There will probably be a statue of Jose Ramirez outside of Progressive Field someday. The seven-time All-Star is one of the best Guardians players in recent memory. However, the 34-year-old endured a challenging overall regular season, dealing with both underperformance and injuries along the way. It is uncertain if his previous injury — he underwent hamate surgery during the season — is continuing to contribute to his underperformance, but Ramirez is still struggling through the first two games of the American League Division Series.

The Guardians need to make a change that would have seemed unthinkable earlier in the season. In fact, one may argue they still shouldn't make this move — and in all reality they probably won't. Cleveland's lineup has struggled overall, so the team's lack of production is not all Ramirez's fault. Of course, Ramirez has signed multiple contract extensions with Cleveland while he realistically could have signed for far more money elsewhere, so he will always be respected for that.

The current focus for this Guardians team is on Game 3 of the ALDS, though. Cleveland doesn't need to bench Ramirez, but it is time to move him down in the lineup.

Why it's time for Guardians to move Jose Ramirez down in lineup

It is an incredibly difficult decision for manager Stephen Vogt. Ramirez is a fan-favorite who chose the Guardians over free agency. He wants to be in Cleveland, which is something that cannot be said for many other franchise stars who have either left in free agency or were likely going to leave and were ultimately traded.

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Ramirez has yet to record a hit in the postseason this year. He has reached base twice via walks and has also scored a run. There was a time when Ramirez was a true threat at the plate, though. He could find his form again, but Ramirez isn't that player at this moment.

Moving Ramirez down in the lineup may help him as well. It would alleviate the pressure of having to navigate a slump while hitting second in the lineup. Hitting fifth, sixth or seventh would allow Ramirez to figure things out and potentially bounce back.

If Cleveland doesn't want to make a drastic change such as moving him all the way down to seventh or eighth in the lineup, moving him to the No. 5 spot could make sense. That lineup spot is still a place where run producers often hit, but it offers less pressure than any of the top four spots in the batting order.

Regardless of how they want to approach it, change is needed for a Guardians ball club that is one loss away from another disappointing postseason. For a franchise that hasn't won the World Series since 1948, making this Jose Ramirez change is worth it.