Chicago Cubs’ General Manager Theo Epstein announced in a statement this morning that the team is bringing in 41-year-old Manny Ramirez to serve as a player/coach for their Triple-A affiliate in Iowa. Epstein and Manny have a history together; Epstein was the GM in Boston for six of Manny’s eight years there, and was the one who finally sent him packing in 2008.
The mercurial slugger last appeared in the majors in 2011 with the Rays, and Epstein insists that this move was not made with designs towards Manny joining the Cubs’ big league team:
It’s a curious move that at least will divert some attention away from the Cubs’ atrocious on-field play this year. They’re already 9.5 games out of first in the NL Central, sport a disappointing 18-29 record, and are in the bottom five in MLB in pretty much every offensive category.
It can’t get any worse, right?
[via ESPN]