It looks like Cleveland’s contract negotiations with Jose Ramirez aren’t going very well

Earlier this week, news came out that the Guardians were nearing a contract extension and that the team would do “whatever it takes” to keep the three-time All-Star in Cleveland for the majority of his career.

Well, it seems that the “whatever it takes” sentiment doesn’t include money, as the team offered Ramirez a four-year extension worth $89 million.

For context, that’s an average salary of $22.25 million per year, which is in the ballpark of the deal that kyle Schwarber signed with the Phillies in March. I don’t think the player who ranks third in baseball in wins above replacement since the start of the 2018 season is looking for Kyle Schwarber money.

According to Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com, extension talks between Ramirez and the Guardians “have bogged down, if not ended.” The goal was to get Ramirez signed before Opening Day, which is next Friday, and it seems that isn’t going to happen.

Assuming this wasn’t an April Fools’ Day prank played by Cleveland and the Guardians actually fail to reach a new deal with their best player, the Ramirez-to-Toronto rumours are going to continue throughout the season. If July rolls around and Cleveland isn’t in the mix to contend, you’d think they’d pull the trigger on a trade. The longer Cleveland waits, the less they’re going to be able to command in return.