Guardians Have One Contract They Can’t Escape Until 2051

The Cleveland Guardians were able to pull out a win in Game 5 of the American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night. They also carry a long-term payroll obligation to José Ramírez that stretches well beyond this postseason.

Now, the Guardians will prepare to face off against the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALCS.

Ramírez will reach free agency after the 2032 season under the terms of his current deal.

Deferred payments pause completely in 2034 and 2035. They then resume and continue through the end of the 2051 season, when Ramírez will be 58, according to Spotrac figures.

The extension was completed during the offseason and reworked the remaining years of his previous contract.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote on January 24: “Cleveland Guardians star José Ramírez’s extension is now signed and done, pending physical, sources tell ESPN. Includes $106M in new money — $70M of which is deferred for 10 years — and turns the three years and $69M he had into seven years and $175M. @hgomez27 was on the news.”

The structure added $106 million in new guaranteed money and produced a seven-year, $175 million agreement.

Each of the seven seasons carries a $25 million salary, with $10 million deferred annually, according to the Associated Press. Deferred sums are paid in 10 equal installments every Dec. 15, beginning 10 years after the season in which the money was earned.

Money deferred from 2026 is paid from 2036 through 2045. Money deferred from 2032 is paid from 2042 through 2051.

The schedule produces an ascending then descending pattern of annual checks that totals $70 million and ends with a final $1 million payment in 2051.

Ramírez is in his 14th major league season and has played his entire career with the Guardians organization. He closed the regular season with a .235 batting average, 111 hits, 12 home runs, 53 RBIs, 71 runs and 37 stolen bases in 125 games.

A seven-time All-Star, he has appeared in 49 postseason games and helped Cleveland reach the 2016 World Series, which the club lost to the Chicago Cubs.

The Guardians finished 85-77 and won the American League Central. Cleveland’s last World Series title came in 1948.

The deferred structure gives the club near-term payroll room while locking in its longtime third baseman through age 39. The deal also includes a full no-trade clause and a hotel suite on road trips.