Jose Ramirez Speaks Out On His Difficult Decision

When Jose Ramirez signed his 5-year, $124M contract extension on the eve of Opening Day, many eyebrows were raised, as it seemed to be very much below the superstar's market value. Now Ramirez is shedding some light on the situation, and it appears that his loyalty to Cleveland outweighed everything. 

José Ramirez: "I got to a point where I had to decide between the option of being traded or signing the extension. I finally decided to stay in Cleveland, even though I'm aware that my market value is greater than what they offered me. I want to finish my career in Cleveland."

— Héctor Gómez (@hgomez27) May 2, 2022

It came to light recently that the Guardians were on the verge of trading Ramirez to a National League team or one other team, if he had decided not to accept the extension. "I got to a point where I had to decide between the option of being traded or signing the extension," said Ramirez. "I finally decided to stay in Cleveland, even though I'm aware that my market value is greater than what they offered me. I want to finish my career in Cleveland." 

"For me, $100M is the same as $200M"

Jose Ramirez: "Fidelity is very important to me. In Cleveland I have always received very good treatment. Regarding the extension, for me $100M is the same as $200M. There are things that are worth more than money. I feel very happy in this team, that's why I decided to stay."

— Héctor Gómez (@hgomez27) May 2, 2022

In a statement that's extremely rare to hear from a professional athlete, Ramirez said loyalty means more than money to him. "Fidelity is very important to me. In Cleveland I have always received very good treatment. Regarding the extension, for me $100M is the same as $200M. There are things that are worth more than money. I feel very happy in this team, that's why I decided to stay."

Yeah, what's $100M between friends?

Photo Credit: Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK