The Red Sox have claimed Max Ramirez from the Texas Rangers off of waivers, according to a Jon Morosi tweet.
The Red Sox attempted to acquire Max Ramirez early last year, floating a trade for Mike Lowell that fell through do to salary concerns and Lowell’s injuries. Now, it seems they won’t have to give up anything to acquire the once-promising catching prospect.
Ramirez, 25, is the third arm of the trio of Texas catching prospects that has fallen off hard in recent years. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, the marquee name of the group, was already traded to the Red Sox at the tail end of the 2010 season, while Taylor Teagarden remains with the Rangers.
Ramirez hit .217/.341/.348 in limited appearances with the Rangers last year, and .286/.373/.381 in Triple-A Oklahoma. He’s just two years removed, however, from a 1.067 OPS season in Double-A and a long record of success in the lower levels.
While he’s unlikely to make the team out of spring training, it gives the Sox one more shot at finding a gem behind the plate, and could possibly clear waivers if the Sox decided to stash him in the minor leagues.