BOSTON — Be careful what you wish for. My guess is you got it yesterday.

Manny Ramirez and his RBIs are headed west to Los Angeles by now. And Jason Bay, via Pittsburgh, is replacing him in left field and his fourth spot in the lineup.

Best of luck to him.

Other than the eggshells that permeated the clubhouse the last week, the Red Sox got a lesson about the next two months, Manny or no Manny:

It won't be easy.

Because of obsession with dealing Manny until the last minute of the trading deadline, the Red Sox were not able to improve their biggest uncertainty — their bullpen.

The eighth inning, once a bastion of strength, is on life support. The Red Sox were hoping to find the 2007 version of Hideki Okajima on the market, but they didn't.

The guess here is that they weren't willing to part with top-grade prospects and risk getting another clunker like Eric Gagne.

The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are playing to win a World Series title.

Both made big upgrades the last couple of days with 14-time All-Star Ivan Rodriguez taking over at catcher (he was acquired from Detroit for the mediocre Kyle Farnsworth) and Damaso Marte, acquired from the Pirates, is a legitimate left-handed threat in the bullpen.

The Angels, who swept the sulking Red Sox twice — with precision — over the last two weeks, are not hoping to win a World Series. They are basically planning on it.

The acquisition of Mark Teixeira, when added to the best pitching staff and one of the best bullpens in baseball, was a statement acquisition.

The Red Sox, luckily, face off with the Oakland Athletics for three games beginning tonight.

The A's are 53-54 and like the Sox, have lost three straight. Their annual August and September runs appear to be over.

After that, the Red Sox go to on the road to Kansas City for three games and then four more against some iron, the Chicago White Sox.

The pressure is on Hideki Okajima, Manny Delcarmen and rookie Justin Masterson to clean up the sixth, seventh and eighth innings of close games.

Thus far, all have failed, some more miserably than others.

That's not all. The leadoff spot is another question mark we didn't expect this time of year.

Jacoby Ellsbury, the explosive rookie who made a big splash in the final two games of the ALCS against Cleveland and the all four games against the Colorado Rockies in the World Series, is more important now than ever before.

The fact that Dustin Pedroia can lead off is good, but he is more suited to be the No. 2, with Ellsbury on the bases and running.

Before the Ramirez trade was announced, Red Sox manager Terry Francona said there would be a team meeting before tonight's game.

I'd love to be a fly on that wall.

We expect that the Ramirez Rules will be long gone. And finally, everyone will be treated equally: Play hard or sit.

That pregame speech will be a long time coming.

The Red Sox are by no means out of it. Bay (pardon the rhyme) can play. He was a top run producer for a Pirates team that gave him little protection.

With David Ortiz in front of him and Mike Lowell behind him, maybe a little pressure will be off.

But this is Boston and this is the Red Sox.

Expectations have not changed today. They are the same as yesterday: Win and play hard, or be prepared for the boos.

It should be interesting post-Manny around here.

A few struggling players will have the microscope focused in their direction. Even a few of the really good ones, like Ortiz, will be expected to tow a little more than usual.

I'd like to make a prediction, but I have no idea.

But I do know one thing. It will be very interesting.

E-mail Bill Burt at bburt@eagletribune.com.