Erasmo José Ramírez Olivera (born May 2, 1990) is a Nicaraguan

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

for the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2012 with the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...

, and has also played for the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

, and

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

. Listed at and , he both throws and bats right-handed.

Early years

At the age of 12, Ramírez left his home in

Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...

to attend school in

San Salvador San Salvador (; ) is the capital and the largest city of El Salvador and its eponymous department. It is the country's political, cultural, educational and financial center. The Metropolitan Area of San Salvador, which comprises the capital i ...

El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...

. The school which he attended, Fundación Educando a un Salvadoreño, was aimed at helping

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

and soccer athletes training in their respective sports, while also offering academic support. From there, Ramírez was discovered by Jorge Bahaia, who introduced him to

scouts Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...

Ubaldo Heredia Ubaldo José Heredia Martínez (born May 4, 1956 in Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela) is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who played for the Montreal Expos in 1987. Heredia compiled a 0–1 record with six strikeouts and a ...

and Bob Engle. Engle also signed players José López,

Ryan Rowland-Smith Ryan Benjamin Rowland-Smith (born 26 January 1983) is an Australian former professional baseball pitcher. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks. Rowland-Smith also represented Aust ...

, and

Carlos Triunfel Carlos Manuel Triunfel Marquez (born February 27, 1990) is a Dominican former professional baseball shortstop. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers. Professional career Seattle Mariners ...

Professional career

Seattle Mariners

On September 1, 2007, Ramírez officially signed with Seattle Mariners. Ramírez began his

career in 2008 with the rookie-level VSL Mariners of the

Venezuelan Summer League The Venezuelan Summer League (VSL) was a professional baseball sports league that operated in Venezuela from 1997 to 2015, primarily in the state of Carabobo. Teams in the league served as academies for Major League Baseball (MLB) organizations, a ...

. That season, he compiled a 4–1 record with a 2.86

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA), one

complete game In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...

, and 46

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...

s in 13 games, 11 starts. In 2009, Ramírez continued playing with the VSL Mariners. Before the season, the Seattle Mariners minor league director Pedro Grifol compared Ramírez to

pitcher

Doug Fister Douglas Wildes Fister (born February 4, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, and Tex ...

. That season, Ramírez compiled an 11–1 record with a 0.51 ERA, and 80 strikeouts in 14 games, 13 starts. He led the Venezuelan Summer League in wins, ERA,

innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one innin ...

(88), and strikeouts. After the season, the Seattle Mariners named Ramírez as the pitcher of the year in their minor league organization. He participated in the Mariners instructional league in

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

after the 2009 season. Erasmo Ramírez on August 3, 2013

Ramírez spent the early part of the 2010 season in extended

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...

with the Seattle Mariners. He was assigned to the Class-A

Clinton LumberKings The Clinton LumberKings are a collegiate summer baseball team of the Prospect League. They are located in Clinton, Iowa, and play their home games at NelsonCorp Field. From 1956 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's Midwest Lea ...

in early-April. On the season, Ramírez was both a

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

mid-season all-star and a post-season all-star. He went 10–4 with a 2.97 ERA, one complete game, one save, and 117 strikeouts in 26 games, 23 starts with Clinton. After the season, Ramírez was named the LumberKings Pitcher of the Year. At the end of the year, Erasmo was awarded in Nicaragua Athlete of the Year by the ACDN (Nicaraguan Association of Sport Journalists) over

Everth Cabrera Everth Cabrera (born November 17, 1986) is a Nicaraguan professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres and Baltimore Orioles. He led the National League (NL) in stolen bases in 2012, and was an ...

. In 2013, Ramírez was going to join the Mariners starting roster before the start of the regular season before injuring his triceps. He eventually spent time in

Class AAA Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL ...

before making his debut of the season with the Mariners on July 11 against the

, but allowed seven runs in 4 2/3 innings. The following day, Ramírez was sent down to the

Everett AquaSox The Everett AquaSox are a Minor League Baseball team in Everett, Washington. The team is a member of the Northwest League and is affiliated with the Seattle Mariners. The AquaSox play their home games at Funko Field, which has a seating capacity o ...

in order to allow him to stay on a regular rotation during the Major League All-Star break, and started July 17's game against the

Vancouver Canadians The Vancouver Canadians are a Minor League Baseball team located in Vancouver, British Columbia. They are members of the Northwest League and are affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays. The Canadians play their home games at Nat Bailey Stadium. ...

, giving up two runs on six hits while striking out ten in 5 1/3 innings as the AquaSox won 7-6.

Tampa Bay Rays

On March 31, 2015, Ramírez was traded to the

for

Mike Montgomery Michael John Montgomery (born February 27, 1947) is a retired American basketball coach. He is best known for his 18-year tenure at Stanford (1986–2004), where he led the program to 12 NCAA Tournaments, including a Final Four appearance in 199 ...

