Jos茅 Ram铆rez is staying in Cleveland, signing another long-term deal with the Guardians. The extension keeps the star third baseman with the team through the 2032 season, when he鈥檒l be 40. 精东影业鈥檚 commentator Terry Pluto said that although he hadn鈥檛 expected a new deal, Ram铆rez was due for a raise.
鈥淚 said, if nothing else, the Guardians should give this guy a bonus because of the previous contract he signed four years ago was, basically, undervalued.鈥�
Ram铆rez, who had three years remaining on his contract, agreed to a new deal that pays him $25 million annually and includes $70 million in deferred money. By the end of the contract, his career earnings will total $272 million.
Staying with one team that long, Pluto said, is increasingly rare in modern baseball.
鈥淏ecause either the team thinks you鈥檝e become too high priced and they trade you, or the player decides, 'Well, I鈥檝e been here too long and we haven鈥檛 won a World Series and I want to go somewhere else,'鈥� he said.
Pluto pointed to a post on X by Ram铆rez鈥檚 agent, Rafa Nieves, outlining the scope of the deal and what it means beyond dollars.
鈥淗e said the Guardians gave Jos茅 $106 million that he鈥檒l be paid between the ages of 36 and 40,鈥� Pluto said. 鈥淭hey made this contract commitment to him three years early.鈥�
Nieves added that the deal includes symbolic rewards, including a statue in center field, a retired number, first-ballot Hall of Fame consideration, a baseball field, and even a street named after Ram铆rez in Cleveland.
鈥淏ut here鈥檚 the key part,鈥� Pluto said. 鈥淗e goes, 鈥楯os茅 marches to the beat of his own drum.' I respect that. He will laugh at all the critics, all the way to the bank and on his way to Cooperstown.鈥�
Pluto said that mindset defines Ram铆rez as much as his production on the field.
鈥淛os茅 doesn鈥檛 care that people say you should have been in a bigger market or you should have more commercials,鈥� Pluto said. 鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 care that other people who aren鈥檛 nearly as good as Jose are making more money. He cares about wanting to be the greatest player in Cleveland baseball history.鈥�
Ram铆rez currently has 285 career home runs, within reach of Jim Thome鈥檚 franchise record of 337. Last season, he became the first player in franchise history with at least 250 home runs and 250 stolen bases. Ram铆rez is also the franchise leader in extra base hits with 726 and 27 multi-homer games. He is second in home runs and RBIs (949).
Cleveland has reached the postseason eight times since Ram铆rez was called up to the majors in 2013, including losing in seven games to the Chicago Cubs in the 2016 World Series. The Guardians have won the AL Central the past two seasons.
鈥淎nd his contract now, his current contract, he鈥檚 deferred 70 million of it down the line,鈥� Pluto said. 鈥淎nd you know why he did it? So the Guardians hopefully would have more money to sign some other guys. Jose likes to win.鈥�
Pluto said Ram铆rez values playing for a team that competes year after year, even without the resources of a big-market franchise.
鈥淵eah, they haven鈥檛 won the World Series,鈥� Pluto said. 鈥淏ut I think he goes to camp thinking, we got a chance, even if other people don鈥檛 think we do.鈥�
Pluto said Ram铆rez stands apart from every star he has watched.
鈥淚鈥檝e never seen a better Cleveland overall player than Jos茅,鈥� he said. 鈥淛os茅 steals bases. Jos茅鈥檚 a very good third baseman. Jos茅 hits for power. Jos茅 hits average. Jos茅 plays all the time.鈥�
He added that Ram铆rez鈥檚 toughness and effort define him as much as his statistics.
鈥淗e鈥檚 played parts of seasons with small broken bones in his hand. Jos茅 never complains,鈥� Pluto said. 鈥淛ose鈥檚 uniform is always dirty because he鈥檚 hustling and sliding headfirst and his helmet is flying off. I don鈥檛 know how a guy could give more on the diamond than Jos茅 does in terms of just physical effort every single game.鈥�
For fans, the extension means six more seasons of watching one of the franchise鈥檚 greatest players.
鈥淧eople who are critical of the Guardians could say, 鈥極h, they don鈥檛 want to spend,鈥� or this or that,鈥� Pluto said. 鈥淲ell, your best player, your future Hall of Fame player, your player who likes to win and has won a lot here, still believes they could win a lot here.鈥�
鈥淎nd that鈥檚 what this contract says,鈥� Pluto added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a very important message.鈥�
