Marlins Purge Continues – Hanley Ramirez Traded to Dodgers

The Miami Marlins continued to make baseball news as the team traded Hanley Ramirez and Randy Choate to the Los Angeles Dodgers in in return for RHPs Nathan Eovaldi and Scott McGough.

Once the Marlins decided they were going to make wholesale roster changes, Ramirez became the prime target of several teams.

Ramirez is a three-time All-Star and former Rookie of the Year.

Ramirez is in the fourth year of a six-year $70 million deal. However, with new ownership in place, the Dodgers were willing to take a chance and see a if a change of scenery could help Ramirez returned to his former glory. Ramirez was moved to third base this season, to accommodate the acquisition of shortstop José Reyes.

While Ramirez moved reluctantly the third-base, clearly he was not happy.

Ramirez was an offense of force between 2006 and 2010 slugging 124 home runs, highest among shortstops in the major leagues.

His production had fallen off dramatically past two seasons.

In 2011 he hit .243/.333/.379 and this year he has hit .246/.322/.428 with 14 homers and 48 RBI through 93 games.

Choate is the prototypical left-handed specialist and has a 2.49 ERA in 25 1/3 innings this year.  McGough, 22, had a 3.99 ERA and a 48/26 K/BB ratio in 47 1/3 innings in Single A Rancho Cucamonga