Manny Ramirez recently quit the Taiwanese baseball league to attempt a comeback in Major League Baseball.
With the Pirates in need of outfielders, is Ramirez worth the time of a phone call for Neal Huntington? At the time of Ramirez’s last MLB game he ranked number one in all time post season homeruns and post season RBIs.
He is 41 years old and in 49 games with the EDA Rhinos of the Chinese Professional Baseball League he has hit .352 with 8 homeruns and 43 RBI’s.
His drug suspension issues are behind him after serving his suspension time while in the Oakland A’s farm system before requesting his release.
This would be a difficult decision; Ramirez has been a lightning rod for criticism throughout his career almost all of it deserved. It may be worth the call, as he could be a low risk option that would not require touching the farm system. Manny stated that he wanted to come back and would be happy playing off the bench in a pinch hit role.
He could probably be had for close to the league minimum, providing an impact bat that would definitely help this Pirates team. If something was done now it also gives the team time before the trade deadline to make another move if Ramirez turns out to be a bust.
If he isn’t a bust and hits .270 with 15 home runs and 35-40 RBIs down the stretch it could be the best late season acquisition Pittsburgh has made in years.
His career splits between right handed and left handed pitching are almost identical, which makes a huge difference if he is hitting off of the bench. Until he proves otherwise he would command respect from pitching staffs.
The guy genuinely wants to play ball, and with Pittsburgh contending it might not be a bad fit for either party.
