Cleveland Sports Forum

Guardians Close To Extension With Jose Ramirez

By Mark Polishuk | January 24, 2026 at 8:42am CDT

Jose Ramirez appears to be nearing another extension with the Guardians that will keep the third baseman in Cleveland through his age-39 season in 2032. Z101 Digital’s Hector Gomez was the first to report about the agreement and described it as complete, while Jon Heyman of the New York Post writes that the Guards and Ramirez’s reps at Republik Sports are still “working on” the new arrangement.

Ramirez still has three seasons and $69MM remaining on the seven-year extension he signed with Cleveland in April 2022. Gomez writes that this new extension will pay $106MM more to Ramirez over the 2029-32 seasons, but there will be some restructuring of Ramirez’s salary. As per Heyman, the $175MM owed to Ramirez over the next seven seasons will now include $70MM in deferred money.

Assuming the extension is finalized, it should ensure that Ramirez remains in a Guards uniform throughout the entirety of his career, only further cementing his place as a Cleveland baseball legend. Ramirez signed with the organization as an international free agent in 2009 at age 17, and has gone on to hit .279/.353/.504 with 285 home runs and 287 steals (out of 349 chances) over 6759 plate appearances. Between his strong offense and impressive glovework at third base, Ramirez has amassed 57.6 bWAR over his career — the fifth-highest total of any player in Indians/Guardians history.

Ramirez turned 33 last September but doesn’t appear to be slowing down, as he hit .283/.360/.503 with 30 homers and a career-best 44 steals over 673 PA. These big numbers and his leading role in the Guardians’ late-season surge to the AL Central title helped Ramirez earn a third-place finish in AL MVP voting. While the MVP trophy continues to elude Ramirez, he has now recorded a second-place finish (in 2020), three thirds, and three other top-six placements during his outstanding career.

While Ramirez continues to deliver elite production, committing $106MM to a player (especially through his age 36-39 seasons) is no small matter for a lower-payroll team like the Guardians. The new money included in Ramirez’s extension represents the third-highest guarantee Cleveland has ever given to a player, behind just Ramirez’s previous extension and their seven-year, $106.5MM extension with the since-traded Andres Gimenez in 2023. That said, the $70MM worth of deferred money will lower the current-day price tag of the extension, and allow some extra payroll flexibility for the front office.

This is the third extension Ramirez has signed with Cleveland, as his first multi-year pact with the team was a five-year, $26MM deal covering the 2017-2021 seasons that included a pair of club options. Obviously Ramirez vastly outperformed his paycheck in that deal, and after exercising their 2022 option to retain Ramirez, the Guardians and the third baseman worked out the second extension that saw five years and $124MM in new money added to the new deal.

t was known that the Guardians explored trade scenarios involving Ramirez prior to that 2022 extension, as it has long been the organization’s habit to trade star players before reaching free agency. While not every deal of a star has worked out, the Guards have hit on enough of these trades to replenish their system with younger (and cheaper) talent while avoiding the higher price tags associated with players nearing the end of their arbitration control.

Ramirez is the exception to the rule. The seven-time All-Star has been open about how much he enjoys playing in Cleveland, and he has backed up that stance by leaving tens of millions of dollars on the table to re-up with the Guards not once, but now twice. Of course, it remains to be seen how productive Ramirez will still be by the end of the 2028 season, yet this added $106MM could be viewed as something of a thank-you to a star player for his years of service, as well an investment in the idea that Ramirez will continue delivering big numbers. Removing the deferred money from the equation, and the Guardians will be paying Ramirez only $105MM over the 2026-32 seasons.

The timing of the extension is interesting, as there was seemingly no huge rush to tack more years onto a deal that already ran through 2028. However, the Guards may have wanted to get something done in advance of the next collective bargaining agreement, as rumors persist that the league (as part of their overall desire to curb playing spending) may at least look into some kinds of restrictions against deferred money in contracts. The Dodgers have most famously included deferrals in many of their high-priced deals in recent years, though many teams in both large and smaller markets have also pursued deferrals, with Cleveland’s new pact with Ramirez acting as the latest example of the latter.

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Guardians just got humbled by White Sox's surprise bullpen signing

By Henry Palattella

19 hours ago

The Cleveland Guardians clearly made adding to the bullpen their priority this offseason. In fact, they made it so much of a priority that the only big league additions they made to their roster this year have come in the form of bullpen additions.

As of now, those additions are Colin Holderman, Connor Brogdon, Peyton Pallette and Shawn Armstrong are in the big league fold while Codi Heuer and Pedro Avila are lingering in the background.

It’s a great group of depth arms behind Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis and others.

But all those moves look a bit more underwhelming now thanks to the White Sox’s signing of free agent Seranthony Domínguez on Friday, which was first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan. It’s a two-year, $20 million deal.

The White Sox were able to free up a bunch of money on their 2026 payroll by trading Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets earlier this week, and signing Domínguez was the perfect use of those newfound funds.

