According to multiple sources including Mike Puma of the New York Post, the New York Mets don’t appear to have any interest in Hanley Ramirez.
The Boston Red Sox designating Ramirez for assignment on Friday afternoon. It’s highly unlikely that the Red Sox find a trade partner for Ramirez and ultimately end up releasing him.
Ramirez, 34, is hitting .254/.313/.395 this season and was only 302 plate appearances away from activating a vesting option that would’ve payed him $22 million for the 2019 season.
If a team traded for the former shortstop they would have to worry about his plate appearance vesting option but once he’s released the option goes way.
The Mets recently signed former All-Star Jose Bautista as a right-handed bat needed to offset an abunndance of lefty hitters with Yoenis Cespedes and Todd Frazier on the disabled list.
Original Post – May 25, 12:00 p.m.
According to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe, sources have indicated that the Boston Red Sox will designate veteran Hanley Ramirez for assignment.
It’s the corresponding move for the Red Sox activating second baseman Dustin Pedroia (knee) from the disabled list.
Some had speculated that utility man Blake Swihart would be the most likely casualty, but apparently, the team has decided to go in a different direction.
Ramirez, 34, is a 14-year MLB veteran with a career slash line of .290/.361/.487, 269 home runs, 909 runs batted in, and 374 doubles.
Since joining the Red Sox in 2015, the Dominican native has hit .260/.326/.450 in 431 games.
This season Ramirez is slashing .254/.313/.395 with a would-be career-low 7.2 percent walk rate but has a respectable 17.9 percent strikeout rate.
He’s played 25 games at first base this season and has appeared as the designated hitter in nineteen games. He has 1 DRS at first this season after -5 DRS last season at the position.
On May 17, Ramirez was hitting .287 with a .791 OPS, six home runs and 29 runs batted in. Since then, he’s been mired in a 0-for-20 slump with four strikeouts and a walk.
He has still hit lefties well this season to a tune of .333/.378/.476 in 45 plate appearances and has a career .895 OPS vs left-handed pitching.
The key point to Ramirez being designated was his possible $22 million vesting option for the 2019 season that would’ve kicked in with 497 plate appearances this season. He was currently at 195 plate appearances and if/when he is released by the Red Sox that option goes away. If he’s traded, the acquiring team will have to worry about the option.
The Red Sox have seven days to try and trade Ramirez. After that point he will be released and any MLB team could sign him to the veteran’s minimum with the Red Sox picking up the remainder of Ramirez’ contract (about $15 million this season).
