JAN. 29: The Tigers have announced the signing.
JAN. 26: The Tigers have reached an agreement with free agent catcher Wilson Ramos on a one-year, $2MM deal, per José F. Fivera of Wow Deportes (via Twitter). Jon Heyman of MLB Network confirms the deal (via Twitter). The team has not yet announced the deal, as it’s pending a physical, but the deal is done, as posted by his agent, tweets Jason Beck of MLB.com.
Ramos returns to the American League Central for the first time since beginning his career with the Minnesota Twins. Since his debut in 2010, Ramos has accrued 3,623 plate appearances across 946 games for the Twins, Nationals, Rays, Phillies, and Mets. “Buffalo” was a popular player and borderline star in the District, but an injury while in the final stages of arbitration prompted the Nats to let him walk in free agency. The Rays, ever in need of catching help, took a flyer on Ramos, allowing him to rehab and return midway through the 2017 season. He was an All-Star for the Rays in 2018 for the second time of his career.
The 33-year-old backstop spent last season with the Mets, slashing .239/.297/.387 across 155 plate appearances. He boasts a solid 103 wRC+ mark for his career with .160 ISO, 16.6 strikeout rate and 6.5 percent walk rate. He’ll have a chance to compete for “QB1” reps in Detroit. Grayson Greiner, Jake Rogers, Dustin Garneau, and Eric Haase will share the catchers room in the spring. Only Ramos, Greiner, and Rogers are currently on the 40-man roster. Signing Ramos buys some time for Rogers, should they want more time for the 25-year-old to develop. Per Fangraphs, Rogers was the top-ranked catcher in the Tigers system going into 2020.
Game changer in AL Central
This is more like the baseball recession everyone spoke of.
Wow, what a night for MLB signings!
Not a bad deal at all the for the Tigers. Lits of action tonight.
Wow, great deal. A stark contrast to the Jays/Semien accord
Pretty busy night for the free agent market.
Hey mlb1225, the entire day, anytime I would post lolmetsforever would reply with something just plain demeaning. And I know for a fact he’s going to reply to something of mine on this thread… Just watch. He’s lolzmutz… Just saying.
That was quick lmao.
Yea, I just ignore him. It’s not worth getting frustrated or wasting my time with him.
Btw, I have a friend over on the SB Nation blog who posted this earlier today: lonestarball.com/2021/1/26/22249869/the-case-for-o…
It’s about new Texas Ranger, Nate Lowe, and the adjustments he made that made himself worst in 2020. Really good read by an amateur writer.
What is this, grade school? Move on. People are “demeaning” on here all the time. It is a db. Who cares.
This is why we older folk think the younger generation needs to toughen up a little. Mean words on a db lead to calls for help? Jeez.
Us older folk (43) used to moderate this page and had decent decorum where we didnt have to scroll past 100 ridiculous juvenile comments to have decent baseball discussion. Then they reformatted and dropped the standards so people would spend more eyeball time in front of the ads. The comment section 10 years ago was the best part….it’s just sad now.
@Sideline Redwine
Why should people be insulting and “demeaning” just because it’s a “db,” whatever that means. (It’s not a database, if that’s what you mean.) There’s absolutely no reason for people to be rude, offensive, and “demeaning.” No reason for anyone to have to “toughen up.” That’s what childish people who need to offend say. I call b.s. on that.
p.s., if you had seen the relentless attacks of lolzmuts on Rangers29 you might feel differently. I’m glad he’s gone so I don’t have to watch that tedious, lame verbal assault anymore.
Dang, baseball! What is this the 7th signing today! Holy crap! I love this move btw, and Tigers’ fans should rejoice too. He might not be great anymore, but he’s a bounce-back candidate who could help that catching crusade in Detroit. Solid move for 2 mil.
I’m loving all the action!
Love it. Welcome aboard Wilson!
Finally a competent ML catcher.
It’s been real, it’s been bad..it’s been real bad.
A one year deal, if he does well, he’ll probably be gone at the trade deadline. Of course that’s true about Urena and Grossman too.
Very true! It’s just soo refreshing for me to see a move at the catcher position. That was my number 1 concern this off-season. Good deal on both sides IMO.
