CLEVELAND — The face of the Cleveland Guardians franchise could be sticking around for the duration of his major-league career. Third baseman José Ramírez, a perennial American League MVP candidate whose name resides near the top of countless franchise leaderboards, is nearing a long-term extension that would keep him in Cleveland through his 40th birthday, a league source told The Athletic.
The deal is not yet finalized, but it would pay Ramírez an additional $106 million across four seasons. Ramírez is already signed through the 2028 season, with salaries of $21 million, $23 million and $25 million on the ledger for the next three seasons. If the two sides reach the finish line, about $70 million of his future salary would be deferred.
Additionally, the new deal would not include any opt-outs. Ramírez’s last contract extension included a no-trade clause, and his status as a 10/5 player (10-plus years of service time, including five or more with his current team) earns him a no-trade clause for the remainder of his time in Cleveland anyway.
Ramírez, who signed with the club as an international free agent in 2009, ranks second in team history in home runs, with 285, behind only Jim Thome’s 337. Ramírez, 33, ranks third in games played, seventh in hits, second in stolen bases and third in runs scored. The seven-time All-Star has won six Silver Slugger Awards and has been a Gold Glove Award finalist on seven occasions.
Last season, an industry source told The Athletic that Ramírez and his camp wanted to nail down his future in Cleveland and could initiate contract extension talks. Ramírez has previously expressed that he values staying with one team for his entire career and that he has felt comfortable in Cleveland.
Ramírez was an unheralded prospect, considered by many evaluators inside and outside of the organization as a potential utility infielder. Instead, he could be destined for the Baseball Hall of Fame when his career ends. He has finished in the top six in the AL MVP voting seven times in the last nine years.
The Guardians were on the verge of trading Ramírez to either the Toronto Blue Jays or San Diego Padres a couple of days before the 2022 season opener when they struck a long-term arrangement with him. That deal tacked on five years and $124 million to the team-friendly extension he had signed before the 2017 season.
This latest contract, if completed, would make Ramírez one of the longest-tenured players in Guardians history.
Baseball reporter Hector Gómez was first to report on Ramírez’s potential new deal.
