Dombrowski: 'No plan in place' for Ramirez to play winter ball

Boston Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski attempted Tuesday to dispel a report suggesting Hanley Ramirez will play winter ball in the Dominican Republic to get some reps at first base.

"(There is) no plan in place for (Hanley) to play winter ball," Dombrowski told Joel Sherman of the New York Post. "Presently this is only a rumor."

Though Ramirez hasn't played in the Dominican Winter League since 2012, when he appeared in 21 games for the Licey Tigers, there was speculation he'd log some games with his former club this offseason after the Red Sox decided to move him to a new position in August.

The 31-year-old floundered in left field in 2015, the first season of a four-year, $88-million deal he received last November, but didn't see any game action at first base due to shoulder soreness that ended his season Aug. 26. He did, however, start working out at the position towards the end of the campaign, and Dombrowski expects him to handle first base on a regular basis in 2016.

"I said we're counting on him for big things next year," Dombrowski said, referring to a meeting with Ramirez from earlier this month. "We're counting on him to be our first baseman. I asked if he thought he could play first base and he said, 'I can play short, second, and third base, I can play first base.' He seemed comfortable with it."

Travis Shaw is also expected to compete for playing time at the position, after hitting .270/.327/.487 (115 OPS+) with 13 homers as the club's primary first baseman throughout the second half of the season.