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Red Sox designate Hanley Ramirez for assignment

Mike Stobe / Getty Images Sport / Getty

In order to make room for Dustin Pedroia on the major-league roster, the Boston Red Sox designated Hanley Ramirez for assignment Friday.

The first baseman was due $22.75 million over the 2018 campaign.

The team is unlikely to find a trade partner for Hanley and is expected to cut ties completely after signing him to a four-year, $88-million deal back in 2015 to play outfield, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

The 34-year-old Ramirez had a vesting option with the Red Sox for 2019 that would pay the three-time All-Star $22 million. However, with his designation, Ramirez will not meet the option requirement of 497 plate appearances in 2018.

While Ramirez began the season respectably, a prolonged slump hampered the slugger. Over 44 games this season, Hanley owned a .254/.313/.395 slash line with six home runs, slightly below replacement level, according to FanGraphs' WAR.

By FanGraphs' $/WAR measure, Hanley was worth $9.8 million over the life of the $88-million contract.

In a subsequent move, Pedroia was activated from the disabled list after missing the entirety of the 2018 campaign to date with a knee injury.

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