Report: Guardians, Ramírez agree to 4-year, $106M extension

The face of the Cleveland Guardians isn't going anywhere.

Cleveland and superstar third baseman José Ramírez have agreed to a four-year, $106-million extension, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan. The new agreement is being tacked onto the final three years and $69 million of his current deal, turning it into a restructured seven-year, $175-million contract.

As with his original contract, the new deal includes a full no-trade clause and doesn't contain any opt-outs, a source told Zack Meisel of The Athletic. Ramírez also gets a slew of award bonuses, with the amounts now doubled from what they were previously, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

The restructured deal will see Ramírez earn $25 million per season starting this year, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. That figure increases his 2026 salary by $4 million in 2026 and $2 million in '27 compared to the structure of his original contract, according to Cot's Contracts. It also includes $70 million in deferrals spread out over 10 years, Passan adds.

This agreement keeps Ramírez in Cleveland through his age-40 season, all but ensuring he'll finish his career as a Guardian. The 33-year-old's firmly established as one of the franchise's all-time greats; he ranks top three in Guardians history in nearly every important offensive category and is their all-time leader in plate appearances and extra-base hits. Barring injury, he'll surpass Terry Turner for the team's games played record - a mark that's stood since 1918 - in early April.

Ramírez's latest pact marks the second time that he's chosen to sign a seemingly team-friendly contract instead of pursuing millions more in free agency. He inked his original $141-million extension in April 2022, prior to starting what would have been a contract year. The Guardians were close to trading him to the Toronto Blue Jays or San Diego Padres before that deal got done, according to Meisel.

Originally signed by Cleveland out of the Dominican Republic in 2009, Ramírez reached the majors in 2013 and broke out three years later while leading the team to the 2016 AL pennant. The nine-time All-Star is a lifetime .279/.353/.504 hitter with 1,668 hits, 285 homers, 949 RBIs, and 287 steals across 13 seasons. Ramírez is one of only five players with at least three career 30-30 campaigns, while his six Silver Sluggers are tied with Mike Schmidt for second most at third base, trailing only Wade Boggs.

Ramírez enjoyed another stellar year in 2025, hitting .283/.360/.503 with 30 homers, 85 RBIs, and 44 stolen bases to record his second straight 30-40 season. He finished third in AL MVP voting - the fourth time he's been an MVP finalist - while also winning a Silver Slugger and being named a Gold Glove finalist.

Despite locking up its star, Cleveland is still projected to sport one of MLB's lowest payrolls in 2026. Its current payroll of around $97 million ranks 29th out of 30 teams, according to Spotrac.

Although they've generally operated as a low-budget team, the Guardians have enjoyed significant on-field success over the last decade, with seven playoff appearances since 2016 and division titles in three of the last four seasons. However, they were eliminated in the wild-card round by the division-rival Detroit Tigers in October despite having home-field advantage, extending the club's championship drought to 78 years.