Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein and Kansas City Royals GM Dayton Moore have agreed in principle on a deal that would send star New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez to the Royals in exchange for a minor league player to be named later.

            “At this time of year, sometimes it’s not so much what you can add to your team but what other teams subtract that make the biggest difference,” said Epstein. “And with the Yankees right on our heels, having him traded out of the division to the Royals will really help our chances down the stretch.”

            Moore says the deal developed quickly this afternoon after he and Epstein were discussing other trade possibilities.

            “Theo just kind of said in passing that he really wished someone would take A-Rod away from the Yankees because he’s about the only thing keeping them afloat,” he said. “I laughed, but said that we’d love to have someone that good on our team. It was right then that we both realized it was a perfect match. We could have a superstar here in Kansas City and the Red Sox would be rid of the Yankees best player. And once Theo said we didn’t have to part with any established veterans or top prospects, and that he’d pick up a big chunk of A-Rod’s salary, I decided to pull the trigger. It was a no-brainer.”

            Rodriguez will likely return to his former position of shortstop for the 45-55 Royals, who are 11.5 games out of first in the AL Central but hoping to turn things around quickly next season now that the reigning AL MVP is onboard.

            “I am excited to announce this deal to our fans,” said Moore. “The key to being successful at this job is being creative and finding a way to make things work. This was a very creative deal. And I think both we and the Red Sox feel like we came out as winners.”

            The trade will be completed pending league and Yankees approval.