The Official Site of Hanley Ramirez

Fri, Oct 28th 2011, 14:41

Hanley in line to remain at short

Hanley Ramirez has been one of the top shortstops in the big leagues for six years, and the Marlins have no intention of changing his status.

On Thursday, Marlins president David Samson put to rest speculation that the team is weighing whether to move Ramirez to another position.

“There has been no conversations with that,” Samson said. “I suppose if we sign a free-agent first baseman who would only sign with us if he could play shortstop, I guess that is the conversation we’d have with all of our players.

“But Hanley is our starting shortstop.”

Questions about where Ramirez may play started last week when manager Ozzie Guillen opened the door for a possible switch.

During the World Series, Guillen has been an analyst for ESPN. Prior to the start of the Series, the Marlins’ new manager was asked on a conference call if Ramirez was automatically locked in to play shortstop.

“I just want him on the field, no matter where,” Guillen said last week. “If he has to be a shortstop, it’s shortstop. If he has to be somewhere else, I just want this kid to be on the field every day. That’s what I’m looking for. The conversation was great, but you know me. It’s up to the Marlins, what they have in mind, what they want to do. The longer this kid’s on the field there and giving me at-bats every day, that’s what I need.”

Foremost, the Marlins want Ramirez, who missed the final two months of the season, healthy.

Ramirez, 27, is recovering from left shoulder surgery. Currently, he is in the process of doing range-of-motion activities, and the team is hopeful that he will be ready for the 2012 opener.

“More importantly, we need him on the field,” Samson said. “That’s what he’s focused on this offseason, getting better. His range of motion is getting better.”

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