Minor League Baseball

Former Tampa Bay Rays Pitcher Erasmo Ramírez Inks Minor League Deal With Minnesota Twins

Erasmo Ramírez has bounced around between six teams over the lpast 12 MLB seasons, but he will have to show out at spring training if he wants earn an Opening Day roster spot with the Minnesota Twins.

Sam Connon

Bradenton, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Erasmo Ramirez (61) throws a pitch during the second inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at LECOM Park.
Bradenton, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Erasmo Ramirez (61) throws a pitch during the second inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at LECOM Park. / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
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The Minnesota Twins signed right-handed pitcher Erasmo Ramírez to a minor league contract, The Minnesota Star Tribune's Bobby Nightengale reported Saturday afternoon.

Ramírez, 34, will join the Twins for the big league spring training camp as a non-roster invitee. Over the next few weeks, he will compete for a spot on Minnesota's Opening Day roster, going head-to-head with other relievers seeking the job.

The veteran righty spent 2024 with the Tampa Bay Rays, going 3-0 with a 4.35 ERA, 1.065 WHIP, 6.5 strikeouts per nine innings and a -0.2 WAR across 13 appearances. He also made 37 appearances in Triple-A, posting a 3-4 record, 3.23 ERA, 1.226 WHIP and 10.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

Before Ramírez was a journeyman, he got his start with the Seattle Mariners in 2012. He spent the next few years as a part-time starter for the club until he was traded to the Rays in 2015.

Ramírez went 11-6 with a 3.75 ERA, 1.133 WHIP and a 1.8 WAR across 163.1 innings that season in Tampa Bay.

The Rays wound up sending Ramírez back to the Mariners in 2017, and he remained there through 2018. Ramírez then signed with the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Detroit Tigers and Washington Nationals before returning to Tampa Bay midway through 2023.

Over the course of his MLB career, Ramírez is 43-45 with a 4.37 ERA, 1.243 WHIP, 6.8 strikeouts per nine innings and a 3.9 WAR. In the minors, he is 62-41 with a 3.48 ERA, 1.191 WHIP and 7.6 strikeouts per nine innings.

The Twins have Jhoan Duran in place as its closer, plus Griffin Jax and Cole Sands ready to fill high-leverage roles. There are spots elsewhere in the Minnesota bullpen up for grabs, but Ramírez will have to compete with other non-roster invitees in Anthony Misiewicz, Scott Blewett, Ryan Jensen and Alex Speas.

It remains to be seen if any of them will be able to earn a full-time contract. Ramírez has proved himself capable of – and willing to – bide his time in Triple-A, so he could very well end up doing just that for the Twins to open 2025.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a staff writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and other "On SI'' baseball sites. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for “UCLA on SI’’ and won awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for “New England Patriots on SI’’ and was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Follow Sam on Twitter @SamConnon.

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