Free Agent Friday: Red Sox options at third base
By Conor Duffy
Oct 6, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez (13) hits an RBI double during the sixth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals in game three of the 2014 NLDS baseball playoff game at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Without a doubt, Ramirez is the best player on this list. When healthy, “HanRam” has been one of the better shortstops in baseball for the better part of a decade and posted an impressive .283/.369/.448 slash line in an injury-riddled 2014. Now 30 years old and having lost a step since his days of 50 stolen bases, Ramirez is expected to shift to third base for the rest of his career, a position that he has played occasionally in the past.
Considering all of the positives associated with Ramirez, though, there’s one big negative that will likely prevent the Red Sox from signing him and that is cost. Ramirez will sign a huge contract this winter, likely well over $100M, and with the Red Sox also seeking to patch holes in their starting rotation and bullpen, they simply can’t allocate the majority of their budget to a player like Ramirez, as good as he is. Therefore, even though he is immensely talented and still has some good seasons left in him, the Red Sox will likely pass this offseason.