Washington Nationals, Wilson Ramos Far Apart in Initial Contract Talks
By Matt Weyrich
The Washington Nationals have extended a contract offer to soon-to-be free agent catcher Wilson Ramos, according to reports.
With a little over a month until free agency opens, the Washington Nationals have offered All-Star catcher Wilson Ramos a contract “somewhere in the range of $30 million over three years” according to Fanrag Sports’ Jon Heyman. Ramos reportedly denied the offer, as the 29-year old backstop is apparently seeking a much larger deal.
In a thin free agent market where Ramos’s biggest adversaries will be Matt Wieters and Jarrod Saltalamacchia, it is no surprise that the Venezuelan native would turn down the offer. Ramos struggled to find consistency through the first five seasons of his career. After an offseason in which he received Lasik eye surgery, however, Ramos has enjoyed a breakout season.
The Nats’ catcher is hitting .303/.352/.491 on the season with career highs in home runs (21), doubles (25), RBIs (79), hits (142) and runs scored (56). His strikeout percentage of 14.5 percent is his lowest since 2013.
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Heyman does not believe it is likely that the two sides will reach an agreement before Ramos hits free agency. He claims that Ramos is looking for a deal comparable to Russell Martin’s five-year, $82 million deal and Brian McCann’s five-year, $85 million contract.
While his performance this season would certainly warrant a deal of that caliber, Ramos’s inability to stay healthy throughout his career will undoubtedly take a hit on his value. He has only played over 100 games three times. While he is on pace to exceed 130 games this year, a very common goal for catchers, this will be the first time that he has eclipsed that mark.
Ramos is entering his prime, however, and no one could blame an interested team for believing that his best years are ahead of him. A four-year, $60 million contract would be very reasonable for a club betting on his potential. He has displayed a level of power and approach at the plate that is tough to find among catchers. His defense is also well-above average, while his ability to keep baserunners honest is one of his best abilities. Not to be forgotten is the fact that Ramos has also caught three no-hitters and three games where his starter struck out at least 15 hitters.
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Will the Nationals meet Ramos somewhere in the middle and extend their All-Star catcher? That fact remains to be seen, but the two sides have a long ways to go if they’re going to make it happen.