Ramirez And Lindor Wonder What Could Have Been

Lindor (L) and Ramírez (R) Played Together Cleveland 

Photo Credit: Bill Menzel and Latino Sports Archives

By Robert Rizzo

From developing as teammates together in Cleveland to both becoming the most dominant players in the game on the left side of the infield, the respect between José Ramírez and Francisco Lindor has never wavered. 

The seven-time All-Star third baseman Ramírez and five-time All-Star shortstop Lindor, who were teammates on the Indians/Guardians from 2015-2020, and before then, paired up in Cleveland’s farm system, had the chance to catch up prior to Monday’s Guardians-Mets series opener at Citi Field. 

The switch-hitting duo, helping Cleveland win the 2016 American League pennant and appear in the Fall Classic for the sixth time in franchise history, conversed for a good 10-minutes before going their separate ways.

“It was a good partnership in the infield,” Ramírez previously said in a MLB interview from 2024 through interpreter Agustin Rivero of his time spent with Lindor in Cleveland. “We understood that we wanted the same thing. We wanted to win.”

Lindor, who was dealt to the Mets from the Guardians in the 2020-2021 offseason, stated, “We competed against each other in a good way. It was, ‘Let’s go get this done.’”

In another world, who knows what Ramírez and Lindor could have achieved together if the blockbuster trade between the Mets and Guardians never went down.

Editor’s Note: New York Beacon guest contributor Robert Rizzo is a Journalist and Editor for Latino Sports. Mr. Rizzo’s articles can be found on: www.latinosports.com.