The deal that sent Hanley Ramirez, arguably the game's most dangerous player, to Miami.
Ramirez launches bombs, steals bags, and hits for .300 with ease. Even worse (for the Sox), he's a shortstop — and was a very good and very young one when he was dealt by the Red Sox, who have since gone through more shortstops than Ramirez has gone through cars.
Since that Nov. 25, 2005 swap with the Marlins that sent Ramirez and pitching prospect Anibal Sanchez (as well as Jesus Delgado and Harvey Garcia) to the Marlins for young ace Josh Beckett, veteran third baseman Mike Lowell and veteran reliever Guillermo Mota, there has been much debate as to which team turned out on top.
Since Ramirez's latest spat that included getting benched and having a public war with his manager Fredi Gonzalez, many Sox fans have (or should) rethink their opinion.
The "loose ends" of the deal, Sanchez (21-19, 3.78 ERA), Mota (five different teams since the deal and a 50-game suspension for banned substances, never threw a pitch for the Red Sox), Delgado (two games) and Garcia (no MLB experience) have turned out to be non-factors in the deal this far. Sanchez has the most potential, and has already thrown a no-hitter, but has since been besieged by injuries.
Meanwhile, Beckett and Lowell led the Sox to a World Series title in 2007. Both played a key role in the title as Lowell was the series MVP and Beckett won all four of his postseason starts and posted a 1.20 ERA in 30 innings pitched. Beckett has won 66 games with the Sox since the swap and recently signed a deal through 2014, where the right-handed ace looks to win at least 66 more. As for Lowell, he's posted a .294 batting average, cranked 76 homers and drove in 357 runs in four-plus seasons since the swap.
As for Ramirez, the 26-year-old is a two-time All-Star and a surefire annual MVP candidate. He bagged NL Rookie of the Year honors in his first season with Florida and he's brought a .315 career batting average, 110 home runs and 333 RBIs to the table since strapping on the teal and black. He finished second in MVP voting last summer after posting an NL-best .342 batting average to go with 24 homers and 106 RBIs.
But he's also brought a big league attitude, and his latest run-in proves this.
After not hustling after a ball in Monday night's loss to the Diamondbacks, Gonzlez benched his slugger, who decided to lash out at the skipper to the media. The two have gone back and forth since and it's brought much debate to the baseball world as to what kind of player Ramirez really is.
To top it off, Ramirez felt it was unnecessary to apologize to his boss. Surprised? Me neither. After all, there's a lengthy and ugly log proving that the young gun is nothing short of a hot head. (Although, credit must be given: he finally apologized to his manager and teammates prior to Wednesday's game.)
In 2002 he was sent home from the fall instructional league after cursing at a trainer. In 2003 he was sent from extended spring training after making an obscene gesture toward a fan at a game in South Georgia while playing with Class-A Augusta. In 2005 with Double-A Portland, Ramirez did "stupid things" and was a problem in the clubhouse — the same star-studded clubhouse that featured Jonathan Papelbon, Jon Lester and Dustin Pedroia.
"I could see that he had potential but he was such a baby and I was threatening to beat him up every other day," Jeff Bailey, who was a catcher on the 2005 Sea Dogs, told WEEI. "He would do stupid things on and off the field, every time I saw him doing something stupid I would tell him he was a piece of (expletive)."
Last year, Hanley and his double-play partner, second baseman Dan Uggla, got into it after Han-Ram took himself out of the game one night and again before the contest the following day, despite the Marlins' being in a playoff race. Ramirez, citing a hamstring injury, was called out by Uggla during an open locker room and the media was there to see how his teammates really felt about his antics.
Uggla questioned his desire to win, told him he "shows up" his teammates and than began ripping him with a profanity-laced tirade that brought the star's $70 million-contract into play.
This past week, when questioned about his lack of hustle, Ramirez threw his teammates under the bus, explaining "[The Marlins] have 24 guys jogging after ground balls," hinting he's not the only one.
It's been five years since the trade. Five long years for some Sox fans, but an apparent eternity for the majority of Ramirez's Marlins peers.
So as a Red Sox fan, how does the Hanley Ramirez trade look now?
Share your thoughts below. The best comments will be read on NESN's Red Sox GameDay Live or Red Sox Final.
May 19: How should managers deal with the media regarding controversy?
