As Dave Dombrowski himself seemed to acknowledge in his Friday press conference, it's highly unlikely he'll find a trade partner when it comes to Hanley Ramirez. That would require the acquiring team to inherit the vesting option for 2019, to say nothing of his remaining $15 million remaining on this year's deal.
Even if the Red Sox were willing to take back a good chunk of the money -- anything less than absorbing every single dollar would be a bonus, since they stand to be on the hook for all of it anyway — the team would run the risk of dealing with the vesting option if Ramirez neared 497 plate appearances.
The same goes for a waiver claim: Why inherit all that money and the option when you can wait until he clears, sign him for the pro-rated minimum and be free of the vesting option?
That said, where might Ramirez fit? Here are a few potential teams:
- Colorado. The Rockies are getting next-to-no production from first base (.586 OPS, ranking them 29th at the position) and have designs on the playoffs, having reached the wild-card round last year and currently holding on -- barely -- to first place in a crowded and competitive N.L. West. Ramirez can't DH there, obviously, but Coors Field remains a great hitting environment that could bolster his production, and being surrounded by good hitters (Charlie Blackmon, Nolan Arenado).
- Tampa Bay. The Rays just dealt off Denard Span, giving them one less hitter in the lineup. C.J. Cron has nailed down the first base job, but Ramirez could DH, where the Rays are currently getting only middle-of-the-league production (seventh among 15 A.L. teams). As always, the Rays are very cash conscious and if nothing else, an unclaimed Hanley would be very inexpensive.
- New York Mets. Again, an NL club with little DH opportunities except for road interleague games, but the Mets aren't getting much out of their first basemen. Wilmer Flores (.217/.284/.400) has provided next to nothing, and Adrian Gonzalez is offering roughly what Ramirez provided the Sox.
- Minnesota Twins. Incumbent first baseman Joe Mauer is currently on the DL with concussion symptoms, and while there's no evidence that this is a long-term situation, history teaches us that you never know what the fallout will be. Ramirez could handle first as Mauer recovers and provide insurance later in the season if symptoms recur.
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