Marlins say trade of Hanley Ramirez not part of a fire sale | Baseball Notebook

Marlins say trade of Hanley Ramirez not part of a fire sale | Baseball Notebook

NEW YORK — The Marlins are trading stars again, just like they did after their championships in 1997 and 2003. But team president David Samson says this exodus is different.

"I don't know how you would call it a fire sale to trade players of a team that's underperforming so spectacularly," Samson said.

Former batting champ Hanley Ramirez, hitting .246 with 14 home runs and 47 runs batted in for Miami, was traded to the Dodgers on Wednesday with reliever Randy Choate for right-hander Nathan Eovaldi and a minor-league pitcher.

"I am sad to go," said Ramirez, 28, who played third base for the Dodgers in St. Louis Wednesday and went 2 for 4 with a triple and RBI single.

On Monday, the Marlins traded pitcher Anibal Sanchez and infielder Omar Infante to Detroit.

Miami made a huge splash in the offseason before moving into its $634 million retractable-roof ballpark. Ozzie Guillen was hired as manager and the team spent $191 million in a five-day span to sign All-Stars Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell.

In their colorful new uniforms, the Marlins were 31-23 through June 3. But they lost 17 of their next 20 and are 45-53, 13 ½ games out of first place.

Notes

• LHP Cole Hamels signed a six-year, $144 million contract with the Phillies that prevents the 2008 World Series MVP from leaving as a free agent in November. The deal is the second-highest for a pitcher behind the $161 million, seven-year deal the Yankees gave CC Sabathia in 2008. Hamels, 28, becomes the third Phillies starter making $20 million per season, joining Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee.

• DH Hideki Matsui, 38, was cut by Tampa Bay to make room for infielder Ryan Roberts, who was acquired in a trade from Arizona for a minor leaguer.

By The Associated Press