Marlins' Guillen: "We're going to play better" with Hanley gone
In a move that once seemed unthinkable, the Miami Marlins traded three-time All-Star Hanley Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. But don't tell the Marlins they are giving up on the season.
"Everyone has kind of got their head down a little bit right now, but we're eight games out of the wild card," outfielder Justin Ruggiano said after Miami lost 7-1 to Atlanta in the first post-Ramirez game. "You never know what can happen. I don't think any of us are giving up in here."
Ramirez and left-handed relief specialist Randy Choate, a free agent after the season, went to Los Angeles for right-handed pitcher Nathan Eovaldi, who will start Saturday against San Diego, and minor league pitcher Scott McGough.
"It's hard to believe," said Ramirez. "Never, never. I never thought I was going to be dealt."
But Ramirez, a three-time All-Star who was supposed to be the face of the franchise, badly underachieved that past two years. He was hitting .246 this year. He struck out looking to end Tuesday's 4-3 loss in what turned out to be his last at-bat for the Marlins.
"These are tough trades," baseball operations president Larry Beinfest said. "But when you underachieve at the level that this team has underachieved and has not won at the level that we expected it to, when we talked about a restructuring, and this was part of it."
It's the second major trade in three days for Miami, which sent second baseman Omar Infante and pitcher Anibal Sanchez to Detroit on Monday for three minor-leaguers.
"We're going to play better, watch. I think we're going to play different," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "There is going to be more stuff gone. Just sit in the press box and watch. We're going to have more little things -- squeeze, hit-and-run, stealing."
