The Marlins-Red Sox portion of the three-way collow the template of the deal struck Tuesday by the Angels, who acquired first baseman Mark Teixeira from the Braves for first baseman Casey Kotchman and Class AA right-hander Stephen Marek, a mid-level pitching prospect.

Ramirez, 36, would be a two-month rental, the equivalent of Teixeira. Willingham or Hermida would be the equivalent of Kotchman, a player the Red Sox would control through his three arbitration years.

The difference is, the Marlins would stand virtually no chance of signing Ramirez, and they also lack an obvious replacement for Hermida. The Angels could either keep Teixeira or replace him with Class AAA first baseman Kendry Morales next season.

The Marlins, though, routinely think outside the box. In essence, all of their players are rentals, at least once they reach arbitration.

Ramirez appeals to the Marlins because he would be an extremely motivated player, eager to prove himself worthy of a four-year, free-agent contract worth at least $80 million.

The addition of Bay, meanwhile, would be a coup for the Red Sox, who would be acquiring a younger right-handed hitter whose .894 on-base/slugging percentage is nearly as high as Ramirez's .927 mark this season.