Texas Rangers Sign Manny Ramirez To Minor League Contract

ARLINGTON, Texas (CBSNewYork/AP) — The Texas Rangers have signed Manny Ramirez to minor league contract.

He will report to Triple-A Round Rock. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports Ramirez will earn $500,000 prorated at the big-league level and has agreed to cut his dreadlocks.

Ramirez spent three months playing in Taiwan for the Rhinos before leaving the team on June 20. The Rangers made the announcement Wednesday.

Ramirez hit .352 with eight homers and 43 RBIs for the Rhinos. The team tried to keep the 12-time All-Star, but the 41-year-old slugger wanted to return to his family in New York.

Ramirez's last major league appearance was with Tampa Bay in 2011. He was suspended for 50 games in 2009 while with the Dodgers after testing positive for a banned drug. He retired in April 2011 instead of serving a 100-game ban for a second positive test, but later agreed to a reduced 50-game suspension and played in the minors for Oakland in 2012.

Ramirez is 14th on the career home runs list with 555.

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)