 Ramírez was signed by the Texas Rangers in 1996 , as an infielder . After one season in their minor leagues , he was released . He spent the next three years learning how to pitch before joining the Hiroshima Toyo Carp 's Dominican academy in 2000 . He pitched in two games with the Carp in 2002 and was signed by the New York Yankees in 2003 . He spent 2 @.@ 5 years in their minor leagues before getting traded to the Colorado Rockies in the middle of the 2005 season . Shortly after the 2006 season started , Ramírez was called up by the Rockies , and he went on to have a successful rookie season for them . In 2007 , he had an 8 @.@ 31 ERA with the Rockies and spent time on the disabled list and in the minor leagues . Before the 2008 season , he was traded to the Kansas City Royals . After one season with the Royals , he was traded to the Boston Red Sox . In 2009 , his seven wins were tied for third among relief pitchers in the American League . After an inconsistent start to the 2010 season , Ramírez was traded to the San Francisco Giants . He posted a 0 @.@ 67 ERA with the Giants , helping them reach the playoffs . He gave up runs in 4 of the 5 playoff games he pitched in , but the Giants won their first World Series since 1954 . In 2011 , Ramírez posted a career @-@ best 2 @.@ 62 ERA and was traded to the New York Mets after the season . 
