Hanley Ramirez Unrest: Possible Trade Destinations for the Miami Marlins Star
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As we begin to count down the days until spring training is in full swing, a report came out today that Marlins star Hanley Ramirez is still not "100 percent on board" with the idea of shifting to third base after the team signed shortstop Jose Reyes in the offseason.
The 28-year-old is coming off the worst season of his career, as injuries limited him to just 92 games and he hit just .243 with 10 home runs, 45 RBI and 20 steals while on the field.
Where Will Hanley Ramirez Play in 2012?
He is due $46.5 million over the next three seasons, and with a bounce-back season he is a relative bargain if he can regain his usual (.300 BA, 30 HR, 40 SB) form.
However, reports say he has not been thrilled with the Marlins organization since learning of his impending move to third base. On the other side of things, the organization has not always been pleased with him, as he can come across as lazy at times.
With all of that in mind, it is not out of the realm of possibility that the Marlins shop Ramirez in the weeks to come, and should they make him available there will no doubt be at least a few teams interested.
So here is a look at the teams that make the most sense as a potential landing spot for Ramirez, along with a potential package of players each could offer to acquire him.
After trading Marco Scutaro to the Rockies, many believed that the Red Sox would use the $6 million that they freed up to sign either Roy Oswalt or Edwin Jackson, but it now appears that they will open the season with the roster they currently have.
That means a platoon of Mike Aviles and Nick Punto at shortstop, and neither player is anything more than a utility player capable of starting once or twice a week.
According to Buster Olney back in December, the Red Sox and Marlins at least had talks about a potential trade for Ramirez, so there is some basis to thinking Boston would be interested.
Ramirez began his career in Boston, before being shipped to the Marlins in the trade that brought Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell to the Red Sox.
He went on to win NL Rookie of the Year in his first season in Florida and quickly became one of the top all-around players in baseball.
Should the Red Sox choose to make a run at him, third base prospect Will Middlebrooks seems like a good place for the package to start. Groomed to replace Kevin Youkilis at third next year, he would be capable of stepping in as the Marlins' starting third baseman this coming season.
From there, the Red Sox would likely try to shy away from sending any of their young low-level talent and instead could use some combination of guys who could help right away. Like Ryan Lavarnway, Bryce Brentz, Lars Anderson, Felix Doubront and Junichi Tazawa.
Sticking in the AL East, the Rays also have a glaring need at shortstop, where a trio of players in Reid Brignac (.193 BA), Sean Rodriguez (.223 BA) and free-agent signing Jeff Keppinger (utility player) will battle for playing time at the position.
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The team was dealt a blow offensively when they lost Carlos Pena and Carl Crawford last offseason. While Pena is now back, the team could still use a bat like Ramirez's in its lineup.
With a surplus of starting pitching talent, the Rays are not short on pieces to use in a trade, and they could send either Wade Davis or Jeff Niemann along with at least one player from the group of Alex Colome, Alex Cobb, Chris Archer and Alex Torres, and that may be enough to get a deal done.
Suddenly the middle of the Rays order would be Ramirez-Longoria-Pena-Zobrist and they would have a dangerous lineup to pair with their dominant young pitching staff.
After letting Alex Gonzalez walk in free agency, the Braves look ready to hand the everyday shortstop job over to 22-year-old Tyler Pastornicky.
Splitting last season between Double-A and Triple-A, he hit .314 with seven homers, 45 RBI and 27 steals, although he committed 26 errors for a .942 fielding percentage.
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The team did bring back veteran Jack Wilson to be his backup, but he is little more than a good defensive veteran, and not someone you would want in your lineup on a daily basis if Pastornicky can't hold the job.
Much like the Rays, the Braves have an impressive stable of young starting pitchers, and they could use two from the group of Randall Delgado, Mike Minor, Arodys Vizcaino and Brandon Beachy to pull of the deal.
The team also shopped All-Star starter Jair Jurrjens earlier this offseason and could look to do so again this spring. There is a chance the Marlins would be willing to go Jurrjens for Ramirez straight up if they are set on moving him.
It is a two-team race as to who has the worst current situation at shortstop between the above-mentioned Rays and the Giants, as San Francisco has a similarly unimpressive trio of players fighting for the starting spot.
Brandon Crawford is the youngest of the group and best defender, but he has zero offensive upside, Mike Fontenot has the most pop of the group but little else, and free-agent signing Ryan Theriot could hit .300, but the Cardinals traded for Rafael Furcal at the deadline because his defense at shortstop was so poor.
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Aside from the need at shortstop, the Giants would also benefit greatly from adding Ramirez's bat to their lineup, as they have Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval to rely on, but little else in the way of solid offensive threats beyond those two.
After trading Zack Wheeler for Carlos Beltran at the deadline last year, the Giants may be reluctant to part with their remaining top prospects, and the fact of the matter is they don't have a whole lot to deal.
With a hole in center field, last year's breakout prospect Gary Brown (.336 BA, 14 HR, 80 RBI, 53 SB at High Single-A) would certainly be of interest to the Marlins, but he may be untouchable. If so, the team has big-league-ready players like pitcher Erik Surkamp and outfielder Francisco Peguero who could be of interest. But in the end, the Giants just might not have enough to pull off the trade.
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