Ortiz’s 34 will be the tenth number retired by the organization; tied with the Braves, Dodgers, Reds, and White Sox for the third-most numbers retired. The Yankees lead the way with 22 retired numbers. Ortiz’s number retirement will be the soonest the organization has retired a number following the player’s career. We haven’t even gone one full season without Big Papi taking hacks in his red socks, and not a day goes by without mention of how much the offense misses him. I don’t mean to insinuate that the team should wait some pre-determined (and mostly arbitrary) period of time following the player’s time in the game, I just think the quick turnaround for Ortiz is interesting. In any case, the honor Ortiz is set to receive led me down a rabbit hole of uniform number exploration (thanks Baseball Reference!), and got me thinking about other numbers the Red Sox organization could (or should) retire.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the distribution of numbers worn by Red Sox players follows pretty closely with that of the league. The high-teens through the thirties are most popular, and few players wear anything above 50, and most above 65 are one-offs for call-ups and eventually get changed or recycled. Number 28 has been worn by 56 different Red Sox players, which is the most. Oddly enough, should 28 ever get posted up next to Yaz, Teddy and the other fellas in right field, Doug Mirabelli is the player who probably has the strongest claim to it being his honor; he was mostly a personal catcher, but I suppose the team did commandeer local police to help get him to the ballpark that one time, so he must have been special. The next most worn numbers are 15 and 19, each of which have been worn by 54 players, although for 15 it seems like a decent bet that total will stop increasing given the current owner’s place in team lore. More on that in a bit. There are a bunch of numbers that have yet to be worn by a Red Sox player: 0, 69 (leading a whole bunch of people on Twitter to exclaim ‘not-nice’; but don’t worry, some have worn it), 74, 75, 79, 80, 86-90, 92, 93, and 95-99.

Of all these uniform numbers worn by Red Sox players are there any that have (at least) an (moderately) interesting case for retirement? I think there are a couple that have a real shot, and a few that are fun to discuss. To be clear, I am not suggesting that all (or necessarily any) of the numbers discussed below should get retired, just that there is a discussion to be had for some of them and if they did get retired these are the players who should draw the honor. There are a few numbers where there is an obvious choice, one where there is a tossup between two players, a few intriguing “What ifs”, and of course some ambitious projections from the current team.

The Clear-Cut Options

5, 15, 20, 23, 33, and 49. Who comes to mind as you pass through that list? Was it Nomar Garciaparra, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Luis Tiant, Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield? If not, then we disagree. For me, these guys are the clear options for their numbers. Nomar was the face of the franchise during the initial years of the recent two-decades-long run of success and is arguably the best shortstop the team has ever had. As I mentioned above, I think there is a chance that number 15 ends with Dustin Pedroia. He has spent his entire career with the organization, during which he has won a Rookie-of-the-Year and MVP award, two World Series Championships, always been in the discussion as one of the five-best second baseman in the game, and, if his career ended tomorrow, already has a fringy Hall of Fame case. Of the six numbers listed in this section, 15 is likely the only one with any real chance of being retired.

The other guys, like Nomar, were all really good and special parts of the Red Sox teams for which they played, but unlikely to get the honor. Kevin Youkilis was the bald-scowling face of the on-base percentage movement that came about in the early-to-mid-2000s – “Greek God of Walks” remains one of the dumber nicknames we have seen, but is representative of how he was perceived. He played excellent defense at both corner infield spots, was the subject of an incredible moment in broadcasting, did not get along with Bobby Valentine, and married Tom Brady’s sister. All around good guy, that Youk. I was not around to have watched much of Luis Tiant, but his twirling deliveries, importance to the Cuban baseball community, and performances in the 1975 World Series all stand out to me. Finally you have The Captain, Jason Varitek, who spent 13 seasons in Boston, guided the pitching staffs through two Championship seasons, and, in a moment that will never be forgotten, cleaned a few crumbs off of Alex Rodriguez’s face. Wakefield was also a part of two championship teams and did it all in his 19 seasons in Boston. He started, he relieved, he was even the closer for a while, which seems ludicrous when compared with today’s world of the blow-you-away fastball monsters who end games. A thing I truly respected about Wake was that he ate innings when he (or others) was getting rocked, which often kept the team in the next day’s game. Game 3 of the 2004 ALCS is a good example. Without Wake taking one for the team in Game 3, those extra inning affairs in Games 4 and 5 might go differently.

The Tossup

24. Number 24 is perhaps the most interesting situation of any number. Like 15 above, I think it should have an actual chance at retirement. The difficulty is that there are two players who have a serious claim on this number: Dwight Evans and Manny Ramirez. Both are Hall of Fame worthy players, although Evans has already been passed over for enshrinement, and Manny will likely miss out due to his indulgence in “home run hitting pills”. Evans played in Boston for 19 seasons, made three All-Star teams, offered excellent defense in right field, and was consistently above-average with the bat. Manny only played in Boston for eight years, but made the All-Star team every year, was an offensive force on two Championship teams, and offered high-comedy on defense in left field. Manny was David Ortiz’s partner in mashing opposing pitching, so it would be neat to see their numbers posted on the wall together forever, but in the end, if 24 gets posted in right field, it is probably to honor Evans. Ideally, David Price will turn things around, pitch like we know he can for the next six years, and make the discussion of number 24 even more complex.

The What Ifs

21 and 29. What if Roger Clemens stayed in Boston after the 1996 season and never signed in Toronto or eventually with the Yankees? Clemens is arguably the greatest right-handed pitcher to ever play. Were it not for his indulgence in “home run preventing pills”, he would already be enshrined in Cooperstown. Perhaps that, and the going to New York thing, is what is holding-up the powers-that-make-these-decisions from posting 21 on the facade. Nobody has worn 21 since he left in 1996, so the number has been functionally retired for a while. Maybe it is time to explicitly honor the man. What if Adrian Beltre was not a one-and-done in Boston? As you may have heard, third base has been an unmitigated disaster since he left. Nobody else who wore 29 for the Red Sox really stands out – Keith Foulke? So had Beltre stayed and kept crushing bombs over the monster from one knee, performing as he has in Texas, continuing his clear path to Cooperstown, perhaps we would think of him when thinking of 29. Ugh. Life with Beltre at third for the last seven years is an alternate timeline I wish we could explore.

