Well, this is kind of a nebulous issue IMO, but if we focus on the one specific scenario of Drew signing with the Yankees, I think that might tend to affect Sox and Yankee fans/media a lot more than it would affect general baseball fans/media. With a big name like Ortiz it's a different story.
Was Damon going to the Yankees good for the rivalry/buzz...if so, in a big way? I don't think it had that big of an impact on baseball in general.