Minnesota marked the seventh stop in Ramirez’s fourteen-year career. The 34-year-old was called up from Triple-A St. Paul in August after the Twins’ bullpen was gutted at the trade deadline. Ramirez scored a two-out save in his first game with the club. He posted a 2.45 ERA over nine appearances and finished his tenure in Minnesota with five consecutive scoreless outings. Ramirez was appointed for assignment at the end of August. He opted for free agency shortly after the season ended.
Ramirez has a lot of starting experience, with 96 MLB starts under his belt. However, it has been a while since he has worked extensively in that capacity. Ramirez made a career-high 27 starts with Tampa Bay in 2015. After pitching almost exclusively as a reliever in 2016, he made 19 starts in 2017 between the Rays and Mariners. A shoulder injury cost Ramirez most of the first half of 2018, but he returned and made 10 starts with Seattle.
Boston acquired Ramirez on a minor league deal prior to the 2019 season. Since then, he has mainly been a reliever. Ramirez has played 144 games in the big league over the past seven seasons, only four of which were in the starting line-up.
Ramirez has a 4.34 ERA over 860 MLB innings. He came into the league with a fastball in the low 90s, and it’s not surprising that he’s lost a few ticks over the years. Ramirez has primarily become a cutter/sinker this decade, but he hasn’t been afraid to expand his arsenal. In 2023, he threw seven different pitches. He has since ditched the slider and sweeper, relying on his curveball as his only breaking ball the past two seasons.
As an aging soft-tosser who relies on veteran guile, Ramirez is probably best suited for a swingman role, covering multiple innings if necessary. His last two MLB starts came during his second stint with the Rays in 2023. While neither outing reached four innings, they both had a short rest, resulting in wins in Tampa Bay. That kind of flexibility could have value for a team that needs reliable innings.
Photo courtesy of Matt Krohn, Imagn Images
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