The Current Group

2, 16, 41, and 50. Xander Bogaerts has only Jacoby Ellsbury (and maybe Jerry Remy) to surpass to ensure he is the primary 2 in our hearts. I irrationally love Andrew Benintendi, so sure let’s consider retiring 16 in his honor after he has only played 66 games in the uniform. While we are acting crazy, how about Chris Sale and number 41? There are not many stand out 41s in Red Sox history. If he can strikeout 10 batters per start for the Red Sox for the next three years and beyond, then why not him? In three-plus seasons, Mookie Betts already has more career wins above replacement player (17.5) than any other player who wore number 50 for the Red Sox other than Jamie Moyer (58.6), who only wore it for one year in 1996. Mookie is on a strong path to making 50 his and having it posted alongside David Ortiz’s 34.

Regardless of my trip down uniform number memory lane, tomorrow night will be about David Ortiz and his number 34. He was a force in the middle of the Red Sox lineup for 14 years. He contributed 52.5 wins above replacement, basically all with his bat. In his Red Sox career he posted a .290/.386/.570 (.956 OPS), mashed 483 home runs, and helped the team win three rings. I subscribe to the idea that players are not clutch, but can have clutch moments. Well, Ortiz had enough moments to push me to believe that he is, in fact, clutch. Seriously, there were so many incredible moments. He hit .688/.760/1.188 in the 2013 World Series. That is just silly. He was so much fun to watch. It will be fun to celebrate him once more tomorrow night.

Photo by Kim Klement – USA TODAY Sports

Since the trade of Ramirez in 2008, the Red Sox have had a rotating cast of mediocrity at what has traditionally been the bedrock of the Red Sox offense. From 2009- 2016, Jason Bay, Daniel Nava, Carl Crawford, Johnny Gomes, Hanley Ramirez, Chris Young, and Brock Holt have been the only players with over 50 games played at the position in a given year during those seasons. Aside from Bay in 2009 and the highly productive 2013 platoon of Nava and Gomes (25 HR and 118 RBI!), the production has left the team wanting.

This hasn’t always been the case though and I think it’s fair to argue that from 1940-2008 no team in baseball has had a more productive position than left field has been for the Boston Red Sox. During that 68-year span, the team has had just six left fielders (min. 50 games per year) with three or more seasons at the position. To put that in perspective, over the same time span, Boston has voted in a new mayor a mere seven times. The names are pretty stunning, so here they are along with their best single-season OPS:

This is obviously a slight oversimplification, but these six men represent a nearly unbroken line at the position. There were a few exceptions: from 1943-45 and from 1952-53, Ted Williams missed time due to being a war hero in WWII and Korea. In 1964, the Red Sox experimented by putting Tony Conigliaro in left and Yaz in center field before switching back the following year. In 1973, Tommy Harper took over left field from Yaz before splitting time with Yaz in 1974, and then being traded to the Angels in the off-season. When Rice took over in 1975, he and Yaz continued to evenly split time until 1978. Yaz played less and less there until he retired in 1983. Mike “The Gator” Greenwell missed 1992 due to Tommy John surgery, and Wil Cordero bridged the gap between The Gator and O’Leary in 1997.

The fact that we can sum up 68 years of baseball at a single position on the team in just a few bullet points and a single paragraph shows just how special the string of Red Sox left fielders have been.

 

The fact that we can sum up 68 years of baseball at a single position on the team in just a few bullet points and a single paragraph shows just how special the string of Red Sox left fielders have been. Williams played for 19 years and is considered a top-three hitter of all time. Yaz played for 23 seasons, amassing a career WARP of 99.4 before retiring as arguably the most iconic Red Sox player of all time. Rice wasn’t as accomplished as Williams and Yaz, but still managed an MVP season in 1978 and eight All-Star appearances. At 24-years-old in 1988, The Gator posted one of the most under the radar great seasons in Red Sox history, generating a WARP of 7.5 while finishing second to Jose Canseco in the MVP vote due to his chemically aided 40-40 campaign – something Greenwell is still bitter about. O’Leary enjoyed his best seasons with Boston in LF, and Manny gave the Red Sox 2004 and 2007 along with some of the best offensive seasons in Fenway history.

Benintendi has a real chance to be the next guy to grab the job and never let it go, as he currently sports a nifty .864 OPS. This mark is better than all left-fielders 22-years-old and under aside from Boog Powell, Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, and Miguel Cabrera and better than Barry Bonds, Jim Rice, Yaz, and Rickey Henderson, to name a few. This is good company to be in. While he may not be a traditional slugger in the mold of Williams, Yaz, Rice, and Ramirez, years like Greenwell’s 1988 season – when he posted a .325/.416/.531 slash line – are within reach.

Many teams see left field as a place to hide players with defensive issues by rotating players in and out, but the Red Sox can consistently trot out a player with “future All-Star” written all over him. Time will tell, but I would bet on Benintendi manning left field and hitting in the middle of the order for a long time to come.

Going Deep

Before looking ahead to the 2017 team and beyond, it is worth looking back at the career of ex-Red Sox star Manny Ramirez, who is now eligible for the Hall of Fame. By the numbers, Manny, a player many have considered one of the best right-handed hitters to ever play the game, looks like a Hall of Famer: 555 home runs, .312/.411/.585 slashline, critical part of two World Series winners, 76.3 WARP, this play, and on and on. Manny was so great:

By Jay Jaffe’s JAWS, Manny was slightly better than the average Hall of Fame left fielder, meaning he would raise the quality of enshrined left fielders. Ian Browne of MLB.com has a great retrospective of Manny’s career. So elect him, right? Not likely. As Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald details, Manny’s multiple suspensions for violating MLB’s PED policy makes it a longshot that he gets the Hall call. Along these lines, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe considers Manny’s place among Red Sox greats who have not been enshrined, ultimately ranking him third behind Roger Clemens and Curt “how can I tarnish my image further today” Schilling. Regardless of his election, it will be interesting to see how long Manny remains eligible on the ballot. Will he lurk around for a few years like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens have? Will he get bounced immediately? Manny certainly represents an interesting case for the voters. If he does get in, I am sure that his speech will be incredible.

The Red Sox have sorely lacked production from third base in recent years. Pablo Sandoval’s first season in red socks went terribly, and last year, outside of two good months from Travis Shaw, the group of players who occupied the hot corner posted a .238 TAv. As such, what to expect from the position in 2017 is remarkably unclear. Regardless, Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe writes that Sandoval should get the opportunity to be the primary third baseman in 2017. I agree with Abraham for two reasons. First, it is unlikely that Sandoval will be as bad as he was in 2015, and second, the other options will be better used in bench/utility roles (Shaw, Brock Holt) or need more development time (Yoan Moncada). The 3-to-5-win Sandoval of San Francisco Giants fame is likely not going to be seen in Boston but that doesn’t mean there should be a rush to trade him for pennies on the dollar. And, no, the Giants don’t want him back. Sandoval slots nicely into the bottom third of the already potent Red Sox lineup, and hopefully his focus on conditioning over the last year helps his agility on defense. It is reasonable to expect him to be a 1-2 win contributor in 2017, which is great for the 2017 club and also allows Moncada more time to learn the position at the minor league level so that he can be ready to assert himself as the primary candidate in 2018.

