Manny Ramirez is set to leave his team in Taiwan before his three-month contracts ends on June 30. The former MLB superstar took his talents to the EDA Rhinos of the Chinese Professional Baseball League to try and rejuvenate his career, but he’s leaving early after a productive start.
The Rhinos said in a statement that Ramirez notified the franchise on Wednesday that he will be leaving the team early and he is expected to be gone by this Friday. The decision comes after Ramirez appeared in 49 games and hit eight home runs in 206 plate appearances.
Since releasing the news, many have speculated that he will now move to the Nippon Baseball League in Japan. The Japanese website Sponichi reported that the Chibba Lotte Marines of the Pacific League are interested in bringing Ramirez to their club.
His original goal was to make a return to the MLB, but with no teams showing interest Manny Ramirez may have no choice but to take on Japan’s top league in hopes of getting another shot.
At 41-years-old, Ramirez still believes he has the talent to play next to the top players in America, but even with his success in Taiwan there are no offers on the table. Nevertheless, his time with the EDA Rhinos brought in fans and gave a boost to baseball in Taiwan, which also produced highlights that even made their way back to the states.
“ Manny being Manny ” was in full affect and he even produced with a.352 batting average. If he does go to Japan, Ramirez will easily get paid much more than his $25,000 a month contract in Taiwan.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the 12-time MLB All-Star playing in the Pacific League as it’s regularly considered the next best thing to the Majors. Do you think making the move to Japan will help Manny Ramirez revive his career in the MLB?
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