Memo to Aramis Ramirez, quit being such a jerk about your no-trade clause.
Who do you think you are? Actually using your no-trade clause so that you can not be traded? Quit taking it so darned literally and be like everyone else with a no-trade clause and use it to hand pick the team you get traded to. I don’t mean to be such a jerk about it, but I don’t think you realize that your refusal to be traded is a major inconvenience to almost every contending team in baseball. So what say you get off your high horse and approve a trade already?
Just because you care so much about trivial things like “not wanting to uproot your family” is no reason deprive the many third base needy teams in MLB of really the only hugh quality upgrade at the corner available on the trade market. Or should I say “should be” available.
While your busy being such an annoyingly good family man, you may not have noticed that there is a dearth of good third baseman in the league right now. Did you not see who the NL sent to the All-Star Game at your position? Placido Polanco (can’t hit), Chipper Jones (old), Scott Rolen (old and can’t hit) and Pablo Sandoval (a panda). With that crop of mediocrity headlining the hot corner, you should be the hottest name on the trade market and leveraging that interest into some team trading for you and handing you a lucrative extension that pays you handsomely through age 38 all while competing for the World Series. But that isn’t happening because you’d rather stay with the Cubbies to see if they can avoid losing 100 games.
Chicago is a great town and all, but they are going nowhere fast and you being there obviously isn’t helping that much. But you know who you could have helped? The Detroit Tigers who just traded for Wilson Betemit, career utilityman, because he is arguably the best third baseman on the market. But just because the Tigers couldn’t wait around for you to change your mind doesn’t mean there isn’t a line around the corner waiting to acquire your services.
The Cleveland Indians could use your veteran bat, rather than rookie Lonnie Chisenhall, to push them back into first.
The Philadelphia Phillies are desperate for a righty thumper to bolster the middle of their order.
The St. Louis Cardinals would love to pair you with Albert Pujols.
The Milwaukee Brewers are dying for someone to fill their void at third base.
The LA Angels are desperate for both a real third baseman and a legit power bat.
Last, but certainly not least, the Cinderalla story that is the Pittsburgh Pirates have a glaring need for a third baseman and a big bat to hit cleanup. And what would be more sweet that returning to the team you originally came up with and helping them return to the playoffs for the first time in ages?
See, Aramis? By steadfastly refusing to be traded, you are not only keeping several teams from the exact player they need, but you are also keeping the feel-good Pirates from becoming even more “feel-gooder?” And now you are causing me to make up words. Stop it, Aramis. Just stop it.
Frankly, if you love the Cubs so much, you’d be doing them a favor by accepting a trade where they get quality prospects. You could then really do them a solid by waiving your option for next season once traded and then just re-sign with the Cubs after the season is over. For the low price of spending a few months away from the Windy City, you get to pursue a championship while bolstering the club for your return a few months later and we fans get to see a good team get better. Everyone wins, but first you have to do the right thing and just say “yes.”
