Cleveland Guardians superstar Jose Ramirez is widely viewed as untouchable before the MLB trade deadline, but does a world exist in which the Guardians could actually move him? And could the New York Yankees be the team that potentially acquires him?
John Harper of SNY ran through a list of 10 bold predictions for the rest of the 2025 MLB campaign, and one of his most stunning projections was Cleveland trading Ramirez to New York for a package that includes top Yankees prospect Spencer Jones.
"Outbid by the Mets for [Eugenio] Suarez, a desperate [Brian] Cashman swallows hard and sends a big package, including Spencer Jones, to get a difference-maker at third base in Ramirez, the Guardians’ perennial All-Star," Harper wrote. "As beloved as Ramirez is in Cleveland, he turns 33 in September, with three more years on his contract. And with the Guardians going nowhere this season they may see this as a chance to reload, depending on how highly they regard Jones, the Yankees’ power-hitting outfield prospect."
The Guardians have been on a bit of a roll since their 10-game losing streak, having won eight of their last 10 contests. Nevertheless, they are still under .500, even if they are just four-and-a-half games out of the final Wild Card spot in the American League (three in the loss column).
Much of what Cleveland decides to do before the deadline may depend on how the next week goes, but if the Guardians do choose to sell, is Ramirez really 100 percent safe?
As Harper noted, the seven-time All-Star is getting older, and if Cleveland opts to move some significant pieces around him, would that signal that Ramirez should go, too? Starting a rebuild with a soon-to-be-33-year-old Ramirez still on the roster may not be the wisest route for the Guardians, so if players like Emmanuel Clase and Steven Kwan get dealt (unlikely), the logical avenue would be for Cleveland to at least explore the idea of trading Ramirez, as well.
It should be noted, however, that Ramirez has a no-trade clause, further complicating a potential deal.
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