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Rumors swirled last night surrounding
the possible involvement of former Red Sox player Hanley Ramirez in a local fentanyl ring. Reportedly, both federal and state investigators are looking into a possible Ramirez connection to a Lawrence, Massachusetts-based drug ring. On May 25th, Ramirez was designated for assignment by the Red Sox—which took the entire baseball world by surprise. On June 1st, he was given his unconditional release by the team. However, everyone in the Boston organization—from top to bottom—insists they knew nothing of the investigation at the time. The DFA was purely based on baseball criteria—or so they say. By releasing Ramirez, the Red Sox avoided the possibly of an automatic triggering of a $22 million 2019 contract (based on a minimum number of 2018 at-bats). Some reports suggest that, in the midst of a police stop, a drug suspect "Face-Timed" Ramirez in front of law enforcement officers. This led to the suspected involvement of Ramirez and triggered the investigation. Since his release from the Red Sox, no other MLB has signed Ramirez—despite the fact that he could be had for the veteran minimum salary. Stay tuned, this is sure to develop further.
