Harold Ramirez Designated for Assignment by Rays
Role player Harold Ramirez has been released by Tampa Bay following disappointing performance.
Reports today have confirmed that Tampa Bay Rays outfielder and designated hitter Harold Ramirez has been designated for assignment. The 29-year-old delivered a subpar performance for the struggling Rays this season. Contributing to Tampa’s long list of offensive woes, Ramirez slashed a lowly .268/.284/.305. He accumulated only one home run, compared to 12 from last season. Infielder Taylor Walls has been called up in his place.
Ramirez has shown signs of promise in the past, so it is likely that someone will pick him up. During the 2022-2023 seasons with the Rays, he batted .306 with 18HR over 869 appearances. His utility is limited mostly to his offensive ability. He has played in the outfield and at first base, but his defensive capabilities are limited according to scouting reports.
It’s difficult to envision him as anything more than a potential reserve, and a lack of defensive versatility in the outfield gives him a very small window for logging consistent time on a big-league roster.
Greg Goldstein, Blue Jays Scout
However, it’s not hard to imagine a team desperate for offense (and with low defensive expectations) picking Harold Ramirez up. As stated above, he hit .300 two seasons in a row. 2023 was his best season yet, in which he posted an .813 OPS with 68 RBI. The Chicago White Sox are dead last in OPS this season, and have a handful of outfielders out with injuries at the moment. However, picking up a player would mean their owner cares about the product he’s fielding, which seems unlikely.
The Tampa Bay Rays once again find themselves towards the back of the pack in the notoriously competitive AL East. They sit one game below the Red Sox at 31-31, and are only one game up on the last place Blue Jays. Releasing Ramirez seems like an attempt to cut a little bit of dead weight, but I think the Rays are going to have to dig deeper than cutting a backup DH if they want to turn this season around.
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