José Ramírez breaks silence on controversial decision to remain with Guardians

José Ramírez is cut from a different cloth.

The 33-year-old, multi-time Silver Slugger award winner and staple for the Cleveland Guardians has remained loyal to the team that picked him up way back in 2011.

That loyalty's been shown in his on-the-field play, which has led this team to multiple playoff trips and runs to win the American League Central. Off the field, he's been just as impactful, helping bring up the community in Cleveland and helping build a winning culture on the team. Back in April 2022, he denied taking on a massive contract, but instead took a cheaper deal at seven-years, $141 million, with the hope of giving the front office room to make high-profile signings.

However, while no impactful signings have occurred, Ramírez hasn't wavered on his commitment to the Guardians, even when many would be understanding if he decided to move on.

Prior to the start of the 2026 campaign, he spoke to what Cleveland means to him and how his loyalty isn't built on success, but rather how the organization and the city have treated him.

"Since the day I arrived, I’ve never once been booed by these fans," he said. "I’ve seen how crowds in other stadiums treat players when results don’t come quickly, and that’s never happened here."

Over the course of the last five seasons, the Guardians have missed out on the playoffs twice, while taking trips to the ALCS, ALDS and ALWC in the other three trips. That's a decent amount of success, but with a player like Ramírez on your team, you'd hope to see a trip to the World Series mixed in there.

He's currently posting a career slashing line of .279/.353/.504 for an OPS of .857 across over 1,600 games. That's simply incredible.

A player like that could get paid three-to-four times what Ramírez is currently being paid, but he understands that, with Cleveland being a small-market team, they don't have the funds to give out that much money and remain competitive.

"Cleveland is a small-market team, and they simply can’t pay me what I could command on the open market," Ramírez said. "So I told them, Let’s find a fair agreement that works for both sides."

It looks like he's going to retire in The Land, whether or not the team has the chance to compete for a World Series.

In an era of baseball that's defined by player movement and max-contracts, he's showing a rare characteristic: roots over riches. His loyalty hasn't been transactional or conditional, and even with trade discussions coming up, he's been vocal with the front office that he doesn't want to leave.

"I spoke directly with the GM," Ramírez said. "There were real trade discussions and offers from other teams willing to extend me at my full asking price, but my heart was set on staying in Cleveland. First and foremost, my children were born here. My wife feels comfortable in Cleveland, and so do I.

"I owe this city a lot."

Ramírez's commitment is refreshing. He's done his part on the field, and some. Now, the only question is if he's going to be able to end up on the grandest stage of them all before retirement hits.

At 33 years old, he's probably anywhere from five to seven years away from hanging up his cleats.

It's down to the front office to make a World Series trip happen and whether or not the Guardians can reward one of its greatest players in history with the kind of end to his career that his loyalty deserves.