It seems like, for now at least, Manny Ramirez is ready to put aside his dreams of playing in the big leagues again and slide into coaching.

Ramirez, who spent part of 2014 as a Triple-A player/coach in the Chicago Cubs organization, has been hired by the Cubs as a hitting consultant. It's a "significant" role, says Cubs president Theo Epstein.

Ramirez got rave reviews last year in his Triple-A role. The Cubs wanted his at-the-plate know-how, and let him indulge in playing some too. Now, there's no part-time playing. Just teaching the young Cubs hitters. It's worth a mention, however, that Ramirez hasn't officially announced his retirement as a player....

It seems especially important for the Cubs to have someone with Latin American roots to help their crop of talented youngsters — including Javier Baez, Jorge Soler and Arismendy Alcantara — as they progress from prospects to full-time big leaguers.