Manny Ramirez was given permission by the Boston Red Sox to report to spring training on March 1, six days after the team's first full-squad workout and one day after Major League Baseball's mandatory reporting date. Ramirez asked the team through his agent to trade him during the offseason, but the Red Sox were unable to find a deal to their liking. "Manny is in Florida completing an extensive training regimen and is prepared to have an exceptional season," said a joint statement from Ramirez and the team that was released by the Red Sox on Tuesday. Boston general manager Theo Epstein has refused comment on his discussions with Ramirez, saying they are between the club and the player. "I think Manny knows that we have made a good faith effort to meet his ... request," Jed Hoyer, then Boston's co-general manager, said Jan. 12. "We haven't found a deal that works for us."