Are the Phillies being shunned again?

In my post last night I posed the question: "Is Philly really undesirable?" Evidently, it is.

Miguel Tejada isn't the only superstar with recent reservations of playing for a 123-year-old franchise that has won only one world title. In yesterday's Boston Globe, Gordon Edes wrote that the Phillies were interested in trading for Manny Ramirez. Of course they offered Bobby Abreu, a talented player who (outside of Philadelphia) couldn't be picked out of a lineup of one. His contract is the biggest hurdle in trade talks. He's owed $31 million over the next two seasons, and $18 million for a third year if traded.

But the article points out that Manny, who has a long relationship with Phillies skipper Charlie Manuel, is uninterested in leaving Boston for Philly. I guess it kind of proves my theory that if you want to keep a disgruntled star on your turf, post a rumor about a possible trade to Philadelphia.