The Washington Nationals continued what has been, thus far, a decently productive offseason as they have re-signed RHP Erasmo Ramirez to a one year deal that could reach up to $2M, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
Ramirez was a bit of a revelation for the Nationals last season. A Minor League signee with an invite to Spring Training, Ramirez ended up pitching 86.1 Innings for the club with a career low 2.92 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. Ramirez was frequently gifted the “Fireman” role out of the bullpen, as he would have to enter the game in a mop-up, bridge type role if the game got out go hand early. The performance earned him team honors as the Nationals’ Pitcher of the Year as voted on by the local media.
A bit of a journeyman in his career, Erasmo Ramirez certainly had a career year in DC last season and it was a smart move by the Nationals to not only retain him, but to do so at more than a reasonable price. If Ramirez had put up those numbers in consecutive seasons, you’d be looking at at least an AAV triple of what he’s getting, if not a multi-year contract. Instead, the Nats double down on a pitcher that provided plenty of stability in an otherwise unstable season. This is the epitome of a true low-risk, high reward type move.