Cleveland Guardians’ president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti couldn’t hold back his admiration for Jose Ramirez. He said that he ran out of words to describe how vital the All-Star third baseman has been to the Guardians.

From elite on-field performance to subtle leadership, Ramirez has become the heart and soul of the franchise. He signed a seven-year $141 million contract extension in 2022 despite potentially getting more money elsewhere in free agency.

“It is such an honor and a privilege to be able to watch Jose play every day,” Antonetti said on Monday (31:25), via “The Show.” “Not only is he exceptionally good at every aspect of the game, in the batter’s box, on the bases, defensively, but he leads our team in obvious and maybe less visible ways by the way he goes about things.”

Antonetti also recalled a moment when he challenged reporters to find new words to describe Ramirez’s greatness.

“I think he is starting to get the appropriate recognition that he deserves,” Antonetti said (31:58). “I know there’s some sensitivity around calling him ‘underrated,’ but I can tell you, we, as an organization, and me, as a leader, could not appreciate what he does any more than we do. He is an extraordinary teammate and an extraordinary contributor.”

Ramirez is in his 13th MLB season, all with the Guardians, earning seven All-Star selections. Despite playing in a mid-market city, Ramirez remains one of the most productive players in the league. His loyalty to the franchise also enhanced his reputation.

Guardians president on Shane Bieber trade amid injury concerns

The Guardians traded Shane Bieber, the 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner, to the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday for prospect Khal Stephen. On “The Show,” Chris Antonetti pointed out that they were transparent about Bieber, who is still recovering from injury.

“We really don’t try to convince other teams of anything,” Antonetti said on Monday (26:11). “We’re just transparent. We give them all of the information that we have, and they can make an informed decision. If they’re comfortable with the medicals, great, they can move forward. If they’re not, maybe another team would be.”

He also said they believed Bieber was returning to peak form and the Blue Jays were getting a high-upside starter despite the risks. Antonetti expressed confidence in Stephen, who he thinks would become part of their starting rotation soon.