The Cleveland Guardians have locked up their star third baseman, Jose Ramirez, for the next five years.
The two sides agreed on a five-year, $124 million contract.
Rumors of Ramirez potentially being traded have now seemingly been put to rest.
The 29-year-old superstar hit .266 with 36 homers and 103 RBIs in 2021.
The Guardians are actually making some franchise history with the Ramirez extension.
MLB insider Zack Meisel points out on Twitter that the $124 million deal more than doubles the contract the Guardians gave slugger Edwin Encarnacion back in 2017.
That deal was worth $60 million.
That also makes Ramirez’s extension the largest contract in Guardians franchise history.
This more than doubles the largest contract Cleveland has ever handed a player, topping the $60 million the club committed to Edwin Encarnacion five years ago.
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) April 6, 2022
Guardians Locking Up Their Star
This is a huge investment for a team that operates as a small market organization.
One wouldn’t expect them to pour that much money into a deal for one player.
But Cleveland wanted to keep their star third baseman around, and now they have done just that.
Still, five years for $124 million is a large investment for a small market team, and it’s somewhat surprising to see a deal get done after so many rumors of him potentially being traded.
With this contract, Ramirez is locked up through the 2028 season, which will be his age-35 season.
The Guardians will now look to build around Ramirez as they try to get themselves back in a position to contend for a postseason berth.
The Guardians missed the postseason last year, going 80-82 and finishing 13 games behind the AL Central champion Chicago White Sox.
We’ll see if they can build a contending team around Ramirez.
They don’t appear to be in a position to contend in 2022, but perhaps down the road they will build a solid team and contend again.
NEXT: MLB Insider Reveals How The Jose Ramirez Negotiations Played Out