# Why Did the Red Sox put Ramirez on the DL? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 8, 2015, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-red-sox-put-ramirez-on-the-dl/730368 "2015-09-08T19:22:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-red-sox-put-ramirez-on-the-dl/730368/1 "2015-09-08T19:22:57Z")
I’m not sure I understand this move. The Red Sox put Hanley Ramirez on the 15-day disabled list. ([Source](http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/red-sox/post/_/id/46707/red-sox-put-hanley-ramirez-on-disabled-list)) My question is, why? What do they gain out of it? Since it’s already past September 1, they can bring up any player on the 40-man roster, so it can’t be that it was done to make room for another player. Furthermore, since players on the 15-day disabled list are still on the 40-man roster, it wasn’t done in order to clear a spot to add another player to the 40-man roster. So, why bother with the 15-day DL in September? Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-red-sox-put-ramirez-on-the-dl/730368/2 "2015-09-08T19:32:59Z")
Obviously, they want to make sure that he’s available for the playoffs in case the Blue Jays, Yankees, Rays, and Orioles are all wiped out by zombies in the next few weeks. Is it possible that there is something contract-related going on? Perhaps some money kicks in if he’s on the active roster for a certain number of days, and the Red Sox are trying to prevent that? ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-red-sox-put-ramirez-on-the-dl/730368/3 "2015-09-08T19:45:14Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > Obviously, they want to make sure that he’s available for the playoffs in case the Blue Jays, Yankees, Rays, and Orioles are all wiped out by zombies in the next few weeks. They could have done that by not putting him on the DL too. > [@](#): > > Is it possible that there is something contract-related going on? Perhaps some money kicks in if he’s on the active roster for a certain number of days, and the Red Sox are trying to prevent that? I suppose that’s a possibility. I don’t know the ins and outs of Ramirez’s contract. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-red-sox-put-ramirez-on-the-dl/730368/4 "2015-09-08T19:49:06Z")
You don’t believe the explanation given? From your linked article: “Both president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and manager Torey Lovullo indicated that the move was done in order to avoid the “temptation” of putting Ramirez out there before he’s ready.” If some kind of bonus contingency was at play, they could just sit him. They feel like it’s not worth it to put him out there and risk further injury, so if he’s on the DL that won’t be an option. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-red-sox-put-ramirez-on-the-dl/730368/5 "2015-09-08T19:49:08Z")
He’s been battling a sore shoulder (no doubt incurred in his season-long efforts to learn how to catch a fly ball), so it’s medically legitimate. He’ll be moved to 1B next season, but this isn’t a good time to start. He’s not going back to the outfield. As long as he’s on the DL, there’s an excuse for why he isn’t playing, when the real reason is he sucks defensively at any position he’d get to play, he hasn’t hit worth a damn this year, and they need to see if Castillo and Bradley really are major leaguers. ---
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-red-sox-put-ramirez-on-the-dl/730368/6 "2015-09-08T19:50:39Z")
> [@zev\_steinhardt](#): > > So, why bother with the 15-day DL in September? > Zev Steinhardt From your link: > [@](#): > > Both president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and manager Torey Lovullo indicated that the move was done in order to avoid the “temptation” of putting Ramirez out there before he’s ready. Rosters expanded Tuesday, so manpower was not an issue. I’ve never heard that reasoning before… “We’re putting him on the DL to protect him from ourselves”. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-red-sox-put-ramirez-on-the-dl/730368/7 "2015-09-08T19:50:59Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > You don’t believe the explanation given? From your linked article: > > “Both president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and manager Torey Lovullo indicated that the move was done in order to avoid the “temptation” of putting Ramirez out there before he’s ready.” > > If some kind of bonus contingency was at play, they could just sit him. They feel like it’s not worth it to put him out there and risk further injury, so if he’s on the DL that won’t be an option. OK, now I really feel stupid. I didn’t actually read the article. :smack::smack::smack::smack::smack::smack::smack::smack::smack::smack::smack: (x infinity) I’m sorry everyone. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-red-sox-put-ramirez-on-the-dl/730368/8 "2015-09-08T19:54:58Z")
Well, damn, I was hoping you were concocting some kind of conspiracy theory. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-red-sox-put-ramirez-on-the-dl/730368/9 "2015-09-08T19:57:39Z")
“Temptation” is a euphemism here.