Last week after the Marlins signed Jose Reyes there were conflicting reports from big-name reporters about the likelihood of Hanley Ramirez being traded.
Now that the dust has settled a bit Joe Frisaro of MLB.com--who had the correct information on Miami’s offer to Albert Pujols when others were passing around an inflated total--reports that the Marlins “didn’t initiate conversation” with teams for Ramirez but “were measuring what might be out there should they decide to shop” him.
Frisaro adds that “the Marlins have no intentions of trading Ramirez” and “they are hoping he makes a smooth transition to third base.”
They can hope that all day, of course, but if Ramirez is unhappy about the notion of being a full-time third baseman while Reyes plays shortstop it seems pretty clear that the Marlins will step up their efforts to deal him. It all hinges on Ramirez’s acceptance of a new position and right now no one, including Ramirez, seems to know exactly what his stance on that will be by the time everyone arrives at spring training.
