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Jose Ramirez wanted to remain in Cleveland, 'made it possible' for extension with Guardians
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- Jose Ramirez wanted to remain in Cleveland, 'made it possible' for extension with Guardians
CLEVELAND — Guardians star third baseman Jose Ramirez just didn't want his daughter to have to buy another jacket.
Ramirez and the Guardians officially signed a contract extension that can keep him in Cleveland through at least the 2028 season prior to Friday's home opening game against the San Francisco Giants . The extension is more than double the amount of any deal ever handed out by the franchise.
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"I think to call this an exciting day for the organization is a bit of an understatement. This may be the most exciting day we've had for this franchise ever," Guardians owner Paul Dolan said. "Jose has been one of the best players in the game for a long time. And it's extraordinarily exciting that we're able to say he's going to be with us for the next seven years at least.
"And, frankly, hopefully his next move from Cleveland will be to Cooperstown and that we can all enjoy that ride with him."
Even a deal that will exceed $140 million in guarantees over the life of the contract can be seen as club-friendly considering Ramirez's status as one of the game's elite position players. Ramirez and his camp made it clear he wanted to retire as a Guardians player, and the two sides were able to pull together the largest deal in franchise history.
"Credit for this probably goes to a number of people but it starts with, and frankly by far the most important player in this was Jose himself," Dolan said. "His commitment to Cleveland was extraordinary. Not only did he say he wanted to stay but he sat down with us and he made it possible for us to sign him."
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Ramirez, who has finished in the top six in American League Most Valuable Player voting in four of the past five years, joked that he signed the extension because "in reality, I just want my daughter to use only one jacket."
"I was confident we would end up getting to an agreement," Ramirez said through a translator. "I know that we had good communication in place to make that happen. We would figure out a way, one way or another. Money is secondary in that aspect because they were really clear about my interest and my desire to be here. I think we both knew what my interest was and the interests of the organization. I was confident that we were going to come to an agreement at some point."
The announcement of Ramirez's contract extension being official comes on the heels of extensions handed out to center fielder Myles Straw ($25 million) and closer Emmanuel Clase ($20 million). Along with a slew of pre-arbitration players who are under club control for the foreseeable future, the Guardians can keep the vast majority of this group of players in Cleveland for several seasons.
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Ace Shane Bieber is one of the only exceptions, as he's under club control through only the 2024 season.
For Ramirez, loyalty was an important aspect for a player who wasn't considered a top prospect but was given a number of chances to find his stride at the major league level. Those opportunities led Ramirez to blossom into one of the game's best players.
"I think definitely it would be a lot better if more players did that," Ramirez said, speaking to the idea of playing for one team for their entire careers. "I just kept in mind that organizations are the ones that give you an opportunity when you're a kid and they are the ones that enable you to become a professional player. So for me, I value a lot more having that opportunity to finalize my career and not only play for that team but finish my career with that organization that gave me a chance to be a player in the first place."
President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti said Friday the team has reworked Ramirez's deal, which originally included club options for this season and next, to front load much of the money. The team's payroll had dropped to the low $50 million range, partially due to so many young prospects being on the 40-man roster. It'll afford the team some additional financial flexibility in future years, when many of the players on the active roster will be going through the arbitration process.
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Antonetti said Friday there were times when the negotiations had some "ups and downs" and moments when the team wasn't sure a deal would get done.
"We're grateful for Jose's dedication and commitment to our team, to our city, to our franchise, and without his intense desire to be here and continue to be part of our team moving forward, this wouldn't have happened," Antonetti said. "I'd also like to thank Paul and the Dolan family for the resources they provided. Obviously to make a commitment of this magnitude is a considerable investment ... there were times, like in any negotiation, where we had to stretch past what we thought we'd be able to do and we were able to do it in a way that will allow us to build great teams around Jose."
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Guardians at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/cleveland-guardians. Follow him on Twitter at @ByRyanLewis.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Jose Ramirez wanted to remain with Guardians, 'made it possible'
