Veteran MLB catcher Wilson Ramos officially retired from baseball on Sunday after signing a ceremonial one-day contract with the Washington Nationals.
The 37-year-old spent parts of 12 seasons with seven different Major League teams, including a brief stint with the Detroit Tigers in 2021.
Ramos joined the Tigers on a one-year, $2 million contract just before spring training and began the season as their starting catcher. He hit six home runs over an eight-game span in April, but his performance waned due to a back injury. With Jake Rogers and Eric Haase stepping up behind the plate, the Tigers opted to release Ramos on June 15, 2021, rather than bring him back from the injured list.
Originally from Venezuela, Ramos made his MLB debut with the Minnesota Twins in 2010 and was traded to Washington later that year. He spent seven seasons with the Nationals and earned an All-Star selection in 2016.
He later signed with the Tampa Bay Rays before the 2017 season and was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2018. Over the following three seasons, Ramos posted a .288 batting average, .785 OPS, and hit 34 home runs across 1,095 plate appearances—impressive numbers for a catcher.
Although he was recognized for his defensive skills early in his career, those abilities declined with age. This decline played a role in the New York Mets’ decision to decline his $10 million option for 2021, instead paying him a $1.5 million buyout. He then signed with the Tigers as a free agent.
Ramos made headlines in 2011 when he was kidnapped at gunpoint in Venezuela. He was rescued by commandos on November 11, a date he later had tattooed on his forearm.
Following his release from the Tigers, Ramos played briefly for Cleveland, appearing in nine games. He later played in independent leagues in 2023 and continued competing in Venezuela as recently as the past winter.
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