There is a strong chance that Ramírez will be on the trade block prior to the July 31 deadline if Cleveland isn’t anywhere near a playoff spot.
Throw out a bad first half in 2019 and Ramírez has been one of the most consistently productive hitters in the league since 2016. While they’ve added Eddie Rosario and brought back Cesar Hernandez to set the table for Ramírez and the 6-foot-5, 275-pound Franmil Reyes, it’s very likely that scouting reports of the Lindor-less lineup will begin with something to the effect of “do not let José Ramírez beat you.”Īside from that, and the potential distraction of all the trade rumors that will surely pop up the minute his team falls out of playoff contention, there is no reason to think that the 28-year-old switch-hitter will take a big step backward anytime soon. For the first time in six seasons, José Ramírez won’t have fellow perennial MVP-candidate Francisco Lindor next to him on the infield or at the top of the Cleveland lineup.
