Red Sox Tell Hanley Ramirez To Lose Weight?

Yes, you read correctly. The Boston Red Sox organization told Hanley Ramirez to slim down before wearing their jersey ever again.

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Scott Lauber of The Boston Herald reported yesterday that ” the Red Sox have directed him to lose 15-20 pounds, according to interim manager Torey Lovullo, in the hopes of staying healthier and regaining some of the athleticism he exhibited earlier in his career.”

There you have it. The same team that signed a contract to pay 255-pounder Pablo Sandoval to play third base is asking 225-pounder Ramirez to be lighter on his feet.

To be fair, Lauber does stress that “[Ramirez] reported to spring training at 240, 10 pounds heavier than last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Earlier in his career, when he was an All-Star shortstop for the Florida Marlins, Ramirez was rail-thin and barely 200 pounds.”

Sep 11, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Hanley Ramirez (13) works out prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Raysat Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Even while being fair, is anyone else responding with are you kidding me?!

Nobody is going to dispute the fact that having a more healthy physique leads to a better chance of going injury-free. However, does that mean a man is going to play first base that much differently?

Is Texas Rangers first baseman Prince Fielder just ‘big-boned’?

Granted that Texas uses him as a designated hitter, but Fielder played 151 games or more for eight seasons at first base for the Milwaukee Brewers and the Detroit Tigers. His fielding percentage never dipped under .988 in that span. The man is listed at an incredible 275 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. That, my friend, is a lot of girth on a small torso, and yet even he continues to produce offensively and defensively.

The move to ask Ramirez to trim his weight down is more than just to help him play first base better, without injury. The team’s desire seems more suspiciously like they want their once-attractive asset to slim down to look more appealing for a big trade during the offseason. Not that anyone on the Red Sox would necessarily dispute that point either; however, the way it was publicly addressed seemed like it was to help Hanley, when in actuality it was to help their own cause.

In any case, the chances that anyone wants to pick up Hanley’s contract for a number of years at a huge price is highly unlikely, making it all the more interesting if he actually does lose the weight. If there is any corresponding relationship between his poundage and his injuries, it would be better for everyone in Red Sox Nation that he gets skimpier.

Then again, running into a wall in foul territory and injuring a shoulder muscle doesn’t have much to do with someone’s weight.

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