Sponsorship Link
After retiring just five games into last season, Manny Ramirez is back in baseball.
The outfielder signed a one-year deal worth about $500,000 with the Athletics.
Ramirez will be suspended for the first 50 games for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy in 2011.
/
Why would Oakland sign a player who missed almost all of last season and won't be eligible to play one-third of the 2012 season?
The veteran was a shell of himself towards the end of his last full season. In the final 24 games of 2010, Ramirez hit .261 with a .319 slugging percentage.
Follow us
Must Read
He's clearly on the downside of his career and might not even have what it takes to be a productive major league player anymore.
That's exactly why the A's want him.
Oakland is always near the bottom of the league in payroll. They can't afford to spend a lot of money on players like the Yankees and Red Sox do.
The "Moneyball" philosophy adopted by A's general manager Billy Beane is not just about sabermetrics and finding players with a high on-base percentage.
It's a business strategy.
Because of their financial limitations, the Athletics must sign players that are unwanted by other teams, but still have a chance of producing on the field.
There's a good chance Ramirez won't be a productive player for Oakland. He might not even make it through the entire season without being released.
That's not a problem.
Oakland has almost nothing invested in Ramirez. Since he is suspended for the first 50 games, Ramirez will only be paid $306,000 for the entire year. His contract is not guaranteed, and the A's can get rid of him whenever they want.
