Hanley DFA'd (5/25 Update)

DeadlySplitter

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is this twitter account reliable?

Saved By The Bellhorn‏ @SBTBH 15h15 hours ago
Replying to @RedSoxMVP
A contributor to SBTBH posted unconfirmed reports that hanley's was playing thru injury after HBP on the wrist on aprll 29, and not being upfront with med staff about it(he needed those 497 PA's to trigger $22mill option). Cora told Dumbo "when pedroia's back Hanley's gotta go"

Saved By The Bellhorn‏ @SBTBH 11h11 hours ago
Replying to @RedSoxMVP
Hanley supposedly downplaying his wrist injury to cora and med. staff as he struggled through may..didn't want to lose playing time b/c it might put his vesting option in jeopardy. it eventually lead to fight with cora. likely lead to the decision to dfa him upon pedroia's return
 

Adrian's Dome

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is this twitter account reliable?

Saved By The Bellhorn‏ @SBTBH 15h15 hours ago
Replying to @RedSoxMVP
A contributor to SBTBH posted unconfirmed reports that hanley's was playing thru injury after HBP on the wrist on aprll 29, and not being upfront with med staff about it(he needed those 497 PA's to trigger $22mill option). Cora told Dumbo "when pedroia's back Hanley's gotta go"

Saved By The Bellhorn‏ @SBTBH 11h11 hours ago
Replying to @RedSoxMVP
Hanley supposedly downplaying his wrist injury to cora and med. staff as he struggled through may..didn't want to lose playing time b/c it might put his vesting option in jeopardy. it eventually lead to fight with cora. likely lead to the decision to dfa him upon pedroia's return
If true, then glad he got released. I don't want any player trying to "tough it out" through injury, but it's especially worse when the player is doing so in order to hamstring the team into a 22m option when a superior option is sitting healthily on the bench.

If not true, then he'll get a job and we'll see what we missed out on.

Somehow, I don't feel as if we'll be burned by the latter scenario.
 

lapa

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Easy to call stupid on it I suppose, but what a shame I mean he's not getting his 22M anyway, if he'd rested the wrist and accepted a bit part role at least he might have been a boon at the sharp end of the season PLUS a chance to showcase himself for whatever contract followed.
 

AB in DC

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If this all were true, couldn't the Sox have just put him on the DL and told him that he needed to get his wrist treated or else?
 

joe dokes

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If this all were true, couldn't the Sox have just put him on the DL and told him that he needed to get his wrist treated or else?

What's MLB protocol when a guy says "I'm good," and there's nothing other than shitty play (no xray, MRI, etc) to support a DL trip?

Is it anything more than, "OK, well, since there's nothing wrong with you, and you suck, you're released?" [/gross generalization, but I hope you get the point]
 
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Detts

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MLB players still get paid for their contract so teams can do whatever they want (see Panda, Fat).
 

Rovin Romine

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The playing through the wrist news is odd. It depresses the chance someone will sign him until fully healed, because he's saying that while injured, .700 OPS or less is my baseline. But it increases the chance he might have something left in the tank. He was OPSing .964 when hit, and then his production declined.

Two things about that though - his high water mark was 12 or 13 games played - plenty small enough to just be an early season hot streak. Also, he didn't fall off a cliff after the injury - just trended softly downward to his final .708.

On the flip side, I was amazed his hand/wrist wasn't broken by that pitch.

So it's hard to say if it's really cause and effect or athlete denial. But it's a narrative I'd be tempted to float if any chunk of $22m were on the line. Or if I just wanted to keep playing.

***
Shelving Hanley on the DL and thus getting him as a hot hitter in October seems unlikely though.

It's all a shame. I loved his personality here, and if he logged another .866 campaign for this season, as he did two years ago, who would have begrudged him the option year?
 

timlinin8th

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MLB players still get paid for their contract so teams can do whatever they want (see Panda, Fat).
Not entirely - while a player can’t decline a DL stint, in this case with Hanley set to trigger an option, if he’s claiming he’s not hurt you can guarantee he and the MLBPA would file a grievance with the league, and using the DL to circumvent rules and contracts is a slippery slope to be going down. Releasing him was just a far tidier way of handling the situation.
 

Van Everyman

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Red(s)HawksFan

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Quite a few posts working off a rumor posted by an unknown source. Isn't Saved by the Bellhorn a pale, poor, worst-of-the-worst-EEI-caller imitator of SoSH? And we're operating as if this poster on that site has insider knowledge that has escaped not just the local beat guys, but the national ones as well? Sorry, not buying it.

Shit, it doesn't even matter what the site is...how reliable can info be coming from someone that refers to Dave Dombrowski as "Dumbo"?
 

joe dokes

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Quite a few posts working off a rumor posted by an unknown source. Isn't Saved by the Bellhorn a pale, poor, worst-of-the-worst-EEI-caller imitator of SoSH? And we're operating as if this poster on that site has insider knowledge that has escaped not just the local beat guys, but the national ones as well? Sorry, not buying it.

