Cleveland Indians fans already dealing with a name change were potentially also panicking about a possible Jose Ramirez trade.
It would appear the latter concern can be forgotten about as the trade deadline approaches.
Ramirez is an obvious trade candidate because this organization loves to trade top talent for big returns.
However, all the rumors surrounding Ramirez start with something, only to fade into nothing.
MLB Network’s Jon Morosi proved that point with two recent tweets.
Update on José Ramírez: At this point, there aren’t active talks between Cleveland and other @MLB clubs on a Ramírez trade. The asking price is extremely high due to the contractual control mentioned here. ⬇️ @MLBNetwork https://t.co/3PAnL7Vr2C
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 25, 2021
Let’s break these tweets down a bit.
Creating Rumors For Conversation
The first tweet from Saturday basically said the team “could” trade him.
Of course, that is true with any player on any team.
There did not appear to be any weight behind the claim, except for the fact a Ramirez deal could bring a nice return given the two remaining years of team control.
Morosi also mentions the team could move him in the offseason.
Once again, yes, that is true with just about anyone.
Yet even doing that would not make much sense if the front office wants to at least open the 2022 season in a competitive manner.
Let’s also remember the team is rebranding to the Guardians and it would be nice to show up strong with the new name.
Changing the name and diving into a rebuild may be the final straw for plenty of fans out there.
Still Something To Watch
It does not look like the Indians would trade Ramirez, barring some insane offer that would be impossible to turn down.
Instead, the hope is that both sides are actually discussing a contract extension.
The team can replace those two option years with a regular deal that pays Ramirez and makes him the face of the Guardians for years to come.
There is already talk of a new individual joining the ownership group and that means more money.
Changing the name and extending Ramirez would truly signal a new era in Cleveland baseball.
However, it is still a situation worth keeping an eye on.
The Indians have shocked up before with big trades and no one truly knows what the front office is thinking or the offers rolling in.
But it would still be wild for the team to feature Ramirez in Guardians materials only to move him a week later.
Trading Jose Ramirez isn't how a team builds a new brand. Sure, let's trade one of the game's best players with 2+ yrs on his team-friendly deal.
Let's be logical…
New name, lease, TV deal, minority owner, merch bump coming too.Trading JRam now only isolates fans more. Smh. https://t.co/6zorSMrgWD
— Willie Hood (@WillHoo99) July 25, 2021
The Indians will enter deadline week with a 49-48 record and only two games between now and Friday afternoon.
What happens in those two games against the St. Louis Cardinals should not change any plans in place, so now it is merely a waiting game for fans and players on the roster who may be expecting to be moved.
Ramirez should not be one of those players, unless the front office truly loses its mind and alienates the entire city.
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