Former Mets player signs a new deal that should end his wanderlust for now

Players don’t often set out to become an answer in Immaculate Grid. However, if you play the game with members of the New York Mets in mind, you may have found yourself using Yohan Ramirez more often than you thought.

In an attempt to steal headlines from the World Series, the Pittsburgh Pirates decided they would reunite with Ramirez. He was a member of them for 27 innings in 2022 and another 34.1 in 2023. Both times he posted an identical 3.67 ERA.

His new deal is a minor league contract which can save him the hassle of moving all over the place. Four teams in one season, with two stints with the Mets, he didn’t pitch in a major league game in August or September. Ramirez was the ultimate rover, wanderer, nomad, vagabond; call him what you will.

Yohan Ramirez had to join one more team before the year was over

Ramirez had a whirlwind year in 2024. Acquired by the Mets from the Chicago White Sox in December 2023, he managed to make the Opening Day roster but didn’t last long. A failed attempt to bean Rhys Hoskins with a pitch was his most memorable moment. Then he went on a little adventure across the league.

Ramirez was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for cash on April 11 then returned to the Mets on May 6 through waivers. On May 20, the Mets sent him to the Los Angeles Dodgers for cash. He spent a good chunk of time there before a July 28 waiver claim by the Boston Red Sox had him traveling back across the country.

None of the ripcords pulled on him were unjust. His best ERA with any team was the 5.52 posted in 29.1 innings for the Dodgers. A 4.26 FIP on the year suggests bad luck might have been at play. However, a combined 6.20 ERA with all four teams he suited up for and a 1.46 WHIP tells us otherwise. Not even able to accidentally win a game for anyone, he finished the year with a mostly irrelevant 0-5 record.

David Stearns saw enough in Ramirez to acquire him relatively early in the offseason. Out of minor league options, he bet on Ramirez to pitch well enough out of spring. In retrospect, it remains unbelievable that he made the Mets Opening Day roster over Reed Garrett, Dedniel Nunez, and, to a lesser extent because he was a starter, Jose Butto.

A minor league deal for Ramirez is much more fitting. It’ll at least let him get settled into some sort of an environment. Will we ever see him in the major leagues again? The inability for teams to give up on him in 2024 suggests he very well should get another opportunity.