Boston Red Sox Roster Rumors: Hanley Ramirez Says He's Ready for Position Change
Hanley Ramirez can't wait to report to camp in less than three weeks, and there's good reason to feel like a college kid who was just drafted to play in the major league. He is and will always be remembered as a shortstop once he retires, but after a very embarrassing and forgettable performance in the left field last season, he finally has figured out for himself that it is time for a position change.
Once he suits up for the Boston Red Sox, Ramirez's transition to first base begins immediately. Good thing is he seems to be more than happy to welcome the change. "Everything is set up, they're just waiting for me to get there," he said.
As soon as the Red Sox signed him to a contract, they were left with no choice but to put him to first base instead of taking the gamble of putting him to left field, where Ramirez was quite awful last year. David Ortiz still has a year to resume the designated hitter position, which suggests that Boston will have to try their luck with Ramirez at first base. The former All-Star still has three years left in a contract he signed before the start of last season, worth $88 million.
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The team's president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, was the one responsible for putting Ramirez to left field last year, but he still is very confident that this new experiment at first base won't go the same way. "I've seen some guys struggle," he said. "I've seen some guys adapt very quickly and make those adjustments," he added, certainly referring to Ramirez's expected transition once the season begins.
At this point, there's really no telling how Ramirez will perform at first base, but anyone who's a pessimist about it shouldn't be blamed, too, especially with what happened last year. The only sure thing right now is that he'll see himself spending more time with the ball at first base compared to last year's left field failed experiment.
