Sports
José Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians Agree To Contract Extension: Report
The Guardians and the star third baseman appear to have agreed to a contract extension.
CLEVELAND — Breathe a sigh of relief Cleveland baseball fans. The Guardians and star third baseman José Ramirez agreed to a contract extension on Wednesday, according to reports.
ESPN reported that the team and Ramirez agreed to a five-year, $124 million extension on Wednesday. The deal includes a no-trade clause, according to reports.
Ramirez had a stellar 2021 for the Guardians, mashing 36 home runs and collecting 103 RBIs. The advanced metrics loved his performance last season, notably notching 6.7 WAR over the course of the year. He was an All-Star and finished sixth in American League MVP voting, according to Baseball Reference.
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Cleveland fans spent most of the off-season wondering when the organization would either extend Ramirez or add an outfield bat. The latter didn't happen and the former dragged on long enough that speculation of a trade heated up. As recently as Tuesday, Bleacher Report noted, there were rumors that aggressive clubs like the San Diego Padres were pursuing Ramirez.
The Guardians will start the 2022 campaign on Thursday in Kansas City at 4:10 p.m. Shane Bieber will take the mound for Cleveland.
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