Don’t let Hanley Ramirez anywhere near first base

(Getty Images)

Bill Foley (@Foles74)
Contributing Writer

The only time Hanley Ramirez should step foot on first base at Fenway Park next season is after he turns a double into a single as member of another team.

Dave Dombrowski said he and Ramirez are on the “same page” about the lackadaisical slugger moving to first in Boston. Say it ain’t so, Dave. Say it ain’t so.

Say this is just posturing for a possible trade to rid the Red Sox of the worst free agent signing since Pablo Sandoval signed a few minutes earlier. Say Ramirez will never don a Red Sox hat again.

Can you imagine the disaster that will be Ramirez at first base? He couldn’t even come close to handling left field, when he only had a few chances to touch the ball in a game. So how could you expect him to handle first base, when he will likely be asked to catch the ball multiple times each inning?

Sure, Ramirez has the ability to be a middle of the order slugger. Well, for a month or so at a time between injuries.

Hanley, though, would need to hit .500 with 80 home runs and 200 RBIs to make up for the damage he would do on first base. Actually, that still might not be enough for the damage he would do to the pitching staff, not to mention that attitude that sucks the life out a baseball team.

Dombrowski and the Red Sox want Ramirez to lose some weight heading into next season, and he is saying all the right things about such requests. Ramirez said he can play, short stop, third base, left field, first base, or anywhere else they need him.

Where the Red Sox need Ramirez is out of town. And quickly.

Sure that won’t be easy, but it must be done. The Red Sox owe Ramirez $22,750,000 for each of the next three seasons. There probably isn’t a sucker out there who will take Ramirez off Boston’s hands even if the Red Sox eat more than half of that salary.

Well, not unless Ben Cherington lands another GM gig.

Even if it takes eating all of that salary just to release Ramirez, it would be a better option than letting him play first base. This offseason, the subtraction of Hanley would be the biggest addition Dombrowski could possibly make, no matter how much it costs.

He sabotaged one season. Come one, Dave, don’t let Hanley ruin another one.

Please say this Ramirez first-base talk is just that.

Please say the silly talk of bringing Sandoval back in 2016 is just posturing, too.