Before I start, I want to make it clear that the title of this blog is currently nothing more than a pipe dream; it’s extremely unlikely that the Red Sox bring back Hanley Ramirez this season. However, just indulge me while I outline the benefits that would result from Dombrowski swallowing his pride and giving Hanley a call.
First of all, when the Sox decided to waive Ramirez on May 25, they showed a lot of faith in catcher Blake Swihart. When the Red Sox initially brought up Pedroia from rehab, many thought that the corresponding move would be to deal Swihart. But rather than parting ways with the 26-year-old third-string catcher who wanted to be traded in the first place, the Boston front office decided to DFA Hanley, who was hitting an ice-cold .163 in the month of May. Despite this faith, however, Swihart has done almost nothing to contribute and earn his role in the lineup: Since Hanley’s designation, Swihart is hitting a putrid .143 and has a .416 OPS on the year.
So, since Hanley’s replacement isn’t exactly tearing it up, doesn’t it make sense to bring back the 3x All-Star? Well, yes and no. While Hanley wasn’t having his best year, part of the reason for his release was likely because of the $22 million vesting option riding on whether or not he reached 497 at-bats this year. If the Sox bring him back later in the year, they will not only avoid the vesting option, but they’ll have a fresh Hanley in time for playoffs.
Speaking of playoffs, a significant potential benefit of re-signing Ramirez would be his playoff bat. The Red Sox are poised for a deep postseason run this year, but with a streaky middle-to-end of the lineup, they may find themselves scrapping for production and playing from behind against the likes of the Yankees, Astros, and possibly Indians. Hanley could certainly help the cause, as he is a career .380/.450/.577 postseason hitter with a 1.027 OPS in 71 ABs. Boston may get away with streaky hitting against weaker opponents in the postseason, but it’s more likely than not that Houston and New York will be working with several trade-deadline acquisitions to support their playoff runs, and thus it will be perilous to fall behind against such teams.
Additionally, Hanley is a great clubhouse guy who most of the team––it seemed like––gelled with. Not only that, but the only guy on the team who has more playoff history than Hanley is Dustin Pedroia, who might not even be healthy enough to play again this year.
If I’m the Red Sox, I’m at least considering returning Hanley to Boston. After all that he gave us, it’s only right to give him another shot and see if he can help come October. After all, we’re paying the guy either way––might as well get something out of it.
(Statistics via Baseball Reference)
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