Manny Ramirez Not Relaxing This Winter

February 1 2011 Last updated at 04:19 PM ET

Manny Ramirez entered the offseason without a team and the 38-year-old slugger knew a major pay cut was on the horizon well before he was signed to a one-year, $2 million deal by the Tampa Bay Rays.

Not that it affected his workouts over the last several weeks, one of the lead trainers at Phoenix-based Athletes' Performance told FanHouse.

"This year he seemed to be very, very focused," said Craig Friedman, who leads the elite gym's innovation team. "I'm not saying he wasn't in past years because he's always been very professional in his approach. He really enjoys the opportunity to make himself better in the offseason."

Ramirez arrived at Athletes' Performance in early November, just like he had in the previous two offseasons. He's been working out with a small group of major leaguers, including Pat Burrell and Cody Ross of the San Francisco Giants, Boston's Jacoby Ellsbury and the Rays' Evan Longoria.

"He's like the godfather of the group," Friedman said.

Ramirez was officially introduced by the Rays on Tuesday along with former Red Sox teammate Johnny Damon after each passed physicals. Ramirez told The St. Petersburg Times that he'd dropped about 12 pounds during the offseason.

Friedman said Ramirez arrived at the facility lighter than when he finished the 2010 season with the Chicago White Sox at about 237 pounds. Since he began training, Friedman said Ramirez shed five pounds of fat and added five pounds of muscle onto his 6-foot frame.

"Manny is a fantastic athlete and he hides a lot under that baggy uniform."
- Craig Friedman of Athletes' Performance Institute "Now, we're seeing him move better and he probably feels better at this lighter weight," Friedman said. "When a player gets older, the workouts emphasize sustainability and getting rid of the imbalances in the body. Manny is a fantastic athlete and he hides a lot under that baggy uniform."

His athleticism has been less of question in recent years as his attitude, motivation and choice, especially after he became arguably the most noteworthy player to violate Major League Baseball's drug policy. He tested positive for a female fertility drug -- which athletes often take at the end of a steroid cycle -- during spring training of 2009 as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers and received a 50-game ban.

All those factors -- along with his injury woes that limited to 90 games in 2010 and flagging statistics -- resulted in a limited market for Ramirez, who will play for $16 million less than last season.

Ramirez trains about three hours a day, five days a week at Athlete's Performance, a schedule he will likely keep until just before spring training. Friedman added that it's not all about medicine balls, free weights and lunges.

"He works hard, but he knows how to have a good time," Friedman said. "The guys like to joke around with him. He's gets along with everybody at the facility, including the guys preparing for the NFL combine."

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