Q. Who is better, Xavier Nady or Jason Bay?
— Dave Nystrom, Castaic, Calif.

A. Nady is having a career year when it comes to batting average, but I wouldn't hesitate to say that Bay has had the better career to this point. Nady hit .330 with the Pirates, and has posted a .323 batting average in his first 18 games with the Yankees. But other than .300 average in only 203 at-bats with Pittsburgh in 2005, Nady hasn't hit higher than .278 in any of his seven big-league seasons. His career highs in homers and RBI are 20 and 72, both set last season.

Bay had an off-season in 2007, when his average slipped to .247, but he still hit 21 homers and drove in 84 runs. And in a three-year stretch in 2004-06, he batted .282, .306 and .286, and averaged 31 homers and 97 RBI.

The return the Pirates received in the Bay trade – Brandon Moss and Craig Hansen from Boston, and Andy LaRoche and a prospect from Los Angeles – shows how much value Bay had in the trade market. I expect him to be successful in Boston, even with the pressure of having to follow Manny Ramirez in left field and in the middle of the Red Sox's lineup.

Q. If Manny Ramirez says that he loves being a Dodger, and if he would be willing to take a discount for next season, do you think the Dodgers will sign him?
— Nick West, Costa Mesa, Calif.

A. I would be surprised if Ramirez stays with the Dodgers beyond this season for a couple of reasons. Number one is that Ramirez hired the notorious Scott Boras last winter, and when a player does that, it usually indicates he is looking for the biggest financial gain he can get in the market, no matter where it may come from.

Ramirez's behavior in his final days with the Red Sox was suspicious to say the least, and this is far from the first time anybody has suggested that he orchestrated his way out of Boston — all with the idea of getting a big contract in free agency this winter. Boras, of course, is able to get that done, witness his most-recent deals for Barry Zito and Andruw Jones among many.

Which leads us to the Dodgers and their recent run of free-agent mistake contracts, which also include Jason Schmidt and Juan Pierre. They will get Ramirez's services for two months for nothing financially, and also got the Indians to pay the rest of Casey Blake's deal when they dealt for him.

So to expect them to lay out a four-year, up-to-nine-figure deal for Ramirez just doesn't seem likely to me. But let's see what happens over the next couple of months, as how the Dodgers finish this season definitely will impact their decision regarding signing him long-term. I could see the Yankees doing so, and won't be surprised at all if the native New Yorker ends up there in 2009.

Q. The Angels are having a great season, but there will be some changes after this season. I think they should exercise their option on Vladimir Guerrero, then negotiate a long-term deal. Next, they should try to get a long-term deal with Mark Teixeira. But I think they should let K-Rod go if he asks too much. What do you think?
— Larry, City of Industry, Calif.

A. You've hit on some of the key decisions facing the Angels and general manager Tony Reagins this off-season, Larry. And let me add a few more:

Do you exercise a $14-million option on Garret Anderson, buy him out for $3 million, or work another deal for something in between? Do you keep Jon Garland out of free agency by signing him to a long-term deal — probably something in the range of four years and $50 million? Do you re-sign Chone Figgins, or let him test free agency? And here's an easy one — do you exercise a $9-million option on John Lackey? So no matter how the Angels finish up this season, it's going to be a very interesting winter

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Looking at the players you mention, I would be careful about how long I would commit to Vlad Guerrero, who's listed at 32, and is showing signs of wear and tear. He's already probably better suited to be a designated hitter than a right fielder, and that trend is only going to continue.

Teixeira is a real nice fit in the Angels' lineup — a patient yet powerful No. 3 hitter who walks about as much as he strikes out. Depending on the asking price — and with Scott Boras as his agent, it's going to be very high — Teixeira to me is worth the investment since he is in the prime of his career.

As for K-Rod, that's a very interesting situation. He wants 'Mariano money', which is something in the range of four years and $50 million-plus, and the Angles long have been concerned about his mechanics. That said, I'm pretty sure the Angels will make a very competitive offer to keep him. But with the season he is having, his price is escalating, and somebody may just blow away the Angels and sign him away.