Boston Red Sox Trade Rumors: Hanley Ramirez Trade Coming Soon?

Boston Red Sox trade rumors about Hanley Ramirez have surfaced again. A Ramirez trade by the Red Sox could come this offseason as the team looks to move in a different a direction. A report from CBS Sports on Sunday, November 29, states that there could be a number of facts behind the rumors, including that a new general manager (Dave Dombrowski) is in charge of making the decisions. It raises a number of interesting scenarios that could play out during the Major League Baseball offseason.

How much validity do these Hanley Ramirez trade rumors possess? Ramirez just signed a huge contract with the Boston Red Sox during the 2015 MLB offseason. It calls for him to make $22.75 million a season for the next three years, plus it has a vesting option worth $22 million for the 2019 MLB season. It’s a very expensive deal, which might be why Dombrowski would want to move him, but it becomes equally difficult to find a good trading partner.

During his first season with the Red Sox, Ramirez was only able to play in 105 games due to several injuries. When he did play, Ramirez struggled at the plate, causing many fans to call his signing a mistake. Ramirez finished with a.249 batting average and a.717 OPS for the season. In 430 plate appearances he had 19 home runs, 53 RBIs, and 59 runs scored. Ramirez also played a lot in left field, making it the first time in his MLB career that he played the outfield in a game.

Hanley Ramirez has a long history of injuries, playing in only 92 games in 2011, 86 games in 2013, and 128 games in 2014. It has hurt his value a bit on the field, but it certainly hasn’t hurt his paycheck. Despite the rash of injuries, Ramirez became one of the highest-paid players in the game. Rather than keep playing him in the infield, though, the Boston Red Sox moved him to the outfield in order to let younger players cover shortstop. It’s likely the front office is regretting the decisions made by the former GM.

A report from The Boston Globe furthered the Boston Red Sox trade rumors, linking Ramirez to the Seattle Mariners, Baltimore Orioles, and Los Angeles Angels. The report stated that the front office in Boston is working to move Ramirez, but that it might be tough to convince another franchise to take on his full salary. The Red Sox want him to lose 20 pounds and play third base again, but the future for Ramirez could include him playing first base for a new team.

Would Hanley Ramirez make sense for the Seattle Mariners? The Mariners have been pushing hard to deal Mark Trumbo, which would leave the team with no full-time first baseman. That could make Ramirez an interesting option, but the right-handed veteran hasn’t shown that he could be successful at the position. New Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto also doesn’t want to make a mistake during his first month on the job, even though it could drastically improve the lineup if Ramirez could simply stay healthy.

If Dave Dombrowski gets his way this offseason, Hanley Ramirez will either come into Spring Training after losing 20 pounds. He may have played his last game with Boston already, further showing that signing Ramirez last offseason was a big mistake. There are going to be a lot more Boston Red Sox trade rumors before the 2016 MLB season arrives, especially if the team hasn’t addressed its needs in the starting rotation. The main question becomes, what would another team be willing to give up for Ramirez?

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