CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Back in June, Guardians manager Terry Francona was faced with a decision.
It wasn’t an easy one, and there was plenty of discussion, evaluation, re-evaluation and reflecting before any conclusion was made.
Jose Ramirez, the Guardians heavy slugging, hard charging third baseman was dealing with a nagging thumb injury: a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his thumb suffered during a June game in Los Angeles.
Ramirez could’ve had surgery that sidelined him for upwards of two months or continue to grind it out with his teammates on the daily. Francona had spoken with world-renowned orthopedic surgeon Thomas Graham and thought they had formulated a game plan.
He prepared some notes on how he’d address the news to his clubhouse when head athletic trainer James Quinlan pumped the brakes and cautioned to the skipper that surgery wasn’t a foregone conclusion.
The reality was someone had already made that decision for him.
“Josey came in and he told me, ‘Not only am I not having surgery, but I'm playing tomorrow,’” Francona said. “And I ripped up my notes that I had for the guys.”
Ramirez is the unquestioned leader of the Guardians clubhouse.
He’s made life simpler for a manager overseeing 17 rookies making their MLB debuts this year by the way he goes about his business.
“As much as we talk about Jose, I don't know if people know how tough he is,” Francona said. “This kid did it with (less than) ten fingers.
Ramirez received treatment daily for his injury to help get him through the season. Looking at his stat line, you’d hardly notice it.
The switch-hitting Ramírez batted .280 with 29 home runs and 126 RBI in 157 games and finished just five RBI behind league leader Aaron Judge. He wrapped up the American League Division series batting .400 (8-for-20) in the five-game series with two doubles and two RBIs.
The injury affected Ramirez from both sides of the plate, but as the weather cooled the Guardians began to heat up. Cleveland ripped off a 24-6 run over the final 30 games to run away with the American League Central Crown.
Ramirez helped lead the charge.
“When it got cold and he got jammed, it didn't feel good,”
When your best player is your hardest worker, it’s easy for the rest to fall in line.
“I've never seen a guy that good approached the game the way he does.” Francona said. “Most times you see a guy on third base on another team. The other team is trying to figure out a way where they don't have to have him slide at the plate for potentially a collision.
“We couldn't keep Jose anchored down at third. The dirtier he is, the happier he is. And fortunately, he's ours,” he continued.
It’s pretty obvious how Francona feels about Ramirez and his club that just won 92-games this season.
“I loved and respected the way these guys played the game,” Francona said.
Their youth was something they leaned into and never shied away from. Seventeen players made their major league debuts for the Guardians in 2022, making Cleveland the first team to win a division while seeing 17 or more rookies make their debut.
“Winning wasn't always very easy for us,” Francona said. “It didn't mean we couldn't. But they never backed down, ever.
Moving forward, the Guardians have a ton of continuity with regards to their roster. There is only one major league free agent in Austin Hedges. They have a young, healthy and deep farm system that is poised to make an impact at the Big-League level or be used as valuable trade assets.
Ramirez is the cornerstone. His decision to sign a seven-year, $141 million contract likely keeps him with the Guardians for the rest of his career. It was a move that reshaped not only Josey’s future, but the franchises.
“In our view, that was not only important moments that set the foundation for this season, but for years to come,” said president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti.
Antonetti said the club was aggressive last season in free agency and trade talks, but much of that never materialized. He alluded to making offers that were either rejected in favor of other deals and trades that were discussed but never consummated.
The result led Cleveland to roll with its youth movement. Steven Kwan, Andres Gimenez and Oscar Gonzalez arrived on the scene this season and proved they can be good everyday players. Throw in the likes of Amed Rosario, Gabriel Arias, Bo Naylor and a cast of young pitchers and it’s easy to feel good about where this team could be headed.
Part of the challenge moving forward involves making teams play at the Guardians pace, but with experience processing the game begins to slow down for guys.
“We didn't hit out of the ball at the ballpark very much. So for us to win, we had to get on base, create some havoc, while also trying to be intelligent, catch the ball defensively and pitch,” Francona said.
As the club breaks for the winter, Ramirez will finally opt for the surgery he chose to skip over the summer. It shouldn’t impact his availability come Spring Training. If anything, the sting of losing to the Yankees will linger far longer than the effects of Ramirez’s surgery.
For both Jose and the ballclub.
“The season never winds down. It just comes to a crashing halt,” Francona said. “It's kind of hard to you know, you're one day you're in New York playing and you’re packed for Houston and then the next night you're home.”