Guardians, José Ramírez agree on five-year, $124 million contract extension with full no-trade clause

THEY FINALLY DID IT!

According to Jeff Passan, the Cleveland Guardians and José Ramírez have agreed on a five-year contract extension worth $124 million that will keep him in Cleveland through at least 2028. Including the buyout of his $14 million option next season, the Guardians are committing $150 to Ramírez over the next six years. And he’s earned every penny.

His previous contract was a mere four-year, $26 million extension (plus a couple of team options) in 2016. Since putting ink to paper on that deal six years ago, he’s amassed 28.0 fWAR with a .280/.365/.547 slash, 144 home runs, a 139 wRC+, and multiple close MVP races.

Ramírez’s contract is the largest ever given out by the Guardians, more than doubling the $60 million deal they gave Edwin Encarnacion prior to the 2017 season.

This new deal also includes a full no-trade clause, meaning Ramírez only leaves Cleveland when he wants to. If he stays through the length of the deal he will be 35 when it wraps up. There’s a chance he plays every meaningful at-bat of a Hall of Fame career in Cleveland.

Ramírez currently ranks 11th in fWAR (34.4 fWAR) all-time among Cleveland position players. There’s a good chance he passes Al Rosen (35.2), Ken Keltner (36.2), Joe Sewell (40.9), and Kenny Lofton (43.1) this season. After that, he will have his sights set on some of the franchise’s best-ever: Larry Doby (45.0), Jim Thome (46.4), Earl Averill (47.7), Lou Boudreau (63.1), Tris Speaker (72.6), and Nap Lajoie (74.9).