Cleveland Indians: Three trade possibilities for Jose Ramirez

The Cleveland Indians could enter a full rebuild this offseason, which might result in multiple trades like possibly moving Jose Ramirez.

Heading into the upcoming offseason, it’s well known that the Cleveland Indians will be looking to cut payroll. While Jose Ramirez is one of the better value contracts not just in Cleveland, but all of baseball, he could still potentially be on the chopping block for the right price.

Ramirez closed out the 2020 season with an MVP-like performance. After a slow start, he exploded during the backend of the season, leading the American League in runs with 45. Thanks to the late surge, Ramirez was able to raise his slash line to .292/.386/.607 before the season ended, including slugging 17 home runs.

At 28-years old, Ramirez could still very well be a building block for the Cleveland Indians moving forward, but he is also expendable at the same time. With Nolan Jones biting at the bit to debut in the major leagues, the Tribe could easily move Ramirez and have Jones slot in if the right trade comes in over the phones for Ramirez.

Another factor is that this could be the sweet spot to trade Ramirez from the Indians’ perspective. Coming off such a hot few weeks to end the season, Ramirez’s value might be at its peak. His contract is cheap for now, but it will go up shortly. In 2021, Ramirez is set to make $9.4 million before he has club options in both 2022 and 2023. The option in 2022 is set for $12 million and then $14 million in 2023.

With three years of team control left on his deal at an affordable price and him being in his prime, Ramirez could draw a lot of interest from around the league. If anything, the Indians should at least listen to offers this offseason, just in case. While Ramirez would be great to keep around, you can’t turn down an incredible offer if it gets called in.