TBH, I wanted Casali, but I think I like Wilson more
Agreed on Casali. I’d also had my sights on Castro. But when they both signed elsewhere, I was afraid it would be the third go round with Alex.
Grossman is on a 2 year deal.
That doesn’t exclude Grossman from being traded at the deadline if he’s doing well.
@tigerfan – I thought Grossman signed a two year deal?
Don’t know what he has left, but there was not much left to choose from. This is a signing the Tigers had to make!
shocked the nats didnt bring him back for 2mil. Would not be my first choice, but seems like a bargain for a catcher with offensive upside
Horse Hockey league champions!
He’s A Good Man & This Works for Him Catching 3-4 Times a Week Then also DH
Tigers could have done a.lot worse. But he better hit. He is mediocre at best defensively so without some offense he isn’t worth even league minimum much less $2M. But if he does hit Tiger fans will love him even if his defense is league worst.
He did have a decent offensive year in 2019. I pay no attention to any 2020 stats, too small of a sample size.
Ramos is pretty much a contact, singles hitting machine to right center. He doesn’t run well enough to warrant top of the order, but is still quite good in the clutch when you need him. Good 2 strike hitter and hits good pitches hard, but very little gets hit in the air.
His 15-20 hr seasons say otherwise. That’s solid from a catcher.
Ramos was pretty brutal last season, but you could do worse for $2MM. He definitely wouldn’t have to do a lot offensively to surpass the group of catchers they ran out there last season.
I’d be concerned about his defense though. The Mets didn’t exactly sign him for his glove, but he was even worse than I expected.
Not exactly the guy I’d tap to catch a young pitching staff.
Perhaps he won’t be the primary catcher, but someone who shifts about to DH, 1B and catcher? They definitely need to pair him with a strong defender.
I’m wanting a deal with Pittsburgh for Jacob Stallings.
Why would the Bucs do that?
Discount. He’s not great but he will certainly be better in 2021
nice get at that price
Another terrible Brodie acquisition bids farewell.
For 2 million, Mets should have brought him back.
Seriously, make him a 3rd string catcher/DH/pinch hitter and he’s maybe worth 2 million. Plus, id he can become adequate defensively at another poaition…
Curious. Have the Mets picked up a second catcher yet?
As far as I know, Nido is still the backup… I definitely would’ve brought the Buffalo back for $2M.
Good choice over Avila. Now go sign a 1b and 2b and we might be good for 3rd in the central
You’re shooting too high with 3rd place, even with those signings.
4th place finish with less than 100 losses. Kansas City hasn’t done anything much worth noting this offseason. It’s progress though for the Tigers.
Seems like a really solid signing for the Tigers. He had a down year in 2020 but it was just the season before that he was putting up really quite impressive offensive numbers. He may have lost a little bit with age but I still think he could be a really solid bounce back candidate and produce the Tigers with some solid veteran leadership and ability to mentor their young promising pitchers. Or if he hits the way he did in 2019 (and before) he could wind up being a really valuable trade chip at the deadline. Especially given how cheap his contract is… if he’s performing at his prior levels there really wouldn’t be a contender out there who couldn’t find a way to fit his $2M salary into their budget.
From one last place team to another. Poor guy.
Still not as bad as Starlin Castro… He wasn’t even able to help the Marlins to their playoff birth.
‘Big Al’s” best signing of the year…legit MLB catcher….I am still hoping for one Top Free Agent signing…But at least this fills a hole and not just another depth move….
I like it, way better than anyone else we got.
Who do we sign next? Go Tigers
Anyone else notice that the Mets signed James McCann, who came up with the Tigers. And then the Tigers signed Wilson Ramos, who most recently played for the Mets?
Invaluable analysis.
I truly hope you find your happiness lolmets. You seemed lost. Dragging people in your dark hole isn’t going to help you out. Reach out and grab a hand, people are willing to pull you out. There is so much good in this world. If you ever need someone to reach out to -bob_sacamano8@yahoo.com
Peace
Wish the white sox would of picked him up!
He’d have been a solid backup. However, they already have Collins, Mercedes, and Zavala on the 40-man. I think Collins is going to get a long look at C this year, with plenty of reps at DH when he’s’ not catching, at least until Vaughn arrives. There’s a chance none of these guys sticks at C, but I doubt the Sox get another C with all of them waiting for a shot.
