Cubs Claim Catcher Off Waivers

The Cubs have claimed 26-year old C-1B Max Ramirez off waivers from the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox claimed Ramirez off waivers from the Texas Rangers last Wednesday, and immediately placed him back on waivers again the next day, obviously hoping they were the only club with interest in Ramirez and that they could sneak him through. But what the BoSox did not foresee was that during the time that Ramirez was on waivers the Cubs would make an eight-player deal where they would trade four players who were on their 40-man roster for two players on the other clubs 40 (thus opening up two slots on the Cubs 40-man roster), and that one of the players the Cubs would trade would be catcher Robinson Chirinos. Ramirez was signed out of Venezuela by the Braves in 2002, and was traded to Cleveland in July 2006 (for RHRP Bob Wickman), and then was traded to Texas in July 2007 (for OF Kenny Lofton). Max Ramirez was a Rangers Top 10 Prospect as recently as 2009. He is an offensive-first right-...