Top ten free agents the Red Sox could pursue this offseason

Aug 3, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; Milwaukee Brewers third baseman

(16) hits a one run single off of St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher

(not pictured) during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Aramis Ramirez, 3B

Ramirez offers something in between Headley and Sandoval, the two previous third base targets I’ve mentioned. Being 36 years old, he won’t be in the market for a longterm contract, similar to Headley, but he also has been a consistent performer and the Red Sox would likely get their money’s worth if he’s able to stay healthy, similar to Sandoval.

Ramirez is as solid and consistent a performer as there is in Major League Baseball, as his OPS+ has been at or above 102 in ten of the last eleven seasons. Even at age 36, he’s having a productive season for the Brewers, slashing .299/.340/.454 with 13 home runs in 96 games. There are a few concerns over his 2014 performance, primarily regarding his plate discipline as his 3.9% walk rate is the least he has walked since 2000 and his BABIP of .322 is well above his career average of .293.

However, Ramirez doesn’t need to hit .300 (he’s batting .299 this season) to be a very effective third baseman. His right-handed power would play well in Fenway Park and, as he’ll be 37 on Opening Day next year, the Red Sox could likely pick him up on a one or two year deal. Something in the range of 2 years/$20M would likely net Ramirez and land the Red Sox a quality third baseman and middle-of-the-order hitter.