Red Sox’s Papelbon: Manny Ramirez a cancer. Jonathan Papelbon minced few words about the dark, final days of Manny Ramirez tenure with the Red Sox in an interview in the April issue of Esquire magazine. Papelbon described Ramirez as a “cancer.” “It just takes one guy to bring an entire team down, and that’s exactly what was happening,” Papelbon told Esquire. “Once we saw that, we weren’t afraid to get rid of him. It’s like cancer. That’s what he was. Cancer. He had to go. It (stunk), but that was the only scenario that was going to work. That was it for us.” At one point in the Ramirez rant, Papelbon laid out the problems presented by the enigmatic left fielder, whose highly questionable claims of injury, as well as his altercation with traveling secretary Jack McCormick, led to his trade to the Dodgers at the July 31 deadline last summer. The high-energy Sox closer said that he has no issue with anyone on the team being called out once they’ve crossed the line. “He was on a different train!” Paplebon said of Ramirez. Ben’s Take: Papelbon can call Manny a cancer all he wants, the reality is the Red Sox are a lot worse without him. Myth: Manny dogged it his last month in Boston. Reality: Mannywood batted .347 with 4 HR’s, 16 RBI’s and 18 runs scored and a 1.060 OPS in July of ‘08. If thats a cancer, sign me up! — Boston Herald

Padres ownership issues could keep Cubs and Jake Peavy apart. If trade discussions between the Cubs and San Diego Padres regarding starting pitcher Jake Peavy resume, they could face another snag. The Padres are in the process of being sold to Jeffrey Moorad, with whom they have had sole negotiating rights for the past several months. “There’s a lot of buzz around here that Moorad may or may not have the financing together for the deal,” said Barry Axelrod, the agent for the 2007 NL Cy Young Award winner. “Time will tell.” Meanwhile, Bob DuPuy, president and chief operating officer of Major League Baseball, told the San Diego Tribune on Friday that according to his most recent information “the closing was on track” to meet a March 31 deadline. But the lack of public disclosure from current owner John Moores has fueled speculation and gossip. While he loves the weather and his new home in San Diego, Peavy has made it clear he would prefer pitching for a contender, and that the Cubs would be a favorable destination. “It’s tough with the Padres’ situation,” Axelrod said. “They are not very good and it looks like it is going to be another long year for them.” — Chicago Tribune

Dodgers should bring back Pedro Martinez. It’s time to bring Pedro Martinez home. One year after an opening day in which the Dodgers ceremonially connected with their past, they could do it for real by turning a humongous mistake into a homecoming king. Bring back the giant they thought was too small. Bring back the fighter they thought was too brittle. Bring Ramon’s little brother home. Martinez is available; he’s a 37-year-old free agent coming off three injury-plagued seasons with the New York Mets. Martinez is accessible, he wants to pitch for a contender in the National League, and wouldn’t mind being reunited with his buddy Manny Ramirez. — LA Times

Mauer’s status for Twins opener in question. The Twins are consulting other doctors about the latest tests on Joe Mauer’s lower back, and General Manager Bill Smith gave no assurances Wednesday night that the All-Star catcher would be ready for Opening Day. “I cannot answer that question,” Smith said. Mauer, 25, had dye injected into his back Tuesday for a magnetic resonance arthrogram, which showed inflammation of the right sacroiliac joint, according to the Twins. The sacroiliac joint, or SI joint, connects the spine to the pelvis, and the Twins said Mauer has been bothered with pain there when he runs. — Star Tribune

Could Pedro Martinez help Orioles?. So, you might think the Orioles would be interested in somebody like Pedro Martinez, who looked pretty good in a brief WBC appearance and pitched decently against the Orioles in an exhibition game last week. But you would be wrong. Orioles president Andy MacPhail said after the game that the team has no intention of contacting Martinez’s representatives. The Orioles have brought in a veteran pitcher in Adam Eaton, who has yet to make a competitive appearance, and MacPhail seems willing to gut out a few sore arms to get a long read on the organizational pitching situation. “Obviously, our pro scouts are out in other camps, looking at other pitchers,” MacPhail said, “but we would have to think it is a meaningful upgrade.” He would not comment specifically on Martinez, but it’s obvious he has little interest in an aging pitcher who is angling for at least $5million in guaranteed money and a few million on top of that in incentives. — Baltimore Sun

GM Byrnes ‘optimistic’ about D-Backs bullpen. Reliever Chad Qualls believes the Diamondbacks bullpen will be a formidable unit, but he also realizes it would be, well, almost un-American for anyone else to think so, too. “Isn’t that how this country is ran?” he said. “You’re not a believer until you see anything. Who’s going to give you credit for something you haven’t done yet?” Before faith is bestowed, Qualls will need to prove he can handle the closer’s role for a full season. Setup man Jon Rauch will have to show he can recover from his brutal finish to the 2008 season. Fellow right-hander Tony Pena also could use a bounce-back season. And newly acquired right-hander Tom Gordon will need to show he is healthy and still effective at age 41. So, yes, there are questions. But the Diamondbacks believe the foundation is there for a strong unit. “I think there are reasons to be optimistic,” Diamondbacks General Manager Josh Byrnes said. — Arizona Republic

San Jose plans Oakland A’s wooing. The campaign to bring the Oakland Athletics to San Jose will be launched at the April 7 City Council meeting, city officials decided Wednesday. Speaking before a crowd of 40 plus representatives from TV and radio stations at the city’s rules committee meeting, Mayor Chuck Reed said San Jose has a second chance to bring baseball to San Jose now that Lew Wolff, owner of the baseball team, has given up on Fremont. “All right, it’s time for baseball. We know we have a great market for professional sports and we have a site identified,” the mayor said referring to the property assembled by the city on Park Avenue and Autumn/Montgomery streets. “Although the EIR is done, it’s not 100 percent ready. But we can prepare ourselves.” Another hurdle standing in the way is territorial rights by the San Francisco Giants, which counts San Jose as part of its fan base. But Reed said that is Wolff’s responsibility. — San Jose Business Journal