Count Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker among those sorry to see catcher Wilson Ramos leave.
Ramos agreed Tuesday night to a two-year, $12.5 million deal with the Tampa Bay Rays.
In 2016, Ramos set career-highs with 22 home runs, 25 doubles, 80 RBI, a .307 batting average, .354 on-base percentage and .496 slugging percentage. He made his first All-Star Game appearance and won his first Silver Slugger Award.
But more importantly, Ramos meant a lot to Baker and the Nationals.
“He’s a heck of a guy, he’s buffalo,” Baker said. “I hated to lose him, but business is business. I didn’t know he signed with Tampa, because I haven’t kept up the last couple days but you’re going to love him.”
Ramos’ season ended prematurely when he tore the ACL in his right knee on Sept. 27, just before he was set to become a free agent. The Nationals did not extend a qualifying offer to him. Ramos underwent surgery on Oct. 14 and was expected to be out for six-to-eight months.
“He’s a guy that was turning a corner in his career and one of the saddest days I had in my career and definitely last year is when he — when we had to carry him off the field,” Baker said. “I knew he was hurt and wasn’t going to be able to play in the playoffs and wasn’t going to be able to cash in on the great year that he was having at that time.”
Baker said Ramos learned how to hit with the Nationals. He relied on Ramos for clutch two-out RBI hits to right field, a type of player that is “slowly leaving the game.”
“There are home run hitters, there are guys that do this and that, but that two-out, RBI single that you need, you know, to win the game, he’s learned how to do that,” Baker said. “He’s learned how to get the sacrifice fly. He’s learned how to drive in runs. I’m wishing him nothing but the best.”
Please read our comment policy before commenting.