Free agent shortstop Hanley Ramirez has a new home, as he's close to finalizing a four-year, $88 million contract with the Red Sox according to Ken Rosenthal. Rosenthal reported that Ramirez is headed to Boston to finalize the contract on Monday, and also that the deal has a vesting option for $22 million and a fifth year. Jon Heyman reportsthat Ramirez is going to play left field for the Red Sox, leaving shortstop to 22-year-old Xander Bogaerts.
Hanley Ramirez, Red Sox reportedly agree to 4-year, $88 million deal
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The Red Sox are also reportedly interested in free agent third baseman Pablo Sandoval, who is expected to decide between Boston, San Francisco and San Diego this week.
Ramirez, who turns 31 on Dec. 23, hit .283/.369/.448 with 13 home runs and 35 doubles in 128 games for the Dodgers in 2014. His 132 OPS+ ranked second among all shortstops in baseball with at least 300 plate appearances, second only to Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies.
The nine-year veteran has hit .300/.373/.500, a 132 OPS+ in his career, averaging 21 home runs, 34 doubles and 29 stolen bases per season. Though Ramirez has been injury prone in the last four seasons, averaging just 116 games per year from 2011-2014, including just once reaching 130 games in a season during that span.
Ramirez made $16 million in 2014, the final season of a six-year, $70 million contract signed with the Marlins signed before the 2009 season. The Dodgers extended a qualifying offer of one year, $15.3 million, which Ramirez declined, meaning the Red Sox will forfeit its second-round pick in the 2015 MLB Draft (their first-round pick, No. 7 overall, is protected as one of the worst 10 teams in baseball in 2014).
The Dodgers will get a compensatory pick in between the first and second rounds.
The right-handed Ramirez was arguably the best bat on the free agent market, but he figures to move off shortstop quite soon. Ramirez was routinely replaced on defense with a lead in later innings, completing only 65 of his 115 starts at shortstop for the Dodgers in 2014.
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