TAMPA, Fla. -- A year ago, AJ Ramos was contemplating his next step. The former Marlins closer last pitched in the Majors in 2021 and announced his retirement in 2022, so he attended the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association¡¯s annual Career Development Summit to evaluate some options.

It¡¯s an incredible resource for former big leaguers -- a weekend full of networking, diverse panels and other professional tips for those looking to explore post-playing careers. There¡¯s also a table set up for attendees to take part in an on-site radio hit with Mike Ferrin of MLB Network Radio, giving them an instant demo reel and an opportunity receive live feedback from industry professionals.

Last year, Ramos was on that side of the table. On Saturday, he was on stage in a ballroom inside the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay, sitting between Al Leiter, Bob Scanlan and Eduardo P¨¦rez and offering advice to former players who also want to get involved in broadcasting.

¡°You have your certain, particular strengths that made you a big leaguer,¡± Ramos told the crowd. ¡°You can use whatever it took you to get there, and you apply that work, then you figure out how to communicate that in a way that allows the audience to connect with you. That¡¯s the kind of things that I¡¯ve been doing.¡­ I did the (MLB Network) Radio hit, and I did a good enough job to get a job.¡±

That is the promise and potential of the MLBPAA¡¯s Career Development Summit, which was created in 2018 to serve as an exclusive forum for current and recently retired players in pursuit of professional development after they¡¯ve taken their last swing or thrown their final pitch. There were about 65 player attendees present this past weekend, benefitting from a wide array of professional expertise.

The event ran from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon. On Saturday alone, the MLBPAA offered panels on the mental aspect of transitioning from a playing career, discovering and building professional strengths, the business side of the baseball, broadcasting, entrepreneurship and interview tips. Experts hosted 10 different breakout sessions, staged mock interviews, offered free headshots and complimentary resume reviews and held workshops for baseball wives in business and beyond.

The event continued Sunday, offering sessions on everything from social media, investment strategy and sales jobs to baseball analytics, front office work and youth baseball opportunities.

¡°I think you need a lot of help. You need a lot of people that you can speak to,¡± said longtime outfielder Matt Joyce, one of the panelists. ¡°I think one of the best things to do is find people that have been through it, find out what your resources are then try to be patient and work through that transition.¡±

Adding authenticity to the event? The advice is for former players, from former players, and they make it clear they¡¯re there for each other.

During a pair of panels on Saturday morning -- "The Business Side of Baseball¡± and ¡°Broadcasting 101¡± -- a handful of speakers shared their cell phone numbers from the stage with everyone in attendance, inviting and encouraging questions even after taking the time to share their stories.

Panelists offered a range of relatable experiences. Former player and manager Clint Hurdle, now working in the Rockies¡¯ front office, sat alongside longtime executive Sandy Alderson and Joe Pfeiffer, the Cardinals¡¯ senior director of account services and alumni relations, in a panel hosted by Ryan Spilborghs.

Before the front office executives took the stage, former infielder Chase d¡¯Arnaud explained in another panel that he was ¡°a little scared¡± when his playing career ended. He knew he wanted to do something but didn¡¯t fully understand his options, a common challenge players face when trying to find their way off the field.

¡°It¡¯s extremely hard. You lose your sense of identity. Your income goes to zero. Your level of significance, doing something at the highest level where fans are cheering for you and adoring you, all goes away,¡± Joyce said. ¡°There¡¯s so many questions of, ¡®What do I do? How do I make money? What do I want to do next?¡¯ Because realistically, your dream was always to play in the big leagues, and now, you have to go back to the drawing board to see, ¡®What else am I interested in? What kind of lifestyle do I want to live? What else excites me?¡¯¡±

d'Arnaud has certainly found his way. He got his real estate license. He created the ¡°SeamsUP¡± app for remote baseball coaching. He runs a baseball facility in Long Beach, Calif. And he credited Amy Kosh, a senior career consultant at Keystone Partners, for helping him take those steps. On Saturday, he sat on stage with Kosh offering advice to former players facing the same transition he recently went through.

Joyce made some similarly successful moves after his last season in 2021. Now, Joyce owns and operates five F45 Training gyms across the Tampa Bay area, works as a pregame/postgame TV analyst for select Rays games and has his hand in several other ventures. And there he was this weekend, sharing what he¡¯s learned with the next generation of players.

¡°I¡¯m a big fan,¡± Joyce said. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things that I¡¯ve learned. There¡¯s a lot of things that I would go back and do differently. And I think when you can pick other people¡¯s brains that have already learned from mistakes, it cuts the learning curve, which is what this is all about.¡±