[ Recent White Sox Addition In the Luis Robert Trade, Luisangel Acuña's 4-homer game unprecedented in Venezuela. The Lara press department assures that Luisangel Acuña is the first player in LVBP history with at least 5 home runs, 5 doubles and 5 stolen bases in a postseason . Acuna can improve on those numbers as his team will advance to the LVBP finals to qualify for the Caribbean Series - See Just Baseball: Major League teams OTHER THAN the Tribe ]

While Domínguez won’t be able to help pull the White Sox out of the American League Central basement by himself, he has a history of being an effective high-leverage reliever and immediately becomes the best closer option the White Sox have had since Liam Hendriks at the beginning of the decade.

Last season Domínguez posted a 3.16 ERA in 62 2/3 innings with the Orioles and Blue Jays, and added 11 1/3 effective innings in Toronto’s postseason run. Perhaps the biggest reason for that success was a change in his arsenal, as he added a new splitter and curveball in 2025 that popped his strikeout rate up to 30.3%.

While his walk rate of 13.8% was one of the worst marks in baseball, he was in the 94th percentile in whiff rate and the 91st percentile in strikeout rate. That’s the trade-off the White Sox will gladly make.

It’s also the kind of pitching makeup that none of the Guardians’ new additions have. Shawn Armstrong is the best of the bunch (2.31 ERA last season), but his strikeout rate was a more modest 26.1%.

Holderman, Brogdon and Pallette all have intriguing peripherals, none of them have the major league track record that Domínguez has.

Part of the reason the Guardians have been able to feast on the White Sox in recent years has been due to Chicago’s lack of a shutdown closer.

Jordan Leasure led Chicago with seven saves last season, and there was a point in April where they turned to MIke Clevinger to try to close out a game against Cleveland. It didn’t go well.

The White Sox already made an impressive move this offseason by signing Munetaka Murakami to a two-year contract, and their decision to sign Domínguez to a contract of the same length speaks to the internal belief Chris Getz has in his team’s window to succeed.

The Guardians will get their first chance to see Domínguez and the White Sox on June 22 at Rate Field.

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11:02AM: The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal has the breakdown of Ramirez’s restructured contract and new extension. Ramirez will earn an even $25MM in each of the seven seasons from 2026-32, but with $10MM in deferred money each year. This means that the $69MM Ramirez was initially slated to earn from 2026-28 has now been bumped down to $45MM in upfront money, giving the Guardians some extra flexibility to perhaps make other short-term roster additions. The new deal also includes increased incentive bonuses, such as $500K for an MVP award.

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12:19PM: The two sides have agreed to the extension, ESPN’s Jeff Passan writes, and the deal will be finalized once Ramirez passes a physical.

Jose Ramirez gives Cleveland Guardians gift with another extension

By David Hill | Last updated Jan 24, 2026 1:29 PM ET

Third baseman Jose Ramirez has spent his entire career with the Cleveland Guardians. He may never play for another team.

Insider Hector Gomez reported that Ramirez signed a seven-year, $175 million extension despite having three more years left on his current contract. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that Ramirez will earn $25 million per year with $10 million deferred. His bonus incentives have also increased, in addition to other perks.

Signed as an international free agent in November 2009, Ramirez moved quickly through the system to make his major league debut in 2013. He shuffled between Triple-A and the majors for the next two years before establishing himself in the majors in 2016, posting a .312/.363/.462 batting line over his 618 plate appearances, hitting 11 homers and 46 doubles while stealing 22 bases.

Jose Ramirez continues path to Hall of Fame with Cleveland Guardians

His 2016 performance was a springboard into what may well be a Hall of Fame career. A seven-time All-Star and six-time Silver Slugger, Ramirez has a career .279/.353/.504 batting line in his 6,759 plate appearances, hitting 285 home runs and 398 doubles while stealing 287 bases. He is likely to become the ninth member of the 300-homer/300-stolen base club during the 2026 season.

Ramirez is not showing any signs of slowing down. He posted a .283/.360/.503 batting line with 30 homers and 34 doubles in his 673 plate appearances while stealing 44 bases. That performance led to him finishing third in the AL MVP vote for the third time.

The Guardians have been quiet for much of the offseason, signing relievers Shawn Armstrong and Colin Holderman and a slew of minor league deals. Signing Ramirez on a team-friendly extension could lead to other moves, such as a long-discussed extension with outfielder Steven Kwan. If so, Ramirez will have given the Guardians another gift with his loyalty to the organization.


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[ Results of a Google search ]

The baseball world views José Ramírez’s contract extensions (both in 2022 and the reported 2026 extension) with a mix of awe at his elite production and surprise at his willingness to take below-market deals to remain with the Cleveland Guardians. He is widely regarded as one of the best, most durable, and most underpaid superstars in Major League Baseball.

Here is a breakdown of how the rest of the baseball world feels:

Respect for "Hometown" Loyalty:

Many fans and analysts admire Ramírez for prioritizing comfort, loyalty, and his love for the city of Cleveland over chasing maximum dollars in free agency. He is viewed as a "team first" superstar who has secured his legacy as a future franchise icon.

