The shortstop situation with the Marlins is going to be one to monitor as the MLB season creeps closer. Hanley Ramirez was the Marlins shortstop for the past six years. He also happened to be one of the best in the National League during that span. Only 27 years old and just now entering the prime of his career, the Marlins have asked Ramirez to move to third base to make room for the newly-acquired Jose Reyes. It remains to be seen how the situation will pan out, but former Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez is skeptical.
“I think it’s going to be a very interesting situation, to say the least,” Rodriguez said during an interview with MLB Network Radio on Wednesday. “Knowing Hanley, he’s a very proud player. It’s going to be very hard for him to move out of shortstop. He’s a big league shortstop. He’s an All-Star shortstop. In my opinion I think they are going to have a tough time trying to convince him to move to third base. I think it’s going to be very interesting to watch how everything develops, how Reyes takes the front pages and how the people start talking about the All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes.
“In my opinion I don’t think that was the right move to sign Jose Reyes. You already have an All-Star shortstop. Why spend money on another All-Star shortstop? Why not put the money in another player like Albert Pujols or somebody else, one front-line pitcher?”
Rodriguez only managed the Marlins for a short period from 2010 to 2011, but he was around long enough to become familiar with Ramirez’s ego. We already know Hanley does not want to move to third base, so as soon as the team hits a rough stretch it would not be surprising to see him start putting up a fuss. At this point I wouldn’t be shocked if the Marlins are forced to deal Ramirez before the season begins. If that becomes necessary, it is fair to question whether or not bringing in Reyes was the right move.
H/T to the Sun-Sentinel for the story.
