and the Yankees know it, too. The Yankees have a history of letting their players become free agents before they lock them up for another "tour of duty." Rivera will end his career in the Bronx.

Wait, the Red Sox stopped overpaying for players? Is this a new turn of events I haven't yet read about in the globe? Did they send out a memo? Clearly this must have been instituted after Edgar Renteria, Matt Clement, JD Drew, Jason Varitek, etc, etc... Right?

:)

Mariano did not ask to pitch just 1 inning. Torre happened to volunteer that he'd like to hold Mo to 1 inning, and Mo said he would never hold himself to 1 inning. There's a certain amount of misunderstanding about Rivera--I don't know if David was joking about the comparison with Damon, but there is none. Again, Mike Lupica said in 2006 in 1 article, Mariano "may be the most important Yankee of all time," and in another " the greatest money athlete of all time." Rivera should've fired Fern Cuza many years ago. He's worthless.

I agree with Steve that there's no comparison between what Damon meant to the Red Sox and what Mo means to the Yankees but also agree with David that there's no reason to believe Rivera wouldn't sign with the Red Sox. I also agree that the only PR nightmare would be failing to resign a still excellent Rivera to a reasonable deal because they won't go up a few million in price.
BUT if the Red Sox or Angels or Dodgers or anyone swooped in with a massive offer that changes the landscape considerably. I don't want to contemplate a world where #42 in Boston doesn't mean Mo Vaughn but Wade Boggs certainly provided the blueprint for such a move.
What I don't get is why Rivera should fire his agent? He's trying to get his client another deal, which is his job, and Cashman is trying to avoid making a big investment before he's sure of what he's buying, which is his job.

Mo going to the Red Sox would be like your wife of the past decade leaving you for your best friend. Damon coming to the Yankees is a girlfriend you've had for a couple months leaving for a guy you thought you could trust.

Well, David, you certainly have riled up some of my fellow Yankees fans. But the Damon situation comparison aside, I gree with you that Cashman is doing the right thing, just as he did with Mussina, waiting till the end of the season, seeing how things go [remember all the down time Mo had last September], and just as he has said to every free agent to be[Posada, Abreu, Torre ...]. And I agree with Jeter when he said that Mariano isn't going anywhere, he's just reading from fellow Cuza client, Pedro Martinez's script. So don't worry too much fellow Yankees fans. The team is in much better hands with Cash at the helm. Now as far as the Boss's heir apparent, Swindal and that DUI charge and mugshot from very early this morning --- looks like someone had a little too much fun at the start of spring training!

Cashman is playing it perfectly. Extending mariano in the market would take at least 30m. Why take the risk on a 38 whose been showing wear and tear? Susan, you make some great points, please do not diminish them by quoting the Daily Ruse's shine boy.

It is a curious case of hubris to avow to know what is going on inside someone else's head.