Quick Hits

For a number of Red Sox players, the 2016 postseason, was their first taste of playoff baseball at the major league level. Unfortunately, after getting swept in the Division Series, it was over before they could get acclimated. Despite the poor result, Scott Lauber of ESPN.com outlines how getting a taste of playoff experience this past season could prove valuable in the future for the young core of the team.

While that young core is in place for the 2017 season, there are still areas of the team that can be enhanced. Carlos Beltran, an excellent offensive-threat from both sides of the plate, has been mentioned as a Red Sox target. Beltran would be a nice addition to an already strong offense. However, as Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal writes, the Sox are not alone in being interested in adding Beltran. The Yankees, Astros, Rangers and (maybe) the Blue Jays are all vying for the aging slugger.

Adding to the offense is one approach for this offseason, however Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald thinks the Red Sox should focus on getting someone from the starting pitching market. The Red Sox’s league-leading offense is still likely to be a top-five group, but the pitching is murkier. Mastrodonato suggests that adding Chris Sale or Justin Verlander is feasible and would make things much more comfortable.

Two members of the current starting rotation have different views on pitching for their country in the World Baseball Classic (WBC). American League Cy-Young winner Rick Porcello wants to repeat his 2016 Spring preparations in 2017 and will therefore skip pitching for the American squad. However, Porcello’s rotation-mate Eduardo Rodriguez has made it known that he would like to pitch for Venezuela. While it is an honour to compete for one’s country, John Tomase of WEEI.com writes that, given the knee injury that affected his mechanics and contributed to a mostly mediocre season, Rodriguez should skip the WBC.

Even after all of the big league promotions that have happened over the last couple of years, the Red Sox’s farm system remains one of the best in the game. There are many players at the lower levels who could contribute in the big leagues in 2017. Christopher Smith of MassLive.com has notes on six players who could make their big league debut this season.

Photo by Bob DeChiara/USA Today Sports Images

A quiet day would be an abnormal development for the Red Sox, who are usually active at the deadline, especially since the turn of the century as they’ve consistently made major moves to either boost a playoff-caliber team, or tear apart the bad ones. Many deals succeeded, leading to championship runs. Some failed miserably. Others, well, didn’t do much of anything. Regardless, Theo Epstein, Ben Cherington and Co. were never afraid to pull the trigger.

Today’s trade deadline may leave Red Sox fans underwhelmed, but many deadlines haven’t. Let’s look back at some of those busier deadlines and see just how well (or poorly) they turned out. I present you with the five biggest Red Sox trade deadlines of the 21st century.

5.) 2013

Red Sox acquire right-handers Jake Peavy and Brayan Villarreal, send shortstop Jose Iglesias to the Tigers and send right-handers J.B. Wendelken and Francelis Montas to the White Sox

This trade technically came the day before the 2013 trade deadline, but I make the rules here, and I say that’s good enough to make this list. Anyway, the 2013 Red Sox were in the midst of a worst-to-first turnaround, but needed another starting pitcher for their playoff push. Insert Jake Peavy. The righty gave the Sox just what they needed, posting a 3.82 FIP in 10 regular-season starts and helping them win the World Series. Peavy’s 2013 postseason was less than stellar, but he did start the ALDS clincher against the Rays, allowing just one run on five hits over 5.2 innings. The Red Sox got an ok half season out of Peavy in 2014 before shipping him to the eventual world champion Giants in 2014.

The only notable loss for the Red Sox in that deal was Jose Iglesias, but even his departure wasn’t a major letdown at the time with Stephen Drew and Dustin Pedroia at shortstop and second base, respectively, Will Middlebrooks (sort of) contributing at third and Xander Bogaerts on his way. Iglesias was known primarily for his glove coming through the Sox organization, but was hitting well early on in 2013, posting a .285 TAv in 63 games before being dealt. Iglesias missed all of 2014, owned a .252 TAv in 2015 and has a .243 TAv this season. Meanwhile, Bogaerts could be the one of the best offensive shortstops in the majors for years to come. Safe to say the Red Sox made the right move.

Iglesias still contributed to the 2013 title, by the way.

That led to this:

4.) 2009

Red Sox acquire catcher Victor Martinez from the Indians for right-hander Justin Masterson, left-hander Nick Hagadone and catcher Bryan Price

The playoff-bound Red Sox bolstered their lineup with one big swap, adding Victor Martinez in exchange for Justin Masterson and a pair of prospects. Martinez proved to be a nice addition, as he split time between catcher and first base over 183 regular-season games between 2009 and 2010. Martinez posted a .302 TAv in 237 plate appearances in 2009 and a .281 mark the next year. He didn’t give the Red Sox the postseason production they were hoping for in 2009, collecting just a pair of hits, but that run also lasted just three games.

This trade wasn’t necessarily a win or loss for either team, but it’s safe to say the Indians got more out of the deal. Masterson pitched five solid years in Cleveland, his best being in 2013 when he was the ace of the staff and led the Indians to a postseason berth with a 2.63 DRA and 3.38 FIP. The righty’s career has since flamed out after a disastrous season with the Red Sox in 2015, but the Indians certainly got the best of him.

3.) 2014

Red Sox trade left-hander Jon Lester to the A’s for Yoenis Cespedes and a competitive balance pick; send right-hander John Lackey and left-hander Corey Littrell to the Cardinals for outfielder Allen Craig and right-hander Joe Kelly; trade left-hander Andrew Miller to the Orioles for right-hander Eduardo Rodriguez and send shortstop Stephen Drew to the Yankees for utility infielder Kelly Johnson

Making one major trade at the deadline is big. Two deals is impressive. Four deals in one day is on another level. That’s exactly what the Red Sox did at the 2014 trade deadline as they shipped off a number of veterans over four trades, eyeing the future in the midst of a last-place season.

The Sox’s deadline activity actually began five days earlier when they traded Peavy to the Giants for Heath Hembree and Edwin Escobar. Escobar is no longer with the team, but Hembree has turned into a nice innings eater out of the bullpen. The real fireworks, however, began early on the morning of the deadline when Jon Lester was sent to the A’s for Yoenis Cespedes. Lester was once again pitching like a top-of-the-rotation starter, but the Sox were out of contention and the lefty was in the final year of his contract with no long-term agreement in sight. Cespedes, meanwhile, was a big bat with another year left on his deal. Lester picked up where he left off upon joining the A’s, posting a 2.35 ERA and 3.16 FIP over 11 starts. The Sox pursued Lester in the offseason, but lost out to the Cubs. Cespedes owned a .269 TAv over 213 plate appearances before being dealt to Detroit for Rick Porcello in the offseason. Sure, Porcello doesn’t seem like a stellar return for Lester (although Porcello has been one of their two most dependable starters this season), but they also could have lost the lefty for nothing that offseason had they not traded him.

