Hanley Ramirez v. Pablo Sandoval.

Hanley Ramirez and  Pablo Sandoval just signed to play for the Boston Red Sox.

Hanley Ramirez
Positions: Shortstop and Third Baseman
Bats: Right, Throws: Right
Height: 6' 2", Weight: 225 lb.
Born: December 23, 1983 in Samana, Samana, Dominican Republic
games: SS 1,077, 3B 98, DH 14

Pablo Sandoval
Positions: Third Baseman and First Baseman
Bats: Both, Throws: Right
Height: 5' 11", Weight: 245 lb.
Born: August 11, 1986 in Puerto Cabello, Carabobo, Venezuela
games: 3B 771, 1B 63, C 14, DH 9

Sandoval is three inches shorter but twenty pounds heavier.  Ramirez is almost three years older.

Ramirez is a shortstop who has played third base and will play left field for Boston.  Sandoval is a third baseman, with some games at first and even catching, who will play third base for Boston.  Sandoval seems ill suited to play any other fielding position in the future.

Ramirez bats right handed.  Sandoval is a switch hitter who performs better batting lefty.  Boston needs lefty batters or at least batters who hit righty pitchers.

Ramirez:

I	Split	G	GS	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	TB	GDP	HBP	SH	SF	IBB	ROE	BAbip	tOPS+
	vs RHP	1160		3949	3519	626	1048	210	18	146	494	211	60	360	662	.298	.368	.492	.860	1732	64	40	9	21	30	37	.330	97
	vs LHP	532		1323	1158	196	355	93	12	45	160	50	23	146	213	.307	.388	.524	.913	607	19	12	2	5	20	13	.343	109

Sandoval:

I	Split	G	GS	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	TB	GDP	HBP	SH	SF	IBB	ROE	BAbip	tOPS+
	vs RHP	805		2570	2329	303	707	147	15	88	364	11	10	197	328	.304	.357	.493	.850	1148	64	13	0	31	42	26	.318	109
	vs LHP	430		963	886	95	239	45	4	18	98	0	2	62	136	.270	.317	.391	.708	346	38	4	1	10	8	14	.298	76

Boston needs batters who can hit right handed pitchers but Ramirez hits righties better than Sandoval: OPS .860 to .850.  And Ramirez is much better against lefty pitchers: .913 to .708.  Ramirez has much more power.

Their new contracts with Boston:

Ramirez:

2015	31	Boston Red Sox	$19,750,000	9.014
2016	32	Boston Red Sox	$22,750,000
2017	33	Boston Red Sox	$22,750,000
2018	34	Boston Red Sox	$22,750,000
2019	35	Boston Red Sox	*$22,000,000		$22M Vesting Option

Sandoval:

2015	28	Boston Red Sox	$17,600,000	6.047
2016	29	Boston Red Sox	$17,600,000
2017	30	Boston Red Sox	$17,600,000
2018	31	Boston Red Sox	$18,600,000
2019	32	Boston Red Sox	$18,600,000
2020	33	Boston Red Sox	*$17,000,000		$17M Team Option, $5M Buyout

Sandoval is a fatso who may not age well.  Ramirez is more versatile and a much better hitter.  So why is everybody OK with Sandoval but skeptical about Ramirez?  As a Yankee fan, I would have liked the Yankees to have signed Ramirez but I had no interest in Sandoval.  Yeah, I know, Sandoval is a good fielder and Ramirez is not but Ramirez is a good base runner and can you imagine Sandoval playing the outfield?