Hanley Ramirez Ready to Become Marlins 3B

There’s no doubt that the Miami Marlins will be an exciting team to watch in 2012.  The increased talent level of the club is sure to draw attention, but more people may be watching in anticipation of the bad rather than the good.  By this I mean that the 2012 version of the Marlins could be something of a powder keg.  Combine Ozzie Guillen, Carlos Zambrano, Logan Morrison and a disgruntled Hanley Ramirez and who knows what you’ll get.

While the first three figure to give baseball fans plenty to follow this season, Miami’s new third baseman seems to have changed his tune once again.  In speaking with Tom D’Angelo of The Palm Beach Post yesterday, Ramirez indicated that he has no problems moving over to the hot corner to make room for offseason acquisition Jose Reyes.

This story has gone back and forth all offseason.  First Hanley was happy to help facilitate a Reyes signing by doing whatever it would take to help his team win.  Then, when it began to materialize that the Marlins might actually sign Reyes, Hanley began to backtrack a bit.

It had recently come out that the All-Star wasn’t very happy about giving up his position.  Manager Ozzie Guillen didn’t necessarily help his player’s cause, telling reporters that Ramirez wasn’t fully on board with the move yet.

Yesterday, Hanley acted like he didn’t know what the all the hubbub was about.  Ramirez told D’Angelo that he’s never said he’s not going to move over for Reyes.

The veteran quickly turned the interview toward the 2012 season and how excited his is to be back with his team.  Ramirez indicated that this Marlins squad is the best team he’s been on in his six years with the club.

Ramirez added that he is not worried about making the transition to third base.  According to Han-Ram, he doesn’t believe he will face any challenges during the move, noting that he still has to “catch the ball and throw the ball”.

While that may be the case, eyes will also be on Ramirez this season to see if he can still hit the ball.  The 2011 season was Ramirez’s worst as a pro, as he only managed a line of .243/.333/.379.  He was hampered by injuries last year, and I expect Ramirez to get back to normal at the plate, turning in a performance closer to his career clip of .306/.380/.506.

For more on the Marlins, be sure to check out Marlin Maniac.

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