Then there was the deal we’d all like to forget. That was the deal that brought Allen Craig and Joe Kelly to Boston in exchange for John Lackey. The trade made plenty of sense at the time. Lackey was pitching well, but had little future left in Boston, especially after expressing his displeasure about pitching at the major-league minimum in 2015. Craig was a former All-Star who appeared to be simply having a bad year, while Kelly was young, could throw hard and had shown potential after posting a 2.69 ERA over 15 starts in 2013. Two years later, the deal looks as bad as ever for the Red Sox. Lackey posted a 2.77 ERA while pitching at the minimum for the Cardinals last season. Craig spent most of last season in Triple-A and has since fallen off the face of the earth. Kelly has spent his time with the Red Sox either hurt, or bouncing between Triple-A and the majors.

As dominant as Andrew Miller has been over the last two-plus years, a young pitcher like Eduardo Rodriguez was about the best you were going to get for a rental reliever (how times have changed). The Orioles got the most out of Miller, who owned a 1.16 FIP in 23 appearances with Baltimore in 2014. He’s since become one of the best closers in baseball over the past two seasons. The Red Sox, meanwhile, got a potential middle-of-the-rotation arm for a player they would probably lose to free agency anyway.

The Stephen Drew trade proved to be insignificant. He gave the Yankees an ok season and a half and Kelly Johnson gave the Red Sox next to nothing. However, the trade opened up shortstop for Bogaerts, and we all know how that’s gone.

This deadline was as crazy as it gets for any team. At the time, the Red Sox seemingly won the day, but hindsight shows that not all of it worked out as planned. The Lackey deal is a perfect example of that. However, it would’ve looked worse if the Red Sox lost some of these players to free agency.

2.) 2008

Red Sox acquire outfielder Jason Bay from the Pirates, trade outfielder Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers and send right-hander Craig Hansen and outfielder Brandon Moss to the Pirates

This trade was years in the making. It was far from the first time Manny Ramirez had been part of a trade rumor, and even further from the first time he wanted out of Boston. In 2008, the Red Sox finally pulled the trigger, and got a player in Jason Bay who could fill Ramirez’s void immediately. From a straight trade standpoint, the Red Sox and Dodgers both got solid production for a year and a half of service. Bay posted a .308 TAv in 211 plate appearances with the Sox in 2008, while owning a .302 mark the next season. Ramirez was even more impressive with his .425 TAv in 229 plate appearances with the Dodgers in 2008 and .336 mark in 2009 as LA reached the NLCS both seasons. Ramirez was clearly better than Bay during that time, but by that point he had been nothing but a distraction in Boston and needed to go.

As for the prospects the Red Sox gave up. Craig Hansen’s career continued to be forgettable. Brandon Moss’ career never really materialized until his 2012 arrival in Oakland in 2012, where he totaled 76 home runs over three seasons. Moss, 32, has a .323 TAv and 17 home runs for the Cardinals this season.

1.) 2004

Red Sox acquire shortstop Orlando Cabrera from the Expos and first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz from the Twins, and send shortstop Nomar Garciaparra and outfielder Matt Murton to the Cubs, and acquire outfielder Dave Roberts from the Dodgers for outfielder Henri Stanley

This may go down as the biggest trade deadline in Red Sox history. It was significant enough that they traded, at the time, one of the most iconic players in team history. Add in the fact that it helped propel the Sox to their first World Series title in 86 years and you’re talking about a deadline worth telling your grandkids about.

We start, of course, with the Nomar Garciaparra trade. Garciaparra had been the face of the Red Sox since his 6.0 WARP rookie season in 1997 and a clear fan favorite. He was also really, really good, owning a 43.7 WARP between 1997 and 2003 (keep in mind he missed most of 2001). But by July 2004, he had seemingly overstayed his welcome in Boston. He was in a contract year with no promise of returning, had become a defensive liability and was expected to miss more time with an Achilles injury. Epstein, in a stroke of groinal fortitude, dealt away the superstar in hopes of shoring up the team’s “fatal flaw”: defense.

Epstein got just what he was looking for from Orlando Cabrera. The shortstop’s .268 TAv with the Red Sox was comparable to Garciaparra’s .272 TAv with the Sox in 2004, but he also posted a positive FRAA and played 15 more games than Garciaparra did in the final two months. Cabrera left at the end of the season and the Red Sox began a carousel at shortstop over the next decade, but the championship and Garciaparra’s rapid decline soon after was enough to justify the move.

The Dave Roberts trade was a footnote in the midst of an active deadline, and with good reason. The outfielder made just 101 plate appearances and posted a .251 TAv. He was simply acquired to add speed, defense and depth off the bench. However, Roberts is also responsible for the biggest stolen base in Red Sox history.

***

It’s unlikely the Red Sox will do anything to top these trade deadlines this season. But that’s why a list like this exists. You don’t get fireworks every season. When you consider the moves the Sox have made in the past month, it makes even more sense for this deadline to be a quiet one. That’s not always a bad thing.

 Photo by USA Today Sports Images

Maybe it wasn’t.

I’m not saying he was secretly good out there—that would be one hell of a secret. And I’m not saying it’s up in the air, because 747.2 innings is such a small sample—it is, but not so small that defensive metrics this extreme aren’t meaningful. What I am saying is that even after adjustments, defensive metrics may have been unfair to Red Sox left fielders, making a very bad season look so bad that it’s hard to believe.

Take out both Ramirezes, and Red Sox left fielders have a -7.3 UZR/150 that would still rank dead last in all of baseball over the last 14 years.

Maybe we need to leave this at the feet of a different Ramirez, to some extent: Manny Ramirez was installed in left field when advanced defensive statistics were first publicly reported, and in 6,478.2 career innings in left for the Red Sox, he managed a -21.0 UZR/150 and looked like a bad fielder. Manny’s stats passed the smell test. And for every other left fielder to have logged 1,000 or more innings in left for the Red Sox, there seemed to be some other way to explain the negative defensive statistics away. Jason Bay and Jonny Gomes were never that great defensively anyway. Carl Crawford was getting older, and had trouble adjusting. Daniel Nava got bounced around too much.

But maybe it’s more than that. Take out both Ramirezes, and Red Sox left fielders have a -7.3 UZR/150 that would still rank dead last in all of baseball over the last 14 years.* Has the team been more comfortable putting bad fielders there than other teams? Maybe. But with all due respect to the ghost of Brian Daubach’s career, it seems unlikely that after taking out two of the team’s worst fielders, the remaining left fielders were still worse than everyone else.

