The Nationals have signed outfielder/designated hitter Harold Ramirez to a minor league deal, the team announced. Ramirez will report to Triple-A Rochester just a day after he was released by the Rays.
Ramirez posted unremarkable numbers over his first three MLB seasons before he was dealt from the Cubs to the Rays in March 2022, and he then emerged as a quietly productive part of Tampa’s lineup. Ramirez hit .306/.348/.432 with 18 home runs in 869 plate appearances in 2022-23, playing mostly as a DH but also getting a decent amount of time as a first baseman and in both corner outfield positions. While not a platoon player, the Rays tried to prioritize Ramirez as a weapon against left-handed pitching, as the bulk of Ramirez’s right-handed hitting production naturally came against southpaws.
A .354 BABIP in 2022-23 stands out as a notable asterisk on Ramirez’s time in Tampa Bay, as this batted-ball luck helped him overcome very low walk and barrel rates, and roughly average hard-contact numbers overall. These numbers caught up to Ramirez this season, as his .268/.284/.305 slash line over 169 PA (even still with a .328 BABIP) led the Rays to designate the 29-year-old for assignment and then release him entirely when no suitors emerged to swing a trade or make a waiver claim.
Considering that Ramirez is earning an $3.8MM salary this season, it isn’t surprising that teams opted to just wait for the Rays to release him, as a trade or waiver claim would’ve put a new club on the hook for most or all of that remaining salary (approximately $2.19MM). Tampa Bay also explored trades for Ramirez this past offseason without any success, with payroll certainly a factor in the Rays’ endeavors. If Ramirez makes Washington’s big league roster, the Nationals will owe him just the prorated portion of the MLB minimum salary, and the Rays will cover the rest of the $2.19MM figure.
It adds up to an inexpensive flier on the Nats’ part, and Ramirez might essentially act as a replacement for the injured Joey Gallo, though Gallo is a left-handed hitter. Adding a righty bat into the left field/DH mix might be a better fit anyway considering that Jesse Winker and Eddie Rosario both swing from the left side, and Ramirez figures to be mostly utilized as a designated hitter given his limited defensive ability at any of his positions.
If Ramirez really gets back on track with his new team, the Nationals still control him via arbitration through the 2025 season. He could also be one of several veteran trade chips the Nats might look to move at the trade deadline, though it isn’t yet a lock that D.C. will be looking to sell. Thanks to the parity in the National League, the rebuilding Nats find themselves 1.5 games out of the wild card race despite a 33-36 record, so it is possible Washington’s deadline priorities could change if the team heats up and establishes itself as more of a real contender.