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

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

in 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) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...

organization. He has previously played in

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(MLB) for the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners 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 ...

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, and

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. Listed at and , he both throws and bats right-handed. He represents the Nicaraguan national team in international competition.

Early years

At the age of 12, Ramírez left his home in

Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...

to attend school in

San Salvador San Salvador () is the Capital city, capital and the largest city of El Salvador and its San Salvador Department, eponymous department. It is the country's largest agglomeration, serving as the country's political, cultural, educational and fin ...

El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of 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 by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...

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

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 or the Scout Movement is a youth social movement, movement which became popularly established in the first decade of the twentieth century. It follows the Scout method of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activi ...

Ubaldo Heredia and Bob Engle. Engle also signed players José López, Ryan Rowland-Smith, and Carlos Triunfel.

Professional career

Seattle Mariners

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

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. Moder ...

career in 2008 with the

rookie-level Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National L ...

VSL Mariners of the Venezuelan Summer League. 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 means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...

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 Pedro Orlando Grifol (born November 28, 1969) is an American former professional baseball catcher and coach. He is the former manager for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He also served in various coaching roles for the Kans ...

compared Ramírez to

pitcher Doug Fister. 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, the statistic innings pitched (IP) is the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of Batter (baseball), batters and baserunners that have been put out while the pitcher is on the Baseball field#Pitcher's mou ...

(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 is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

after the 2009 season. Ramírez spent the early part of the 2010 season in extended

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

with the Seattle Mariners. He was assigned to the

Single-A Single-A, formerly known as Class A and sometimes as Low-A, is the fourth-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States, below Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A, Double-A (baseball), Double-A, and High-A. There are 30 teams cl ...

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 Leag ...

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. 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 Triple–A 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 the High-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. The AquaSox play their home games at Funko Field, which has a seatin ...

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 (MiLB) team located in Vancouver, British Columbia. They are members of the Northwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Canadians play their home games at Nat Bail ...

, 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. 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 ...

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) Am ...

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

ERA An era is a span of time. Era or ERA may also refer to: * Era (geology), a subdivision of geologic time * Calendar era Education * Academy of European Law (German: '), an international law school * ERA School, in Melbourne, Australia * E ...

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 Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Tampa Bay Rays, San Diego Padres, and San Francisco Giants ...

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

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

Seattle Mariners (second stint)

On July 28, 2017, the Rays traded Ramírez back to the

for Steve Cishek. On August 23, 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

, 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. Nevertheless, on October 29, 2018, Ramírez was selected to play in the 2018 MLB Japan All-Star Series. In November 2018, Ramírez elected to become a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager 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 a contract at present ...

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

. Ramírez had a 4-2 record and a 2.92 ERA for the Nationals in 2022, starting two games and appearing in relief in 58 games. On December 21, 2022, Ramírez signed a contract worth $1 million for the 2023 season with up to $1 million available in performance bonuses. In 23 appearances for Washington, Ramírez struggled to a 6.33 ERA with only 13 strikeouts in 27.0 innings pitched. On June 7, 2023, Ramírez was designated for assignment by Washington after Cory Abbott was recalled from Triple–A. He cleared waivers and was released on June 9.

Tampa Bay Rays (second stint)

On June 12, 2023, Ramírez signed a minor league contract with the

organization and was assigned to the Triple–A

. His contract was selected to the 40man roster on July 30. In 15 games for Tampa Bay, he struggled to a 6.48 ERA with 30 strikeouts in innings pitched. On September 30, Ramírez was

by Tampa Bay. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple–A Durham on October 2. On October 13, Ramírez elected free agency. Ramírez re-signed with the Rays on a minor league contract on December 6, and began the 2024 season with Triple–A Durham. Ramírez was selected to the major league roster on April 20, 2024. In 11 games for the Rays, he compiled a 4.50 ERA with 9 strikeouts across 16 innings. On May 22, Ramírez was designated for assignment by Tampa Bay, and was sent outright to Durham on May 24 after clearing waivers. On August 26, the Rays called Ramírez back up to the major leagues. He was designated for assignment again on August 31. Ramírez cleared waivers and was sent outright to Durham on September 3. He elected free agency on October 4.

Minnesota Twins

On February 15, 2025, Ramírez signed a minor league contract with the

. On March 8, it was announced that Ramírez would "miss significant time" due to tears in his

teres minor muscle The teres minor (Latin ''teres'' meaning 'rounded') is a narrow, elongated muscle of the rotator cuff. The muscle originates from the lateral border and adjacent posterior surface of the corresponding right or left scapula and inserts at both the ...

and lat muscle.

International career

Ramírez played for the Nicaraguan national baseball team in the 2013 World Baseball Classic qualifiers. Over 1.2 innings pitched, he gave up four hits, two walks, and one hit-by-pitch in what would be an 8–1 drubbing against

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

. He was not included in the squad for the 2017 WBC qualifiers. Ramírez participated with the Nicaraguan team in the

2023 World Baseball Classic The 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball tournament and the fifth iteration of the World Baseball Classic. It began on March 8, 2023, and ran until March 21. It was originally scheduled to take place in ...

, the country's first ever appearance at a WBC tournament. In the tournament, he pitched to a 2.45 ERA over 3.2 innings. Ramírez gave up several RBI singles in relief against

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

, yielding three runs in a 9–1 loss (though all but one of the runners were inherited). He then started Nicaragua's final game against Venezuela, pitching three scoreless innings, outlasting Eduardo Rodriguez and striking out Ronald Acuña Jr.

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 Durham Bulls 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 2023 World Baseball Classic players