While signing Manny Ramirez from Taiwan was a risk worth taking for the Texas Rangers, the 41-year-old slugger has not produced enough at Triple-A Round Rock to warrant a call up. Now, he's unemployed again.
Ramirez seemed like he might be decent insurance for Texas in the event Nelson Cruz was suspended in the Biogenesis clinic aftermath. Cruz did indeed receive a 50-game suspension, but the Rangers sought help outside the organization, picking up Alex Rios from the White Sox.
Why not give Manny a chance? He does own 555 career home runs and a .312 batting average over 19 MLB seasons. Well, at Triple-A Manny was hitting just .259 with three home runs and 13 RBI in 30 games.
"Based on our evaluation, there was not a spot on the club for Manny at this time," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. The past use of performance enhancing drugs by Ramirez could have played a role in Texas' decision to part ways with the aging slugger.
Manny was suspended for 50 games in 2009 for testing positive for steroids as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, then retired abruptly early in the 2011 season as a Tampa Bay Ray to avoid a second, 100-game ban for a second positive test.
His brief 2011 stint with Tampa Bay was the last time Ramirez was in the majors, and it wasn't pretty; Manny batted a putrid .059 in five games with the Rays. Prior to that in 2010, Manny appeared in 90 games combined between the Dodgers and White Sox, finishing the season with a respectable .298 average with nine home runs and 42 RBI.
Before joining the Rangers this year Ramirez was plying his trade in Taiwan, where his bat sure was quick enough to mash their pitching. Manny batted .352 with eight homers and 43 RBI before heading back to the States.
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