Awe at the Value:

Experts widely consider his deals to be incredibly team-friendly. For example, the 2022 deal ($141M over 7 years) was seen as a massive bargain given his consistent Top-5 MVP voting finishes. The 2026 extension, which reportedly takes him through 2032 with significant deferred money, is viewed as another massive victory for the Guardians' front office.

Regarded as Elite/HOF Caliber:

Despite not receiving the same national spotlight as superstars on larger-market teams, Ramírez is viewed by peers and analysts as a top-tier performer, with discussions often pointing to his future induction into the Hall of Fame.

"Best Value" Contract in MLB:

The sentiment is that Ramírez is consistently overlooked nationally but respected by players, as evidenced by his high All-Star voting, despite his below-market pay structure.

Relief and Admiration from Cleveland Fans:

For fans, the extension feels like securing the "heart and soul" of the team, with many believing he will eventually have a statue outside the stadium.

In summary,

the consensus is that the Guardians secured a bargain for a franchise legend who genuinely wanted to stay, resulting in widespread respect for both the player's integrity and the team's ability to retain him.

[ Thoughts On How the Player's Association is taking the news )

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Superstar 3B Ramírez near extension to stay with Guardians through 2032 (source)

CLEVELAND -- Over his 13-year career in Cleveland, José Ramírez has emerged as the face of the Guardians franchise and an all-time icon in Cleveland sports. Now, the 33-year-old is close to a contract extension that could keep him in Northeast Ohio for the rest of his career.

Ramírez is nearing an extension with the Guardians that would span through his age-39 season, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand on Saturday. Ramírez, who has three years and $69 million left on the seven-year extension he signed in 2022, would have what amounts to a seven-year, $175 contract that runs through 2032.

The team has not confirmed the deal.

Ramírez would receive a full no-trade clause and annual salaries of $25 million from 2026-32, with $10 million deferred each season to be paid starting in 2036, according to a source. His award bonuses would be doubled; among them, he would receive $500,000 for winning Most Valuable Player, $300,000 for landing second or third and $150,000 for a fourth- or fifth-place finish.

And he is to receive certain other perks, including travel on a private jet if he attends the All-Star Game and an extra hotel room on road trips.

Ramírez has long expressed his appreciation for Cleveland, which he’s made home in the years after he joined the Guardians organization in 2009 as an international signing out of the Dominican Republic. And since he made his MLB debut on Sept. 1, 2013, he’s transformed from a steady utility player into one of the best players in MLB.

Not only has Ramírez solidified himself as the engine that makes the Guardians go, but he’s become one of the best players in franchise history -- and in the storied annals of Cleveland sports. His résumé gets stronger every year and is befitting of a spot in Cooperstown one day.

“Anytime Hosey’s on the field, I love watching him play,” Guardians president Chris Antonetti told MLB.com this past summer. “In the batter's box, when he's on the bases, defensively. It's every facet.

“He is really a special player, and someone I definitely don't take for granted. It's been a privilege and honor to get to watch him play for the last 12 Major League seasons and then a handful of seasons before that in the Minor Leagues. He's a joy to watch.”

In 13 seasons, Ramírez has earned seven All-Star Game nods, which is tied for second most in club history with Hall of Famers Lou Boudreau, Larry Doby, and Bob Lemon, and Ken Keltner. Bob Feller ranks first with eight.

A six-time Silver Slugger Award winner, Ramírez has slashed .279/.353/.504 in his career while logging 398 doubles, 285 home runs, 949 RBIs and 287 stolen bases. He’s on the cusp of becoming only the ninth player in MLB history to join the prestigious 300-homer, 300-steals club, and he could do so early in the 2026 season.

José Ramírez finishes third for AL MVP

This past season, in his continued march up the all-time franchise leaderboards, Ramírez surpassed Earl Averill for first in extra-base hits (726) in 2025, and usurped Albert Belle for the franchise’s most multi-homer games (27). He surpassed Hall of Famer Jim Thome for second in franchise history in RBIs last season (984), and he is closing in on Averill (1,084).

Ramírez ranks second in home runs to Thome (337) and in stolen bases behind Kenny Lofton (452). While he has work to do in both categories, given the length of his new deal, Ramírez figures to make a push for first place in each of those categories by the time his career is all said and done.

By that point, Ramírez could stand as the most decorated player in franchise history. What we know is he’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

Tim Stebbins covers the Guardians for MLB.com.


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From the Beginning

Ramírez grew up in poverty in Baní, Dominican Republic. He is the first-born son of Silveria Mateo and Sito Ramírez.

He says that by the age of 13, he was already playing in a league for adults. He looked up to MVP Miguel Tejada, who also grew up in Baní and often returned to do philanthropic work, a legacy Ramírez would grow up to continue. There is now an all-turf field, donated by Ramírez and the Cleveland Guardians, located near Ramírez's childhood home that bears his name.

As a teenager, Ramírez played baseball in the Dominican Prospect League. In 2009, at the age of 17, Ramírez and other unsigned prospects traveled to the Cleveland Indians' Dominican facility in Boca Chica, where an Indians scout, Ramon Peña, noticed the oft-overlooked Ramírez when Ramírez racked up 11 hits in four games across three days.

