Position: RHP
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 212 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
Born: 05/06/1995
Country: Dominican Republic
Signed: International Free Agent, 2016 (Astros)
How Acquired: Minor League Free Agent
Bonus: $15,000
40-Man Roster: No
Rule 5 Eligible: Eligible
Minor League Free Agency: 2025
Options Left: 0
Overview
At 21, Ramirez was older than the typical Latin American prospect when the Astros signed him. He features a mid-90s fastball with good movement that’s a plus pitch when he can command it, but his control has always been well below average. The velocity has been variable during his career, averaging as high as a little under 97 mph and as low as a little under 94. Ramirez also throws a slider that gets a lot of swings and misses. He’s thrown a curve and change in the past, but more recently he’s stuck just with the first two pitches. The end result has been some very high K rates and low opponents’ averages, combined with lots of walks. In the minors, Ramirez generally had moderate platoon splits, likely due to his reliance on the slider. In the majors he’s had extreme problems with left-handed hitters. Ramirez was dfa’d twice in 2022, with the Pirates picking him up the second time for cash. They lost him off waivers late in the 2023 season, then a little over a year later signed him to a minor league deal for 2024.
2016-19
Ramirez made steady progress in the low minors. He had a good DSL debut in 2016 despite weak walk and K rates. In 2017, apart from cameos at two higher levels, Ramirez spent the season in low A, splitting his time between starting and relieving. He wasn’t easy to hit, with opponents batting .245 against him, but he struggled to throw strikes.
In 2018, Ramirez went back to low A and, pitching mainly as a starter, had a much better season, with a higher K rate. He spent the last two months of the season pitching in relief in high A and the control problems hampered him again. In 2019, he split his time between high A and AA, again starting and relieving. He was hard to hit; opponents batted just .172 and slugged just .247 against him. He also had very high K rates. His control, though, was weak at the lower level and very bad in AA. After the season, Seattle selected him from the Astros in the Rule 5 draft.
2020-21
Seattle kept Ramirez in the majors during the pandemic season, satisfying the Rule 5 requirements. He was fairly successful pitching solely in relief, remaining very hard to hit. Opponents batted just .130 against him, but he walked a batter an inning.
The Mariners sent Ramirez to AAA to start the 2021 season, but he was up and down several times, pitching a little more in the majors. He wasn’t very effective in AAA, due to walks, but for some reason he walked fewer in the majors. Opponents in the majors batted .188 against him, but he had trouble with gopher balls, allowing one every four and a half innings.
2022-23
Ramirez opened the 2022 season in the majors, but he wasn’t effective and Seattle sent him to AAA at the beginning of May. A couple weeks later they designated him for assignment and then sent him to Cleveland for cash. He pitched only once in the majors for Cleveland. In AAA with them, he allowed just three hits in 10.1 IP, but he walked ten. The Guardians designated him for assignment on July 4 and the Pirates acquired him for cash. After the deal, Ramirez spent a couple of brief stretches with Indianapolis, but otherwise was one of the Pirates’ most-used relievers in August and September. He got fairly good results, with poor walk and K rates. That’s likely why his xFIP of 4.16 was weaker than his ERA of 3.67. On the year in the majors, Ramirez had significant trouble with left-handed hitters, who put up an .883 OPS against him. Right-handed hitters managed only .617.
In 2023, Ramirez went into spring training as part of the competition for bullpen spots, but didn’t pitch well and was a relatively early cut. Nevertheless, the Pirates recalled him three times before September 1. He ultimately appeared in 18 games for Indianapolis and 26 for the Pirates. He had a better ERA in the majors, 3.67 to 4.43, but most of his other numbers were much better in AAA, resulting in a higher xFIP in the majors, 4.56 to 3.85. The Pirates lost Ramirez off waivers to the White Sox in early September and he divided the remaining month between the majors and minors, struggling at both levels. After the season, Chicago sent Ramirez to the Mets for cash.
2024
In 2024, Ramirez bounced around a great deal, all on waiver claims and cash transactions. Being out of options, he spent most of the season in the majors, with the Mets twice, Orioles, Dodgers and Red Sox. Most of his time in the majors, 27 of 38 games, came with the Dodgers. His ERAs were bad, 6.20 in all, but he was hurt by a high .346 BABIP and a low 59.4% strand rate. His xFIP was 4.58. His control was good at 3.4 BB/9 and he had a 9.0 K/9. Boston outrighted Ramirez to AAA at the beginning of August and he had a 2.18 ERA in 15 games there. Ramirez elected free agency after the season and signed a minor league deal with the Pirates.
Stats
Transactions
July 11, 2016: Signed by the Houston Astros as an international free agent.
December 12, 2019: Selected from the Houston Astros by the Seattle Mariners in the Rule 5 draft.
May 13, 2022: Designated for assignment by the Seattle Mariners.
May 16, 2022: Traded by the Seattle Mariners to the Cleveland Guardians for cash considerations.
July 4, 2022: Designated for assignment by the Cleveland Guardians.
July 8, 2022: Traded by the Cleveland Guardians to the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash considerations.
September 5, 2023: Claimed off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates by a Chicago White Sox.
December 23, 2023: Traded by the Chicago White Sox to the New York Mets for cash.
April 11, 2024: Traded by the New York Mets to the Baltimore Orioles for cash.
May 6, 2024: Claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles by the New York Mets.
May 20, 2024: Traded by the New York Mets to the Los Angeles Dodgers for cash.
July 28, 2024: Claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers by the Boston Red Sox.
August 2, 2024: Outrighted to AAA by the Boston Red Sox.
October 1, 2024: Elected free agency.
October 13, 2024: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates.