Brewers Exercise Their Half of Aramis Ramirez Option

Friday evening, shortly after I spent 800 plus words talking about the different scenarios that could play out with Aramis Ramirez mutual option year the Brewers exercised their half of the option, leaving Ramirez with three days to respond or enter free agency.

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Now this doesn’t mean that Ramirez coming back for 2015, as I said he still has to exercise his half of the option for that to happen, but this does signal that the Brewers are willing to spend at least $14 million on their third basemen.

The internal options at third base aren’t very attractive for a team that looks to be in contention in 2015. Jason Rogers tore up AAA but you never now how somebody will transition to the big leagues and the middle of a pennant race may not be the ideal time to replace a productive player like Ramirez with an untested rookie.

Derek Harvey at Brew Crew Ball doesn’t expect Ramirez to pick up his half of the option, and neither do I. Like Derek, I believe that Ramirez will decline his half of the option and enter free agency. I also believe that Ramirez and the Brewers will discuss a two-year contract extension.

Ramirez almost has to decline his half of the deal because if his numbers dip in 2015 on a one-year deal, his career could very likely be over, and he has said he has aspirations to play behind 2015.

In my opinion his age and the fact that he will very likely have draft-pick compensation attached to him in any free agency negotiation means that Ramirez has a fairly depressed bargaining position if any free agent negotiation.

That said he won’t dip too far below his $14 million 2015 dollar value. Something in the $11-12 million range for each of his two years. If it is with Milwaukee he’ll probably have some deferred money like he did on his last contract.