Aramis to address future after season concludes

CINCINNATI -- Aramis Ramirez's agent, Paul Kinzer, will be in Milwaukee this weekend for an annual season-ending sit-down with his client, and the two have a lot to talk about.

Ramirez is finishing the final season of a three-year deal with the Brewers, but he has a mutual option for 2015. It would pay Ramirez $14 million if both sides agree, $4 million via buyout if Milwaukee declines and nothing if the club exercises its half but Ramirez declines in order to seek one more multiyear deal on the free-agent market.

"We haven't talked about anything yet," said Ramirez, who insisted his focus has been on trying to help the Brewers remain in the postseason hunt. "We don't know what we're going to do, they don't know what they're going to do, I think, so far. I'd like to come back here, but I don't know."

Asked whether that meant he is not tempted by the chance to seek a longer contract on the open market, Ramirez said, "I don't really know right now what I'm going to do. I have to go home and talk to my family. I don't know how much longer I want to play. We'll see after this season."

Ramirez admitted feeling a bit weary at the end of the least productive full season of his long career, one that saw the Brewers tumble from the top of the National League Central during a brutal stretch in late August and into September.

Ramirez, who went into Thursday's start in Cincinnati with 15 home runs and a .768 OPS, is on pace for his lowest marks in those categories of any season in which he has played at least 100 games. He had made clear in previous comments that he intends to play in 2015, so does that mean next season could be Ramirez's last?

"Maybe, but I don't want to make any calls right now," Ramirez said. "I don't want to say I'm going to play one more year and end up playing three. I do know it's not going to be five."