The Miami Marlins have been all over the news recently due to the Jose Reyes signing and Albert Pujols rumors, but they gained some extra press yesterday due to a disgruntled employee. According to Enrique Rojas from ESPN Deportes (translated by Juan Rodriguez):
Hanley Ramiez does not endorse the idea of moving from shortstop to third base and has informed the Miami Marlins that he would prefer changing teams before changing positions.
Leading up to the Jose Reyes signing, there had been much speculation on if Hanley Ramirez was okay with the idea of changing positions. Ramirez stayed vague on the subject and wouldn't come down firmly on one side or the other, leaving the general impression that he was at best hesitant about the move. He has played shortstop his entire life, and a move to third base would decrease his value going forward. And when you consider yourself the star player for your franchise, it's also a shot to the ego to hear that your team has signed another player to take your position from you.
So is Hanley likely disappointed? Sure. Has he requested a trade? That's not so clear.
"A little bit concerned about some of the reports on Hanley," President of Baseball Operations Larry Beinfest said. "It's news to me if he's asked to be traded. It's not something we've discussed." (Juan Rodriguez, Sun Sentinel)
For now, we'll just have to wait and see what shakes up. My assumption is that if the Marlins sign Albert Pujols or any other large free agents, Ramirez's concerns will all get washed away as he realizes the Marlins could be playoff contenders next season. That's surely reason enough to remain in Miami.