On Friday, Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest admitted to the Miami Herald "it may take a little bit of time for him to get comfortable" with the thought of changing positions. Also last week, Reyes said he has not heard from Ramirez since joining the Marlins. 

 

Despite the team's claims to the contrary, it is becoming clear that Ramirez is not happy about his position on the field being usurped by his friend Reyes. Shortly after the Marlins acquired Reyes, reports surfaced that Ramirez was "distraught" over having to switch positions.

 

The Marlins denied a later rumor that Ramirez had demanded a trade and refused to change positions. However, the Marlins were approached by several other teams about trading Ramirez following the Reyes signing. The question since then seems to have shifted from "What will the Marlins do about Ramirez?" to "Should the Marlins even keep him on the team?"

 

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports went so far as to say the Marlins need to trade Ramirez, and even suggested five possible trading partners who would be willing to take the disgruntled shortstop. 

 

But even if he sulks over the prospect of changing positions, the Marlins would be best served by holding onto Ramirez.

 

The star shortstop has seen his numbers drop off since he won the batting title in 2009, but he remains the most talented hitter on the Marlins, and in the elite among major leaguers. Unless the Marlins are offered an unbelievable package in return for Ramirez, it is unlikely any trade would capture his fair value.

 

Besides, the Marlins have a huge advantage when it comes to managing his transition to third base. If Ramirez does not cooperate, he can be placed on the restricted list. Players on the restricted list are not paid and do not count against a team's 40-man roster. 

 

It is highly unlikely that the team will even have to threaten the use of the restricted list, but if push comes to shove, the team can in effect force Ramirez to take the move to third. Ramirez has no such leverage.

 

Trading Ramirez makes even less sense when considering the fact that in doing so, the team would have essentially traded Ramirez' service for Reyes' which is likely a lateral move. Reyes' value to the team is diminished if his addition forces the dismissal of Ramirez.

 

The Marlins must know all this, otherwise they may have dealt Ramirez at the Winter Meetings while there were still multiple teams jockeying for his services. Beinfest knew better than to say anything too revealing regarding Ramirez' thoughts on switching positions Friday. 

 

"Sometimes it just takes a little time for things to sink in," he said. "I think he recognizes we're a better team with Jose."