Hanley Ramirez, Re-sign or Goodbye?
- Updated: October 15, 2014
Keith Allison
Trey Hillman, Hanley Ramirez
Los Angeles Dodgers at Baltimore Orioles April 19, 2013
The Los Angeles Dodgers are going to have a very productive offseason and a top priority on that “to-do” list is certainly whether or not to re-sign shortstop Hanley Ramirez. Hanley Ramirez became a Dodger on July 25th, 2012 in a trade with Randy Choate from the Marlins in exchange for Nathan Eovaldi and minor league pitching prospect Scott McGough.
Hanley Ramirez as we all know, is a phenomenal shortstop and one of the league’s best hitters. However, Hanley’s never-ending carousel of injuries is what makes re-signing him such a difficulty for the Dodgers. Before the 2013 season began, he participated in the World Baseball Classic where he injured his thumb sliding, it later turned out to be a torn ligament and he was supposed to miss the first two months of the season.
Ramirez joined the Dodgers on April 29th, earlier than expected. However, in his third game back, Ramirez pulled a hamstring while running bases on May 3rd and returned to the disabled list once again. Ramirez eventually returned and it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. He returned at the time in which the Dodgers were steaming hot and went a 46-10 record finishing off the season atop the NL west after being in last place in the timeframe of mid-June to mid-August. Injuries did not stop there as Hanley continued to struggle with injuries throughout the season. He finished the season with 13 home runs and 71 RBIs in 128 games.
Earlier in February of 2014, reporters asked Hanley about contract extensions and such. All Hanley had to say in response was
“I want to be a Dodger for life. ”
While the Dodgers debate on whether or not to re-sign Ramirez, they must consider their choice rather quickly as there will be other teams highly interested in Hanley. One team that’s been rumored in pursuit of Ramirez is the New York Yankees. The Yankees’ biggest priority this offseason is trying to find another shortstop especially after Derek Jeter’s retirement. With the Dodgers and Yankees being the teams in the MLB with the highest payroll, it may be a battle of money.
Aside from the injuries, the Dodgers may be considering their top two minor league prospects, Alex Guerrero and Cory Seager. They may not be ready to be superstars in the big leagues yet, but it may influence them in wanting to sign Ramirez to a short-term contract opposed to the long-term deal that Ramirez is most likely anticipating.
With all the pros and cons, the main factor will be how long the contract will be for. If Ramirez demands a short-term contract then I believe the Dodgers will come to agreement with ease, but it’ll be the long-term deal of five to six years that will have the Dodgers skeptical on whether or not to resign.
Related Posts
About Annaliese Leon
