The Boston Red Sox made the somewhat surprising decision to designate Hanley Ramirez for assignment on Friday, and the choice apparently came from the clubhouse.
Red Sox president Dave Dombrowski said that Mitch Moreland’s superior defense made him preferable to Ramirez, and it was manager Alex Cora’s idea to make the move in order to get Dustin Pedroia back on the active roster.
Dombrowski: ‘we were prepared to go in a different direction with our move.’ Said Cora called him yesterday at 11:30 to suggest this. Wanted Moreland to play more, didn’t see Hanley as a great bench fit, allowed Sox to keep Swihart.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) May 25, 2018
Dombrowski: ‘It is unusual, but it’s an unusual situation. Our club is quite deep. We do really like Mitch Moreland a lot.’ Notes Hanley’s recent offensive struggles and the defensive upgrade from Moreland.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) May 25, 2018
Dombrowski: ‘I was a little bit surprised’ by Cora’s suggestion to make Hanley the roster move. ‘I wouldn’t say shocked, but I would say surprised.’
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) May 25, 2018
Dombrowski is passing the buck here, pretty clearly saying this was up to Cora. The Red Sox will have a week to trade or release him, and since no team will want to pick up the $15 million he’s owed for the rest of the year, he’ll almost certainly be cut.
