Brewers’ Trade Candidate: Aramis Ramirez

Much like with Rickie Weeks, if the Milwaukee Brewers want to ease their financial burden, trading Aramis Ramirez might be next on the list. While he battled the disabled list a few times this year, Ramirez still put together a somewhat solid season.

Could the Brewers find a new home for the veteran come 2014?

Aramis Ramirez could be a nice option for many teams looking for a power bat. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

If Ramirez’s 2013 is any indication on how he’ll fare for the rest of his career, chances are he may be limited to an American League team as a designated hitter. That said, when Ramirez is healthy, he’s still an everyday third baseman and one that many teams could use.

The Brewers signed Ramirez in December 2011 for a three-year deal (option for a fourth) worth $36 million, which I believe has worked out well for the team. Still though, the remaining $16 million for next season the $14 million for 2015, should they agree upon the mutual option, is quite a bit of money invested into one player.

For other teams such as the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers who need a third baseman, I’m sure they could strike a deal with Ramirez. Once again, there haven’t been many, if any, rumors floating about the Brewers trading Ramirez, but it’s been a discussion among fans. Ramirez is a great player and obviously it might hurt our line-up a little bit, but the Brew Crew can move on without him.

This season, Ramirez went back and forth between the disabled list three times due to knee problems, but still played in 92 games. During the course of the season, Ramirez hit .283/.370/.461 while smacking 12 homers and driving in 49 runs. He still was a productive part of the line-up that lacked power bats in Ryan Braun and Corey Hart, but Ramirez helped get the job done. Despite the three trips to the disabled list, Ramirez still managed a BABIP of .308 and his isolated power was pretty decent too at .170. Of course these were down from last season, but they would be considering the lost time from this season.

The problem however with trading Ramirez is that the Brewers don’t have any options at third base behind him. Sure the team could go with Juan Francisco, but he was a disaster at third, committing seven errors in 255.2 innings. There’s also the option of playing Jeff Bianchi, but is he really an everyday player or will he continue to get at-bats from the bench? As much as I would like to alleviate some financial burden, I don’t know how plausible it is since the options after Ramirez for third are pencil thin.

Honestly, I would like to believe he has a decent market out there. Looking at the current list of free-agent third basemen, none really stand out, but if Ramirez was on that list I’d expect many teams to call in on him. That said, I’m very neutral on whether Ramirez stays or goes because even if the Brewers were to trade him, the return of Braun and eventually Hart will help solidify that power in the line-up. Not to mention Khris Davis, Jonathan Lucroy and Carlos Gomez can also pack a punch power wise.

Well that wraps up this short Brewers’ Trade Candidate series. So what do you make of this? Should the Brewers see if they can trade Ramirez or should they hold off on letting the 35-year-old go? Are there any Brewers not mentioned you feel should be traded? Let us know in the comments.