*Note: I got this number after applying some high school algebra to numbers that were already rounded, so it may not be exact—but there’s a lot of room between -7.3 UZR/150 over 13,052.2 innings and the -6.1 UZR/150 Phillies.

Just like Defensive Runs Saved, Ultimate Zone Rating is mostly a function of its range component, RngR. Among the other components, the effect of an outfielder’s arm (ARM) and the effect of boneheaded or inspired plays (ErrR) are next-most important. You should care, because in RngR, the chasm between the Red Sox and the next-worst team is mind numbing: -157.9 RngR to the Phillies’ -112.4 RngR. And just as Fenway taketh away, it also giveth. The Red Sox rank a little differently in ARM than they do in UZR/150 overall, as I’ve once again shown elegantly with a red arrow drawn on a touchpad:

Caveat time: I’m not able to find home/road splits for UZR (or DRS), so if what we’re getting after here really is about Fenway, the effect might be twice the size of what it looks like. Also, how UZR treated left at Fenway was tweaked when the park factors used were made more sophisticated before the 2010 season. It’s probably no accident that among the left fielders with at least 200 innings for the Red Sox, many of  the positive marks came from the last few seasons: Jackie Bradley Jr., Rusney Castillo, Yoenis Cespedes, Alejandro De Aza and Brock Holt. Some of this information is still useful, though, for estimating the size of the grain of salt we should take with Hanley Ramirez’s stats last year.

This graph doesn’t tell you how many innings each of these left fielders actually had (see for yourself, if you like), but you get the picture. Some usual suspects, but a few surprises, as well.

Hanley rated worse than Manny did over his career in left, but the -31.9 UZR/150 was hardly unprecedented: Manny’s -33.8 UZR/150 in 2006 was worse. The main difference between them was the extent to which they affected the game with their throwing arms. We don’t have UZR for Manny’s first season in 2001, but in 2002, he didn’t do so hot in ARM: -4.1, almost as bad as Yoenis Cespedes was good in his limited time. After 2002, though, Manny put up a 13.5 ARM, putting a serious dent in his shortcomings with range.

Manny didn’t do dramatically better in left for the Dodgers than he did for the Red Sox, but he did do better, and that was despite seeing his ARM marks go negative once he got there. Looking only at RngR, Manny got worse as he got older: -2.5 ARM in 2002, when he was still DHing, then -9.6, -13.0, and a whopping -30.1 in 2005 when he set his career-high for innings. In Manny’s No Good, Terrible, Very Bad Year in 2006 his RngR was -27.7 (which was actually worse, given a 200 inning drop), and the -13.8 he ended up with in 2007 could have been a real improvement, luck, or both. In the year he split with the Dodgers, though, he improved to -9.5, about where he was in his first full UZR year in left in 2002 in a handful fewer innings. His -4.6 RngR in 2009 is astonishing, even if it was in just 812 innings—and his -3.2 in 2010 in 359.2 innings is almost as surprising. Basically, Manny left Fenway, and then his range was only about one third as bad as it was with the Red Sox. In 2009, the man turned 37 years old.

Manny left Fenway, and then his range was only about one third as bad as it was with the Red Sox. In 2009, the man turned 37 years old.

But wait—there’s more. Carl Crawford was a great left fielder for Tampa Bay; for all of his full seasons, he had a RngR of between 11.7 and 16.5, except for one season. Preceding his Red Sox tenur, Crawford had that 16.5 RngR and then a 14.9 … and then seemed to flush himself down the toilet with a -1.5 RngR in his only full season with Boston (his partial 2012 was also essentially a zero). Back playing left for the Dodgers in 2013, he had a 9.1 RngR in a not-quite-full season’s worth of playing time, essentially picking right back up where he left off for the Rays.

Not sold yet? Then take the left fielder with the second-most innings out there in the UZR era. Daniel Nava’s -7.7 UZR/150 in left was nothing to write home about either way and his 1,702.2 innings were about a thousand short of the sample size we generally consider meaningful. Still, Nava buoyed that number with a 5.1 ARM, and his -14.4 RngR was… not good. But Nava didn’t just play left—he also played 1117 innings of right field, where he had a positive 4.5 RngR and 9.9 UZR/150. Better than J.D. Drew in right, and yet almost as far below average in left as he was above average in right.

A big part of the Green Monster tradeoff is the ability to help control baserunners, but it’s possible that learning to throw from Fenway’s left field requires some kind of adjustment (especially if one is learning the outfield for the first time). Even in the context of Red Sox left fielders, Hanley Ramirez’s -10.5 RngR in just over a half-season of work was flat-out bad. His ridiculously awful -7.3 ARM in the same span is what made his UZR/150 that next level of awfulness, though, and the similar marks for DRS told a similar story (-10 rPM, -5 rARM). It’s possible that learning to throw from the outfield was especially challenging for Ramirez, but ARM is mostly inferential—it is affected by what baserunners try as much as what they try unsuccessfully. A few well-publicized gaffes in the outfield early in the season very well could encouraged runners to try to take extra bases much more often, and then the problem may have snowballed, with the “right” throwing decisions changed for Ramirez.

Balls that hit the wall and aren’t catchable by BIS’s estimation aren’t included in UZR’s RngR calculations. So what gives? I don’t have an explanation, and as I’m not half as smart as Mitchel Lichtman, I wouldn’t deign to suggest there’s an obvious problem in the metrics. It does seem like something is here, though, and it might be as simple as what happens to Coors Field hitters, with home/road adjustments making for a harder row to hoe overall. For now, though, I feel like we don’t necessarily need to heap so much abuse on our man Hanley. And it may be wise to temper our defensive stats expectations for Rusney Castillo and Chris Young this year as well.

Photo by Mark L. Baer/USA Today Sports Images

Ramirez was one of the best hitters in recent team history, and was an instrumental part of two World Series championships. He was an All-Star each season in Boston (although he enjoyed skipping the event) and made hitting look easy. He and David Ortiz were arguably the best one-two punch in baseball in their five-plus seasons together.

This week marks the 15th anniversary of the Red Sox signing Ramirez to an eight-year, $160 million contract, beginning an era that was far from boring. In light of that, we counted down the 15 most memorable moments of Ramirez’s Red Sox career. There are the home runs, the head-scratchers and everything else that embodied Manny being Manny.

