Orioles No Longer Interested in Manny Ramirez

Tampa Bay Rays' Manny Ramirez is retiring rather than submit to an MLB drug treatment program. (Mike Carlson Photography)

If Manny Ramirez is to be given another chance to play professional baseball it looks like it won’t be with the Baltimore Orioles.

Orioles vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette told The Associated Press on Tuesday, "I don't know that Manny Ramirez is a fit for our club right now."

Ramirez, 39 retired last season rather than serve a suspension for violating Major League Baseball's drug policy. He was suspended for 100 games, but the ban was trimmed to 50 games because he sat out nearly all of the 2011 season. The suspension would start with the first game he is eligible to play after signing with a club.

A week ago, Duquette said he had conducted exploratory talks with Ramirez's agent. But Duquette also acknowledged that signing Ramirez would not come without risk.

"We're still considering the composition of this club and some of the challenges of integrating a player like Manny into our ball club and market," Duquette said at the time.

On Tuesday, it was evident that Duquette had changed his mind.

"It just doesn't look like it's a fit right now," he said.

Ramirez had a stellar career before testing positive for performance enhancing drugs. He has 555 career home runs, 1,831 RBIs, .312 lifetime average and also was a 12-time All-Star.

Ramirez was suspended for 50 games in 2009 for violating the league's drug policy before being cited again last April during his first season with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Based on reporting by the Associated Press.

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