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The Cleveland Guardians aren’t a team that typically puts together star-studded rosters, but the one star they do have is third baseman Jose Ramirez, who has been a gift to them for over a decade.
The seven-time All-Star recently signed another extension with the team despite having three years left on his current deal, likely making him a Guardian for the rest of his career.
While sitting down with MLB insider Mike Rodriguez on his podcast three years ago, Ramirez explained he signed his original extension because he and his family felt “comfortable” in Cleveland, and that money was not the driving factor.
This rationale explains why Ramirez, who could get well over $200M on the open market, has proved he’s loyal to the city of Cleveland, despite not always having the best team around him.
Could Jose Ramirez’s loyalty to Guardians keep him from winning a World Series?
Since becoming an everyday player for the Guardians in 2016 at 23 years old, Ramirez began his reign as one of the best third basemen in baseball. Ramirez would finish third in the MVP voting and win the Silver Slugger award in 2017 and 2018, then finish in the top 10 for the MVP voting in six straight seasons (2020-25) and add four more Silver Sluggers (six total) to his resume.
Despite his loyalty to the organization, the Guardians haven’t fielded the best team around their franchise player, making the World Series just once in his 13 seasons — losing in 2016 to the Chicago Cubs — and performing poorly in the playoffs since (6-17).
The Guardians are entering 2026 with virtually the same roster they had in 2025, with some slight tweaks. After barely winning the American League Central over the Detroit Tigers, the Guardians’ path to winning their second straight division title may end up being the same as others in their division, as the Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins have not done much to move the needle.
More than likely, Ramirez will have an MVP-type season again, but the Guardians’ inability to add this offseason leaves them to do so at the trade deadline, which isn’t what they’re known to do. At last season’s deadline, they were mostly sellers, trading RHP Shane Bieber to the Toronto Blue Jays for RHP Khal Stephen.
