Reports: Indians sign Ramirez to minor league contract

The Cleveland Indians have signed free-agent infielder Hanley Ramírez to a minor league contract, according to multiple reports. The deal is pending his physical.

Ramirez, 35, has been out of baseball since he was released by the Boston Red Sox last May. He played in just 44 games last year, batting .254 with six home runs. The Indians could be looking at Ramirez as an insurance policy should shortstop Francisco Lindor, who likely will miss the beginning of the season with a strained calf, be sidelined longer than expected.

Once a top prospect for the Red Sox, Ramirez was sent to the Florida Marlins in 2005 for Mike Lowell and Josh Beckett. He won National League Rookie of the Year in 2006. He returned to Boston in 2015 on a four-year, $88 million contract.

In 14 years in the big leagues, Ramirez has a career .290 batting average with 269 home runs, 909 RBIs and 281 stolen bases. --Field Level Media