He signed with the Cleveland Indians as an international free agent in 2009, and made his MLB debut in 2013.

He signed with the Indians, receiving a $50,000 signing bonus.

José Ramírez was selected as a reinforcement player by the Leones del Escogido for the 2013 Serie del Caribe (Caribbean Series).

Following his performance in the 2012-13 Dominican Winter League with the Toros del Este, he was added to the Escogido roster for the tournament held in Hermosillo, Mexico, from February 1–7, 2013.

The 2013 Caribbean Series championship game was an historic 18-inning thriller where Mexico’s Yaquis de Obregón defeated the Dominican Republic’s Leones del Escogido 4-3 on February 7-8, 2013, in Hermosillo, Mexico. Doug Clark’s walk-off home run in the 18th inning secured the title in the longest game in tournament history, which lasted nearly seven hours.

Key Details regarding 2013 Serie del Caribe:

Role:

He served as the primary second baseman for the Dominican team, forming a double-play combination with Miguel Tejada.

Performance:

Ramírez was named to the All-Star team as the second baseman. He batted .226/.385/.387 during the tournament.

Impact:

He was noted for key plays, including in the semifinal against Mexico, where he singled in the 11th inning to help setup the winning run.

Context:

This appearance came just months before his MLB debut with the Cleveland Indians in September 2013.

All-Star team

Francisco Peña (DOM) Catcher
Donell Linares (DOM) First baseman
José Ramírez (DOM) Second baseman
Mario Lisson (VEN) Third baseman
Miguel Tejada (DOM) Shortstop
Marlon Byrd (MEX) Outfielder
Doug Clark (MEX) Outfielder
Ricardo Nanita (DOM) Outfielder
Bárbaro Cañizares (MEX) Designated hitter
Luis Mendoza (MEX) Right-handed starting pitcher
Efraim Nieves (PUR) Left-handed starting pitcher
David Reyes (MEX) Relief pitcher
Saúl Rivera (VEN) Closer
Awards
Luis Mendoza (MEX) Most Valuable Player
Audo Vicente (DOM) Manager

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Game 1 Magallenes 2 Escogido 7
0-2, R 1, RBI 0, HR 0, W 2, K 1, AVE 000, OBP 500, SLG 000

Fernando Valenzuela (who would be one of six new inductees into the Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame two days later) threw out the ceremonial first pitch. The Navegantes got out to a quick start, as 2B Reegie Corona took Ángel Castro's second pitch of the game deep for a homer. In the fourth, they made it 2-0 on a double by 2B Cesar Suarez, a ground-out and a single by 1B Jose Castillo. Those would be the only three hits Castro and two relievers would allow though, as they finished with a 9-strikeout, three-hit gem.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Leones began to come back against Sergio Perez. With one away, LF Ricardo Nanita singled and SS Miguel Tejada drew a walk. After a wild pitch, 1B Donell Linares hit a sacrifice fly. In the 5th, they took the lead for good. 3B Fernando Tatis singled, then #9 hitter and C Francisco Pena cracked a 2-run homer. 2B José Ramírez walked. Perez was yanked in favor of Yeiper Castillo. Ramírez stole second, then DH Hanley Ramírez singled. Nanita followed with a RBI single (one of three hits for the day) and Tejada added a sacrifice fly to cap a four-run inning.

Game 3 Escogido 6 Caguas 2
0-3, R 1, RBI 0, HR 0, W 2, K 0, AVE 000, OBP 444, SLG 000

For four innings, Escogido's Edward Valdez and Caguas's Giancarlo Alvarado traded goose eggs. In the top of the 5th, 3B Luis Jimenez hit a one-out double off Alvarado. Following a passed ball by C Johnny Monell Jr. and an out, C Alberto Rosario hit into an error by Caguas SS Luis Mateo to make it 1-0.

In the bottom of the 5th, the Criollos took their only lead. DH Aaron Bates doubled off Valdez, then Monell avenged his earlier defensive miscue with a two-run jack off Valdez. The Escogido bullpen excelled, though, with Ramon Garcia, Jailen Peguero, Armando Rodriguez and Fernando Rodney combining to allow one hit and fan six batters in 4 1/3 shutout innings.

2B José Ramírez led off the 6th with a walk from Alvarado. After another Monell passed ball and an out, Cole McCurry relieved but served up a game-tying double to LF Ricardo Nanita.Ramirez scoring from second. In the 7th, the Leones went ahead. RF Jordany Valdespin led off with a double off Jose de la Torre. With two outs, de la Torre tried to pick off Valdespin, but made an error, sending him to third. De la Torre continued to blow it himself by throwing a wild pitch to put the Leones ahead, 3-2.

In the 8th, Escogido added some insurance. DH Hanley Ramírez drew a walk from Rob Bryson and stole second. After an out by Nanita, SS Miguel Tejada walked as well. 1B Donell Linares then came through with a three-run homer to put it away.

Game 6 Obregon 5 Escogido 6 (11 INN)
3-5, R 2, RBI 0, HR 0, W 1, K 2, AVE 300, 0BP 533, SLG 400

The Dominicans had their closest scare yet, but beat the host country in extra innings to remain unbeaten at the midway point.

