Jose Ramirez breaks silence on signing below market extension from Guardians; (Translation by Master Flip) That was ultimately my decision, to take the extension. We went through a year and a half of negotiations, and when I finally signed, I got a significant salary bump. I knew it wasn’t fully reflective of my market value, and plenty of people made sure to point that out. But I’m a veteran, I understand how the game works. Cleveland is a small market team, and they simply can’t pay me what I could command on the open market. So I told them, Let’s find a fair agreement that works for both sides. I spoke directly with the GM. There were real trade discussions and offers from other teams willing to extend me at my full asking price, but my heart was set on staying in Cleveland. First and foremost, my children were born here. My wife feels comfortable in Cleveland and so do I. I owe this city a lot. Since the day I arrived, I’ve never once been booed by these fans. I’ve seen how crowds in other stadiums treat players when results don’t come quickly, and that’s never happened here. Via @hgomez27
