Third baseman Jose Ramirez has spent his entire career with the Cleveland Guardians. He may never play for another team.
Insider Hector Gomez reported that Ramirez signed a seven-year, $175 million extension despite having three more years left on his current contract. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that Ramirez will earn $25 million per year with $10 million deferred. His bonus incentives have also increased, in addition to other perks.
Signed as an international free agent in November 2009, Ramirez moved quickly through the system to make his major league debut in 2013. He shuffled between Triple-A and the majors for the next two years before establishing himself in the majors in 2016, posting a .312/.363/.462 batting line over his 618 plate appearances, hitting 11 homers and 46 doubles while stealing 22 bases.
Jose Ramirez continues path to Hall of Fame with Cleveland Guardians
His 2016 performance was a springboard into what may well be a Hall of Fame career. A seven-time All-Star and six-time Silver Slugger, Ramirez has a career .279/.353/.504 batting line in his 6,759 plate appearances, hitting 285 home runs and 398 doubles while stealing 287 bases. He is likely to become the ninth member of the 300-homer/300-stolen base club during the 2026 season.
Ramirez is not showing any signs of slowing down. He posted a .283/.360/.503 batting line with 30 homers and 34 doubles in his 673 plate appearances while stealing 44 bases. That performance led to him finishing third in the AL MVP vote for the third time.
The Guardians have been quiet for much of the offseason, signing relievers Shawn Armstrong and Colin Holderman and a slew of minor league deals. Signing Ramirez on a team-friendly extension could lead to other moves, such as a long-discussed extension with outfielder Steven Kwan. If so, Ramirez will have given the Guardians another gift with his loyalty to the organization.