Cleveland Guardians reverse course, offer Jose Ramirez long-term contract

The Cleveland Guardians may actually be willing to spend big to make sure Jose Ramirez stays with the organization for the long term.

The Guardians may as well be called the Cleveland Jose Ramirez’s. He’s the best thing the franchise has going for them and after some waffling, it looks like they’re finally going to pay him like it.

Initially, it didn’t look like Cleveland would be willing to give Ramirez the long-term extension he’s worth. Now, the team and Ramirez camp are in discussion over a new deal, according to The Athletic.

Cleveland Guardians reverse course, offer Jose Ramirez long-term contract

Contract proposals have been exchanged in both directions and the hope is to have a deal done before Opening Day.

“They are prepared to hand out a contract that would almost certainly more than double the largest in team history,” Zack Meisel wrote.

Granted, it wouldn’t take much to strongly outdo the three-year, $60 million deal Edwin Encarnacion got. Cleveland hasn’t been known to spend big recently.

That’ll change if they get a deal done with Ramirez, who should be due considerably more than $60 million. The Athletic cited sources who say Matt Olson’s new Braves contract has been brought up in negotiations. He signed an extension for $168 million over eight years.

If the deal doesn’t get done before Opening Day, Ramirez will be on trade watch.

“The Guardians would strongly consider a trade this summer if the two sides can’t strike a deal and the team is out of the playoff race,” Meisel wrote.

Opening Day is coming up fast, so the pressure will be on the Guardians to sort things out. According to The Athletic, Ramirez “is content to spend the rest of his career in Cleveland” so if it doesn’t happen that’s on the team.