This one should be easy. There's a team without a third baseman that could really use the corner-infield pop that Aramis Ramirez provides. They can probably afford him, as they have several contracts coming off the books this offseason.
MLB Free Agent Contract Prediction: Aramis Ramirez
Where is the former Cubs third baseman going to end up, and how much is he going to get?
So the Chicago Cubs should sign Ramirez to a two or three year deal, perhaps with...
What’s that, you say? Ramirez was with the Cubs already, declined an option year after the Cubs exercised it, and new team president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said that Ramirez is likely moving on?
The Cubs have offered Ramirez arbitration, but that’s primarily because in the final offseason of free agent compensation, they want the draft pick they’ll get when he signs with someone else. Just who could that “someone else” be?
A couple of weeks ago, Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal tweeted that Ramirez is looking for a four-year deal, or three years with an option. Ramirez will be 34 in June and has had a couple of recent seasons ruined by injury (notably 2010, when he had to overcome a horrific start just to get to .241/.294/.452 by season’s end). He’s seen as some as fragile, and also, unlike many players from the Dominican Republic who come from poor backgrounds and are seen as hungry to make it for a MLB team, Ramirez comes from a wealthy family and has been viewed at times by some Cubs fans as lazy or disinterested.
That might make the recent inquiry by the Tigers as problematic; Detroit's Miguel Cabrera has had his share of off-field issues, though his 2011 season was trouble-free.
So perhaps Ramirez would go north of the border -- that is, the Illinois-Wisconsin border. There have been no specific links between Ramirez and the Brewers, but with Milwaukee having only the seemingly declining Casey McGehee at third base, Ramirez might be a good fit. It would be ironic if the Cubs declined to pay Ramirez, only to see him go to the Brewers while the Cubs spent even more money on former Brewer Prince Fielder.
The team that seems like the best landing destination for Ramirez is probably the Angels, who do have interest, according to the Los Angeles Times; they've had that interest since at least last summer:
The Angels expressed interest in Ramirez last July, but Ramirez declined to waive his no-trade clause and finished out the season with the Cubs.
The Angels also attempted to sign Ramirez on at least one other occasion when he excercised an opt-out clause in his Cubs deal, but he wound up re-signing with the Cubs. Ramirez is a notoriously slow starter (.261/.333/.458 lifetime in April) and doesn't hit well in cold weather, so having his home park be in Southern California would seem to be to his benefit, especially as he ages. He'd be a distinct offensive improvement for the Halos over last year's 3B incumbent, Alberto Callaspo, and Ramirez could also DH from time to time.
Prediction: Ramirez signs with the Angels for a three-year deal for $45 million, with a fourth-year team option for $16 million with a $2 million buyout.
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