The Cleveland Indians have announced that Hanley Ramirez has made the team and will be the Tribe’s designated hitter in 2019.

The mystery of whether not Hanley Ramirez will make the Indians Opening Day roster has been solved. Ramirez has been named Cleveland’s designated hitter. Mandy Bell of MLB.com reported the news Wednesday.

Hanley Ramirez had a decent spring, slashing .239/.271/.435 with an OPS of .736 in 15 games. Ramirez also drove in eight runs with three doubles and two home runs. In fact a performance from last week may be why Ramirez made the club. Ramirez went 3-4 with two home runs and a double. This type of game is exactly what the Indians were looking for out of Ramirez when he was signed. It appears that Ramirez still has something left in the tank and could potentially be a key hitter in the Indians lineup.

The decision to keep Hanley Ramirez on the roster means multiple things. First off that he is the primary designated hitter. This allow Carlos Santana to stay in the field at first base, which he prefers. Additionally this means that Jake Bauers will see time in the outfield. When Bauers was initially acquired the thought was that time would be split at first and designated hitter with Santana. Now with Ramirez in the fold everyone’s roles become more defined. This puts more clarity on the state of the Indians roster and just what position and role each player will have in 2019.

As long as Hanley Ramirez is league average at the plate he will be a productive player for the Tribe. Cleveland does not need Ramirez to be a superstar. Cleveland just needs Ramirez to be a competent hitter. Of course if things do not work out Cleveland can part ways and search for another option at the designated hitter position.

During last night’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona hinted at when Hanley Ramirez may debut.

During an in-game interview Terry Francona was asked about the status of Hanley Ramirez. The Tribe skipper was able to give some insight into when Ramirez could make his Cleveland Indians debut. Francona suggested that Ramirez could debut as early as Monday for Cleveland. Of course it may come later in the week, but a timeline as early as Monday is encouraging.

Hanley Ramirez figures to be Cleveland’s designated hitter this season. That is if all goes well. This puts Carlos Santana at first base and Jake Bauers in the outfield. Bauers projects to be the Indians left fielder this season, replacing the departed Michael Brantley in the field.

What the Indians get out of Hanley Ramirez is anyone’s guess. Ramirez could provide stability at the designated hitter spot or be not quite up to par, resulting in the team moving on from him. Ramirez did experience a decline in production last season which may be why he did not catch on with another team after Boston released him.

The presence of Hanley Ramirez in Cleveland allows the roster to take shape

There is uncertainty on what Hanley Ramirez’s production at the plate this season will be. However his presence does provide more clarity about this Indians team. There is now a definitive spot for both Carlos Santana and Jake Bauers. Conversations about Bauers seeing time at first base were present earlier this offseason. Now with the duo of Ramirez and Santana, Bauers will be an outfielder this season. Although he could see time at first if necessary.

With Bauers now in the outfield, one more piece of the puzzle falls into place for the Indians. The outfield was an area of concern coming into this season and with Bauers taking one of those spots, the roster begins to round into shape. While there are some position battles still going on, it makes things a bit more clear as Spring Training progresses.

For the time being Hanley Ramirez has provided more insight into just what the Indians lineup may look like this season. Allowing players to settle into positions earlier is best for all parties. Ramirez is making it easier to see how the team may look Opening Day. Considering that was a gigantic question mark just a week ago, this a step in the right direction.

The Cleveland Indians have agreed to terms with Hanley Ramirez on a minor league deal.

Hanley Ramirez is now a member of the Cleveland Indians. This is quite a surprising statement since Ramirez was released by the Boston Red Sox during last season and did not catch on with another team. Cleveland now has another player in the mix to provide some clarity on where some players will see time in the field.

While Hanley Ramirez has primarily been a first baseman over the last few years, it his experience as a designated hitter that provides some intrigue. Ramirez took over the designated hitter role in Boston after the 2016 season. That spot was previously occupied by David Ortiz, his retirement left a vacancy and Ramirez filled it.

Hanley Ramirez has been relatively average at the plate over the past two seasons, but even just average would be a welcome sight for Cleveland.

2017: 133 games .242/.320/.429/.750 23 home runs, 24 doubles, 62 RBI

2018: 44 games .254/.313/.395/.709 six home runs, seven doubles, 29 RBI

While Hanley Ramirez was not great in 2018, what is important is the success of Ramirez against left handed pitching. In 45 plate appearances Ramirez had the following slash line .333/.378/.476/.854. While it is small sample size, it is still encouraging.

For a team full of left handed hitters, a right hander that can hit well against left handed pitching is quite an asset. Being able to keep opponents from trotting out left handers all game long can help over the long run. Last season it appeared that the Indians faced every left handed pitcher on the face of the earth. With another righty in the lineup, this will not be the case this season.

The signing of Hanley Ramirez can also solidify the positions of others. There was talk about Carlos Santana potentially seeing time in the outfield. This was due to his desire to play in the field rather than DH. Ramirez can now take the DH role and allow Santana to primarily see time at first base. What this also does is put Jake Bauers in the outfield. When weighing the options of Santana or Bauers in the outfield, Bauers is the preferred option.

Can Hanley Ramirez be a valuable bat for the Indians? Only time will tell. First he will have to show he can still hit Major League pitching. With Ramirez being out of the game for so long it is possible he has accumulated quite a bit of rust. If he does not work out it is on to the next guy the Indians can sign to another similar low-risk deal.