The news that Hanley Ramirez was being designated for assignment – effectively ending his tenure in Boston – was received with surprise from Red Sox fans.
In the context of the 34-year-old’s contract, the decision becomes clearer. While contractual obligations don’t appear to be the singular driver of the Ramirez roster move, they were an undeniable aspect of it.
As the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier pointed out in his original story about the designation, Ramirez’s production has been in decline for multiple seasons. This made his salary ($22 million) an obvious point of discussion.