SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- After being released by the Red Sox last May, Hanley Ramirez didn’t appear in a Major League game the rest of the season.

That was just the way he wanted it.

Ramirez believed his career would continue, but after a disappointing finish in Boston, the veteran infielder decided he was heading home.

“After that happened, there were teams calling me to go back,” Ramirez said Thursday, two days after he officially agreed to a Minor League deal with the Indians. “I told my agent I just wanted to stay home, get my body healthy and get back next year. He told me, ‘Next year is going to be a little bit harder to get back. Maybe it’s going to be a Minor League deal.’ I told him, ‘I trust myself. I know I can hit, so it doesn’t matter.’”

Ramirez is getting that chance now with Cleveland, which will consider him as an option at designated hitter this season. As he pondered his future, the chance to join a club that has its eyes on a World Series title and is managed by Terry Francona -- whom he knew from his days as a Red Sox prospect -- made his latest decision an easy one.

“Honestly, I don’t think it was going to happen if it wasn’t a contending team,” Ramirez said. “I know what I want; I want rings [and] a chance to be with a good group of guys that like to play, that love the game and that love to win.

“When you see a team like that, they have fun, they play hard and they beat you. Those are the little things that make you think. When my agent told me that Cleveland was interested, I told him, ‘Make it happen.’”

Over 14 seasons, Ramirez is a career .290 hitter with 269 home runs and 909 RBIs, winning the 2006 National League Rookie of the Year Award and earning three NL All-Star selections.

But despite that impressive resume, Ramirez will have to show the Indians that he has something left in the tank.

“I don’t think he has to prove who he is,” Francona said. “What he’s done has been really tremendous, but his last Major League game was the end of [last May]. Our goal is to win, so yeah, there are some things he needs to prove.”

Ramirez isn’t intimidated by the challenge.

“I feel like I’m a veteran guy, and I know what I need to get ready for the season,” Ramirez said. “The difference is I have to start early this year; start raking as soon as you can. The other stuff stays the same. You have to make your body ready for the season. I’m not a Spring Training guy, but you have to switch the button mentally and get going.”

Ramirez was all smiles Thursday morning, saying he planned to lobby Francona to put him in the lineup as soon as Friday. That won’t happen, the manager said, as the Indians want to give Ramirez four or five days to get his legs under him. Ramirez played winter ball this offseason, but he hasn’t appeared in a Major League game since May 24, 2018.

“There are some things we need to accomplish first just to put him in a good place,” Francona said. “I’m glad he wants to get out there, but we want to do this right.”

The Indians view Ramirez as a DH option, which would free up Jake Bauers and Carlos Santana to play in the field. Ramirez could also assume the role of clubhouse elder, one filled during parts of Francona’s tenure by the likes of Mike Napoli and Jason Giambi.

“It would be an honor for me to be that guy, to help the young guys,” Ramirez said. “I remember when I was in my first year in big league camp, I heard all the players saying, ‘Enjoy your time, because time flies.’ It just flew through my mind for a moment, and a couple days ago, I was thinking about that. I was like, ‘Wow, they were right.’ Look at where I am right now with 14 years in the big leagues. I think I just want to stay fresh right now with a new team. It starts now.”

After the signing became official earlier this week, Francona said the Indians’ hope is that Ramirez can emerge as a “middle-of-the-order-type bat.” Informed of his manager’s comment, Ramirez had a quick response.

“I will be,” Ramirez said with a confident grin. “Confidence is everything. Confidence and attitude. I just want to win; I’m really happy to be here on this team. There’s a lot of history here. For me, it’s an honor to be here.”