José Ramírez Deserves Better: Guardians Slide From ALCS to 10-Game Skid

The Cleveland Guardians were three wins away from the World Series last year.

Less than nine months later, they’ve now dropped 10 straight games and are inching toward a full-blown rebuild.

On Sunday afternoon, they came within one strike of snapping a nine-game losing streak — a stretch in which their offense has ranked dead last in nearly every statistical category. But after a rare mistake by closer Emmanuel Clase, the Detroit Tigers tied the game in the ninth. Cleveland unraveled in extra innings and lost, 7–2.

Losing streaks are rarely pretty. But this one? This has been a death march up a mountain without an oxygen tank.

It started unraveling in late June in a series against the Toronto Blue Jays. That’s when Kevin Gausman beaned Cleveland’s All-Star third baseman José Ramírez.

At the time, the Guardians were floating around .500. Their bats were ice cold, but they were still hanging onto the final AL Wild Card spot. Gausman hitting Ramírez — a player who took one of the biggest hometown discounts in MLB history to stay in Cleveland — should have sparked a fire. It was an emotional moment that called for a response.

But nothing happened.

No dugouts emptied. No words exchanged. Not even an ejection from manager Stephen Vogt. That moment symbolized what has followed since — a team with no fight left.

Cleveland has unraveled.

Veterans like first baseman Carlos Santana and Clase are already rumored to be on the trade block. With one of baseball’s lowest payrolls, Cleveland would prefer to offload salaries and load up on prospects.

That’s not always a popular stance, but it’s the correct one here. Top Triple-A prospects like outfielder Chase DeLauter, first baseman CJ Kayfus, and shortstop Juan Brito need big-league reps as soon as possible.

The writing may also be on the wall with All-Star left fielder Steven Kwan. One of the franchise’s few bright spots alongside Ramírez, Kwan has yet to agree to a long-term extension. If things continue to spiral, Cleveland could be forced to move him this winter rather than risk losing him for nothing.

The Guardians made the ALCS last year, and their ownership rewarded the fanbase and clubhouse by trading All-Star slugger Josh Naylor and platinum glove winner Andres Gimenez. The universe should have known that this season would not have amounted to much at that exact moment.

Ramírez is a generational third baseman. He’s already appeared in one World Series (2016) and turns 33 before this postseason ends. The Guardians haven’t won it all since 1948.

It’s time for the organization to look in the mirror and ask: How do we win him one before it’s too late?