With Dustin Pedroia joining the active roster on Friday, the Red Sox had a tough decision to make regarding whose spot Pedroia would take. One option was to trade catcher/utility player Blake Swihart who requested to be traded because he wasn't happy with his playing time according to Thescore. Even though he requested a trade, he remains on the team.
The Red Sox pulled off a surprising move by designating first baseman Hanley Ramirez for assignment. Ramirez signed a four-year, $88 million contract with the Red Sox back in the 2014-15 off-season.
Ramirez has been playing first base for the Red Sox this season as J.D. Martinez has been occupying the DH spot. This season, he got off to a scorching hot start but slowed down as of late. In 44 games with the Red Sox this season, he put up a slash line of .254/.313/.395 with six home runs and 29 runs batted in. He also currently has four stolen bases which are a surprising amount for him because last season he only stole one base and hadn't stolen more than ten bases in a whole season since 2014.
One of the reasons, if not the only reason why Hanley Ramirez was released was that of a vesting option in his contract. If he were to step up to the plate 302 more times this season, the Red Sox would have to give him $22 million next season.
Los Angeles Angels
The Angels currently have Pujols at first, and Ohtani as their DH but Ohtani only hits three times per week since he also pitches. Ohtani doesn't hit the day before he starts, the day he starts and the day after he starts as this is taken to prevent Ohtani from getting injured.
Having Ramirez bat three times a week would make the Angels lineup even more powerful as it already contains the likes of Mike Trout, Justin Upton, Ian Kinsler, Andrelton Simmons and others.
Ramirez can also play first base when Ohtani is in the DH spot which could give 38-year-old Albert Pujols some rest. Pujols is doing similar to Ramirez this season as he has a slash line of .247/.286/.402 with seven home runs and 26 runs batted in in 48 games.
Minnesota Twins
In the off-season, the Twins brought in Logan Morrison who just came off a season where he hit 38 home runs.
In 44 games this year, he is on the brisk of the Mendoza line batting .200 with only five home runs and 18 runs batted in. Morrison also has a strikeout percentage of 25 percent which is concerning. Ramirez would be a much bigger upgrade over Morrison for the playoff-hopeful Twins who are looking to return to the postseason after clinching a wild card spot last season.
The Twins could also use Ramirez right now as they are currently without Joe Mauer who is a designated hitter/first baseman like Ramirez. Mauer is currently on the disabled list with concussion-like symptoms and neck stiffness which he has suffered from many times in his career.
With Morrison on a one-year contract and Mauer's contract expiring at season's end, the Twins should give some thought to signing Ramirez to a two-year deal which will give them someone to play first or DH in case neither of them re-signs.
New York Mets
The Mets are in a similar situation the Twins are in. The Mets are a team that's capable of making the playoffs, but they still need to fill in some pieces to make them a legitimate contender, and so they can go deep in the playoffs. The Mets play in the National League, so they don't have a DH, but current first baseman Adrian Gonzalez isn't an ideal option for the Mets who want to make the playoffs. Gonzalez hasn't been great this season as in 41 games; he has a slash line of .250/.324/.391 with five home runs and only 20 runs batted in. The more agile Ramirez would be a better option over A-Gon for the Mets who are aiming to make the playoffs. The Mets do have the first baseman Dominic Smith in the minors, but he has struggled in his short tenure in the big leagues which came last season.
Miami Marlins
The Marlins are a terrible team with a record of 19-33, and they are currently in rebuild mode. One of the only players left on their team that they can receive significant value in return is first baseman Justin Bour. Bour currently has ten home runs but is only batting .236. Come July when the trade deadline takes place, Bour may no longer be a Marlin, and if the Marlins sign Ramirez, he can be Bour's replacement. If Ramirez were to sign with the Marlins, the Marlins could flip him to a contender to get something in return for him.
While Ramirez may not want to play on a losing team, he may want to play in Miami as Miami is a fantastic place to live because of the weather and the kind of city it is but also because of the fact that Ramirez used to play for the Marlins.
In fact, the Red Sox were the ones that traded him to Florida which Ramirez spent six-and-a-half seasons with the Marlins.
During those six-and-a-half seasons, Ramirez batted .316 with 148 home runs and 482 runs batted in. He also won rookie of the year in 2006 as a member of the Marlins as well as three all-star appearances and two silver slugger awards all with the Marlins.
Other teams that could sign Hanley Ramirez
Toronto Blue Jays
- Smoak's contract up at the conclusion of the season.
- Morales: batting .167 with 4 home runs and 14 runs batted in in 36 games.
- Can trade to a contender if playoffs out of reach at the trade deadline.
- Should consider signing to a two-year deal.
San Francisco Giants
- Move Belt to LF to open up a spot for Ramirez at 1B.
- Make lineup better.
- Went all in during the off-season to try and make playoffs this year.
- Should consider signing Ramirez to a multi-year deal.
Tampa Bay Rays
- Move Miller to 2B to make a spot for Ramirez at DH.
- Could use him as a trade chip at the deadline.
Kansas City Royals
- Duda and Cuthbert on DL.
- Dozier currently playing 1B; Dozier natural 2B/OF.
- Cuthbert batting .194; more suited for a bench role.
- Could use Ramirez as a trade chip at the deadline.
