Kaohsuing, Taiwan – Manny Ramirez will continue his baseball career in Taiwan.
The former World Series MVP has signed a contract to play with the EDA Rhinos in the Taiwanese League.
Ramirez, now 40 years old, was twice suspended by Major League Baseball for violating the drug policy.
His first penalty, a 50-game ban, came in 2009 as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was then caught again in April 2011 with Tampa Bay. He played just five games for the Rays that year and rather than serve a 100-game suspension for a second violation, he chose to retire.
Ramirez, a 12-time All-Star, applied for reinstatement last winter and signed a minor league deal with Oakland, but was required to serve a 50-game suspension. He played 17 games for Oakland's Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento, batting .302 with 14 runs batted in, then asked for his release in June.
In 19 seasons with the Indians, Red Sox, Dodgers, White Sox and Rays, Ramirez has batted .312 with 555 home runs and 1,831 RBI. He won World Series titles with Boston in 2004 and 2007, capturing MVP honors in the 2004 sweep of St. Louis.
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