Cleveland Indians: Five trade destinations for Jose Ramirez

Five teams that could call the Cleveland Indians for Jose Ramirez

The Cleveland Indians were expected to trade Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco was a possibility as well, but moving them both in one deal raised eyebrows across the league. Not only did the Indians shed their two biggest contracts, but they did so in the same deal and for a return that seemed below market value. Now, Jose Ramirez seems to be the next name potentially on the chopping block.

Ramirez has a rather team friendly deal that has up to three years remaining, including two years of club options. He’s set to make $9.4 million during the 2021 season before an option for $12 million in 2022 and another option in 2023, this time at $14 million.

Given his high level of play that has put him in the top three of MVP voting in three of the last four seasons and a cheap contract with multiple years left, Ramirez might be able to net a bigger return than Lindor and Carrasco did for the Cleveland Indians.

Another added plus for Ramirez is that he’s still just 28-years old, meaning he is most likely in the heart of his prime. Any team that could be interesting in adding him would be adding an annual MVP candidate with three years left on his deal and playing at his peak. It’s hard to imagine that any team wouldn’t at least be interested, especially given Ramirez’s versatility in the field.

You might be asking why would the Indians trade him then? Well, it seems like the Indians are aiming towards a complete restructure of the team. They want to save money in the immediate future while building up assets for the more down-the-road future. Trading away Jose Ramirez would put two huge check marks in both of those boxes. It’s not necessarily the reality that we want for the Tribe, but it’s the one we’re dealing with.