MLB Rumors: Rays and Wilson Ramos agree to terms on two-year deal

Wilson Ramos will be going from Washington to Tampa Bay as he has agreed to a two-year deal with the Rays.

Longtime Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos will be going from one eastern division to another. According to ESPN, Ramos has agreed to terms with the Tampa Bay Rays and will be playing in the AL East next season.

Ramos had his best season in 2016 by a long shot when he batted .307 with 22 home runs and 80 RBI, all career-highs. He was near the top of the league in batting average and hits before his season was cut short thanks to a torn ACL. Ramos suffered his injury on September 26.

The catcher from Venezuela served as a nice weapon for the Nationals who dominated the NL East. Ramos completed the big three that included MVP finalist Daniel Murphy and 2015 MVP Bryce Harper. The Nationals saw their World Series hopes fall short as they lost to the Dodgers in the first round of the 2016 postseason.

Before tearing his ACL for the second time, Ramos was emerging as one of the best catchers in baseball. A career .269 hitter, Ramos was always solid but really took a step forward this year. But a question that should be on Rays fans minds is whether or not he can duplicate 2016 with less protection. The Rays finished in the basement of the AL East last season with a record of 68-94. They added Ramos to go with veteran third baseman Evan Longoria, but after that, there’s not much more.

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With Ramos gone, this gives Jose Lobaton a chance to step up for the Nationals and work with that great pitching staff that includes Max Scherzer and Stephen Strausburg. Ramos isn’t expected to play before June, but when he returns from his injury, he will be hoping to make an impact on a Rays team that is hungry for success.