Nice signing. I bet the Tigers end up wishing they signed him on longer. He’s got a mindful of strategies from catching those Nats and Mets rotations I’m sure.
Good signing because they have no catchers…also expect Moreland for 1st and maybe Schoop back at second…
Dingler baby
Hats off to the MLBTR Twitter team. That was a good one lmao.
I wonder who they will cut from the 40 player list, Stewart or Greiner?
Coin flip.
Not what they really need. Was hoping for a Pudge-like signing in ’04, but don’t think there was any FA out there with that kind of D and pitching handling. It’s just a year, so maybe in ’21 or ’22 they’ll sign one if Rogers doesn’t progress.
Um, Molina?
Probably not realistic that Molina would leave St. Louis, or want to play in Detroit. He has asked for money that only makes sense to the Cardinals.
I’m not sure the bat is out there…but Jacob Stallings from Pittsburgh is who I’d try to nab. Gold glove caliber defense and some sneaky power there.
Does everyone forget about Dingler? And get out of here with “pudge-like” signing. You’re about 3 years too early in the rebuild, and that’s best-case.
So, you want a 22 yr old who played more OF than C at OSU to handle a young staff that’s going top get a lot of IP starting this year. I suspect you also thought Rogers was the guy, and you’ll probably dump the Dingler idea in a couple of years after he washes out. When he’s finally ready, (if he ever is) the staff will be in their 30’s.
Tigers signed Pudge immediately after losing 119 games in 2013.
2003. And signed Jose Guillen.
This guy sucks
Defensively, yes. I’ll take a .190 BA with great D and handling a young staff over 15-20 Hr.
Have you seen the rest of our team? Get real bud!
What a disappointing off-season. Opportunity everywhere, but……
So are there any teams left to compete with the Cardinals for Molina as a starting catcher?
The Nats might be willing to offer Molina 2 years. Gomes is only under contract through this year.
He had a nice season with the Rays a couple years ago. Hard to really get too excited about this. Catchers are prone to dropping off very quickly when they decline. He’s at that age
I’m probably the only Tiger fan who doesn’t like this acquisition. Wilson Ramos has a reputation of poor rapport with pitchers. For an organization that is remaking themselves as a “Pitching First” organization, Ramos is not good for DET. I hope I’m wrong.
I did not know that. If so, I absolutely understand where you’re coming from. TBH, I always thought he was underrated.
Well, on a one year deal we don’t know who he’s catching for sure on what days. Tigers were probably trying to add offense as they could…for 2M it’s a good investment. They have an amazing defensive catcher in house IF he can learn to hit with his power…maybe Ramos was brought in to nudge him.
I Liked last years catcher but Ramos should be an upgrade
Hope he hits then flip him. Seems good all around.
This article says they are waiting for a guy to develop .hes 25 what development, if hes any good hes up in the majors…
That’s the norm, but sometimes there’s the diamonds in the rough. JD Martinez, Jorge Posada, Jeff Kent, Ben Zobrist, and Big Papi are some sleepers that come to mind. Unfortunately, most of the time we’re/they’re searching for fools gold.
I guess the White Sox are really going to try and enter the seasons with Grandal and two backup catchers who can’t actually catch.
Was hoping we would pick up a veteran catcher
Someone like Tyler Flowers is still out there. But at this price point, this would have been an excellent signing.
IMO, Avila would be a great BUC. I’ve always thought of him having a good clubhouse and leadership presence.
Chirinos is another one I’d keep an eye on
With that being said, I think someone like Collins be a good buc; Grabdal can mentor and the dividends may payoff for the future of the organization in the long run.
Jeez, sorry for all the typos^
I think Collins is fine for a couple years. Long-term, I don’t really see his future with the Sox, unless it’s as a possible 1B/DH, but they already have a lot of guys who could fill that role. Excellent catching prospects are pretty rare, unfortunately.
Apparently Al Avila has a head full of rocks along with some stupid plan that he refused to deviate from.
Unusual opportunities this year.
He totally missed out.
Poor leadership from the GM and the owner.
Never thought would say it. But I agree, The Illiches should sell the team.
I’m curious, what unusual opportunity?