15. Dec. 13, 2000 – Introduced as member of the Red Sox

Red Sox fans got their first taste of Ramirez’s colorful personality at his introductory news conference, when he cracked a wide smile and gave two thumbs up as he tried on his new uniform. He certainly had reason to smile. His contract was then the largest in club history and made him the second-highest paid player in baseball. But it was more than just dollar signs that drew Ramirez to the Red Sox. “I’m tired of seeing New York always win,” he told reporters.

14. April 13, 2001 – Hits walk-off single off Mariano Rivera in first Red Sox-Yankees game

Ramirez’s first Red Sox-Yankees game was a memorable one. It was a pitcher’s duel for most of the night, as a matchup between the great Paxton Crawford and Orlando Hernandez left the teams tied 1-1 heading into extra innings. New York took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 10th on an RBI single by Scott Brosius, but Ramirez, who drove in Boston’s first run with a double in the fifth, hit a two-on, two-out, two-strike single off Mariano Rivera to give the Red Sox a 3-2 win.

That was only the beginning of Ramirez’s success in the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry, as he hit .340 with 33 home runs in his seven and a half seasons part of it and .305 in 14 postseason games.

13. May 15, 2005 – Launches career home run No. 400

Ramirez became the fifth player in Red Sox history to reach the 400-home run mark when he drove a 1-1 fastball off Mariners starter Gil Meche into the right-center field seats. His three-run blast made him the 13th player to reach the mark before his 33rd birthday and the fifth fastest in number of at-bats. Ramirez finished the 2005 season with a career-high 45 home runs for the second time and would end up with 555 blasts for his career.

12. December, 2003 – Nearly traded to Texas for Alex Rodriguez

One of the most bizarre, emotional roller coasters in recent Red Sox history took place during the 2003-04 offseason, and Ramirez was at the center of it. The Sox nearly traded Ramirez to Texas in a blockbuster deal for Alex Rodriguez. The deal was agreed upon and Sox fans were jubilant. Rodriguez even agreed to restructure his contract. But the trade fell through when the Players Association rejected the restructuring. Ramirez stayed in Boston and Rodriguez was traded to the Yankees later that offseason.

This madness is best captured in ESPN’s 30 for 30 short film, “The Deal.”

11. May 14, 2008 – High-fives fan in outfield after catching fly ball

It’s not often Ramirez made highlight reels for his outfield play. This one may be his best. It’s certainly his most entertaining. The Red Sox led 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth with two on and one out against the Orioles at Camden Yards when old teammate Kevin Millar lifted a fly ball to left. Ramirez made an over-the-shoulder running catch, then, in classic Manny form, leaped, stuck his foot into the wall and high-fived a fan in a Red Sox shirt before firing to cut-off man Dustin Pedroia, who threw out Aubrey Huff at first to complete the double play.

10. May 11, 2004 – Runs onto field carrying American flag after becoming U.S. citizen

Ramirez again showed his playful side in his first game at Fenway Park after becoming a United States citizen. The Dominican Republic native ran onto the field carrying a small American flag prior to a game against the Indians and was met with cheers from the home crowd.

9. 2002 season – Wins batting title

Ramirez had a career year in 2002, slashing .349/.450/.647 to earn the American League batting title. He topped Kansas City’s Mike Sweeney, who finished with a .340 mark, after going 0 for 1 in his lone plate appearance in the season finale. Ramirez’s 5.7 WARP was among the best in his major-league career and his .361 true average was his highest in any season in which he had at least 500 plate appearances.

8. July 21, 2004 – Makes bizarre diving cutoff of Johnny Damon relay throw

There’s a reason why Ramirez’s outfield highlights are limited. Nothing exemplifies Ramirez the left fielder more than a play that is just plain odd. Baltimore’s David Newhan hit a fly ball to the center field wall that Johnny Damon couldn’t corral. Damon fired from center and Ramirez dove right to cut it off before throwing to the next cutoff man. That allowed Newhan to score an inside-the-park home run in an eventual 10-5 Orioles win.

7. April 6, 2001 – Homers on first pitch he sees in first home opener with Red Sox

Ramirez’s Red Sox career at Fenway Park got off to the best possible start, as he crushed a three-run home run off Tampa Bay righty Ryan Rupe on the first pitch he saw in his first home opener in Boston. The shot gave the Red Sox their first runs in what would be an 11-4 win over the Devil Rays.

6. Aug. 14, 2003 – Hits tying homer off Keith Foulke in ninth to help give Sox Wild Card lead

Some may disagree with this being so high on the list, probably because many have forgotten how big this game was. The Red Sox were on the verge of losing three of four to Oakland and falling behind the A’s in the AL Wild Card race when Ramirez led off the ninth against closer Keith Foulke, who was trying to hold a 2-1 lead. The slugger belted a 3-2 pitch off Foulke to tie the game at 2-2 and the Sox won it in the 10th, giving them a Wild Card lead they would not relinquish.

5. May 31, 2008 – Joins 500 home run club

Ramirez reached his last major career milestone with the Red Sox when he hit a solo home run off Chad Bradford to right-center field at Camden Yards, becoming the 24th player in major league history to join the 500-home run club. In classic form, Ramirez admired his seventh-inning shot from the batter’s box before trotting around the bases and embracing his teammates. “As soon as I hit it, I knew it was gone. I was happy to move on,” Ramirez said afterward.

4. July 31, 2005 – Drives pinch-hit game-winning single 45 minutes after trade deadline

The Red Sox were less than a year removed from a World Series title, but that wasn’t enough to keep Ramirez happy in Boston. That wasn’t anymore evident than in July, when reports surfaced that the slugger asked to be traded. Ramirez was booed as the Red Sox began a three-game series against the Twins on July 29. He sat the next game. Meanwhile, the front office was actively shopping him, at one point nearing a trade with the Mets. But the Sox couldn’t complete a deal and Ramirez remained in Boston.

Ramirez was left out of the lineup the day of the July 31 trade deadline, the series finale against Minnesota, but manager Terry Francona called upon him to pinch hit with the game tied in the bottom of the eighth inning — 45 minutes after the deadline. It was only fitting that Ramirez delivered with a game-winning single up the middle, announcing his return in a big way.

3. Oct. 6, 2003 – Breaks tie with three-run homer in Game 5 of ALDS

Ramirez’s first postseason in Boston was off to a quiet start, as he had just three hits through the first four games of the ALDS against Oakland. It was enough to overcome an 0-2 series hole to force a decisive Game 5, but the Sox would need more from their cleanup hitter to advance to the ALCS. They got just that with two on and one out in the fifth, and the game tied at 1-1. Ramirez lined a 2-2 pitch off Barry Zito into the left field seats for a three-run homer that gave the Red Sox a 4-1 lead in an eventual 4-3 win.

