Cardinals Rumors: St. Louis discussing Alexei Ramirez with White Sox
BY ROBERT MURRAY | PUBLISHED 7/24/2013
After Rafael Furcal got hurt earlier this year, the Cardinals have had a big hole at shortstop. They've tried many different options, but none of them have worked. The Cardinals have now turned to the trade market to try to find a replacement for Furcal and have one shortstop in particular that they are interested in.
The Cardinals are showing interest in White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez, according to Jim Bowden of ESPN and Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. Yesterday, Mark reported that the White Sox rejected an offer that would have sent Cardinals top pitching prospect Carlos Martinez to the White Sox in return for Ramirez. Earlier today, Jon Heyman of CBS refuted that report, but did say that he wouldn't be surprised if the Cardinals were interested in Alexei Ramirez.
It is easy to see why the Cardinals are interested in Ramirez. They have a need for a shortstop, Ramirez is relatively young, as he is 31-years old and he is under contract until 2015 with a team option for 2016. Ramirez was once thought as a promising shortstop prospect, but has struggled recently. He was very good through his first four years in the big leagues, as he averaged 17.25 home runs per year. He has struggled the last three years, as he has only hit a combined total of 10 home runs in his last 924 at-bats.
Ramirez is one of the better shortstops that is available on the trade market, so expect him to be coveted by multiple teams. On the year, Ramirez is hitting .281 with one home run, 23 RBI's and 20 stolen bases. If acquired by the Cardinals, Ramirez would immediately step in as the starting shortstop and hope to fill the void at short. If he does fill the void at short, the Cardinals could be even more dangerous than they were before, which is a scary thought.
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