Shit, it doesn't even matter what the site is...how reliable can info be coming from someone that refers to Dave Dombrowski as "Dumbo"?
I might give credence to the wrist injury, but the assumption of fighting and concern over vesting strikes me as some of the narrative-furthering gap filling we see with Patriot reporting.
 

sean1562

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So Mitch Moreland is still playing really well, JBJ is heating up, benintendi is hitting like an all star and JDM is the best DH in the league. Hanley has no role here and was very expensive next year. Wish him all the best but he just doesn’t fit anymore
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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I might give credence to the wrist injury, but the assumption of fighting and concern over vesting strikes me as some of the narrative-furthering gap filling we see with Patriot reporting.
Yeah, the wrist injury is the only plausible thing in the "report" because we all saw him get hit by that pitch. Everything else seems like fan fiction wishcasting.
 

Sad Sam Jones

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I have a hard time imagining a team like the White Sox bothering to give him at-bats when their best player plays first base. Is it worth the trouble showcasing him at DH for less than 2 months on the off chance he gets hot and someone flips them a top 30 organizational prospect? However, here's a technical question…

Say the White Sox do pick him up, and he hits well enough to hold on to a job, but doesn't show enough that anyone comes calling at the July trade deadline. Chicago keeps him and he goes on a hot streak in August, so the White Sox place him on revocable waivers to make way for a trade. Would the claiming team be responsible for the prorated league minimum or the prorated $22.75 million contract?

*
 

santadevil

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Sox still pay him the $22.75 for this year, less the pro-rated league minimum that the acquiring team has to pay
 

kelpapa

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is this twitter account reliable?

Saved By The Bellhorn‏ @SBTBH 15h15 hours ago
Replying to @RedSoxMVP
A contributor to SBTBH posted unconfirmed reports that hanley's was playing thru injury after HBP on the wrist on aprll 29, and not being upfront with med staff about it(he needed those 497 PA's to trigger $22mill option). Cora told Dumbo "when pedroia's back Hanley's gotta go"

Saved By The Bellhorn‏ @SBTBH 11h11 hours ago
Replying to @RedSoxMVP
Hanley supposedly downplaying his wrist injury to cora and med. staff as he struggled through may..didn't want to lose playing time b/c it might put his vesting option in jeopardy. it eventually lead to fight with cora. likely lead to the decision to dfa him upon pedroia's return
Haha. No. It is not reliable.
 

shaggydog2000

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He had a 124 OPS+ last year and had to settle for a minor league contract. I can't see Hanley accepting a minor league contract. He'd probably retire before that.
Lots of former guys you figured would just hang it up (Rickey Henderson, Manny) kept on playing abroad and in independent leagues. What else do these guys know in terms of life style?
 

grimshaw

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They've been roughly as productive since 2014.

Lind .280/.345/.466 wRC+ 117 and 4.2 fWAR
Hanley .266/.338/.455 wRC+ 114 and 5.1 fWAR

Lind has been better more recently, but Hanley has the pedigree.

So ya, two eminently available aging 1st base bats who bring nothing else.
There's no reason to spend money on either one.
 

MikeM

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Lots of former guys you figured would just hang it up (Rickey Henderson, Manny) kept on playing abroad and in independent leagues. What else do these guys know in terms of life style?
Lots of guys don't too. People are going to approach these things with different mindsets (obviously).

I'd of changed my struggle to find a job prediction on Hanley to being done period (minus a potential ST sighting somewhere next year I guess) in the event he isn't willing to sign a minor league deal.
 

Lose Remerswaal

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Isn't it possible that Hanley doesn't want a job? I mean he is collecting his salary. Do we know he isn't getting league minimum type offers and just declining?
He and/or his agent were talking about the multiple offers they were considering right after his release from the Sox was official. Sure, he could have decided he just wants to hang out and collect his money, but that's not what he was saying
 

JimD

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From Sean McAdam's Sunday notebook on BSJ:

The mystery of Hanley Ramirez deepens.

It’s been more than three weeks since Ramirez was designated for assignment by the Red Sox and the veteran slugger has yet to sign elsewhere.

...

Interest, even from non-contenders who could benefit from his offensive production for minimal cost, seems non-existent.

“You think someone like Buck Showalter wants to deal with someone like Hanley for the rest of the year?” asked one baseball person.

One person who knows Ramirez well this week speculated that Ramirez may not feel compelled to play for the remainder of this season, reasoning that, no matter what he does or doesn’t do, he has some $15 million coming to him from the Red Sox to finish out the guaranteed portion of his four-year, $88 million deal.

...

One baseball executive, who asked not to be identified, suggested that Ramirez’s reputation may precede him when it comes to attracting interested teams and hinted that there may have been other issues that contributed to his release by the Red Sox.

