Dodgers Acquire Star Infielder Hanley Ramirez In Blockbuster Trade From Marlins!
The Los Angeles Dodgers added a much needed impact bat to their lineup with their surprise acquisition yesterday afternoon of star infielder Hanley Ramirez along with reliever Randy Choate from the Miami Marlins for pitchers Nathan Eovaldi and Scott McGough.
With the move the Marlins showed that with the disappointing first four months of the season they have had they are in fire sale mode, as Ramirez became part of the second multiplayer deal in less than 48 hours for the ballclub.
A three-time All-Star, former National League batting champion and National League Rookie of the Year, as well as a career .300 hitter that led all big league shortstops with 124 home runs and a .521 slugging percentage from 2006 through 2010, Ramirez has struggled over the past couple of seasons. As the once centerpiece that the Marlins were building around is batting only .246 with 14 homers and 48 RBIs, as well as a .752 OPS for the club after being switched from shortstop to third base this past winter to accommodate free-agent addition Jose Reyes. This is after coming off a season in last year in which he hit only .243 and missed two months with a shoulder injury that required offseason surgery before this year started.
Just like another Ramirez the Dodgers acquired four years ago at the Trade Deadline, he comes with some baggage. But that didn’t scare away the Dodgers from either one and team general manager Ned Colleti said how he even feels, “a change of scenry,” could help and possibly even reinvigorate Ramirez to give them another run producer to complement Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier in the batting order. Something the team needs with it’s 12 ranking in the NL in runs scored with 379 and 13th ranking in OPS at .684.
The move is one the Dodgers needed to make as well with how badly their production from third basemen has been so far this season. As Juan Uribe has been the primary starter has hit just .190 with two homers and 17 RBIs in that spot and the others who have played there also doing very little at the spot.
Current Dodgers shortstop Dee Gordon is on the disabled list, so the team said that they talked to Ramirez about possibly returning to short during that time and than moving back to third base afterward. They said he was very open to just playing wherever the team wanted him to.
“He told us how excited [he is] to be here and [he’ll] play wherever Donnie want [him] to play,” Colleti said. “He said all he wants to do is win.”
Ramirez is a very good addition for the Dodgers that they needed though and could really help them as they try to catch up to their NL West division rival San Francisco Giants, who they started the day 21/2 games behind. With the way the team has played lately going 21-30, after a 32-15 start it could be a nice boost that the team needs with his acquisition too.
