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The prior week in MLB was about a pair of teams in the American League signing key players to extensions, a club in the AL Central will be without an important player to begin the season, and a new champion was crowned in the World Baseball Classic.
Indians Ink Ramirez to Four-Year Extension
The Cleveland Indians have locked a key significant player for the future by signing third baseman Jose Ramirez to a four-year contract extension, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.
The deal is worth $26 million, and it includes two options, which can increase the value of the contract up to $50 million over six years says Passan.
Jose Ramirez deal guarantees $26 million. Options are for $11M and $13M. Escalators can take the total deal to $50M over six total years.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 24, 2017
Ramirez had a stellar 2016 campaign for the Indians. The infielder had a .312 batting average and .825 OPS in 152 games with 84 runs scored, 176 hits, 11 home runs, 76 RBI, 22 stolen bases and an 112 OPS+.
He became one of the better hitters on the club and helped soften the blow of not having outfielder Michael Brantley in the lineup, who dealt with an injury last season.
The Indians have high expectations entering the upcoming season as the team has the pieces necessary to make it back to the World Series.
Odor Signs Six-Year Extension with Rangers
The Texas Rangers will have a talented player on their roster for the next several seasons.
The club has signed second baseman Rougned Odor to a six-year contract extension worth $49.5 million, per Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.
Odor was a solid hitter for the Rangers during the 2016 season. He tallied 33 home runs, accumulated 88 RBI, swiped 14 bases, amassed a .271 average, and his OPS was .798.
Odor showed he could hit for power as in the previous season he crushed 16 home runs along with 61 RBI.
The extension was a smart move by the Rangers as Odor will be a major part of their future.
Tigers’ Martinez Out Three to Four Weeks with Foot Injury
The Detroit Tigers will be without a crucial hitter on the team to open the regular season.
Tigers outfielder J.D. Martinez has been diagnosed with a sprained Lisfranc ligament in his foot, and it will sideline him three to four weeks, per Chris McCosky of the Detroit News.
Bad news on JD Martinez. Out 3-4 weeks sprain of Lis Franc ligament. 7-10 days cast. No surgery
— Chris McCosky (@cmccosky) March 24, 2017
The Tigers will miss his presence in the lineup and Martinez was probably looking to start the new season on a good note as he played in just 120 games last year due to a fractured elbow.
He still hit .307 with 22 home runs and 68 RBI, while showing he can be a dangerous hitter when healthy.
The Tigers have the personnel to offset the loss of Martinez with sluggers like Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, Ian Kinsler and Justin Upton.
Team USA Wins First WBC
Team USA won their first World Baseball Classic earlier in the week as they defeated Puerto Rico by a score of 8-0 in the championship game.
A primary reason that Team USA could come out on top was the dominating pitching performance from Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Marcus Stroman.
Stroman tossed six scoreless innings, allowing one hit, one walk, and striking out three batters. The right-hander also carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning.
He continued a trend for the starters on Team USA, per ESPN Stats & Info:
Starting pitchers for Team USA combined for a 1.25 ERA with 0 HR allowed, 29 strikeouts and four walks in 2017 #WBC tournament. pic.twitter.com/MSEYJaq6Pq
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 23, 2017
The tournament had many memorable moments, and it was tremendous to see Team USA win the WBC.
Author Profile
- Chris is a New Jersey native whose favorite sports team is the Arizona Diamondbacks. He previously attended Western New England College to study Sports Management. Chris has been following the Diamondbacks since he was 12. You can find him on Twitter at @aecanada12.
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