Hanley Ramirez To Play For ‘Beloved’ Dominican Pro Team This Offseason

The Boston Red Sox don’t report to Fort Myers until February, but Hanley Ramirez is returning to baseball a little early this season.

The Red Sox slugger and Dominican Republic native announced via Twitter on Tuesday he’ll play for Tigres del Licey, a professional baseball team in the Dominican Winter League, beginning next Monday.

Heading to the DR to play for my beloved @TigresdelLicey, starting on Monday 19th. See you there! #LiceyCampeón #ElTrece pic.twitter.com/jsOHPnPTpj

— Hanley Ramirez ⚾️ (@HanleyRamirez) December 13, 2016

Tigres del Licey aren’t just any Dominican baseball team; the club has won a league-record 23 championships, most recently in 2014, and has featured many Major League Baseball players on its roster over the years.

Ramirez’s stint in the DR will serve as a nice warmup for the World Baseball Classic, which kicks off in March 2017. The 32-year-old will try to help the Dominican Republic defend its 2013 title in the international tournament.

That’s a lot of offseason baseball for Ramirez, who is coming off one of his best seasons ever; the 12-year veteran clubbed 30 home runs and a career-high 111 RBIs last season while hitting .286 and playing a solid first base. According to The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham, though, the Red Sox signed off on Hanley’s decision.

Hanley Ramirez got permission from the #RedSox this afternoon to play winter ball. They’re working out how many games he’ll play.

— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) December 13, 2016