Manny Ramirez signs with independent Japanese club
Manny Ramirez is the only member of the 2017 Hall of Fame ballot who will play professional baseball next season.
Manny Ramírez de 44 años, jugará en la Liga de Japón 🇯🇵. @elrinconbeisbol pic.twitter.com/8K4mbVNbSr
— ALFONSO VENEGAS (@alfonsovenegasv) January 9, 2017
The former big leaguer has agreed to a deal with the Kochi Fighting Dogs of the Shikoku Island League Plus, the club announced.
The SILP is an independent league in Japan, and is not affiliated with Nippon Professional Baseball, the highest level of competition in the country.
Ramirez's last full season in the majors came in 2010, when he split time between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox. He also appeared in five games for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011.
The 44-year-old's last action in affiliated ball was in 2013 as a member of the Iowa Cubs, the Chicago Cubs' Triple-A affiliate. He appeared in 24 games, belting three homers.
As of the latest Hall of Fame count, compiled by Ryan Thibodaux, Ramirez has garnered 25.1 percent of the vote, meaning he'll have to wait until 2018 for another crack at getting into the Hall.
Over his 19-year big-league career, Ramirez was a 12-time All-Star and a nine-time Silver Slugger recipient. He has 555 career home runs, 1,831 RBIs, and an impressive slash line of .312/.411/.585.