http://tinyurl.com/6lbt3k MIAMI -- All afternoon and throughout the game on Wednesday, the Marlins handled playing a pivotal game with the Mets under heavy speculation that Manny Ramirez could be headed to South Florida. The Marlins went out and took care of business, winning 7-5 to move within 1 1/2 games behind the Phillies in the National League East standings. The bigger issue surfaced after the game, when multiple sources gave strong indications that the Marlins are indeed on the verge of acquiring Ramirez from the Red Sox in a complicated three-way trade. According to sources, Ramirez would become a Marlin for the final two months of the season. Outfielder Jeremy Hermida would head to the Pirates, and the Red Sox would acquire left fielder Jason Bay from Pittsburgh. Asked about the rumors after going 2-for-4 in what might have been Hermida's final game as a Marlin, the 24-year-old said: "It's out of my control. If something happens, there is nothing I can do about it." The non-waiver Trade Deadline is set for 4 p.m. ET on Thursday. Speculation is strong that it's a matter of the Commissioner's Office approving the deal. A league source said late Wednesday that all the particulars are being worked out, and Minor League prospects also are expected to be included. Once those details are in place, the Red Sox are then expected to officially ask Ramirez if he will wave his no-trade clause. If the deal is pulled off, the Marlins would be parting with Hermida, their first-round Draft pick in 2002, who broke into the big leagues in '05. The lefty-hitting right fielder made history in his first at-bat, by connecting on a pinch-hit grand slam. Making $395,000, Hermida is in his third season with the Marlins, and he is in line for arbitration after this year. "I've come up in this organization. It's the only staff that I've known," Hermida said. "A lot of guys in this clubhouse I've known for a lot of years. Definitely, it would be tough to leave these guys who I've grown up with." Should Ramirez become a Marlin, it would be as a two-month rental. According to sources, Florida has no intention of picking up Ramirez's $20 million option for 2009. Because their payroll is $22 million, the fact the Marlins even pursued Ramirez is startling to many, considering their cost-cutting history. But the team is in the thick of the playoff race, and there is a push to get a new stadium built. Right now, the status of the new stadium is hung up in a lawsuit. Ramirez brings star power to the Marlins, along with a power bat. However, he does have his share of baggage, as he seems to be on the verge of leaving Boston disgruntled with the organization where he won two World Series titles. Along with Hermida, Marlins left fielder Josh Willingham heard his name attached to the trade rumors involving Ramirez. Willingham is the current left fielder, and it is unclear if he also may be part of a deal on Thursday. "I hadn't heard anything about myself until today," Willingham said. "I'm sitting there and watching and you see yourself, and it's like, 'Whoa.' " Reminded that the game is a business, Willingham added: "That's how you have to treat it. This is the only organization that I know. Until something happens, we'll cross that bridge when we get there." --

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