Manny Ramirez Signs New Deal With Oakland A's
Former MLB Star Accepts Minor League Contract With Calif. Team
Former Major League Baseball star Manny Ramirez has been signed by the Oakland Athletics to a minor league deal, the California team announced on Monday.
The slugger and 12-time All-Star was signed to the deal for $500,000, according to reports.
Although he has signed a new contract, Ramirez will not likely step up to the plate any time soon as he is required to serve a 50-game suspension for violating baseball's drug policy. Ramirez retired in 2011 following a failed drug test.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
At the time, the slugger opted to retire from the league as opposed to face a 100-game suspension. He attempted reinstatement into MLB last December.
"I'm very pleased Billy was able to add Manny to our team," Oakland Athletics team owner Lew Wolff said in an email to The Associated Press.
"I look forward to welcoming him and the entire team that Billy and his people have assembled for the coming season," Wolff added.
Ramirez, 39, is a Dominican-American who made his start in the MLB in 1993 playing with the Cleveland Indians. He played with the Indians until 2000 when he signed an 8-year contract with the Boston Red Sox. He went on to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Chicago White Sox, and the Tampa Bay Rays until he retired in 2011 following a three-time failed drug test.
He was a nine-time Silver Slugger and one of only 25 players in the league to hit over 500 career home runs. He was named "Minor League Player of the Year" in 1993.
Throughout his career, Ramirez became just as well known for his antics off the field as for his athletic skill.
He faced controversy over using performance-enhancing drugs during his time playing with the Boston Red Sox, was known for quitting his teams at times, and has been arrested and charged with battery in a domestic dispute.
