Cleveland And Jose Ramirez Just Belong Together
Just one day before the Cleveland Guardians would step between the lines for Opening Day, the club and Jose Ramirez have reportedly landed the contract extension agreement we have all been waiting for.
The news for Cleveland fans is a sigh of relief after what was in the eyes of most a very disappointing offseason. Even with the short-lived free agency frenzy post-lockout, the Guardians did nothing to move the needle in terms of excitement for a team that desperately needed to make a splash in the headlines.
Ramirez had stated he wanted to remain in Cleveland, and for the diehards in the area, knowing No. 11 is staying in the lineup for years to come is as good an incentive as any to get to the ballpark. The five-year extension will pay Ramirez $124-million and includes a full no-trade clause, doubling down on the fact he wants to remain in Cleveland for the remainder of his career.
This adds on to the remaining two years on his current contract which pays $12M and $14M respectfully, bringing the grand total to $150M guaranteed.
For Cleveland, the timing could not have been better. With the name rebrand, the lockout, and the ever-going grumbles about the payroll, seeing the Guardians strike a deal with a hometown favorite, especially one coming off of a 6.7 WAR in 2021 and has a career slash line of .354/.501/.855 is a major win.
As teams around the AL-Central made offseason acquisitions, it was hard to wonder why the Guardians were not striking on any. Was the team capped out — despite hearing Chris Antonetti continue to say the team had money to spend? Did anyone want to come here?
For now, fans can take solace in the fact that despite making minimal moves leading up to the start of the season, they got the move done. And with the upcoming season surely to showcase some new, young faces in the organization, one is to be recognized over at third base for years to come — likely with a chain around his neck and a personality and strut to match it.
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