Escogido got on the board first. In the bottom of the second, Edgar González plunked LF Ricardo Nanita, then SS Miguel Tejada hit his 14th Caribbean Series home run, extending his record, to make it 2-0. 3B Oscar Robles led off the next inning with a walk from Lorenzo Barcelo, then C Jose Felix singled. CF Chris Roberson laid down a sacrifice bunt, then SS Alfredo Amezaga singled in Robles.

In the fourth, Obregón took the lead. 1B Jesse Gutierrez and DH Bárbaro Cañizares hit back-to-back doubles to make it 2-2. RF Marlon Byrd singled in Cañizares for a 3-2 edge. 2B Carlos Valencia bunted Byrd over. Robles then singled to center, but Byrd was thrown out trying to score as well. Willy Lebrón replaced Barcelo in the 5th but could not stop the bleeding. Roberson led off with a double and Amezaga singled to put men on the corners. A wild pitch advanced Amezaga, then LF Doug Clark struck out. Gutierrez hit a sacrifice fly for a 4-2 edge. Cañizares drew a walk. Armando Rodriguez relieved Lebrón and walked Byrd, but Valencia flew out to end the threat.

The Dominican club stormed back in the bottom of the fifth against González, aided by poor Obregón defense. With one out, C Francisco Pena grounded into an error by Amezaga. 2B José Ramírez singled, as did RF Jordany Valdespin hit a RBI single to close it to 4-3. DH Hanley Ramírez doubled home both José Ramírez and Valdespin for a 5-4 edge. Escogido loaded the bases with two away with two out in the 7th but 1B Donell Linares flew out against Jose Cobos.

The Yaquis came back in the 9th. Roberson led off with a single off closer Fernando Rodney, stole second and took third on a wild pitch, but was thrown out trying to score on a grounder by Amezaga. It was the Yaquis' second runner thrown out at home that inning. Clark singled and stole second, then Gutierrez whiffed for out number two. Cañizares walked again, then Pena committed a passed ball to let Clark the tying run.

In the bottom of the 9th, Hanley Ramírez drew a two-out walk from Luis Ayala and stole second, but was stranded when cleanup hitter Nanita flew out. In the top of the 11th, Gutierrez hit a two-out double off Nelson Payano, the 9th Dominican hurler, but Cañizares flew out. In the bottom of that inning, PH Julio Lugo hit a one-out single off Ayala and José Ramírez singled him to third. Valdespin was intentionally walked to load the bases. Hanley Ramírez grounded to Robles, who threw home to get Lugo. Called on again in the clutch, Nanita did the job of the cleanup batter, singling in José Ramírez with the winner.

Game 7 Caguas 6 Escogido 4 (10 INN)
1-4, R 0, RBI 0, HR 0, W 1, K 1, AVE 286, OBP 500, SLG 429

The only winless team remaining stunned the only unbeaten team, as Puerto Rico downed the Dominican Republic in extra innings. Caguas took advantage of wildness by Escogido starter Dustin Richardson in the second inning. 1B Carlos Rivera led off with a single, the first of his three hits that day. One out later, DH Johnny Monell Jr. drew a walk (he would reach all five times today). CF Jorge Padilla was plunked to load the bases. RF Edgardo Baez drew a walk from Richardson to score Rivera. After SS Luis Mateo popped out, LF Jesús Feliciano drew Richardson's third walk of the inning, forcing in a second run.

In the bottom of the third, CF Abraham Almonte singled off Michael Nix. Two outs later, RF Jordany Valdespin cracked a two-run homer to even the score. The game remained deadlocked until the bottom of the sixth, with Puerto Rico stranding the bases loaded in the top of the sixth when 2B Rey Navarro flew out. In the bottom of the sixth, Jose de la Torre relieved Nix. With one out, he walked LF Ricardo Nanita. 3B Miguel Tejada singled, then de la Torre hit 1B Donell Linares. A sacrifice fly by DH Julio Lugo made it 3-2 Escogido.

In the 7th, the Leones added some insurance, when C Alberto Rosario, the #9 hitter, took reliever Cole McCurry deep. In the top of the 8th, though, Caguas came back against Tony Pena Jr., the fifth Escogido hurler. With two outs, Mateo singled. Feliciano hit into an error by SS Hanley Ramírez. Navarro then came through with a two-run single to tie the score. In the bottom of the 8th, Escogido drew two walks but Lugo and Almonte were retired.

Caguas had a good chance in the top of the 10th against Nelson Payano. Rivera singled and Miguel Abreu pinch-ran for him. With one out, Monell walked, then Abreu stole third. Payano recovered to strike out the next batter, then Jailen Peguero relieved and fanned Baez to end the inning. In the bottom of the 9th, Rosario led off with a single against Eddy Ramos but got no further.

In the top of the tenth, Feliciano hit a one-out single against Peguero and Navarro followed with a game-winning home run, giving him four RBI in two at-bats after a 1-for-10 start to the Series. In the bottom of the 10th, Saul Rivera breezed through the heart of the Escogido order, striking out Hanley Ramírez and Nanita, then retiring Tejada on a grounder.

