On Friday news broke that free agent Hanley Ramirez was under federal investigation in connection with a drug ring.
A new report now says Ramirez is not under federal investigation and that a friend of his dropped his name hoping to avoid an arrest.
Via Boston Globe:
A friend of former Red Sox first baseman Hanley Ramirez dropped his name in an effort to avoid arrest while transporting fentanyl from New York to Massachusetts in April, then immediately admitted the player had no connection to the drugs, according to documents filed in US District Court in Boston.
Ramirez is not under federal investigation and has not been linked to any drug ring, according to several people with direct knowledge of the case. The 34-year-old has been a free agent since the Red Sox released him on June 1.
Ramirez took to Twitter to celebrate his name being cleared. He also claimed he’s still a free agent by choice.
I have been home enjoying my family. Not being on a team has been my choice. Grateful to those of you who resisted spreading the reckless, misleading reports 👀#iSeeYou #loyal #OnlyLoveHere #ElTrece13
— Hanley Ramirez ⚾️ (@HanleyRamirez) June 25, 2018