Jose Ramirez is by far the highest-paid player on the Cleveland Guardians’ roster, and the slugger apparently enjoys reminding his teammates of that.
Ramirez signed a 7-year, $141 million contract extension with Cleveland in 2022. His average annual salary of roughly $20 million is more than double what any of his teammates make, with starting pitcher Tanner Bibee being the next-highest at $9.6 million per year.
In a feature that was published by Zack Meisel of The Athletic on Tuesday, Bibee described how Ramirez has managed to keep things loose in Cleveland with his fun-loving personality. One example that Bibee gave is how Ramirez taunts his teammates with money.
“I think it’s hilarious when he asks (teammates) if they have any change, and then he brings out the fattest stack of money possible and says, ‘Thank you, bro. I don’t need it,'” Bibee told Meisel.
Jose Ramirez apparently enjoys asking his teammates for change just so he can pull out a big wad of cash and say, "Thank you, bro. I don't need it"
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) September 17, 2025
(via @ZackMeisel) pic.twitter.com/6V4ekZlVDe
Ramirez has become known for antics like that, and his teammates credit him with helping to establish a strong culture as they make an unexpected playoff push. The Guardians have won 11 of their last 12 games and entered Thursday just 2.5 games out of a Wild Card spot in the American League.
There have been rumors for years that Ramirez could be traded, but Cleveland has held onto their 33-year-old star. Ramirez is having another excellent season with a .281 average, 28 home runs and 78 RBI. If the Guardians find a way to sneak into the postseason, his leadership both on and off the field will be one of the biggest reasons why.