2. Oct. 5, 2007 – Hits walk-off home run in Game 2 of ALDS

This one was as big as it gets. Game 2 of the ALDS between the Red Sox and Angels was tied at 3-3 entering the bottom of the ninth, and Anaheim closer Francisco Rodriguez intentionally walked David Ortiz to face Ramirez with two on and two outs. Ramirez made K-Rod pay with the second pitch he saw, crushing a walk-off blast over the left-field wall to give the Red Sox a 6-3 win and 2-0 series lead in an eventual three-game sweep. The iconic image from that series is Ramirez standing at home plate with both arms raised as he admired his majestic shot to end the game.

1. October 2004 – Named World Series MVP, leading Sox to first title in 86 years

Ramirez told reporters when he signed with the Red Sox in December 2000 that he wanted to bring Boston a World Series title. He helped deliver in 2004 as he slashed .412/.500/.588 over four games to sweep the Cardinals in the Fall Classic, leading the Red Sox to their first championship since 1918 and earning Series MVP honors. Ramirez’s brightest moment came in Game 3. He homered off Jeff Suppan with two outs in the top of the first inning, then with the bases loaded and one out caught a shallow fly ball from Jim Edmonds and gunned down Larry Walker at home for the inning-ending double play. The Sox won the game 4-1.

Ramirez brought a pretty cool sign with him to the parade in Boston, too.

Photo by Greg M. Cooper/USA Today Sports Images

Going Deep

The Red Sox front office has a lot of work to do this offseason to mould the roster into a collection of talent that will win more often than it loses. According to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com (and really anyone else who attended last week’s press conference), Dave Dombrowski is focused on improving the pitching staff. The best way to go about doing so remains unclear. Sign free agents? Trade prospects/younger players? While the Red Sox tend to have one of the highest payrolls in the game, it seems clear that not all of the changes to the roster are going to come through free-agency. Signing a free agent like David Price will keep all those precious, budding prospects in the system, but it does not come without other risks. Alex Speier reminds us that big spending does not always correspond to winning; in fact the correlation between payroll and winning is at a low point. Trading a package of prospects/younger players (e.g., Rafael Devers, Anderson Espinoza, Jackie Bradley Jr., Blake Swihart) to get a frontline starter like Sonny Gray seems like a reasonable approach. But, as you know, starting pitching is not the only thing that needs considering, Tim Britton, of the Providence Journal, explores free agent and trade options for fixing the bullpen. In the end, the way to best improve the club’s pitching staff is not likely to be to go all-in on path A (free agents) or path B (trades). Taking a measured approach and integrating the two sounds like the right path.

Seven of the ten playoff teams this year finished in the top-12 for home run totals this season. The Pirates, Royals, and Cardinals are the only three teams that finished lower (23rd, 24th, and 25th, respectively). The phrase Joe Sheehan has been championing this postseason appears to be correct: “ball go far, team go far.” The Red Sox finished 15^th in home runs last season with 161, ten behind the 12th place Cubs. To some extent the Sox were a team that had difficulty hitting for power; their isolated slugging of .149 was a tick below league average (.150), ranking 17th in the game. These numbers prompted Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe to wonder who will generate power for the Red Sox in 2016. Better seasons from Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval will ameliorate some of the power problem, but might the front office need to acquire someone who can hit some bombs? Someone like free agent first baseman Chris Davis? Maybe, but that move necessitates trading Hanley Ramirez, or pressing reset on the left field experiment, which seems less than ideal. For what it is worth Dombrowski has said that he is comfortable with the team’s power, and likes that they did not strike out a lot (18.4 K% was fourth lowest in baseball). Power is not the only issue the offense had last season, though. Another concern, pointed out by Alex Speier in his 108 Stitches newsletter, is that the offense was only good at Fenway:

Home: .290/.349/.451 (.160 ISO; 80 HR)

Away: .241/.302/.382 (.139 ISO; 81 HR)

It is true that overall Fenway is a hitter’s park, but not as dramatically as those numbers suggest. Perhaps assuming the offense is a clear strength is not entirely correct. While they did score a lot of runs last year, there are deficiencies to consider. Regardless, given Dombrowski’s comments in Cafardo’s article and his stated priority of improving the pitching, it seems doubtful that the team will make a major acquisition on the offensive side of the ball.

Quick Hits

The catcher position was a bit of an on-the-fly adventure for the Red Sox in 2015. Peter Abraham writes that the Red Sox will benefit from the depth they have at the position, as Christian Vazquez will resume his place as the starter, and Blake Swihart, Ryan Hanigan and Sandy Leon can fill in as backups. Alternatively, Swihart can be used as a trade chip to improve other areas of the team, like the rotation. Ian Browne of MLB.com had similar thoughts on the Red Sox’s options at catcher.

One of the fun parts of the 2015 season was watching the Jackie Bradley Jr., Mookie Betts, Rusney Castillo outfield. But, as good as they looked, Jason Mastrodonato of BostonHerald.com reminds us that starting jobs are not yet guaranteed for two of these three players, and that the Red Sox will look to add outfield depth to their roster. It will be difficult but Mastrodonato suggests that trading the suddenly inept Allen Craig could be part of this venture, or as part of a move aimed at repairing another aspect of the team, like, say, the bullpen.

Dustin Pedroia is revered in Boston for his scrappy, always-play-hard, can-do attitude. But in recent seasons this approach has contributed to injury and the desire to rush rehab efforts in order to get back on the field. Ironically, doing so can lead to more time on the disabled list, or diminished performance upon return. Pedroia talked to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com about the hamstring injury he suffered this past season, how his returning to play too early was costly and his regret for not allowing himself more time to heal.

I think that any time Pedro Martinez reflects on his time in Boston it is a must-read (or listen, or watch). The latest is Pedro talking with Chad Finn of Boston.com about his six-inning, no-hit relief performance in Game 5 of the 1999 American League Division Series (ALDS) against the vaunted offense of the Cleveland Indians. Pedro was pitching hurt that day. Last year, he told Jonah Keri of Grantland that his relief-outing in the 1999 ALDS permanently damaged his arm.

How about another article about a former-Red Sox great? Jim Litke of the Associated Press writes about Manny Ramirez’s current role as a coach (of some sort) with the Chicago Cubs. Manny is being Manny, primarily helping the younger, hispanic players on the club, but is also around to talk hitting with anyone who will listen.

Photo by Mark L. Baer/USA Today Sports Images

Ortiz is the fifth player to wear the red and navy of the Sox to hit 500 or more homers, as he joins Babe Ruth, Manny Ramirez, Jimmie Foxx and Ted Williams. Of those five, only Ruth hit his 500th homer with a different ballclub (and you know which one that is).

