The Cleveland Guardians showed the world that despite not spending much in free agency, they intend to compete for a long time with their resources.
This showing didn’t exactly start on the field, where they earned 92 regular season wins and a playoff series win: it began in the offices, when they extended their star player for seven years.
Perennial MVP candidate Jose Ramirez signed a seven-year, $141 million contract with the Guardians, with an annual average salary of just over $20 million.
The deal kind of made official what we already knew and assumed: he became the face of the franchise.
Naturally, the Guardians are going to use his image a lot: he is popular among fans and players, and he is one of the most exciting players in MLB.
Not only that, but he has a unique fashion style and likes puppies.
What’s not to love?
Our perfect king. pic.twitter.com/KL3DyjvCDi
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) November 27, 2022
The “perfect king”, indeed.
Ramirez is a cool dude who loves his teammates and vice versa.
Fans In Cleveland Love Him
The same can be said about fans in Cleveland: they absolutely adore him, and deservedly so.
He always gives everything he has for the team and it shows in his playing style.
You can make a really solid argument that even after the extension, Ramirez is underpaid.
Since 2016, J-Ram is third in MLB in Wins Above Replacement, or WAR, with 39.5.
Only Mike Trout and Mookie Betts have more.
Ramirez is a top-ten player in MLB and the numbers back that up.
He hit 29 homers, drove in 126 runs, and stole 20 bases in 2022 while playing with an injured thumb for much of the second half.
He is a truly special player.
