Former Boston Red Sox star Manny Ramirez is eyeing another return to baseball.
Ramirez, who turns 48 in May, last played professionally in 2013 with the Fubon Guardians (then the EDA Rhinos) of Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). He's hoping to return to baseball this year and play for the CPBL during the 2020 season.
"My goal for 2020, is to find a roster spot in the CPBL," Ramirez told Mark Buckton of the Taiwan Times. "I have been itching to get back in the batter's box and be able to compete again. I also miss being around teammates and team dinners postgame. I know if I was given the opportunity to come in an organization as a player-coach, it would do great things for the organization and the league."
During his 49 games with the Rhinos in 2013, Ramirez hit .352/.422/.555 with eight home runs and 43 RBI. He moved back to the U.S. in June.
"I know if I was given the opportunity to come in an organization as a player-coach, it would do great things for the organization and the league," Ramirez told the Taiwan Times.
After his CPBL stint, Ramirez spent time with the Chicago Cubs' Triple-A club as a player-coach in 2014 and was a hitting instructor for two additional years.
Ramirez believes his return could help bolster the CPBL, which began its season on April 11 -- without fans in attendance -- amid the coronavirus pandemic while Major League Baseball remains suspended. Ramirez said that he had a few offers for teams in the independent Atlantic League, but he's more in favor of returning to Taiwan.
"When I arrived in 2013, attendances nearly quadrupled overnight," Ramirez told the Taiwan Times. "That means, there is love for the game and the fans will come, but the owners must bring what the fans want."
Ramirez spent 19 seasons in MLB, winning a pair of World Series titles with the Red Sox (2004, 2007). He batted .312/.411/.585 for his MLB career, which spanned 2,302 games. The 12-time All-Star made his last MLB appearance with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011.
He retired when he received a 100-game suspension for testing positive for performance-enhancing drug. Ramirez has previously served a 50-game suspension for violating the league's drug policy in 2009 while he was with the Los Angeles Dodgers.