In what has been an exciting offseason so far, the Boston Red Sox have made two acquisitions that would most likely put them back in contention.
Hanley Ramirez, who was signed as an amateur free agent in 2005 by Boston, is making his return to Bean Town. The two sides have agreed to a 5-year, $88 million deal with a vesting 5th year for $22 million. This comes after Ramirez rejected a $15.3 million qualifying offer earlier this month from the Los Angeles Dodgers, sending him into free agency.
In 2014, Ramirez batted for a .283 BA, 13 HRs, and 71 RBI. Although he played short stop for the majority of his career, he is not expected to play at the same position as Boston already has 22-year old Xander Bogaerts. He has told teams that he is willing to switch if needed, making it easier for Boston to bring him in. In the case that they plan to use Ramirez in the outfield, Boston probably plans to trade Yoenis Cespedes, who is a year away from free agency and they have an overflow of players at the position.
As this deal became official, news came out that Boston was also about to sign one of the most sought after free agents in baseball.
Pablo Sandoval has agreed to sign with Boston but the exact details are yet to be announced. The contract is expected to be 5 years and nearly $100 million. Sandoval had offers from Boston, the San Diego Padres, and the San Francisco Giants, with all deals believed to be for 5 years and at least $90 million. He rejected a three-year, $40 million contract extension offer from the Giants in March and also turned down a 1-year qualifying offer of $15.3 million for the 2015 season.
The 2012 World Series MVP had a formidable 2014 campaign. He batted a .279, with 16 HRs, and 73 RBI. But these numbers do not reflect how important he is when it actually matters. In the postseason, Sandoval has a career .344 BA and a .389 OBP. He has the best postseason BA in the history of baseball among players with at least 150 plate appearances. He also has a .426 batting average in 50 career World Series plate appearances.
Adding both players will surely add some depth and a “pop” to the offense. It is also rumored that Boston may reunite with pitcher Jon Lester, which would get fans that much more hyped about the 2015 season.
Photo Credit: USATSI
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