In a stunning turn of events, the Boston Red Sox have designated first baseman/designated hitter Hanley Ramirez for assignment according to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe and other sources. Ramirez was batting .254 with six homers and 29 RBI on the year, but a combination of second baseman Dustin Pedroia coming back from offseason knee surgery and a May in which Ramirez hit just .163 made the front office's decision easy.
Boston now has seven days to trade or release Ramirez, with the latter option more likely considering his $22m salary for 2018. Once he hits the market, teams can sign him for the pro-rated league minimum.
And despite his struggles, the 34-year-old Ramirez still can do enough with his bat that more than a few teams could look to add him as a first baseman, DH, or even as a big bat off the bench. Which teams, you ask? Well, these five come to mind in particular!
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