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Fantasy Baseball: How Will Aramis Ramirez Do In Pittsburgh?

By Mike Marteny

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Sometimes things come full circle. Such was the case on Thursday when Aramis Ramirez went back to where it all began: Pittsburgh. Ramirez first broke into the majors with Pittsburgh in 1998. Ramirez hit 76 home runs and drove in 316 runs in his five plus years with the Pirates.

Now he is headed home. Exactly 12 years after the Pirates sent him to the Chicago Cubs in 2003. The whole trade looks like this:

The Brewers also kicked in cash consideration to help pay for Ramirez’s salary. The 37 year old Ramirez was hitting .247 with 11 home runs and 42 RBI in 81 games. That .247 average is his worst since he hit .241 in 120 games with the Cubs in 2010.

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    • The Pirates brought Ramirez back to help shore up the left side of the infield. Jung Ho Kang has been manning the hot corner with regular third baseman Josh Harrison out with a thumb injury. Harrison is expected to be out for another month at the least. With Jordy Mercer landing on the disabled list earlier this week with a MCL sprain, the Pirates desperately need Kang back at shortstop.

    What happens with Ramirez when Harrison comes back will largely depend on how well he hits in the interim. Most likely, Ramirez will be relegated to bench and pinch hitting duties once Harrison is healthy. Remember, Harrison made the All Star team last year.

    This is not good news for Ramirez owners in fantasy. He now has a shelf life that likely expires at the beginning of your fantasy playoffs in head to head leagues. He will still be useful for the next month, so I would try to move him for player with similar stats that won’t lose most of his playing time by the end of August.

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    Barrios is a converted middle infielder that has been closing in the minors for the last three years. After dominating AA Altoona earlier this year, Barrios has struggled in 13 appearances with AAA Indianapolis. It is unlikely that Barrios will have any fantasy impact this season unless the Brewers move Francisco Rodriguez. Even if that happens, Will Smith would likely get first shot at the closer role.

    If Barrios pitches well at AAA, you could see him get some work out of the Milwaukee bullpen in September. However, he will still not be relevant unless your league counts holds.

    Maybe a move back to Pittsburgh can rejuvenate the aging Aramis Ramirez. However, don’t expect a miracle. You would be lucky to get 10 homers out of him the rest of the year with a .260 average at best. I would move him if you can get decent value because his value will decrease dramatically when Harrison returns.

    Stay tuned to Fantasy CPR for continuing coverage of the 2015 MLB trade deadline, and the fantasy impact of the moves!

    Next: 2015 WR Sleepers For Fantasy Football

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