ORLANDO, Fla. -- At least five teams have shown interest in signing free agent Manny Ramirez, who has been working out in a performance training center in Arizona to get in shape not only from a hitting standpoint, but also to play the outfield if necessary.
The Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays have made inquiries to agent Scott Boras about Ramirez, a source close to the player told ESPNdeportes.com.
Ramirez, 38, hit .298 with nine home runs and 42 RBIs last season playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox. He was limited to 265 at-bats due to pain in his right knee and a hernia in his left thigh for which he had surgery in October.
"The guy has been working hard in Arizona to be ready for next season, even to play defense if the club that signs him needs him on the field," another source close to Ramirez said.
In 18 seasons in the majors, Ramirez has a .313 batting average with 555 home runs and 1,830 RBIs. At the end of last season, the 12-time All-Star said that being a designated hitter could extend his career for a few more years.
"I still have a lot of baseball left in me. I think that I can still bat if I keep myself healthy, and it is less probable to have an injury playing as the designated hitter," Ramirez told ESPNdeportes.com in October.
Enrique Rojas is a reporter and columnist for ESPNdeportes.com and ESPN.com.