Game 10 Escogido 11 Obregon 6
1-5, R 1, RBI 3, HR 1, W 0, K 2, AVE 263, OBP 440, SLG 526

The Leones del Escogido would have clinched the title under the old format; instead, they clinched a spot in the finals with the other three teams all in the mix at 2-3. They did it with a back-and-forth first third of the game, a mid-game fade and a late rally.

In the top of the first, RF Jordany Valdespin doubled off Marco Carrillo. After a strikeout by DH Hanley Ramírez, LF Ricardo Nanita singled in Valdespin for a 1-0 lead. Mexico quickly tied it in the bottom of the inning on a solo leadoff homer by CF Chris Roberson off Alfredo Figaro. In the top of the third, Jose Ramírez had a two-out single and scored from first on a single by Nanita. SS Miguel Tejada continued to pad his Series home run record with a 2-run shot to put the Dominicans in front, 4-1. After another hit, David Reyes relieved Carrillo and blanked the Leones for 4 1/3 innings, with one hit, no walks and seven whiffs.

The Escogido lead was short-lived. In the bottom of the third, SS Alfredo Amezaga hit into a one-out error by Tejada. After a balk by Figaro, LF Doug Clark singled in Amezaga, one of 3 hits on the game for Clark. 1B Jesse Gutierrez hit into a miscue by 2B José Ramírez. RF Marlon Byrd flew out, but 38-year-old DH Bárbaro Cañizares came through with a two-run double to tie it.

The Yaquis gave the capacity crowd something to cheer about in the bottom of the fourth. With one away, 3B Agustín Murillo singled and advanced on a wild pitch. Roberson struck out, but SS Alfredo Amezaga tripled for a 5-4 edge. He then came home on a single by Clark. That was it for Figaro, which was bad news for the Mexican hitters feasting on him. Willy Lebrón, Jhonny Nunez and Fernando Rodney combined for 5 1/3 shutout innings of relief, with one hit, two walks and six strikeouts.

In the top of the 8th, Adrian Ramirez replaced Reyes and allowed a single to Valdespin. Oscar Villarreal relieved and started on a strong note, fanning #3 batter Hanley Ramírez and cleanup hitter Nanita. Tejada singled in Valdespin to close it to 6-5. 1B Donell Linares drew a walk from Villarreal to force in a run and tie the game. 3B Luis Jimenez walked as well to put Escogido ahead. Luis Ayala was the next reliever the Yaquis tried; CF Abraham Almonte greeted him with a two-run single to RF. PH Julio Lugo singled, then leadoff man José Ramírez cracked a 3-run homer to finish the 7-run inning.


Game 11 Escogido 2 Magallanes 2
0-5, R 0, RBI 0, HR 0, W 0, K 2, AVE 208, OBP 367, SLG 417

The Navegantes lost a shot in the finals by falling to Escogido in a well-fought game. Escogido only took the field a few minutes before the game, as they complained about broken promises by team management over finances. Venezuela got on the board in the bottom of the third against Carlos Pimentel thanks to bad defense. LF Cesar Suarez hit into a two-base throwing error by SS José Ramírez. Suarez then stole third and scored on a throwing error on the play by C Alberto Rosario. In the top of the 4th, the Leones tied it when 2B Julio Lugo hit a two-out solo shot off Sergio Perez, the only run Perez would allow.

Magallanes went back ahead in the bottom of the 5th versus reliever Lorenzo Barcelo. With two out, SS Renny Osuna tripled, then came home on a single by Suarez. Escogido tied it again in the 7th. Rosario singled off Gabriel Alfaro; with two outs, DH Hanley Ramírez singled to third and an error on the play by 3B Luis Nunez led Rosario score. The game was still 2-2 going into the 9th, when each team turned to one of the Mexican League's top two in saves for 2012: Victor Moreno for Magallanes and Jailen Peguero for Escogido. Moreno walked RF Jordany Valdespin wit hone out and struck out Hanley Ramírez. Marcos Tabata then came in to pitch and served up a two-run, game-losing gopher ball to backup 1B Francisco Pena. Peguero, on the other hand, allowed only a Luis Landaeta single in the bottom of the 9th to save it.

Game 13 Obregon 4 Escogido 3 (18 INN)
2-7, R 0, RBI 1, HR 0, W 2, K 0, AVE 226, OBP 385, SLG 387

The finale was one for the ages, setting Caribbean Series records for pitchers used (21) and duration (7 hours, 28 minutes) while tying the record for innings (set in 2007).

Escogido got their only run in 7 2/3 innings off Mexican starter Rodrigo López in the third on a leadoff double by CF Abraham Almonte, a botched pick-off by López and a one-out grounder by 2B José Ramírez. Leones starter Angel Castro shut out the home country for four innings, but Mexico rallied in the 5th to take the lead. 1B Bárbaro Cañizares doubled and was bunted over by DH Karim García. Castro walked 2B Oscar Robles, then 3B Agustín Murillo grounded in Cañizares. C Jose Felix hit one to RF Jordany Valdespin, but Valdespin made a crucial error, scoring Robles to make it 2-1. Those would be the only two runs in 7 2/3 innings by Castro, who gave up just two hits.

