Boston Red Sox Could Be Making Error If They Choose Hanley Ramirez Over Yoenis Cespedes
By Pete Schwichtenberg
@schwick26_pete
Getty Images
Boston Red Sox broke the bank and gave their roster a face-lift this past week. With two big signings, the team looks again to be set to go from worst to first. But in acquiring Hanley Ramirez and moving him to left field, the Red Sox again appear to be set on trading Yoenis Cespedes. While Ramirez was one of the top players on the market, this move could prove to be a fatal mistake in Boston.
As a shortstop, Ramirez bat plays up, but moving him to the outfield where he has never played before takes away a lot of his value. Although he appears to be fine with the move now, he clashed with management in Miami when he was asked to move for Reyes and it would not be surprising if he had issues again. Adding his injury prone history, where he has not played in over 100 games in one of the last four seasons, and his history of taking plays off, and Boston could have an expensive problem on their hands.
Cespedes, on the other hand, looked to be a perfect player for Fenway Park. Quite possibly the strongest hitter in the league, he was viewed as someone who could just pepper the Green Monster with line drives. In each major league season, he has eclipsed the 20-home run mark and a full season in Boston would almost surely set career-highs. Just a few short months ago, the Red Sox traded Jon Lester to get Cespedes and now it appears that he is going to be the next out the door.
Ramirez was one of the best players on the market, but he is not a player without risks. If signing him means Cespedes is on his way out, they made a critical error that could have a lasting effect.
Pete Schwichtenberg is an MLB writer for Rantsports. Follow @schwck26_pete, Like him on Facebook, or add him to your Google Network.
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