Who Came Out Ahead on Hanley Ramirez for Josh Beckett Deal?

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Aug 19, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez (13) is unable to make a diving catch during the eighth inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. The Marlins won 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

With Hanley Ramirez signing back in Boston earlier this offseason, I wanted to look back at the trade that originally sent World Series hero Josh Beckett to Boston and prospect Hanley Ramirez to Miami.

The trade went down on November 24th, 2005. I will never forget the day, getting a text message about the deal, while I was waiting for my ride to come pick me up from middle school. A part of me died inside, learning that Josh Beckett was no longer a Marlin, but after a bit of research, I was excited about seeing this flashy shortstop the Marlins had just acquired, Hanley Ramirez.

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Along with Ramirez, the Marlins received a couple of pitching prospects in Anibal Sanchez and Jesus Delgado. Headed to Boston were third baseman Mike Lowell, a player who had been a Marlin for as long as I had watched baseball, as well as relief pitcher Guillermo Mota.

The following is not going to be an exact science of determining who ended up winning the trade, as without hindsight, we can say both teams were pretty happy with the outcome of the deal. It’s just me figuring up what each team has to show for the trade nearly 10-years after it was consummated.

Next: What did the Sox get out of the trade?

Sep 27, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Wade Miley (36) in the dugout after the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Red Sox End of the Trade:

Mota would never play a game for the Red Sox, as they dealt him, along with Andy Marte, Kelly Shoppach, to the Cleveland Indians for Coco Crisp, David Riske, and Josh Bard.

At consummation of the trade, the deal was viewed by many as a win for both sides. That view was not changed as Hanley emerged into a superstar with the Fish and the Sox went on to win the 2007 championship with Crisp, Beckett and Lowell, with the Lowell being the World Series MVP.

Lowell went on playing with the Sox through the 2010 season, posting a 9.4 fWAR in his 5 seasons with the Sox. Beckett pitched for the Sox for over 6 and a half years, posting a 25.8 fWAR in that span as well as being apart of Beer&Chicken Gate (we throw a gate after every scandal in New England, right?).

Crisp posted a 8.1 fWAR for the Sox in 4 years, before being traded for Ramon Ramirez, who posted a 0.6 for the Sox, before he was eventually dealt as well.

Wanting to rid of a disruptive clubhouse distractions and clear payroll, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, Nick Punto, and cash considerations were traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012 for James Loney, Ivan DeJesus, Jr., Allen Webster, and two players to be named later (turned out to be Rubby De La Rosa and Jerry Sands.)

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Loney, DeJesus Jr, and Sands were all with the Sox for just the two months, posting a collective -0.4 fWAR. Webster and De La Rosa posted a collective 1.1 fWAR with the Sox before being dealt to the Diamondbacks for Wade Miley this offseason.

So nearly 10-years after trading Hanley Ramirez to the Marlins, the Sox came away with a 44.6 fWAR, Wade Miley, and most importantly the 2007 World Series. They have also brought Hanley back to their organization, in hopes he can lead them to another World Series.

Next: How about the Marlins end of the deal?

Sep 14, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; New York Yankees second baseman Martin Prado (14) hits a solo home run in the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

Marlins End of the Trade:

Jesus Delgado only pitched two innings with the Marlins and was not effective at all in them.

Hanley Ramirez came over to Miami with some baggage and question marks about if his work ethic would ever allow him to be a star player that many scouts had projected him to be.

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He quickly squashed any doubts about his chances of being a star in his first season with the Fish, posting a 30.3 fWAR over his 6 and a half season with the Marlins. That included a Rookie of the Year Award in 2006, and posting back-to-back 7.1 fWAR seasons in 2008 and 2009.

Anibal Sanchez burst on to the scene for the Marlins at Yankees Stadium, probably much like he dreamt about coming up as a Red Sox farmhand. When Anibal was healthy, he posted a 11.8 fWAR across 3 full seasons with the team. He also had 3 lost seasons due to injuries, ones in which he posted just a 1.0 fWAR. Overall, he posted a 12.8 fWAR for the Marlins across 6 and a half seasons.

The Marlins found the Dodgers as takers for them to dump Hanley Ramirez and the remains of his extension he signed in 2009. In return, they were able to get Nathan Eovaldi in return, who had been a top 100 prospect according to Baseball America before the 2012 season.

A few weeks later, the Marlins continued selling off parts, deciding they had little chance to resign the impending free agent Sanchez. He, along with Omar Infante, brought the Marlins back Jacob Turner, Rob Brantly, and Brian Flynn.

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While Eovaldi slotted into the Marlins rotation right away, Turner was sent down to Triple-A New Orleans to work on his pitching.

Eovaldi went on to post a career 5.1 fWAR with the Marlins, including a 3.0 fWAR for the 2014 season. Turner posted a 1.4 fWAR with the team, before the team gave up on him too soon. Turner was dealt to the Cubs for two prospects that will probably never surface with the big league team.

Brian Flynn and Rob Brantly, the other part of the Sanchez trade, combined for a -0.4 fWAR in their time with the Marlins. Flynn was dealt along with Reid Redman to the Royals for Aaron Crow early in the offseason. Brantly was claimed off waiver by the Chicago White Sox.

Later in the offseason, Nathan Eovaldi, along with Garrett Jones and prospect Domingo German, were dealt to the New York Yankees for Martin Prado and David Phelps.

Nearly 10-years after the initial Hanley Ramirez-Josh Beckett swap, the Marlins are left with a 49.2 fWAR, Martin Prado, Aaron Crow, and unfortunately 0 playoff appearances.

Next: And the winner is...

Apr 4, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz (34) reacts after receiving his 2013 World Series ring before the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Like I said in the first slide, this is not an exact science to decide who won the trade. Just because I declare a team a winner over the other doesn’t mean that has to be the case. Both teams can still be viewed as winners, at this was an excellent deal for both sides at the time of the deal and even now, nearly 10-years after.

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Despite the Marlins coming out nearly 5 wins ahead of the Sox after factoring in all the aftermath trades, I’d have to give the edge to the Red Sox and their 2007 World Series. The Marlins have not made the playoffs since they won it all in 2003 while the Sox have 3 championships in that time period.

I also believe Wade Miley will have a bigger impact for the Sox in 2015 than both Martin Prado and Aaron Crow. Ironically, the Sox used the last remnants of their Josh Beckett deal to acquire Miley, a guy the Marlins were very interested in during the offseason.

If you went back in time and gave these teams the option of doing this trade all over again, I’d have no doubt both would jump on it again. The 2007 World Series and top of the rotation arm of Beckett made the deal worth it for the Sox. Hanley Ramirez and his rise to superstardom made the deal worth it for the Marlins.

Now the Sox hope they can get the best of both worlds: A championship after trading Hanley and a championship with Hanley.

Next: ZiPS Projection: Giancarlo Stanton

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