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Brewers' third baseman Aramis Ramirez is likely to retire as a player following the season, according to a report from Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Ramirez could have tested free agency last winter, but instead chose to exercise his $14 million player option to return to the Brewers for a fourth season.
Ramirez, who turns 37 in June, is entering his eighteenth major-league season since making his debut with the Pirates in 1998. He is a lifetime .285/.344/.496 hitter with 369 home runs in that time, and has been named to the NL All-Star team on three occasions.
Though the Brewers do not currently have a top prospect slated to take over at the hot corner once Ramirez retires, there are a few options for them available on the free-agent market next winter. David Freese, Casey McGehee and Juan Uribe are among the third baseman who will hit free agency after the season.