In the top of the 9th, the Yaquis had their best chance for insurance, but failed to come through, while Escogido burned through four relievers. The inning began with Ramon Garcia walking LF Doug Clark. Jhonny Nunez relieved and RF Marlon Byrd laid down a sacrifice bunt. Cañizares was intentionally walked. A fly-out by Karim García advanced Clark to third. Nelson Payano was summoned from the bullpen and hit 1B Jesse Gutierrez. Audo Vicente turned to Fernando Rodney as his fourth hurler of the frame and Rodney got Mruillo on an inning-ending grounder. In the bottom of the 9th, Luis Ayala was summoned to close it up but gave up a leadoff homer to LF Ricardo Nanita to even the score.

In the bottom of the 10th, Escogido got a quick start on hits by C Alberto Rosario (off Ayala) and José Ramírez (off Adrian Ramirez) but Valdespin bunted into an out at third. Oscar Villarreal retired DH Hanley Ramírez (1 for 8 on the day) and Dennys Reyes came in to get Nanita to end the threat.

The Yaquis took the lead again in the top of the 14th, when Karim García homered off Jailen Peguero, the 7th Escogido hurler. In the bottom of the inning, the Leones evened it back up against the 10th Mexican pitcher, Edgar González. José Ramírez and Valdespin drew back-to-back walks. Hanley Ramírez hit into a force at third, then Nanita grounded into a force at second. SS Miguel Tejada singled to right to score Valdespin, then 1B Donell Linares whiffed to end the inning.

In the top of the 18th, Clark homered off Edward Valdez, the 10th Dominican hurler, his shot just clearing the right-field fence, for what would be the Series-winning blow. Obregón then turned to Marco Carrillo to seal the deal, having already tossed three shutout innings from the 15th to the 17th. He retired both Hanley Ramírez and Nanita, but Caribbean Series legend Tejada singled to keep the Escogido hopes alive. With an 0-1 count, Linares then flew to Byrd to end the game and the Series.

Obregón won the finale despite a combined 0-for-21 effort from CF Chris Roberson, SS Alfredo Amezaga (the 1-2 batters) and C Felix.

Defense:
2B, G 6, INN 56, PO 12, A 11, E 3, DP 1, % 885
SS, G 2, INN 19, PO 1, A 5, E 1, DP 0, % 857

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[ Remember when Ramirez was an undrafted free agent. At best a versatile utility player. Francisco Lindor was the chosen one.

"Jose Ramirez was relatively unknown when he arrived to the Majors from Double-A with a swagger in his step and the bravado of a seasoned star. Francisco Lindor had the spotlight fixed on him from the day he was drafted. Ramirez still walks with his chest out, and Lindor continues to flash that smile that has made him one of the young faces of this game. Ramirez runs like his hair is on fire while legging out double after double. Lindor is more precise in his acrobatics."

No doubt in my mind that Ramirez was going to be a pretty good major league ball player.

Well, Ramirez and Lindor both proved to be the best at their positions. Ramirez turned out to be a lot better than his utility lable predicted him to be. Both are superstars and are headed down that path to glory all the way to Cooperstown.

Wish both could have retired as Clevelanders. ]

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Welcome back to the Guardians Beat newsletter. My name is Tim Stebbins, and I'm heading into my second season covering Cleveland for MLB.com.

CLEVELAND -- As José Ramírez stood in the champagne-soaked home clubhouse at Progressive Field on Sept. 28, while the Guardians celebrated their improbable comeback to clinch the American League Central title, he shared a message that resonated across each square mile of Northeast Ohio.

“Cleveland is the best,” Ramírez told Guardians TV reporter Andre Knott. “I love Cleveland. Cleveland is my [home].”

That’s shaping up to remain so through the end of Ramírez’s playing career. The superstar third baseman is nearing a contract extension with the Guardians that will keep him in Cleveland through 2032, sources told MLB.com on Saturday. The extension (which will supersede the seven-year deal Ramírez signed in 2022) will be worth $25 million per season for seven years through the 2032 campaign, and includes $10 million deferred in each season, per sources.

Saturday’s news led to plenty of questions, including perhaps the most pressing: Will the deferrals give the Guardians additional financial flexibility in the near future or down the line to bolster their mix around Ramírez?

Ramírez is a perennial AL MVP Award candidate who has earned six Top 5 finishes in voting during his 13-year career. He has long been the driving force of Cleveland’s offense, including this past season, when he slashed .283/.360/.503 with 34 doubles, 30 homers, 85 RBIs and 44 stolen bases over 158 games.

As a team, Cleveland slashed .226/.296/.373 in 2025 (ranking 29th in the Majors in each of those categories) and averaged 3.97 runs per game (28th).

