José Ramírez’s New Cleveland Guardians Contract Extension Details Revealed

Out of the blue, José Ramírez was given a contract extension through the 2032 campaign.

In an offseason where it felt like Cleveland's front office was never going to open the checkbook for a bat, they in fact did, doing it for one of their own. On Thursday, Jan. 29, an official press conference was held to announce that Ramírez was being extended, bringing his total contract to a seven-year, $175 million mark.

Even though they bumped up his pay, it's still well below what you'd expect to see a future Hall of Famer earn, marking yet another relatively team-friendly deal being signed.

The contract will keep him in Cleveland, for what is expected to be, the rest of his career.

It wasn't just an ordinary deal, though, as below the surface, Ramírez was able to get a big boost in various areas. He will receive bonuses available depending on how he finishes in the MVP race each season. If he places first, he'll take home an additional $500,000, with $300,000 available for second and third, and $150,000 for fourth and fifth.

While he is getting older, it would be shocking not to see him top five in the race for, at least, the next two-to-four campaigns. He has finished top five in four of the last six seasons.

Alongside nice benefits for on-field achievements, he'll also receive other additions, including one round-trip private air travel per year and one round-trip private air travel to the All-Star game. He will receive up to $200,000 in covered expenses per trip.

That's not where the on-the-road contractual additions end, though, as the 33-year-old is given an additional regular hotel room for all away games. If anyone's familiar with the type of person he's shown himself to be, it'll probably end up being used for his family a good chunk of the time.

Ramirez, Jose
Guardians

$25M, $10M deferred w/o interest- 2026-2032

Plus: $500K MVP ($300K 2nd-3rd; $150K 4th-5th)

1 round trip private air travel per year; 1 round trip private air travel All Star. Max $200K per trip.

Additional regular hotel room on road

Full No Trade
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 30, 2026

The chance to continue being the most important player on the diamond

With the 2026 campaign drawing closer, the Guardians are going to have to lean into Ramírez to lead the team. The front office opted not to go out and make a splash in free agency or via trade, making it important that the team's prospects develop and improve this season.

They'll need to begin producing immediately, as without that, Cleveland may be looking at a repeat of the struggles they had all of 2025.

Out of the gates, the infield isn't expected to change too much for Ramírez, who will see Brayan Rocchio, Daniel Schneemann or Gabriel Arias at shortstop or second base, and a mix of Kyle Manzardo and C.J. Kayfus at first base. Nearly all of them are looking to improve consistency on a day-to-day basis, but familiarity in the field is an important part of the game, something that will make it easier for Ramírez to be an effective fielder.

As the lineup continues to progress and more guys get chances to see pitches, the hope is that he can help carry the team in the dry moments. The only issue is eventually, he'll have a dry day too.

But as long as the Guardians have their franchise cornerstone on the roster, they'll always have a chance to compete for a playoff spot. In 2025, he slashed .283/.360/.503 with 30 home runs and 44 stolen bases.

The first look at Ramírez in 2026 will come in just a few weeks with the start of spring training. The Guardians are set to kick things off on Saturday, Feb. 21, against the Cincinnati Reds. The two teams will square off in Arizona at 3:05 p.m. EST at Goodyear Ballpark.