Former Boston Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez, who was instrumental in the Red Sox' World Series titles in 2004, and 2007, the first of which broke an 86-year championship drought, has agreed to a deal with the EDA Rhinos in Taiwan if he can't find a major league team willing to take a chance on him, according to ESPN Deportes.
Ramirez, who has been suspended twice for violating the performance-enhancing drug rules of MLB, was released by the Oakland Athletics last season without taking a single cut in the regular season. He played briefly for the Tampa Bay Rays before his retiring abruptly after just five games. He had learned of his second failed drug test and decided to retire rather than appeal and/or serve the mandatory 100-game suspension. When he tried to play in the Dominican League, his attempt was foiled because the Dominican League is affiliated with MLB, and his suspension would still stand. He was reinstated by the league in 2012, and due to the time he had already missed would only have to serve a 50-game suspension. He signed with the Athletics, but never played.
Ramirez has swatted 555 home runs and carries a career .312 batting average, but his performance-enhancing drug history and reputation for unprofessionalism have tempered teams' enthusiasm for signing him. In Boston alone, Ramirez was known to be a lazy defender in left field, once ran into the Green Monster to urinate, and was eventually traded largely because he shoved an elderly employee over a dispute involving Ramirez receiving extra tickets to give away. These moments were so frequent, the phrase "Manny being Manny" became know nationwide.
Ramirez hasn't sniffed 500 at-bats since 2008, and hasn't hit 20 homers since 2009. In his limited time with the Chicago White Sox and Rays, Ramirez' power seems to have faded. The details of his contract with the Rhinos are private, but according to ESPN Deportes high-level foreign players tend to make around $12,000 a month.
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