I’m right there with you on some of Al Avila’s previous moves.. but out of all of them, I think this one made the most sense for me. Urena, Moore, and Ross we’re all head scratchers for me. Cron, Schoop, Ramos made sense IMO
An entire AllStar infield available for ~$60M. Also trades,teams cut salary ect.
You gonna be a Rhett Butler or go hide your head in the sand?
Rhett Butler is a character from Gone with the Wind.
He didn’t follow the pack and go get killed in the war like an idiot.
He didn’t wait for the Yanks to burn him out.
He was proactive.
Players have to want to play for the team too though. IMO, DET probably would’ve had to over pay on most of the guys you’re suggesting. I doubt someone like JTR, DJ signs with a rebuilding Tigers on identical contracts.
If it was that easy wouldn’t other teams be doing it? Especially when choosing the city of Detroit over other safer a nicer places to live and raise a family, and play baseball, and contend. What makes anyone outside Michigan want to come to Detroit, Michigan? It stinks, but it’ll always be that way for us Tiger fans.
I honestly think that money would have been wasted, especially if on one- or two-year deals. The Tigers have the prospect talent to soon have a rotation that could rival that of the Indians. That, however, is unlikely to happen next year and may not happen next year. Now, they could have signed some of those guys to longer contracts, but there’s no guarantee their prospects will work out, which could hamper future efforts. Their time to spend (and contend) is coming, but it’s not here yet.
You what really STINKS?
NOW IS THE TIME for leaders to come through for America. Now is the time to come through for Detroit.
Instead a BUNCH OF BILLIONAIRES demonstrate how greedy and selfish they are.
DESPICABLE!
Cheap veteran depth at a position where it was needed. Well done AA!
For two million you can pay 40 police and fire fighters. Next time you are getting assaulted hope a catcher is around.
We get your point. It just doesn’t belong on a baseball fan site. You are not winning anyone over here.
$2 million like Bregman raised to feed families with his #FEEDHOU campaign last year?
Wainwright with similar efforts at a global level?
Or are you stuck on helping police and fire fighters?
How about Steven Matz ‘TRU32’ program where he contributed to NYPD, FDNY and other civil service groups since 2016?
Maybe donating around 900 000 meals and frequent visits to children’s hospitals like Justin Turner would float your boat?
Scholarships like Shin-Soo Choo?
Championing veterans, LGBTQ, refugees and other marginalized groups like Sean Doolittle?
How about being a leader among green initiatives in sports like Brent Suter?
Work with development in third world countries like Nelson Cruz?
Mental health initiatives like Mike Trout?
Health care workers and masks- Giancarlo Stanton?
Not enough, some more from 2020 Clemente nominees linked below.
Archived years can be found if you want some added good feels to take the notion of selfishness surrounding MLB out of your head.
Some players, sure, overall you sound very uninformed.
mlb.com/news/roberto-clemente-award-2020-nominees
Do Ramos and Grossman replace Schoop and CJ Cron (even for the little he played) in the Tiger lineup? Methinks not.
Tigers will….again….struggle to score runs. Some guys really have to step up. Goodrum, Reyes and Parades really need to start hitting with some authority and consistency.
Schoop and Cron are still out there on the market. I have a feeling either or both are coming back to Detroit.
Maybe Schoop. I doubt Cron.
2 million. This is a recession contract. Surprised a good team (Brewers, Rays etc) didn’t pull him in for 2.25.
“Tortuga” stinks. Horrendous defensive catcher, and the last time he ran hard to 1B was when he grounded out and had to go to the bathroom after.
Now, that said, 2M’s not a bad price. There’s more in his bat than in most backup catchers’.
A better signing than his son Alex
Detroit is making solid moves and most importantly remaining true to their rebuild. The A.L. Central is going to be a monster division in a couple of years. White Sox successfully have transitioned out of rebuild with Kansas City in the midst of a rebuild that is also going well. Laying a foundation for sustained success is the key to winning baseball. It will likely require a few years of rebuilding and stacking up a high volume of quality young talent.
$2MM!?!? Quite the deal for a veteran catcher.
After watching him the last two seasons, it’s clear that Ramos is washed up. The Tigers might get some value from their modest $2mm investment if they project him as their primary DH.