Manny Ramirez signed a contract to play professional ball in Taiwan for this year's season.

The Dominican-born outfielder Manuel Arístides "Manny" Ramírez Onelcida announced on Tuesday that he signed a short-term contract with the EDA Rhinos, one of four teams in Taiwan's professional baseball league.

The Rhinos will pay the 40-year-old ball player $25,000 a month for the upcoming season running from this month to November.

Ramirez noted that while the salary is only a fraction of the more than $20 million he was making at his peak in the MLB, he sees it as a good career opportunity and said he is "starting a new beginning."

While appearing at a news conference in the Rhinos home town of Kaohsiung in the southern part of the country, Ramirez said he felt ''blessed'' about the opportunity to play in Taiwan.

"I don't think about the money and contract," he said. "I just think it is a great opportunity for me and the fans."

Manny Ramirez signed with a lot of different pro teams in his career. He debuted in the MLB with the Cleveland Indians and made moves to the Boston Red Sox, LA Dodgers, and Chicago White Sox before making his last professional appearance in the US playing for the Tampa Bay Rays.

He also was reportedly a part of the scandal in 2003 where 104 major league players tested positive for performance enhancing drugs.

In 2009, Manny Ramirez was suspended for 50 games when he tested positive for human chorionic gonadotropin, a banned female fertility drug popular among steroid users because it can mitigate the side effects of ending a cycle of the drugs.

His final season with the Rays was cut short after he batted 1 for 17 and Ramirez retired after testing positive for elevated testosterone.

He decided after that season that he wanted to continue playing ball.

The EDA Rhinos' offer could not be more perfect for Manny Ramirez. Not only is it a good chance for him to get some more playing time, but he also can connect with his international fans.

Since 2005, the winner of the Taiwan Series moves on to represent the country in the Asia Series against Japan, South Korea, and China.

And, it does not seem like the Taiwan league cares much about Manny Ramirez's scandalous past. The league itself has been at the center of some controversy.

In 2008 the league lost favor with fans after a shocking series of game-fixing scandals. After that, with declining popularity, the number of teams was reduced to just four.

Maybe Manny Ramirez will be able to bring some fans back into the stadiums.