Latest José Ramírez contract update is a huge step forward for Guardians ownership

Even though José Ramírez’s latest extension was a bit of a discount when compared to some other extensions throughout MLB, the Guardians adding $107 million to their long-term payroll is still a pretty massive undertaking considering the Guardians are one of the most frugal franchises in the sport. 

But it seems like one of the biggest reasons the Guardians were able to make such a big financial commitment was  due to the presence of minority owner David Blitzer, who purchased a 25% stake in the Guardians in June 2022.

While Blitzer has reportedly been involved in other contract negotiations in the past, he was a mainstay in Ramírez’s extension talks and was mentioned multiple times during the team’s press conference on Thursday announcing the deal. 

Perhaps the biggest reason for that is because he could be the one calling the shots soon, as The Athletic’s Zack Mesiel reported Friday that Blitzer can “assume majority ownership as early as after the 2027 season.” 

While that by no means guarantees that will happen at that time, the fact that Blitzer was so deeply involved in Ramírez’s contract negotiations that he could potentially inherit is a great sign when it comes to the Guardians’ long-term financial future. 

David Blitzer playing a huge part in José Ramírez’s contract extension is a great sign for the Guardians' future

It’s hard to overstate how important Ramírez is to Cleveland Guardians baseball. He’s gone from undersized prospect to bonafide superstar, and will now be in Cleveland until he turns 40. 

He’s also now signed three below-market extensions with the Guardians, and his latest one was done with the understanding that the Guardians will repurposethose savings to help build a solid lineup around him. 

It remains to be seen how that will happen, however. The Guardians haven’t signed a free agent to a three-year contract since Edwin Encarnación $60 million deal ahead of the 2017 season, and they haven’t inked a free agent to a multi-year deal since they inked Josh Bell to a two-year, $33 million contract before the 2023 season. 

And while that may change at some point when Blitzer takes over majority ownership, one of the best ways the Guardians front office can build up that trust now is by using those funds to sign a current Guardian to an extension. 

Steven Kwan stands out as the top option considering his talent and looming free agency, but they also have a variety of younger players on the roster who could be signed to early extensions that would be a bit cheaper than if they waited like they did with Kwan. 

Although the Guardians struck out on most of the moves they made after they signed Ramírez to his extension in 2022, that shouldn’t stop them from making the financial moves needed to build a winner around the future Hall of Famer. 

Having Blitzer and his deep pockets in the fold should help with that.