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.
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.
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.
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 is coming off an AL Championship Series appearance 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.
