What the José Ramírez Contract Extension Means for Cleveland Guardians in 2026

José Ramírez is the most loyal player in baseball history.

And it's hard to argue for anyone else, no matter the circumstances.

Following a 2025 season that suffered plenty of bumps in the road, the Cleveland Guardians headed into the offseason with goals and aspirations of building up the roster. Well, while they haven't been able to sign many major free agents, they did bolster the bullpen a bit, giving themselves reliable pitching in 2026.

Outside of that, the team drew criticism for its lack of activity, with many feeling the front office stayed largely dormant as the organization treated 2026 as a work in progress. But out of the blue, on Saturday, Jan. 24, the Guardians announced they are working to extend Ramírez.

Initially reported MLB insider Hector Gomez, the two sides are currently aimed towards a seven-year, $175 million contract extension, keeping him in The Land through the 2032 season. The deal will add four years and over $100 million to the previous contract he inked back in April 2022, which has resurfaced with questions and concerns this offseason.

Yes, it's nice that the front office is investing in it's prized possession, someone who'll be a future hall of famer, but why extend him if the team around him isn't going to be able to compete for a World Series title?

It's practically lighting money on fire and hoping that somehow, someway, he can put together some of the best play in league history and force this team onto a generational run.

Or, does this roster have what it takes to actually compliment him?

BREAKING NEWS: Jose Ramirez is a Guardian for the long haul. The third baseman star has signed a new deal: 7-year, $175 million extension through the 2032 season.

In April, 2022, Ramirez and the Guardians agreed on a five-year, $124M contract extension.@z101digital
— Héctor Gómez (@hgomez27) January 24, 2026

Can the roster support Ramirez?

There couldn't be a better point in time for the 33-year-old to commit to the organization. Heading into 2026, the team will be deploying countless prospects and young players, some of whom are going to thrive immediately, and others who will need a bit of time to develop and receive guidance.

This four-year extension keeps him with the team for six more years, marking a window of time that would be able to showcase all of the current minor league prospects that are getting national traction for how good they could be.

This gives Ramírez a chance to work with outfielders Chase DeLauter and George Valera, infielders Juan Brito, Travis Bazzana and Angel Genao, power-hitters C.J. Kayfus and Ralphy Velazquez, just to name a few.

Each of them could end up being the next big thing for Cleveland, giving Ramírez the help he needs. Now, if they don't live up to expectations, his contract length allows the team to do a complete 180 and still give him a late-career reset where they can, in theory, go out and build a completely new roster around him.

He deserves a World Series title, no matter what Cleveland has to do to make it happen.

In 2025, Ramírez put together a slashing line of .283/.360/.503 for an OPS of .863, knocking 34 doubles, three triples and 30 home runs for 85 RBIs.

He also stole 44 bases, showing tremendous speed and skill on the base paths to set up the rest of the lineup to bring him screaming around the bases and home. He ended up scoring 104 runs by the end of the season. The exciting thing about that characteristic of his game is that after turning 30 years old, his speeds only gotten better, as before 2024, he hadn't stolen more than 30 bases in a season once. Since then, he's had back-to-back 40+ stolen base campaigns.

The contract extension shows the trust that the organization has in Ramírez, but also the longevity he wants to have in his career. If he stays on the diamond through 2032, he'll be approaching 40 years old.

At this point in time, he's showing very little, if any, wear and tear with age. He's poised to continue playing at the top of his game and keep his name in the conversation for an MVP honor each season.

His first chance to get back on the field since signing this new extension will be in the 2026 MLB Spring Training window, which is set to begin in just a few weeks.

The Guardians will open up action on Saturday, Feb. 21, against the Cincinnati Reds with first pitch set for 3:05 p.m. EST.