Given that Ortiz hit 58 homers with the Twins before coming over to the Sox, it seems very unlikely that he’ll pass Teddy Ballgame’s record of 521 dingers with the Red Sox. Nevertheless, I think it’s fair to say that given Double X’s and Manny’s journeyman ways, Ortiz will go in the record as the second-greatest home run hitter in Boston’s history.

There’s a reasonable chance that if Ortiz plays a full season in 2016, he’ll continue to climb up the all-time dinger leaderboard with alacrity. My best guess is that he finishes his career with about 530 homers, right around 19th place all-time and smack-dab between Foxx and Williams on the career home run list.

It took Ortiz 19 seasons to top the 500 HR list, and while that’s hardly chopped liver, Ortiz didn’t necessarily reach this plateau at a lightning pace. While many of the players ahead of Ortiz on the all-time list put in two decades or more, they also hit more homers than Ortiz, and hit the plateau a good bit before their 19th season. Heck, Albert Pujols is sitting at 555 homers and he’s only played 15 seasons thus far. In any case, it seems to be the seasonal number that most directly indicates a player’s ability to pass 500 homers. Like Papi, most hitters with 500 or more homers put in about two decades worth of time in the big leagues.

(So, for the record, if you’re looking for current young players who could conceivably reach that 500 homer plateau, I’d stay away from 23-year-old Kris Bryant — despite his SpaceX power — and put my money on, well, you know who.)

When you compare Ortiz’s plate appearances to other members of the 500-homer club, then we get to the interesting stuff. By looking at each player’s total career home runs and their total career appearances, we get a little bit of a better clue as to which hitters were the more prolific home run hitters based on frequency.

Ortiz scores a little better by this metric, as you can see the complete (and enormous) table below.

If you take a long look, you’ll see that Ortiz has hit homers at a proportional rate that’s better than 10 other members of the 500 Club. That’s not too shabby at all, even if you take into account that — at some point — Papi’s HR frequency is bound to slow to a crawl as he hits the point in his career where Father Time robs him of his efficacy. Then again, at this rate of decline, that may be during Ortiz’s age-47 season.

You may also notice that Ortiz also matches up nicely on the homer-per-plate-appearance basis with the greatest hitter in Sox history, Ted Williams. While no one would dare claim that the two Boston legends are of equal stature, it sure is nice to see the two paired together.

The debate as to whether or not Ortiz is a Hall of Famer is best left to others, as my opinion on the matter holds little weight. But what is not up for discussion is that Ortiz has placed himself in the upper echelon of big league home run hitters the way most of the players on the 500-dinger list have: by pairing a great HR/PA rate with uncommon longevity. I’d imagine that Ortiz ends his career with a very similar home run profile to another physically imposing slugger with charisma to spare: Reggie Jackson.

… in fact, this comparison carries even more weight when you compare the two clutch superstars and their postseason heroics. For the record (and from FanGraphs):

That’s just a little fun playoff data that ties these two monster sluggers together beyond just their propensity for hitting long, authoritative dingers once every 20 plate appearances.

In a season where Sox fans have to take joy in small things in order to glaze over the pain of being out of contention, this is a pretty sizeable event to get excited about. David Ortiz hit a “magic” milestone, one of those numbers that holds a special place in baseball history, and finally took his place among the great consistent sluggers in the game’s history.

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Bonds hasn’t played since 2007, of course, which is the subject of the grievance he is bringing against the league, alleging the owners colluded to keep him out of the league the year after he led Major League Baseball with a crazy .480 on-base-percentage and posted a 1.045 OPS to boot. To say that could have played at DH in 2008’s American League is an understatement, and that’s before we consider that he offered to play for the league minimum and give the salary to charity.

It’s fair to say that this sort of circus act might have been too much for some organizations, rightly or wrongly, in 2008. It’s fair to also say that there were any number of teams that could have used him — and it has been said, most notably by SB Nation’s Grant Brisbee. The two obvious ones: the value-happy A’s, the best natural fit and one a handful of miles from Bonds’s home, and the Rays, a team that made the 2008 World Series only to lose while batting Willy Aybar and Cliff Floyd at DH.

If the point needed making any further, the last at-bat of the World Series was a pinch-hit Eric Hinske strikeout.

Eric Hinske.

So why didn’t anyone sign Bonds? That is the big question, especially in light of what happened afterward. In 2008, when Bonds went unsigned, Manny Ramirez was traded to the Dodgers and did the best and only real Bonds impression anyone has done since (except maybe Bryce Harper this season), hitting .396/.489/.743 with L.A. through the end of the year. Ramirez was an instant phenomenon, the empty vessel having become the star of Mannywood.

But three years later and a steroid suspension later, the Rays decided — way too late — to sign the PED-tagged designated hitter, whatever the bad press, having missed on Bonds. Ramirez showed up this time as a truly empty vessel from head to toe (and not just head), had a single in 17 at-bats, got suspended again, and never played another game in Major League Baseball.

His career wasn’t over, of course: he went to Taiwan to get some final, fruitless licks in, the faded superstar flailing away at 30-grade pitches. By that time, nobody cared, especially not with Manny, whose lesser skill (than Bonds, if few others) waned after the PED crisis hit its non-A-Rod peak. Now it’s just Rodriguez that carries the “cheater” mantle, even as other, similarly indicted stars continue to play with reputations intact: David Ortiz and Nelson Cruz are the poster adults for this class of player.

They’re lucky, simply by virtue of timing, just as Ramirez was, to a lesser degree. While fans still care about PEDs in principle, they don’t care in practice. Ramirez’s second and third acts, for the White Sox and Rays, respectively, were the beginning of a tide-turning that’s ended with Cruz as MLB’s home run leader and Ortiz and a surefire Hall of Famer: the great no-longer-giving-a-crap.

The first step in this — from Bonds to Ramirez — was the biggest. The only thing sense I can make of it is that Ramirez, the space cadet, was a non-threat to the institution of baseball, as the owners saw it. As he crumbled he ambled up and flailed away, the titan having crashed to Earth, a planet on which the team owners do not effectively live. Bonds never played in Taiwan and never would have needed to: even the average of the two lowball predictions of Miller and Lindbergh would have him better than today’s Chase Utley or 2011 Manny Ramirez, he of the .059 OPS.

Put even simpler, Bonds’ was, from beginning to end, an all-American story. It might seem un-American to stop the best baseball player in the world from playing baseball, but I can think of nothing more American than a bunch of rich dudes screwing somebody over simply because they could, and because their feelings were hurt. Out of sight, like Ramirez, out of mind, but Bonds refused to get out of sight. If he was allowed to play, Bonds might only be hitting Ramirez territory now. But, of course, he’d still be hitting.

Photo by Greg M. Cooper/USA Today Sports Images