Cleveland Indians: 3 players the Tribe must ink to long-term deals this offseason

Cleveland Indians, 3B, Jose Ramirez

Currently in the midst of a down season, this might be the perfect time to re-sign Jose Ramirez to another discounted deal. While he finished second the American League MVP voting a year ago, Ramirez has regressed a bit this season. Since he has two years of club options left on his deal, the organization could look to extend him now when he might be a bit cheaper.

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This strategy that we’re trying to push is what Cleveland used with Ramirez on his first deal. Right before he was going to start arbitration, the point where Bieber and Reyes currently are, Cleveland signed Ramirez to a four-year, $26 million extension with two years of club options added to the end.

Ramirez made more money at the time and now Cleveland has one of the better third baseman in the game for a bargain contract. It wasn’t the first of it’s kind, but it came before these mega-star deals for Acuna, Albies and Tatis.

Now, Cleveland and Ramirez could do something similar. With club options only remaining beyond this season, the two sides could search for some stability. This is when Ramirez’s contact is supposed to increase, so he will want more money this time around, but it would be well worth it to retain the core of the club beyond a year-to-year basis.