Ramírez one day could go down as the most decorated player in franchise history. But it’s no secret that the Guardians could use some additional firepower in the lineup. It’s been true all offseason, during which Cleveland has been relatively quiet beyond bolstering its bullpen with a handful of intriguing additions.

The Guardians hope that some of their offensive progression in 2026 will come via homegrown players to whom the club wants to provide opportunity. Chase DeLauter (ranked as the No. 46 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline), George Valera and C.J. Kayfus each debuted in ’25, and each is among the youngsters who could bolster the overall production this year.
Adding a proven right-handed hitter to complement the Guardians’ young mix, including in the outfield, made sense all offseason. Though we’re only a few weeks away from Spring Training opening, options remain in free agency -- including Miguel Andujar, Harrison Bader and Austin Hays.

The Guardians have enjoyed an extended run of organizational success. They’ve won the AL Central in six of the past 10 seasons and made the postseason seven times during that span. In 2025, they made history by overcoming a 15 1/2-game deficit to win the division.

The AL Central figures to be competitive once more in 2026, especially between the Guardians, Tigers and Royals. Detroit fell just one win shy of advancing to the AL Championship Series and will once again be led by back-to-back and reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. Among their offseason moves, the Tigers fortified their bullpen by signing veterans Kenley Jansen and Kyle Finnegan.

After reaching the postseason in 2024, the Royals struggled offensively in ‘25 (ranking just ahead of the Guardians with 4.02 runs per game) and missed the postseason. Kansas City has added a few pieces to its lineup, including outfielders Isaac Collins (who finished fourth in 2025 NL Rookie of the Year Award voting) and former Guardian Lane Thomas (who signed a one-year free-agent deal).

Led by Ramírez and a rotation that dominated down the stretch this past season, the Guardians are set to be in the mix once more. They always have a chance with their seven-time All-Star and Superman leading the way.

But even superheroes need help sometimes, and Ramírez’s imminent extension could position the Guardians to give him some more.
Kyle Manzardo also will look to take another step after he hit 27 homers in his first full big league season last year, as will Bo Naylor and Brayan Rocchio -- both of whom are entering their third extended season in the Majors.

Cleveland has remained mindful of its young talent while considering potential acquisitions to add to the position-player mix. But there continues to be a potential balance to strike in adding pieces around Ramírez and allowing the youngsters opportunity to emerge in the Majors. The deferred money in Ramírez’s imminent deal could at least potentially provide flexibility to add help around Cleveland’s superstar -- now or in the near and long term. And along the way, the development of the Guardians’ younger players will only strengthen their outlook further.

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Jose Ramirez's extension should implore Guardians to make right move with Steven Kwan

Time to do the right thing.

By Henry Palattella

1 hour ago

On Saturday, the Guardians earned some much-needed goodwill by inking José Ramírez to another contract extension that will keep him in Cleveland through the 2032 season.

It’s a contract extension that is going to impact the Guardians in many ways. First off, Ramírez is going to be a Guardian for the rest of his career, which is a huge win for him and the city of Cleveland as a whole.

But, in a bit of an ironic twist, spending money on Ramírez’s extension could also help the Guardians save money in the long-term. While they didn’t need to spend money on Ramírez this offseason since he was already under contract through 2028, Ramírez opened up contract talks this offseason and took yet another hometown discount in his deal.

The new contract will add four years and $106 million to the $69 million he was already owed over the next three seasons, and $70 million of his future earnings are going to be deferred.

That’s a great deal for any player, but it’s even better when you consider that it’s for one of the five best players in the sport.

And the best thing the Guardians can do with that financial flexibility is sign Steven Kwan to the long-term extension that he deserves.

The Guardians should repurpose some of the money they saved on Jose Ramirez to sign Steven Kwan to an extension
Kwan’s potential extension has been a lightning rod conversation in Cleveland for a couple years, and it hit a fever pitch last summer when his name was floated in rumors ahead of the trade deadline.

The Guardians held firm on their asking price for Kwan at both the trade deadline and winter meetings, but he only has two more seasons of team control remaining via arbitration and his price tag keeps rising.

Signing Kwan to an extension would be a costly proposition, but it’s clearly the right move considering he’s a four-time Gold Glove winner and has been a back-to-back All-Star.

Even though he had a subpar season last year (by his standards), he still slashed .272/.330/.374 with 11 home runs, 56 RBI and 21 steals. He’s one of the best table-setters in baseball and has been a staple at the top of the Guardians’ lineup since he made his debut in 2022.

Cleveland’s outfielders hit just .223 last year and it’s scary to think about what that number would be if Kwan wasn’t a part of that picture. While the future of the outfield is bright thanks to the presence of Chase DeLauter, George Valera and others, it would be even brighter if Kwan was in the picture long-term.

At the end of December the Athletics signed outfielder Tyler Soderstrom to a team-friendly seven-year, $86 million extension, which should serve as the starting point for any potential Kwan talks. Chances are Kwan would want more than Soderstrom got (and deserves more), but that deal was a tangible example that there’s a way for the Guardians and Kwan to work out an extension.

Signing Ramirez to a long-term extension was a great way to salvage the offseason, and adding Kwan to that picture would make things even better.

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