Manny Ramirez is finished with the Texas Rangers. The club released the slugger on Tuesday, ESPN Dallas reports.
"The Rangers granted the 41-year-old Ramirez his release from his Triple-A contract with Round Rock on Tuesday so he can explore other options," ESPN's Todd Wills wrote.
The mercurial outfielder batted .259 with three homers and 13 RBIs in the 30 games he played for Round Rock. He hit three home runs in his first eight games, but hadn't homered since. Scouts said Ramirez's swing had significantly slowed down and didn't pack the same power it once did.
"Based on our evaluation, there was not a spot on the club for Manny at this time," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said, via ESPN.
The 12-time All-Star signed with the Rangers' minor league team on July 3. Before signing with the Triple-A team, Ramirez played 49 games in Taiwan with the EDA Rhinos. He hit .352 with eight homers and 43 RBIs before opting to move back to the United State to be closer to his family and have a chance to play again in the MLB.
"The reason he decided not to return for the second half was to free himself to be available to play in the United States," Ramirez's agent said in June, via ESPN. "The whole thing with Manny in Taiwan was a phenomenon. He invigorated the league. Attendance went through the roof. It was a very positive experience for both sides."
He last played professionally in 2011 with the Tampa Bay Rays. With scouts' saying Ramirez's bat speed has decreased, it's unlikely major league teams would take a chance on him.
Ramirez won two World Series with the Boston Red Sox. In his MLB career, he has 555 home runs and 1,831 RBIs to go with a .312 hitting average.
