FORT MYERS — Mitch Moreland knows he’s likely the only new player in Boston’s lineup since David Ortiz retired at the end of last season.
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He’s just not listening to those who say he needs to replace Big Papi’s lofty production.
"I try not to hear it because there’s no replacing that guy," said the 31-year-old first baseman, who signed a $5.5 million, one-year deal with the Red Sox during the offseason.
"I think it’s going to be more of a team effort," he said. "Obviously we picked up two big arms as well, and it’s a very balanced club."
After playing his first 6½ seasons in the majors with the Texas Rangers, Moreland is with a new organization for the first time in his career. So far, he said, the move has been smooth.
"They welcomed me from Day One," he said. "Handshakes and hugs right off the bat. It’s going to be a lot of fun. You can see why they had so much success last year."
Coming off a subpar 2016 with a .233 batting average, 22 homers and 60 RBIs, Moreland tested free agency. He wanted to go to a team that had a good chance at competing for a championship — like he felt with the Rangers.
"Something that was at the top of my list as a player," he said. "If I was going to be on a team, I wanted a team that had a chance to win. It makes it that much more fun to come to the park every day when something’s on the line and you’re fighting for a chance to play in the playoffs, fighting to win the division and fighting to win a World Series."
A first-time Gold Glove winner last season, Moreland knows the defending AL East champion Red Sox wanted his defensive skills at first to allow Hanley Ramirez to shift to Ortiz’s vacated DH spot.
"It gives you a little more confidence," Moreland said. "I take pride in that. That’s going to be my main goal, to go out and show what they saw."
A left-handed batter like Ortiz, Moreland knows some people will expect him to fill the void offensively because of which side of the plate he bats from.
"I think it’ll be a group effort picking up what will be missing," he said. "There’s no replacing that guy."
Manager John Farrell also said the club needs to move on from Ortiz so Moreland and everyone else can relax and focus on their own game.
"David’s effect on the lineup was felt by a number of people. We know opponents would game plan for David," Farrell said. "I think it’s important for our guys — as we put David out of our mind, in a good way — that it’s still a focus on what their strengths are in the strike zone."
The transition may be easy for Moreland so far, but one thing has certainly changed: spending spring training in Florida instead of Arizona.
"Fishing’s a lot different than Arizona so that’s nice," he said.
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