. Ramírez struggled in his first month with the Rays, posting an 0-1 record with a 12.71 ERA. But, when he came back in mid-May from the

Durham Bulls The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened in ...

he was better for the rotation and team, putting up great numbers for the rest of the season. On September 14 against the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

he went 7 hitless innings. Ramírez finished the season 11-5 with a 3.75

ERA An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth. Comp ...

in 163 innings pitched. In 2016, Ramírez made a more permanent switch to the bullpen, specifically in long relief situations. Ramírez ended the season making appearances in 64 games, throwing 90 innings posting a 3.77 ERA. In 2017, Ramírez started as an important reliever out of the bullpen, but when struggling youngster

Blake Snell Blake Ashton Snell (born December 4, 1992), is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Tampa Bay Rays selected Snell in the first round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft. ...

was demoted, Ramírez was put in the starting rotation. On May 28, Ramírez was forced to come in and get a save in a fifteen inning affair with the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

. On May 29, Ramírez became the first pitcher since Dennis Martinez, Ramírez's childhood idol, to start the next game before receiving a save.

Return to Seattle

On July 28, 2017, the Rays traded Ramírez back to the Seattle Mariners for

Steve Cishek Steven R. Cishek () (born June 18, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Cishek played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida / Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs, Chic ...

. On August 23 that season, Ramírez went 2-for-3 at the plate in a game against the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

, recording his first MLB hit and RBI. On May 1, 2018, he was placed on the disabled list. He ended the season sporting a career worst 6.50 ERA in 10 starts. In November 2018, Ramírez elected to become a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

after clearing waivers and being outrighted off the Mariner's 40-man roster.

Boston Red Sox

On December 18, 2018, Ramírez signed a minor league contract with the

. He started the 2019 season with the Triple-A

Pawtucket Red Sox The Pawtucket Red Sox, known colloquially as the PawSox, were a professional minor league baseball club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1973 to 2020, the team was a member of the International League and served as the Triple-A affiliate ...

. On April 16, his contract was selected by Boston, and he made his Red Sox debut the same day, allowing four runs in three innings of relief during an 8–0 loss to the Yankees in New York. He was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...

on April 19, and sent outright back to Pawtucket on April 21. With Pawtucket during the 2019 season, Ramírez was 6–8 with a 4.74 ERA and 95 strikeouts in innings. He elected free agency on October 1.

New York Mets

On January 26, 2020, Ramírez signed a minor league deal with the

. He was called up to the Mets on September 4, 2020. Ramírez pitched in 6 games in 2020, notching a 0.63 ERA and 9 strikeouts over 14.1 innings pitched. Ramírez became a free agent on October 28, 2020.

Detroit Tigers

On January 19, 2021, Ramírez signed a minor league contract with the

, with an invitation to spring training. On May 7, 2021, Ramírez was selected to the active roster. Ramírez appeared in 17 games for the Tigers, recording a 1-1 record with a 5.74 ERA with 20 strikeouts. On August 27, 2021, Ramírez was designated for assignment by the Tigers. On August 28, he was released by the Tigers.

Washington Nationals

On March 13, 2022, Ramírez signed a minor league contract with the

International career

After the 2012 season, Ramírez played for the

Nicaraguan national baseball team The Nicaragua national baseball team (Spanish: ''Selección de béisbol de Nicaragua'') is the national baseball team of Nicaragua. Considered the best in Central America along with Panama, it represents Nicaragua in international tournaments. Nic ...

in the

2013 World Baseball Classic The 2013 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball competition, held from March 2 to March 19, 2013. This was the third iteration of the WBC, following the two previous tournaments, held in 2006 and 2009. Unlike ...

Qualifying Tournament Qualification is either the process of qualifying for an achievement, or a credential attesting to that achievement, and may refer to: * Professional qualification, attributes developed by obtaining academic degrees or through professional exper ...

. On October 29, 2018, Ramírez was selected to play in the 2018 MLB Japan All-Star Series.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramirez, Erasmo 1990 births Living people Arkansas Travelers players Boston Red Sox players Cardenales de Lara players Nicaraguan expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Detroit Tigers players Clinton LumberKings players Everett AquaSox players High Desert Mavericks players Jackson Generals (Southern League) players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from Nicaragua Modesto Nuts players New York Mets players Nicaraguan expatriate baseball players in the United States Pawtucket Red Sox players People from Rivas Department Rochester Red Wings players Seattle Mariners players Tacoma Rainiers players Tampa Bay Rays players Venezuelan Summer League Mariners players Washington Nationals players