BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox are counting on shortstop-turned-outfielder Hanley Ramirez to play yet another new position next season: first base.

New Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said on Tuesday that the team is committed to playing Ramirez at first, a shift that would allow them to get some value out of the three years and $66 million remaining on his contract.

“We’re committed to making the effort – and I think he’s committed to making the effort – to Hanley at first base,” Dombrowski said. “We need to do everything we can to make that work.”

GM Mike Hazen said the team has not discussed sending Ramirez to winter ball to get a head start on the transition.

“We’re going to have six weeks of spring training,” Hazen said. “We’re going to have plenty of time.”

In a postseason news conference at Fenway Park after he returned from visiting the team’s spring training complex in Fort Myers, Florida, Dombrowski said his goals for the offseason were to rebuild the pitching staff – especially the bullpen.

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Dombrowski said he wanted to get some pitchers who can set up for closer Koji Uehara. His goal is to add someone who could also close if the 36-year-old Uehara, who finished the season on the 60-day disabled list with a broken wrist, isn’t able to return to top form.

And Dombrowski said he would like to add some pitchers for the front of the rotation.

Dombrowski described a rotation that included Rick Porcello, Wade Miley and Joe Kelly in the 3-4-5 spots. He said he saw good things from young starters Henry Owens and Eduardo Rodriguez.

And Clay Buchholz has passed all his medical tests after missing the second half of the season with a strained tendon in his right elbow.

Also Tuesday, Dombrowski said:

He plans to head to spring training with an outfield of Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Rusney Castillo.

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The three young players showed promise late last season after the Red Sox fell out of the race early.

The infield is also set – for now. Pablo Sandoval, Xander Bogaerts and Dustin Pedroia are entrenched in the infield. David Ortiz is signed for one more year at designated hitter.

That leaves Travis Shaw as the odd man out, if Ramirez isn’t traded.

The 2016 payroll hasn’t been determined, but “it’s not going backward,” Dombrowski said. The Red Sox spent about $185.6 million on payroll this season, third behind the Yankees and Dodgers.

Over the weekend, Dombrowski watched with Manager John Farrell as some players worked out at Fenway Park. Farrell left the team in August after being diagnosed with lymphoma, and Dombrowski noted that the manager showed no weakness from the chemotherapy treatment while climbing the steps to the baseball offices at the ballpark.


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