Red Sox made a mistake designating Hanley Ramirez for assignment

The Red Sox made a surprising move by designating Hanley Rameriez for assignment. Was this the right move by the Red Sox to help the team win this year?

The Boston Red Sox designated Hanley Ramirez for assignment and now have seven days to trade or release him. This move comes as a surprise to a lot of fans. Was this the right move by the Red Sox?

This seems to be more of a financial move than a baseball move. Hanley had a vesting option for $22 million next year and with young guys due for contracts, like Mookie Betts, who they want to lock up, there is no room to keep Hanley at that price.

By moving Hanley, the Red Sox are able to create a roster spot for Dustin Pedroia and no longer have to worry about the vesting option. The only problem is there is still a lot of baseball to be played this year. This move benefits the team for next year but not this year.

In the month of April, Hanley looked motivated and his stats proved this. He was batting .341 with three home runs and 17 RBI’s. The month of May has not been kind to Hanley and because of his play this month he is longer with the team.

What now for Hanley and the Red Sox?

This is a move the Red Sox should have waited to do until the end of the season. Hanley has hit third for a majority of the season and the Red Sox have the best record in baseball. Hanley in the postseason is a productive ballplayer. His career average in the playoffs is .380. When the spotlight is on, Hanley shows up. If he is not traded could we see Hanley join an AL contender?

One team that comes to mind is the Houston Astros. They have gotten basically zero production from the DH position this year. They rank second to last in the American League in DH OPS, Hanley would fit a missing need in that lineup. The Astros are the defending World Series Champs and I could see Hanley joining them, which could come back to hurt the Red Sox.  

The American League only has about four or five real contenders to represent the AL in the World Series. The Red Sox are one of those teams but now without Hanley it hurts their chances. This year is World Series or bust for the Red Sox.

I think the Red Sox should have kept Hanley. He has a presence in that lineup. Every baseball player goes through a slump but it takes time to get out of it. Who knows, maybe as the weather heats up so does Hanley.   

Next: Dombrowski finishes housecleaning

When Hanley is focused he can be a contributing factor to the Red Sox. He proved that in April but now that he’s currently in a slump, the Red Sox thought otherwise. The Red Sox should have kept Hanley for the rest of the year for his bat and proven track record in the playoffs.