The Dodgers' usually boisterous Twitter feed sent a very curt message Monday announcing that shortstop Hanley Ramirez told the team, "No, thank you," to its $15.3 million qualifying offer that would've kept him in Los Angeles for the 2015 season.
Hanley Ramirez has declined the Dodgers' qualifying offer. — Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) November 10, 2014
That decision was, essentially, what everyone was waiting for since Ramirez sent out the signal flare last week on, where else -- Twitter.
Love #Hanleywood ��make no mistake. Free agency is a right that we earn with hard work #LetsSeeWhatHappens — Hanley Ramirez (@HanleyRamirez) November 7, 2014
So, free agency it is for the soon to be 31-year-old hard-hitting shortshop who immediately becomes one of the most coveted players on the market because of his bat.
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Because the Dodgers extended the one-year offer, they'll receive a first or second round draft pick from the team that signs Ramirez.
The organization will also have to find a replacement, and that'll most likely come through free agency. As it stands now, Justin Turner would be the most likely fit as the starter. It's doubtful that Darwin Barney, $25 million man Erisbel Arruebarrena, or defensive star Miguel Rojas are the answer. Plus, shortshop in waiting Corey Seager is still at least a year away from being big league ready.
The team will miss Ramirez's offense. When healthy, Ramirez showed he’s still one of the best hitting shortstops in the game. In his two-plus years with the Dodgers he hit .299 with a .997 OPS.
Ramirez’s defense, however, is on the decline, which could make his landing on another roster a murky situation. But, he has reportedly told teams that he’s open to playing another position. Thanks to fellow Dominican native Alfonso Soriano, Ramirez has a road map to follow at this crossroads in his career.
Soriano, much like Ramirez with the Marlins, was a slugging middle infielder in his formative years as a second baseman with the Yankees. Soriano, much like Ramirez, saw his defensive skills decline with age. Soriano, much like Ramirez, had a reputation as a guy who had crazy skills but lacked leadership qualities. And, Soriano, much like Ramirez, hit the free agent market at age 30 with questions looming over his head -- where will he play? Are his best years behind him? Is he really worth the long-term risk?
The now 38-year-old, retired Soriano turned those questions into a very lucrative, happy ending to his career. After a trade to the Washington Nationals in 2006, Soriano, albeit reluctantly, converted to left field that season. It paid off, handsomely. He led National League outfielders in assists (22), started in the All-Star game at the position and became the first player in Major League history to record 40-plus doubles (41), 40-plus homers (46) and 40-plus steals (41) in the same season.
His reward? An eight-year, $136 million contract with the Chicago Cubs.
So, there you go, Hanley. The blueprint has been written.
