16 Facts To Know About Hanley Ramirez
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Boston Red Sox made their first splash of the offseason on Sunday, reportedly signing free agent Hanley Ramirez to a five-year deal.
Boston fans should be plenty familiar with Ramirez, who started his career as a prospect in the Red Sox system. We can't tell you where he'll play next year -- though it's likely in the outfield with Boston also reportedly signing third baseman Pablo Sandoval -- but here is all you need to know about Hanley Ramirez:
- Ramirez was signed by the Red Sox as an international free agent in 2000 at the age of 16. He struck out in both of his two plate appearances as a member of the Red Sox in 2005.
- Ramirez was traded to the Florida Marlins in November 2005 with Anibal Sanchez for Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell and Guillermo Mota.
- Was the National League Rookie of the Year in 2006, leading all rookies with 185 hits, 119 runs, 11 triples and 51 stolen bases.
- Is a three-time All Star, starting for the NL at shortstop in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
- Was the National League batting champion in 2009 with a .342 average. He came in second place in the NL MVP voting that season.
- Was moved to third base in 2012 after the Marlins signed shortstop Jose Reyes. Rumors circulated that Ramirez was not very pleased with the move, which may have played a part in his slow start to the season. Ramirez has played 98 games at the hot corner in his career with a .958 fielding percentage. He owns a .967 fielding percentage in his 1077 games at shortstop.
- Was dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 25, 2012 with Randy Choate for Nathan Eovaldi and minor league pitcher Scott McGough. In his 2 1/2 seasons in L.A., he hit .299 with a .368 OBP and .506 slugging percentage, clubbing 43 homers with 172 RBI and 156 runs scored in 278 games.
- Has missed significant time the last two seasons due to injury. He played in just 86 games in 2013, starting the season on the DL with a torn thumb ligament. He was back on the DL after just three games with a hamstring injury, but his return in June sparked L.A.'s run to the NL West title, with Ramirez hitting 20 homers and driving in 57 runs.
He played 128 games in 2014, missing time due to numerous injuries.
- In seven career games at Fenway Park, Ramirez has gone 5-for-23 (.217 average) with four runs scored and five strikeouts.
- For his 10-year MLB career, Ramirez is a .300 hitter with a .373 OBP and .500 slugging percentage. He has 191 career homers and posts 162-game averages of 25 home runs, 87 RBI and 35 stolen bases.
- Has .298/.368/.492 career splits against right-handed pitching, with .307/.388/.524 splits against lefties.
- Posted .356/.453/.578 splits in three playoff series in 2013 and 2014, hitting a home run, driving in nine and scoring seven runs in 13 games for the Dodgers.
- Ramirez has played in two World Baseball Classics, winning the gold with the Dominican Republic in 2013.
- Character issues have followed Ramirez throughout his career, but signing with Boston will reunite him with one of his favorite people in the game. Even after being traded by the Red Sox, Ramirez remained close with fellow Dominican Republic native David Ortiz, who he sees as one of his mentors. Ortiz beat out Ramirez in the 2010 Home Run Derby.
- Ramirez has two sons with his wife, Sanoe: Hanley Jr. and Hansel.
- You can follow Hanley on Twitter @HanleyRamirez.
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