The NY Yankees are struggling with injuries in their pitching rotation and Cliff Lee remains an option to trade for, while another target for the team wants to get paid, as Hanley Ramirez, who many have pegged as the Yanks replacement for Derek Jeter in 2015, wants a contract worth over $130 million as a free agent and both the LA Dodgers and New York could be bidding for him next offseason.
The Yankees have had to deal with the question of replacing Jeter for some time and so far no in-house options have emerged and that is one reason why some have looked at Ramirez as a potential signing. According to CBS Sports, Ramirez is looking for a mega deal come next offseason and while that could push the Yankees out of the running, it also could draw them in as other teams drop out. Ramirez is getting up there in age and that is one concern for teams looking to sign him and he also has been injury prone in the past and that could be another issue for teams. Ramirez is clearly looking at players like Shin-Soo Choo and Jacoby Ellsbury for inspiration on his deal, as those players also signed for over $130 million as free agents.
Ramirez is in the final year of a six year deal that is paying him $16 million and while the Dodgers have expressed interest in keeping Ramirez, if he goes too high with his contract demands, he could be on the move. Ramirez will be 31 in 2014 and that could make it tough for some teams in giving him a long term deal, but the results are there, as he is a dynamic and power hitting shortstop.
Ramirez's stats are not eye popping this season, as he is hitting .251 with six home runs and 21 RBIs, but in his career he is a .300 hitter and has nearly 200 home runs and over 600 RBIs. Ramirez has always said it was a dream of his to play for the Yankees and 2015 could be the perfect time, as Jeter is retiring and the team does not have a ton of options to replace him. Brendan Ryan is not a long term or short term solution with the way he hits and the team doesn't have any internal options that are realistic. Alex Rodriguez obviously is not going to do it because of who he is, as the Yankees would likely rather have no shortstop than have A-Rod replace Jeter after all he has done in pinstripes.
Hanley has shown in the past that he can be one of the top shortstops in the game and at 30 years old he still could have some prime years left. Last season Ramirez thrust himself into the MVP race despite being injured, as he went on a tear towards the end of the season and now he could be looking to cash in. The Yankees are going to be in the mix no matter what they say and he could be the future replacement for Derek Jeter, who is retiring this season after a Hall of Fame career for the Yanks.