If there were behavioral issues with Ramirez, the Red Sox have been mum on the topic, insisting that the move to designate Ramirez was strictly a “baseball move,” one motivated by their desire for a more flexible roster and the fear that he would not transition well to part-time status.
https://www.bostonsportsjournal.com/2018/06/16/mlb-notebook-red-sox-may-need-bullpen-help-deadline-hanley-mystery-deepens/
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

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If there were behavioral issues with Ramirez, the Red Sox have been mum on the topic, insisting that the move to designate Ramirez was strictly a “baseball move,” one motivated by their desire for a more flexible roster and the fear that he would not transition well to part-time status.
With the way that the Sox have been over the years when it comes to showing people the door, the bold part of the quote would be the most surprising of this entire thing. Maybe they're finally learning?
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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With the way that the Sox have been over the years when it comes to showing people the door, the bold part of the quote would be the most surprising of this entire thing. Maybe they're finally learning?
Or there's no "there" there, his DFA was strictly a baseball move and Hanley is truly just sitting back and enjoying some time off knowing he's getting paid no matter what.
 

Average Reds

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Isn't it possible that Hanley doesn't want a job? I mean he is collecting his salary. Do we know he isn't getting league minimum type offers and just declining?
Possible but unlikely, IMO.

If Hanley was a clubhouse problem, I can understand the lack of interest. Also, the way the Sox have handled it is a refreshing change.
 

EdRalphRomero

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Possible but unlikely, IMO.

If Hanley was a clubhouse problem, I can understand the lack of interest. Also, the way the Sox have handled it is a refreshing change.
Definitely agree on the way they have handled it. Seems a new discipline and can only help things going forward.

It is all speculation, but it seems to me that if I were Hanley, I would be looking for a multi-year deal at this point. I mean, accepting the league minimum for this year just means working for free and accepting the risk of injury which could reduce next year's compensation. So I tell my agent I want a two year deal at league minimum this year (as I know my salary isn't increasing this year) with a mutual option for next year at a decent amount. Then I tell my agent to let it be known I am sorting through offers to help spark the marketplace (done).

If no multi-year deals materialize, I sit out 2018 and get ready to tell everyone this offseason how the rest has rejuvenated me and I'm in the best shape of my life and looking forward to helping <<your team Mr. GM>> bring a championship to the great city of <<city>>. Seems to me more likely than nobody wanting him at league minimum. (But I also realize that the market for players like Hanley is not what it once was and there are somewhat similar players on the sidelines/minor league deals).
 

Reverend

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Or there's no "there" there, his DFA was strictly a baseball move and Hanley is truly just sitting back and enjoying some time off knowing he's getting paid no matter what.
Maybe that weirdo who started that thread the other day actually works for the team and they’re getting desperate? :alien:
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

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Or there's no "there" there, his DFA was strictly a baseball move and Hanley is truly just sitting back and enjoying some time off knowing he's getting paid no matter what.
Or maybe there was never no "there" there when Tito got canned or when Nomar and Manny were shipped out and the Red Sox didn't feel the need to justify their departures by kicking them on their way out of town. Maybe all three of those moves were baseball moves and the Red Sox acted like assholes and I'm glad that they didn't do that this time.
 

lexrageorge

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Or maybe there was never no "there" there when Tito got canned or when Nomar and Manny were shipped out and the Red Sox didn't feel the need to justify their departures by kicking them on their way out of town. Maybe all three of those moves were baseball moves and the Red Sox acted like assholes and I'm glad that they didn't do that this time.
I agree 100% that the current approach is much better than what's happened sometimes in the past. However, Manny's run-in's with the team were already public knowledge before he got traded and had little to do with the front office leaking things to the press. And it was a pretty long list with him.
 

JimD

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Or maybe there was never no "there" there when Tito got canned or when Nomar and Manny were shipped out and the Red Sox didn't feel the need to justify their departures by kicking them on their way out of town. Maybe all three of those moves were baseball moves and the Red Sox acted like assholes and I'm glad that they didn't do that this time.
When was the last time a departing player or staff member was trashed on the way out? Farrell's departure never got as ugly as it could have. It seems that the whisper campaigns have diminished now that certain people are no longer in ownership.
 

Ale Xander

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Although the move wasn't completely an on-field move; part of was they didn't want him on the bench, even though he's better than Travis/Lind. Cora still hinted that he'd be a malcontent.

It's still an improvement though. And if I were Hanley, I'd be tempted to do the same thing, take time off to spend with family and friends, and try for a contract for next year in the offseason. He's still young enough.

At the very least wait for August to see if injuries open up some spots and improve his leverage. Also gives him less time for a prolonged slump into the offseason.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Hanley doesn't play this season he will be hoping or a 1 year $8 million deal next year.

Of course of he does play this year and isn't productive, that 8 turns into a 4
He'll be 35 in December, has been in decline for awhile, and is a DH. He may have 2 years left in him at most. I'm not sure he'd even get 1/8 if he played this year and was productive unless he's 2013 levels of productive. If he isn't productive, he may not even be offered a ML job and forced to accept a minor league deal or retire. I guess he could go to Japan for a year or two.

There are just too many 1b/DH types on the market who are comparable and available.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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When was the last time a departing player or staff member was trashed on the way out? Farrell's departure never got as ugly as it could have. It seems that the whisper campaigns have diminished now that certain people are no longer in ownership.
I think JMHO hit on it with Tito. The Hohler hit job in the Globe had the Sox's fingerprints (probably Lucchino's) all over it. But since then, I can't think of anything. Carl Crawford maybe? Though he caused most of that by bringing it up himself. Boston media seemingly moved on pretty fast after the Punto trade.