MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com -ST. PETERSBURG, FL—The Tampa Bay Rays have claimed right-handed pitcher Ramon Ramirez off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds.

Ramirez, 27, compiled a 3.65 ERA (12.1-IP, 5-ER) in 11 relief appearances for the Reds last season during two stints in the major leagues.  He spent the remainder of the season with Louisville (AAA), where he went
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6-7 with a 4.03 ERA in 20 starts and 11 relief appearances.  In parts of two seasons in the majors (2008-09) he is 1-1 with a 2.97 ERA (39.1-IP, 13-ER) in 16 games (four starts) while holding opponents to a .184 (25-for-136) batting average.

A Venezuela native, Ramirez made three relief appearances in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.  He spent the first three years of his career (2000-02) in the San Diego Padres organization before signing with Cincinnati as a minor league free agent on May 12, 2003.

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