Jose Reyes is moving to Miami. Hanley Ramirez presumably is moving to third base. And the Marlins simply are making big-time moves this off-season.
After already adding high-profile Manager Ozzie Guillen and All-Star closer Heath Bell, the newly renamed Miami Marlins will have two All-Star shortstops on their roster when they move to their new $515-million, retractable-roof ballpark.
Reyes, the National League batting champion and a four-time All Star with the New York Mets, has agreed to a $106-million, six-year contract with the Marlins, according to multiple sources.
The move means Ramirez, a three-time All Star, will probably be switched to third base. Ramirez said last week he would love to have Reyes, his close friend and fellow Dominican, on the team. But he didn't sound too happy about the prospect of changing positions.
"I'm a shortstop right now, so I don't know. I consider myself a shortstop," Ramirez said at a Marlins charity event last Thursday, repeating the line several times.
Still, it sounded like Ramirez ultimately was willing to be a team player. "Definitely it's good when you see the front office doing the best they can to put a good team on the field because they want to win, we want to win. We're all on the same page," he said.
Marlins front office members repeatedly have said the position change won't be an issue for Ramirez, and Guillen repeated the sentiment to Fox Sports during the general managers meetings in Milwaukee.
"We let him know about it," Guillen said of Ramirez. "So far, he sounds good. You're not going to move your biggest piece to show how tough you are. We've got to talk to him, make him understand why the team will be better."
He added: "I don't think it will be a problem. I've talked to him a lot .... You've got to show him some love. You've got to be straight-up with him, honest with him, let him know he's a Marlin."source
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