Report: Hanley Ramirez to play winter ball, get reps at first base

After a disappointing first season with the Boston Red Sox, Hanley Ramirez is going to fully embrace his move to first base. The 31-year-old told Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes that he plans to play winter ball for the Licey Tigers this offseason, and will receive reps at first base with the club.

[Elsewhere: Robinson Cano is not happy in Seattle]

The news comes as a surprise for a number of reasons. The winter leagues are usually comprised of prospects who haven't yet reached the majors, or young players who still need to prove something. Ramirez is a star player when healthy, so it's unusual to see a player of his caliber getting extra at-bats. If Ramirez were to get hurt while playing in a different league, the Red Sox would be pretty unhappy about him missing time come April.

On the other hand, it shows Ramirez's commitment to his new position. While he's mostly expected to serve as the Tigers' designated hitter, Ramirez said he will play some first base. Earlier in his career, Ramirez developed a reputation as a bad guy in the clubhouse, but he hasn't shown that at all with Boston. In August, Ramirez seemed pretty excited about making the change.

Ultimately, that's a good thing. While moving Ramirez to first does cut into his value, he's always been an exceptional hitter when healthy. Given that Ramirez is still owed at least $66 million over the next three seasons, the team needed to find a way to make this work. So, if he can remain on the field while playing first base, it will probably be a good move. Ramirez's bat will play anywhere on the diamond.

His defense, however, won't. The Red Sox learned that the hard way last season after trying him in the outfield. And with his defense already slipping at short prior to 2015, that wasn't an option. Considering Pablo Sandoval is entrenched at third and Dustin Pedroia has second locked down, first base was the only option for Ramirez.

Playing defense at first isn't easy, though, just ask fake Ron Washington from Moneyball:

So, in that sense, it makes sense that Ramirez would try to get as many reps as possible before spring training. He can learn how to get in the right positions when taking a throw from his fielders, and practice making scoops. As long as he doesn't get hurt, playing in the Dominican Republic this winter seems like a good idea.

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While we won't know the results of his extra work until next season begins, everything seems positive at the moment. After a rough first season where Ramirez looked lost, that's about the best the Red Sox can ask for right now.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik