Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez has seen the writing on the wall and notified the club that he will not be exercising his 2012 option.
Ramirez is looking for a multi-year deal and the Cubs, who are still searching for a new GM, are in no position to offer one. The Cubs could still resign him, once a new GM is in place, but they will have stiff competition as Ramirez is likely to be the best third baseman available this winter.
It only makes sense for Ramirez to seek a long-term deal this winter. He is 33 and this may be his last chance to get a big multi-year deal before his skills start to deteriorate. He has had a nice bounce-back season after a disappointing 2010 campaign and should be able to get at least a 4 year deal worth $65-70 million.
As for the Cubs, they will likely say goodbye to their best thirdbaseman since Ron Santo. In 9 seasons with the Cubs, Ramirez hit .294/.356/.531 with 238 HR's and 805 RBI's. He was a constant in the cleanup spot for year...
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