Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein admitted there was more to the trade of Manny Ramirez than just baseball.

On Friday, before the Red Sox played their first game since 2000 without Manny Ramirez on their roster, Epstein shed some light into why Boston's most feared right-handed slugger since Jim Rice was sent out of town and why he believes they are better off with Jason Bay going forward.

Epstein dealt the disgruntled Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers minutes before Thursday's deadline in a three-team deal that brought Bay to Boston from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Boston also dealt reliever Craig Hansen and outfielder Brandon Moss to the Pirates.

"I think we feel good about the trade," Epstein said. "I think we were in a bit of a difficult circumstance and we made something good out of it. You may not be as familiar with Jason Bay because he's been in the National League, but he's a really good player."

In the days days leading up to Thursday's trade, Ramirez repeatedly said he was tired of Red Sox ownership and they were tired of him and that "enough was enough." Epstein admitted Friday that those comments and Ramirez's presence in the clubhouse were becoming too much of a distraction for a team that trails Tampa Bay by three games in the American League East.

"There were some things going on with the team that were real, not just imagined," Epstein said. "We were having a difficult time, and it wasn't any one person's fault, and there was a dynamic that was created that made it difficult for us to go out and play our best."

The Red Sox replace Ramirez with Bay, who batted fifth and hit behind Mike Lowell in the batting order in Friday's lineup. Lowell, for now, will assume Ramirez's cleanup spot in the order.

"I'm not coming in trying to replace anybody," Bay said. "They needed a left fielder. I'm going to play left field and I can't wait."

Bay came to Boston after batting .282 with 22 homers and 64 RBIs in 106 games in Pittsburgh.