If by caught in the machine,  you mean  that Nomar was a player who ‘seemingly’ exhibited the behaviors of someone on roids?  If you mean he  also fell victim to greed by turning down a 4 year $60 million contract? Then we can agree he got caught up in the machine..  If you mean Sox management stuck it to him then we have to agree to disagree,  as in my opinion, Nomar did far more to hasten his exit from Boston than the ‘machine’ did to push him out.  

How well did holding out, sulking and quitting on his teammates  work out for him?  And folks conveniently forget how Nomar got injured ?/ Playing soccer with Mia when his contract supposedly forbade that? How does one magically show up to spring training (Trot Nixon anyone?) with an injury that they don’t remember how they did it?

  Nomar had a good run with the Red Sox.. It could have  been for 4 additional years.  It was his decision not to accept that.  When he did things like quitting on his teammates, Theo had little choice but to get rid of him . 

 I have spent 35 years on a baseball diamond as a player and as an umpire through the AAA level. I can still remember that game with the Yankees when Jeter showed Nomar what team leadership is all about by diving into the stands to make a superb play while Nomar sat in the dugout staring into space while his teammates were on the tops step of the dugout supporting their team.  Only a player who wants off the team does that.. Nomar made it clear he wanted out

 Anyone who has played team sports truly understands the impact on the team when a player quits on the team.  Nomar could not separate his own efforts to win a better contract from his responsibility toward the team.  Que Sera… He suffered the consequences of that… by playing the next two years for half of what he would have received in Boston…  The truly sad thing is that Nomar had the chance to enhance his image with Sox fans to the point of being remembered with the elite of Red Sox players… Now?  Quite a mixed bag.